Page 59 of Deceit
I gaped at him, processing his admission.“You…you own Exotique?”
“That’s what I said, didn’t I?”he hissed.“You can thank Theo forthat; heinsisted we bought the place a couple of years ago in hopesthatone day,you’dreturn.”He dropped my chin and took a step back, giving me space to breathe.“And here you are.”
“I…I don’t understand.”
He ran a hand through his hair, which had grown slightly since thewedding, and I had the sudden urge to lace my fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked. I’d always liked Miles with longer hair.
“It’s not fucking rocket science, Jailbait,”he snapped.“We bought the clubbecause my idiotic cousin was convincedthatone day, you’d show up again. Andthenhe died, leaving me to run it on my own.”At the mention of his cousin’s name, some of his anger seeped from his body, and hisshoulders slumped.“It closed down when we lost control of the city, and I’ve spent the past few months working my ass off to get the place up and running again. That’s why I’ve been here every night. Not fucking women like you believe.”
I closed my eyes as shame licked at my skin.“I’m sorry.”
Miles shook his head.“I don’t want your apology. I told you, you didn’thave to worry about me fucking anyone.”
“Maybe if you’d told me about the club in the first place-”
“I don’t owe you anything,”he interrupted, venom in his tone.“I made itclear when we got married; you stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours.”
Fury smothered the shame and guilt swirling in my bloodstream, my temperhanging by a thread. I wassodone with his dismissive attitude. Done with his coldness toward me.
Done with wanting someone who would never want me.
I deserved better. I deserved to live my life experiencing love and affection,and giving it back. I couldn’t go on like this, with this desperate need to feel something other than the constant lonelinessthathovered over me like a thunderstorm.
“You know what, Miles? That’s fine.”I jabbed him in the chest, earning ascowl.“I’ll stay out of your business. You do whatever the fuck you like, with whoever the fuck you like. But don’t expect me to spend any more of my life sitting at home, lonely as hell, and wanting someone to acknowledge my existence. I refuse to live another day of my life like this.”
A patronizing smirk tugged at his lips.“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?”
His taunting tone added fuel to the inferno now raging inside me, and thetenuous thread holding my temper in check finally snapped.
“I’ll show you what I’m going to do about it,”I snarled, determinationpowering me to shove him out of the way and yank the door open before storming into the hallway.
In a club like this,surelyI could find someone more than willing to make mefeel good.Evenif it wasjustonce.Evenif it was with someone I didn’t want.
I didn’t get far, though. Miles grabbed my arm and spun me around.“Wherethe fuck are you going?”
“Where do you think,Milo? I’m going to find a man who can give meeverything you can’t.”
Rage blazed in his eyes as he wrenched me back to his office despitemy attempt to break free.“No, you’re not.”
I yanked my arm out of his grasp as he shoved me back into the office, whitehot fury like I’d never felt before thrumming through my veins. He slammed the door again, this time locking it, and standing against it to prevent me fromevenattempting to unlock it.
Unable to control my anger, I closed the small space between us, my breastspressing against his firm chest, and my lips curling into a sneer.“I told you I’m done with this. I’m not spending another minute of my life with someone incapable of feeling.”
His nostrils flared, yet his tone was surprisingly calm.“Incapable of feeling? That’s what you think, Jailbait?”
“Yeah, that’sexactlywhat I think,”I hissed, knowing I waspressing his buttons, but unable to stop myself.
“You couldn’t be more wrong.”
I snorted.“Oh,really? You could have fooled me. But, whatever. I don’t givea shit. I’m done. Now let me the fuck out so I can go and find someone who isn’t afraid to show me how they feel.”
“Isthatwhat you want?”he growled, low and deadly.“You want to go andfind some random dude to fuck you in front of everyone?”
“Uh-huh. I want to find someone whoiscapable of feeling. Someone who’llput their hands all over my body, and fuck me so hardthatI can’t walk for days without thinking about their cock inside me.”
I should have felt bad for taunting him, especially when he clenched his jawso hardthatI was certain I heard the cracking of teeth, but I couldn’t stop the words from spewing out of me.
Stepping to the side, I lifted my arm to attempt to reach the lock, but before Icould comprehend what was happening, my back was once again shoved against the door, and Miles towered over me, my chin in his firm grip.
