Page 85 of Courting Gossip (Courting)
Chapter Thirteen
Genieve wiped her feet on the fish-shaped rug in front of the door and burst into the beach house. She couldn’t believe he was here. This was her retreat, her oasis. ‘How did you find me?’ she demanded.
He entered behind her more slowly. ‘You told me you had a place in Rehoboth Beach when you came to stay with me. I was listening.’
He was always tucking away information, wasn’t he? Even with that small a tidbit, he’d had the resources to track her down.
Well, knowing where she lived didn’t mean he’d been invited.
She filled herself a glass of cold water from the faucet and drank half of it before turning to face him. She didn’t like the surprise. She’d come here to lick her wounds. She needed more time to build her defences against him.
‘Nice place,’ he said. He barely looked at it before his lavender gaze landed back on her.
‘I know.’ She’d chosen the condo and had decorated it herself. From the hardwood floors to the teak furniture to the blue and coral colour scheme, the place was an extension of her. She was typically relaxed and light-hearted, but not today. He was on her turf, and she wasn’t comfortable having him here.
She didn’t trust him.
He put his hands on his hips. He was dressed down again and looked more like her Brody.Her Brody. She wanted to kick herself. T-shirts and jeans or suits and ties, he was still a shark.
His gaze skimmed down her figure before jerking back up. ‘Do you want to put something on?’ he asked.
Why? Did her state of undress bother him?
‘I’m good.’ She leaned back against the counter and crossed her legs at the ankles. It split the sarong open to show an expanse of leg. She was at ease in her bikini. She’d walked a mile up and down the public beach in it. If it put him off-balance, all the better. She might get honest answers that way.
‘Say what you’ve got to say, Brody.’ Then he could leave, and she could go back to patching the holes in her pride.
The tic in his temple returned. ‘I didn’t protect Maggie Harris. I was protecting you.’
Genieve tilted her head. Oh, really? She’d love to see how he spun this. ‘How do you figure?’
‘We’re looking at a plea deal now. She won’t say anything this way.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Anything about what?’
She knew damn well, but she wanted him to say it out loud.
His expression went smooth. ‘About you being an escort.’
She took a swift step towards him. She’d tried, but she couldn’t play it calm and cool like he did. ‘That’s what I am, Brody – an escort – but today you made me feel like a whore.’
His forehead creased, and his eyes lit up. ‘I take offence at that.’
So did she.
‘You ran into town to cover everything up before we could even wrap our heads around what was going on. The most important thing to you was hiding me away like a dirty little secret.’
‘It is a secret,’ he said, his voice taking on an edge. ‘You hide it. Luxxor hides it. Maggie could talk about Senator Gunderson, and he’s my client, too. What else was I supposed to do, Jenny? This way everyone is protected.’
‘Everyone including that crazy bitch.’
He ran a hand through his hair, and it stayed rumpled. ‘Compromise sucks, but we’re almost out of the weeds on this. We’ve got to take this win.’
Genieve slapped her hand against the counter. ‘This is not a win for me. The woman broke into my home. She damaged my property. She violated me more than any of my clients ever have.’
‘Don’t say that,’ he growled.
‘You’re protecting her. What about me? When do I get justice? She’s come at me twice now.’
