Page 21 of Heart on Ice

Pierre holds up his hands. “I hear it loud and clear, but you were the one who invaded my personal space.”

“I had been knocking for ages, and you couldn’t hear me. I thought you had fallen asleep. You were always hard to wake up if you fell asleep,” I explain to him.

“Nice to know you still remember things about me. You always knew how to wake me up no matter how hard it was.” He smirks, raising a brow.

My cheeks flush at his innuendo, I flip him off and storm out of my house. The driver is waiting as we walk down the stairs and get into the car. Pierre comes around the other side and gets in.

“Kevin, just going to Harper’s place, please,” I tell my driver, who nods and merges into traffic.

“It’s weird being back in the city again,” Pierre muses as he looks out the window. I ignore him. “Everything is so tall and everyone looks so busy. Guess I’ve gotten used to the wide-open spaces of South Dakota.” I continue to ignore him and play on my phone. “Are there any parks nearby to take Frankston to? I don’t know if he is going to love all this concrete,” he asks.

“No, I don’t know,” I grumble.

“He’s going to hate leaving his cushy home for all this,” he says, continuing to talk to himself.

“You can always go back.” I huff.

“And work for the man that was screwing my fiancée.” He hisses as he continues to look out the window. Guess he does have a point there. “You’re probably thinking I deserved it, karma finally found me.” He turns and looks at me, I see the fire of emotions in his eyes. Maybe a tiny portion of me might have thought that, finally, now he can understand what it feels like to have your heart ripped out by someone you love, but it was only for a moment because I don’t want karma to find me too.

“I would never wish that for you,” I answer quietly.

He scoffs and continues to look out the window. I don’t like that he thinks I’m a horrible person.You were hardly empathetic when he arrived.That was shock, and I still think I am in shock. “Have you heard from Kitty?”

“Yes,” he grumbles.

“And?” I push.

He looks over at me. “She told me I had embarrassed her. That I’m a piece of shit for walking out of our wedding. That I’m a coward. I’m a loser. That she never loved me. Shall I go on?” he says. I get the picture. “Somehow, I’m the bad guy in all this. Me. She’s blaming me, as are her friends.”

“When the truth comes out no one is going to think that,” I try to reassure him.

“You think this is coming out?” he questions me. “Bill Reeves to the world is the happily married hockey legend. No one would ever suspect what Kitty and Bill did. No one. He’s almost three times her age. Plus, he’s a billionaire. He can pay anyone to make all this go away. To make me go away.”

“Is he threatening you?” I ask, slightly concerned.

“Of course he is, he has much to lose,” Pierre snaps.

“Guess it’s good that we are coming up with a plan for you then.”

“You really think Harper is going to be able to help with this?” he asks, and it’s the first time I see fear on his face.

“Harper is brilliant at her job. She knows people. There’s no way she is going to let anyone come for you. I mean it, she will fight for you,” I reassure him.

“And what about you? Will you fight for me if things go south?”

“Are you doubting my work ethic?”

“I know you’re good at your job. Will you be good at it for me?” he asks. I’m offended that he would question me like that.Why? You have made it clear all these years you want nothing to do with him. Why would he think now you’ll care?

“Of course I will. You are one of our top clients … plus, Dad would want me to.” Tightness in my chest takes over. I look out the window, trying to rein it in.

“Thanks,” he says as we fall silent again.

It’s notlong till we arrive.

“Morning,” Harper say cheerily, greeting us. She pulls us into her living room where Meadow is sitting with her, but I see no Felix anywhere.

“Hi, I’m Meadow, second in charge of The Rose Agency. Sorry to meet you under these circumstances,” she says to Pierre in greeting, giving him a wide smile as her eyes rake over him. What does she think she’s doing checking him out like that? I glare at her, but she doesn’t notice it.

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