Page 61 of Recipe for Temptation (Madewood Brothers 4)

She pulled out her phone, and he watched while she swiped her finger across the screen a few times. He brushed his brow with his towel, wiping away his anger, his frustration. His pathetic need to wrap her in his arms. He needed to do something to keep his hands occupied.

Somberly, she lowered her phone to her side. Her words were low and direct. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”

“The publicity director for the Madewood Empire didn’t think about it?” He scoffed. “I don’t want this. I don’t want people digging into my life. It’s none of their business.”

“I can spin this.” She stepped forward, a determined set to her jaw. “I can make it like it never happened.”

She was a little too eager to do that. It hurt. Despite wanting those pictures to disappear, he had liked the idea of her belonging to him. He just didn’t want the entire world to know it.

“Besides, if there is a possibility that I’m going to be on the board, we can’t…”

His head shot up.

“Sterling told me just before dinner. Did you know about it? About me being considered for the board?”

He shook his head. If he had known, he wouldn’t have set foot in her hotel room. He wouldn’t have acted on his impulses.

“I don’t want anything from you, Cole. I didn’t think that sleeping with you would get me…” She grabbed her hair at the roots and clenched her fists. “In fact, I owe you. You stayed here for me, to help me win.”

He let out a low laugh. “A lot of good that did you.” He couldn’t even help her win a plastic trophy.

“It was the most selfless thing anyone has ever done for me.”

It wasn’t selfless. Not by a long shot.

A dozen emotions washed over her face. “Cole. I—”

“You don’t owe me an explanation.” He stepped off the treadmill, went to the bench, and picked up a weight. Resting his elbow on his knee, he pumped it up and down. “We both knew where this was going when we returned, board of directors or not.”

He needed someone in his corner. He had thought that person might be Penn, but she was just another woman that when push came to shove, wasn’t willing to stand up and declare her choice. Him.

“If you’re the reason my career progresses, my family will never take me seriously again. I’ll never be their equal. Nothing I ever do will be worthwhile. They’ll never see me the way I need them to if we’re…”

She moved closer, but still not close enough to touch him. And fuck, he wanted her to touch him so badly. To pull him into an embrace and whisper that everything would be all right.

But he knew better. It was never going to be all right. Not for him.

“Do you understand?” She started to step forward but hesitated and sank back. “I’m sharing here, Cole. Things I’ve never shared with anyone.”

He let out a long breath. “I’m honored that you let me into your bed but—”

“I’m not talking about spreading my legs, you jerk.” Tears flooded her eyes. The sight of her crying, knowing that he’d caused that pain, ripped him apart. But if being a jerk helped her get over him, so be it.

“Penn, you don’t want to go down this road.” Looking back, the fact that his confession had been preempted that night in the hut was a sign. One that went off with warning bells and neon lights. He was never meant to tell her about his past. His story was repeating itself. He had dropped his guard, and it had blown up in his face.

“Yes, I do.”

He looked up at her. She was holding herself back. He could tell by the way her feet were firmly planted on the floor, but her upper body was tilted forward, as if wanting to make contact. Or smack him upside the head.

“You opened up to me that night in the hut and walking on the beach,” she said. “If we hadn’t been interrupted, I’m pretty sure you would have told me more.” She swiped at her cheeks. “And I want to know. All of it.”

He placed the weight onto the floor and stood before brushing past her on his way to the door. It was a dick move. But he needed to touch her one last time before saying good-bye.

Her hand sho

t out and gripped his bicep. “Don’t you dare walk out on me now. Talk to me! Please!” She was desperate. He heard it in her voice. It quivered and cracked as she spoke.

“No.”

---