Page 59 of Merrick

Taking another deep breath, he forced himself to move on and the minute he did, he went into shock mode.

Detective Margo Sullivan. She was a bloody cop. Of all the things that he had expected – perhaps a husband or children – he never expected this. Rage erupted inside him and that was before he read further that she was investigating his company.

And like a fool he had fallen for her. For her lies, when all the time she had pretended… Pain and grief edged out the fury and had him sagging back weakly in his chair.

She had used him. All the questions about the company had not been because she was interested in him, she had been fishing for information.

Matthew had been thorough. At least, she had not lied about being brought up in a group home. She had told the truth there. And he, who had always been cautious because of his position in life had fallen for her flimsy lies.

And they had been flimsy. She had not struck him as a damn romance novelist. But he had fallen so quickly, he would have swallowed everything she told him.

Pain shimmered inside his chest, and he felt as if he was suffocating from it. It had all been a damn lie. No! he shook his head. She could not have faked her reaction to his lovemaking. He had seen the shock when she had her first orgasm, and he recalled how she had fought him. His guess was that had not been in the plans.

She had not expected to be so caught up. Or he was just making excuses for her because he wanted to believe that at least she felt something for him.

Swiveling his chair around, he stared blindly at the stunning view outside his window. He had deliberately asked Matthew to stop by after business hours because he wanted privacy.

Now he knew. And the pain was spectacular. He had fallen hard – extremely fast and was devastated. He felt as if he was dying. Not even the crash and what had happened to Laura and his unborn son had felt like this.

He felt as if he was being hurled from the top of the cliff and into a dark pit. He was destroyed. She had effectively torn him into tiny pieces. And he was going to drown himself in alcohol, but first, he had to hear it from her own lips. With that in mind, he reached for the phone and made the call.

*****

“He wants to see me,” Margo turned to look at Brad as she hung up the phone.

“Which means he did not have the time to run you yet. Are you going? And if so, will you tell him?”

She shook her head. “I have to tell him it is over. Find some excuse. We have enough to search his company and his brother’s home. I cannot jeopardize any of it.” She drew in a breath and tried to steady herself.

“Are you sure you should go and see him?”

“No.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “But I have to.”

“Be careful,” Brad warned.

“I can take care of myself and he’s not going to hurt me.”

*****

Margo had to admit to herself that she was feeling on edge. He had not called her in two days and suddenly he was doing so. It also had to do with the fact that she was not sleeping well without him, and it pissed her off.

She who had so often scoffed when she heard women say that they could not function when their men were away and that included cops.

Thankfully, the dragon assistant was not at her desk, sneering at her and his doors were open.

He was not sitting behind his desk, but standing at the window, with a drink in his hand. The sight of his broad shoulders outlined in the black silk sweater sent her heart bumping against her ribs. She wanted to rush over and wrap herself around him.

As if sensing her presence, he turned around, his face scrupulously expressionless, intense gray eyes wandering overher. She was wearing the same faded denims and red sweater she had worn for work and the scarred jacket.

How had he not seen it? He wondered bitterly. Everything about her screamed ‘cop’…

“Drink?”

“No, thanks. You’re back.”

“Yes.” He was fighting for control and could feel it slipping away by degrees.

“When?”

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