Page 61 of Stella's Christmas Rescue
“I had no idea, Simon.” I shake my head adamantly.
“You knew what I was up to, you just didn’t want to admit it to yourself, did you? And I can understand that. Running guns is dangerous. You were scared. I can forgive all of that.”
“Youcan forgiveme? What didIdo that requires forgiveness?”
His voice deepens to a threat. “You left me.”
“I left my whole life because of you. Don’t pretend you’re the victim.”
He gently shakes his head. His voice softens, “Water under the bridge. Leave the program. We’ll go to the Maldives and start over.”
“Of all the bullshit you just said, the Maldives part is the most confusing. Why there?”
“I saw the pamphlets you had in your office. You always wanted to stay in one of those little tiki huts over the water.”
“I can’t believe you remember that.”
A hint of a smile makes his crow’s feet pronounced. “Of course, I do. I remember everything about you, Stella. The way you think. The way you move. The way you taste.” His finger glides along my jawline.
Oh, my god. He’s actually still into me. If I play this right, then I might live. If I can stall him, Jordan might have enough time to get here. At this point, I’d take help from Michael. Anyone to get me out of this. Maybe even me. What am I willing to do to survive?
When Riker gets to my chin, I playfully bite his fingertip, he releases it. He smiles. “There’s my girl. Let’s get out of here. We can stop at a friend’s, get you a new passport, and be on a plane to the islands by the end of the night. What do you say?”
“I’m not sure about that just yet.” I look over his shoulder at his minions. “I’d like to speak with you alone, Simon.”
“We are alone, Love.”
“What about them?”
He shakes his head. “They don’t exist.”
I finger the buttons on his shirt, and he lets me. “I don’t want to do anythingpersonalin front of them, Simon. Help a girl out.”
He turns to his boys, “Get out.”
“Boss, her?—"
“NOW!” He snaps. They leave and I’m down to one. He faces me. “Where were we?”
“I believe I was explaining why I couldn’t go along with your business plan three years ago. And what I might do to make up for it.”
He smirks. “Alright then.” He sits on the edge of the desk again. “Tell me why you couldn’t play ball back then.”
“You see,” I fiddle with the top button on my flannel. Riker was always obsessed with my tits when we were together, and they have his attention once more. “I thought you were some rich guy who had inherited his daddy’s money. Like you told me. In my mind, that’s why we had nice things and why you had connections across the pond and all the rest of it. You had told me your father was a jeweler, like the rest of your family. I never questioned what you told me.”
“I have one of those trustworthy faces. Don’t blame yourself,” he teases. “All the ladies seem to like it.”
The top button is loose, and I go to the next one. His eyes dart back to my cleavage. I continue, “That was my big mistake. Trusting you. I should have vetted you. I should have looked into your family’s history, instead of just believing everything you told me. That’s what a smart businesswoman would have done.”
“You went with your gut. No shame in that.”
That was my greatest shame, asshole,I think to myself. I’m down another button, then I walk to him. “And I’ve learned something about myself in the last couple of years, Simon.”
“Oh?” His eyes do not leave my cleavage. “What’s that, Love?”
“I am not a smart businesswoman. I’m a smart survivor. I’m resourceful. And I’ve learned some new skills.”
“Have you, now?” his eyes light up.
