Page 76 of Worth the Risk

‘So what if I did sleep with her? You told me it was over. After she told me it was over. I was away for two months and you didn’t bother to tell me you were back on.’

‘That’s your bloody excuse?’ Gideon railed.

‘No excuses. I fucked up. Are you going to spend the rest of your life punishing me? Because if you are, you’re going to have to look me in the face every day from now on when the board votes me back in on Monday.’

‘What next? You’re going to make a bid for my CEO seat? Or are you after something else?’

‘What the hell could I possibly—If you’re worried about your new woman, don’t be.’

Gideon laughed, the sound so harsh, it grated my heart.

My feet propelled me to the doorway. They didn’t notice me because both men were facing the view, shoulders tense and bodies bristling. ‘I’m not worried. In your own unique way you taught me a lesson. Opened my eyes to a few things. All that emotional bullshit is overrated.’

Damian dragged a hand down his face and shook his head. ‘Are you sure your Leonora knows that?’

‘She’s not my anything. And yeah, she knows it’s just sex. It will always be just sex. If she needs a reminder, I’ll provide one when the time comes. But this time round if you’re that hard up, make sure I’m done with her before you make a move.’

My gasp wrenched both men around.

‘Bloody hell,’ Damian swore.

Gideon froze for a long second, his face ashen. Then he stumbled towards me. ‘Leonora—’

‘No.’ I held up my hand, backing away from him.

He didn’t stop. ‘Leonora, please—’

‘I said no!’ My ankle twisted as my stupid heels caught. The pain barely registered as I raced back to my cabin.

Gideon caught up with me before I could shut the door in his face. The door slammed shut behind him. I whirled to face him. ‘Whatever you’re going to say, save your breath.’

He jabbed shaky fingers through his hair. ‘What you heard sounded bad, I know, but—’ He stopped, his eyes darting to the suitcase on the bed. ‘What the hell is that?’

‘What does it look like?’

Gideon

She was leaving.

My gaze swung back to her; I was dazedly aware that my lungs felt as if they’d been electrocuted. Hell, my whole body felt as if it’d collided head first with a cement truck. ‘You were already packing to leave?’

Her blue eyes flicked over me, and for a moment I saw pain and fury. Then she dismissed me as if I was nothing. ‘Looks like I’ve saved us both time.’

I tried to catch my breath. No fucking dice. ‘How long have you been planning this?’

‘Since I decided this was over for me.’

‘When exactly was that?’

‘Does any of that really matter now?’

A parade of emotions stampeded through me, the strongest of all the need to reject what she was saying. This wasn’t over for me. Not by a long shot. The kind of long shot that had for ever shimmering all over it. But...hadn’t I seen this coming? She’d been dropping hints over the last few days. Since I told her about Penny. About Damian. About the child I lost.

I swallowed hard. ‘Tell me the truth, Leonora. Is this about everything I told you?’

‘You mean the information I had to wring out of you? Information you only gave in return for sex? That was what you were doing, wasn’t it? Trading the emotional bullshit for sex? So again, what does it matter now?’

The barbed wire wrapped around my heart tightened, sinking anguish deeper. ‘It fucking matters,’ I snarled.

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