Page 91 of His Rules

She slammed the door on the way out and Daniel took one more hard swing. I gave him that one as I felt it deserved for keeping our relationship behind his back.

Fuck. Fuck.

“Such a bastard. You hurt everyone you come into contact with,” Daniel said. He half laughed. “I should have known. My God. I was fucking blind or just too trusting. I knew something was up that night at dinner. But this? This?”

I rubbed my jaw, closing my eyes briefly. “I wasn’t using her. Your daughter is important to both of us, Dan. I care about her.”

“You’re not the kind of man who is capable of caring about anyone but yourself. You and I both know that, so why don’t you do that beautiful woman a favor and just fucking walk away. You’re going to do it in the future and don’t lie and tell me that’s not going to happen. You will. That’s what you do.”

“I didn’t leave Ashley, Dan. She left me. Or better yet, she decided Jackson was more to her liking. Remember him? He was on the rowing team with us, a guy I considered a friend. That was followed by Bob and Steve and fuck knows who else.” Even though the rumors had gotten out about Ashley and what she’d done, I hadn’t spread them. I’d told no one about her acts of infidelity.

Including Daniel.

Maybe because I’d believed my working hours had been the reason.

He gawked at me, his feature softening. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That I wasn’t man enough? That I pushed her away without realizing it? That I didn’t care enough about her to give her much time? Yeah, that’s not something I wanted to admit.”

Daniel was almost never at a loss for words, but I could tell he was having significant difficulty knowing what to say. The awkwardness between us was something neither one of us were used to. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Sebastian. I truly am. However, that doesn’t change the way I feel about Elizabeth.”

“You’re treating her like a child, Dan. Including by using her given name that she can’t stand.”

He half laughed. “You’re being condescending toward me of all people? Take a look in the mirror, my friend. You’ve a lot to be desired. My daughter is too good for you. Stay away from her.”

His demand issued, he headed for the door, exiting and closing it with a hard thud.

He had one thing right. She was too good for me.

But it was too late to change things now.

I would never be able to let her go.

Kacey

“Men. Assholes. All of them.” I was throwing out nasty words right and left and they still weren’t making me feel any better.

He was using me. I’d heard what Sebastian had said. I had been a fool. He’d gotten what he wanted, someone to dig just deep enough he might be able to save his company, all while dangling diamond-coated crumbs for me to lap up like a dog in heat.

Then there’d been the fringe benefits.

I was absolutely a stupid girl.

“I’m stupid. I’m just a crazy whack job.”

“Yes, you are, but do you mind clueing me in on what’s going on here? You demanded I leave work and meet you at my houseafter informing me that you’re staying with me. I think I deserve to know a teensy bit about what the fuck is wrong.” Stephanie had one hand on her hip, holding a small space between the thumb and index finger of the other.

“You told me if I ever needed a place to stay, you’d love to have me.” My head was pounding, the ache behind my eyes more intense than I’d felt in a long time. What the hell was wrong with me?

Who was I kidding? What was wrong with the two men who wanted to duke it out?

“That’s not the point,” she insisted.

“And the entire press team corps from like four stations was outside. Cameras and big vans waiting to catch me. I couldn’t believe it. I had to sneak out the back door, moving around the huge garbage bin through the trees to get to my rental car. I need a real car. I deserve a brand new sports car. Anyway, I was certain the bastards were going to follow me.”

“Whoa. Slow down. The press, as in reporters? What in the fuck is going on?”

“I mean the way they were acting was like they wanted to kill each other. Why didn’t they purchase a couple guns and do a shootout on the street? They’re grown adults and acted like they had any right to tell me how to live my life. Damn them. No, damn all men. They suck.”

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