Page 45 of The Temptation
“Get them polished!” I slammed the door shut behind me and hurried down the hall of his massive home to find a member of his staff.
I knew I looked insane. My hair was a mess, standing up in every direction, and I was wearing his pajamas, which were two sizes too big. Plus, I was only wearing socks on my feet. My coat was under one arm and my violin under the other. But I couldn’t stay. If I did, I would cry, and then I wouldn’t be able to forgive either of us.
15
PIERCE SUTTON
Time apart fixed nothing.I had never felt so trapped in all my life, and it was a cage of my own making. I had no idea what to do or where to turn. Yes, Sebastian, Rome, and Declan had always been there for me, but I was terrified to open my mouth and reveal everything both past and present. What would they say? How would they react? It was bad enough that I’d lost Sawyer when we were barely twenty. Was I supposed to lose my other three closest friends now?
I’d always felt like I was living on borrowed time with them. Eventually, the past would have to come out, and I would lose them.
Yet, I knew Simon was right. This wasn’t simple sexual attraction. I was falling for him. Everything about him called to me—his smile, his laugh, each crazy thought that flew off his tongue, and his sense of adventure. Especially that. Nothing seemed to scare him. He would jump at any insane idea that crossed his mind.
Go halfway across the world to play for a sold-out crowd in Beijing? Sure.
Head off to the African savanna with a team of scientists to see how animals reacted to his playing? Of course.
Flirt with his older brother’s best friend and make him lose his mind? Naturally.
Meanwhile, I was collapsing under the weight of Sawyer’s ghostly glare, wondering if maybe my parents were right. I’d dragged my feet here for long enough. Settling down in Boston, away from Simon, might be my best option if I meant to keep my promise to Sawyer.
Regardless of any promises I might have made to Sawyer, I also didn’t want to hurt Simon. He was precious to me, and I wanted him to be happy. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure how I could explain that to him without going into detail, and I wasn’t ready to talk about the past.
When Simon arrived in the afternoon on Monday, I still hadn’t come up with a good approach to handling the situation that we were in. And it took only one look at the scowl on Simon’s face to see that his mood hadn’t improved in the last twenty-four hours.
Marie showed him into my office and offered him something to drink, which he politely declined before glaring at me. She sent me a last questioning glance as if attempting to throw me a lifeline, but there was no saving me from myself as she shut the door on her way out.
“Are you feeling better?” I inquired from where I stood behind my desk. Having bulky furniture between us seemed the safest option. My gut told me Simon was only a step away from slugging me.
“Are you referring to the aftereffects of Saturday or your cruel rejection after we jerked each other off?” Simon’s tone was sharp as he dropped into one of the chairs in front of my desk and folded his hands in his lap.
Ouch, but very deserved.
I sighed. “Both.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry. Truly, I am. It has never been my intention to hurt you. All I want for you is to be happy, and on Sunday, I made a serious error in judgment. I gave in to my desires instead of using my head and thinking about what is best for you.”
Simon’s expression softened, turning almost quizzical as his eyebrows bunched over his nose. “So…what you’re saying is that you care for me?”
“Of course I care about you.”
“And you’re attracted to me,” he pressed.
I bit my tongue before I could stupidly agree. The little shit was trying to lead me by the nose once again, but I wasn’t throwing myself into that trap just to make him happy.
Yet, I didn’t need to say a word. He knew the answer. Like he’d said, he could feel how much I was attracted to him in every kiss and touch. I couldn’t hide it no matter how hard I tried. After all these months of keeping him at arm’s length, Simon had worn down all my defenses and was sneaking past my guard regularly.
“You are. There’s no point in denying it,” Simon continued. “You care about me, and you are attracted to me. I don’t see why we don’t turn this fake relationship into a real one. People have dated with far less to build on than what we have.”
“I’m wondering why you stuck with the violin when you could have gone into law,” I muttered.
Simon smirked. “The only person I argue with is you.”
A surprised bark of laughter escaped me. I didn’t believe that in the slightest. Simon argued with anyone and everyone.
He rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. You’re the only one Iliketo argue with. Everyone else? They’re morons.”
