Page 104 of Friends Who Fake It

A muscle jerked in his jaw and despite the hard set of his features, she knew that her words hit their mark. But then, he leaned back in his chair, a study in lazy indolence. “Keeping a man from his child isnevera good idea,querida.”

“And nor is threatening a mother,” she said, a defiant tilt to her chin.

She was terrified. Her body was shaking and yet he couldn’t stem the anger that was rushing through him. Having spent the day with Joshua, all he could think about was what he’d missed. How much he’d lost, and all because this woman had been too afraid to do the right thing.

So he’d been married. That didn’t negate his rights, and didn’t give her open slather to make such an enormous decision.

Their son had been denied a father as well.

“It is not a threat when the intention is there to go through with it,” he said, watching as his words landed on her shoulders.

Her glare was a juxtaposition of fear and aggression.

“I would fight you every step of the way.”

“And I would win,” he said, standing and moving towards her. She was frozen to the spot.

“You think that makes you a good father?” She whispered, shaking her head softly and surprising him by meeting his eyes with a look that was loaded with determination. “You think wanting to terrify Joshua’s mother proves that you love him?” She straightened, pulling away from the door and jerking it inwards. “Any decent human being would know that one of the best ways to show you love Joshua is to at least respect the woman who’s raising him – even if you don’t like her. He’s going to be happiest of all if he thinks we’re at peace, not war.” She turned and moved through the door but then, paused, and threw over her shoulder: “But I guess we both know you’re a long way from being a decent human being.”

ChapterEleven

HE DIDN’T GO TO bed until the early hours of the morning and he knew why. He was avoiding her. He was avoiding having to face the truth of her parting barb.

Because therewastruth in those words. Nothing could absolve her of her crimes in keeping Joshua from him, but what of his own actions? What of the fact that he’d been engaged and set out to seduce a young woman? Had overpowered her with his flattery and experience, had made her think he was free and available, had even made her love him, and then he’d left her, intending to marry Bella, as planned.

Hell, when she’d told him the story of the man she’d lost her virginity to, he’d been livid! Outraged that any man could use a young woman so badly.

But was Xavier any different? She’d been twenty, not sixteen, but even now at twenty four she had the innocence of a woman who had been sheltered all her life. At that same age, Xavier had been running his branch of the company, in charge of billions of euros worth of investments, and he’d had more lovers than he could remember. There was no comparing him to her.

They were vastly different.

He couldn’t remember the details of the weekend they’d shared, but he could fill in the gaps well enough. He’d seen her and he’d wanted her, so he’d done whatever was necessary to make her his.

Including lying to her by omission.

She would have been so sweet and innocent and Xavier was nothing if not an accomplished deal-maker. He instinctively knew what someone needed and how to meet those needs – he must have given her every reason to think he was someone worthy of her innocence.

He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor beside the bed; his pants followed.

She was asleep, her gentle breathing rhythmic, her face peaceful and relaxed. Not like it had been over dinner. She had been so tense – as though a word from him would lead her to have a stroke. She’d walked into dinner as though she were on her way to an execution, and all his intentions for them to try to have a civilized conversation had gone out the window.

He’d been infuriated by her fear, and so he’d made it all worse.

He lifted the cover and lay on his side of the bed, staring at the ceiling, cursing his wrecked mind and weak memories. Cursing the patches of black that lived in an otherwise rapier sharp brain.

He didn’t doubt his decisions with Elizabeth – he had to get Joshua into his life and despite what Elizabeth thought, marrying her was the kindest option for all involved.

Not to mention the raging desire he felt for her, he acknowledged with a cynical shake of his head. Yeah, the marriage wasn’t completely selfless.

His body was hard for her even now, but her anger and parting shot stopped him from acting on the feelings that tormented them both.

We both know you’re far from a decent human being.

He didn’t like it because it was true. At least so far as Elizabeth was concerned. The facts were indisputable. He’d cheated, he’d made her the other woman, and now he was punishing her for a baby that would never have eventuated had he been able to act with a modicum of restraint.

He closed his eyes and wished he could so easily shut off his mind.

But he couldn’t. He tossed onto his side, his back to Elizabeth, and he waited for the pleasant oblivion of sleep.

---