Page 52 of How to Undo the Proud Billionaire

“I texted Abby, she told me.”

What a traitor! Her best friend had known she was about to be ambushed and she’d said nothing. They would, Brin decided, be having words later. Whose side was she on?

Radd waited until she was seated before sitting down next to her. He shed his jacket and placed it on top of her beach bag sitting on the bench between them. Rolling up the cuffs of his sleeves, he stared out to sea.

“The sea looks so inviting. Was the water warm?”

Brin rolled her eyes. He wanted to talk about the temperature of the sea? Really? “Is the water ever warm in Cape Town?” she asked, sounding acerbic.

“I can’t remember when last I spent any time on a beach.”

“That happens when you spend all your time at work,” Brin snapped, folding her arms across her chest. She couldn’t do this, it was too hard. She couldn’t sit here and pretend everything was fine when she loved him so much. It was like having a blowtorch blistering her body, one painful inch at a time.

“I paid you your money this morning. It should be in your account soon,” Radd told her.

“I don’t want it.”

Radd released an impatient snort. “Brin, we made a deal. You worked through the night to fulfill your end of the bargain. Mine was to pay you and that’s done.”

“I don’twantyour money,” Brin replied, sounding stubborn.

“I don’t care. Our business arrangement is over,” Radd replied.

Yeah, she got that message loud and clear. Why had he come all this way to tell her he’d paid her? He could’ve texted her or sent her an email.

God, she was exhausted and her brain felt like it was on the point of exploding.

“Please take me home, Radd,” Brin begged, not caring if he heard the hint of tears in her voice.

Radd pushed his hands through his hair before turning to face her. He lifted his hand, and his thumb swiped away the one tear she hadn’t managed to blink away. “Please don’t cry, Brin.”

“Then stop making me cry and leave me alone!” Brin cried, placing her face in her hands.

“I can’t, sweetheart,” Radd’s reply sounded tortured, but the hand he placed on her back was strangely reassuring. “I can’t walk away from you, I don’twantto walk away.”

Brin dropped her hands, but she wasn’t brave enough to look at him, so she looked at the dune grass growing in the beach sand a couple of feet away from their shoes. “That’s not what you said yesterday.”

“Yesterday wasn’t one of my better days.” Radd released a heavy sigh. His hand moved up her back to the back of her neck, which he gently held. “Won’t you sit up and look at me, Brin?”

Brin reluctantly straightened, and it took quite a bit of courage to meet his eyes. This was the stripped-down version of Radd, and all his feelings were reflected in his eyes. And he was feeling quite a lot, which was odd for her implacable, once-in-a-lifetime lover.

“I treated you badly yesterday, Brinley, and for that, I beg your forgiveness,” Radd quietly stated. “I should’ve, yet again, stood up for what was right instead of what was convenient, and I disappointed and hurt you.”

He had and he did. She couldn’t argue with that.

“I should’ve told Naledi to get lost when she demanded to see your phone, I should never have invaded your privacy like that. I should’ve trusted you.”

Brin nodded, not quite ready to let him off the hook. “Yes, you should have.”

When Radd didn’t say anything for the next few minutes, Brin stood up, her heart smothered by disappointment. What had she expected? For him to tell her he loved her? Silly, silly girl.

“Now that you’ve got that off your chest, will you take me home? Or better yet, allow me to call for a taxi. Or a lift.”

Radd took her hand and tugged her back down, his hand sending sparks over her skin, up her arm. She was still as attracted to him as ever, damn it. Why was life torturing her like this?

“I’m not done,” Radd told her.

“Well, get done,” Brin retorted. She couldn’t take much more.

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