Page 26 of Insatiable Hunger

But he was away at college, with no plans to return, and my reasons for marrying Val still stood. And I thought maybe,just maybe,I could control myself. Lock it up, keep it inside.

So, I did it. And now, here I am… exactly where I knew I’d be.

I’m a man who came from nothing and built an empire for himself. Someone who takes pride in his restraint and self-control. Who can be level-headed, not make rash decisions. Unless, of course, those decisions relate to Elias. Then everything goes out the fucking window.

Finishing up some emails that have littered my inbox all morning, a knock sounds at the door. “Come in.”

Daphne steps through, a bag of takeout in her hand. “You lunch has arrived, sir.”

“Thank you, Daphne.”

Setting it on my desk, she hovers, eyes watching me with glee.

“Is there something else you need?” I question, sounding as annoyed as I feel.

Something laugh-like hiccups out of her as she steps closer to the desk. “It’s just… Jordan and your stepson, sir. They wereso cuteat the event last night!”

Of course, this is about that.His bitter words come rushing back to me:“What happened between us can’t be taken back, but you also have no say in how I choose to live my life.”

Logically, I know he’s right. I have no say in the matter, but as much as Iknowthat, I can’t seem to help myself.

At the mention of last night, after all my efforts to completely forget about it, the vein in my neck throbs, blood pressure soaring. “Is that all, Daphne? Or are we suddenly schoolgirls partaking in gossip?”

The smile slides off her face as she flattens a hand down her skirt. “Sorry, sir. That’ll be all.”

As soon as she leaves, closing the door behind her, I return my focus to my computer. Or I try to. I barely get started sifting through emails when my phone rings.

“Christ! Can I get any work done today?”

Punching my finger onto the speaker button, I let out a frustrated snarl. “Yes?”

“Hi, honey.”Valerie.

“Hello, dear.”

“Am I catching you at a bad time?” There’s an amusement in her tone, like she just knows I’m fuming and it’s funny to her.

“No,” I lie. “What’s going on?”

“I’m about to hit the road. I wanted to let you know I was leaving.”

Shit.I forgot about that. Valerie is going to New York for a girls’ trip with a few of her friends. She’s the only buffer I have between me and Elias. The verylastthing I need right now is her leaving town. Of course, I can’t tell her that.

“Have fun,” I manage to get out. “How long will you be gone again?”

“The rest of the week. I’ll be home Sunday morning.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, we say our goodbyes, and I hang up. I’m being tested this week, that’s all there is to it.

But it’ll be fine. I can do this. Surely, I can be alone in a house with Elias and not do something stupid…again. We can live civilly under the same roof. Deciding to be the bigger person, I grab my phone, unlocking it, and I pull up our text message thread.

Me: Your mom has gone out of town. I was going to pick up some pizza on my way home. Would you like some?

It doesn’t take long for the message to show as read and the text bubble to pop up.

Elias: What the hell is this? You go from being a raging neanderthal last night to offering me pizza right now? Is this a joke?

Me: I’m simply asking if you’d like pizza since we both have to eat dinner.

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