Page 59 of Coldhearted King

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The next morningI’m putting the finishing touches on a revised exterior 3D visual when Paul saunters up. He places one hand on my desk and leans over me. “We need to talk.”

I look up at the face that I used to find handsome. “Is this about work?”

“Of course. Those were your instructions, weren’t they?”

I don’t like the snide tone of his voice, but he’s still my project manager, and I need to be mature about this. “Okay,” I say, standing and smoothing my skirt down my thighs. He leads me to his office, which is in the corner of the otherwise open office space.

He ushers me in, and I take a seat. Instead of sitting at his desk, he leans against it and crosses his arms, looking down at me.

“What are you playing at, Delilah?”

I frown. “What are you talking about?”

“Cole King,” he hisses. “Are you crazy, or is this just your way of getting revenge?”

I stand in a rush. “I thought you said this was about work?”

“It is. If you’re screwing the biggest client this firm has ever had, you’re risking our reputation. And that means you’re risking your job.”

My mouth drops open. “Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s not a threat. I’m just saying, it’s not like you to make such reckless decisions.”

“Well, maybe it’s about time I started making reckless decisions,” I say.

“It sounds like you’ve been making those since the first time we broke up. For god’s sake, Delilah, you screwed some random at a bar. Maybe if you’d given me what you gave him, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

I’m shaking with anger. “What situation are you talking about? The one where you’re an asshole who cheated on me and now can’t stand the thought that I might have moved on with someone a hundred times better than you? How is Philippa, by the way? I was surprised when Bruce took over the role.”

He clears his throat. “I decided it would be better if she weren’t here, and she was due for some leave anyway.” His tone changes, becoming softer. “I was thinking of you, Delilah. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have. Can’t you see? I’m sorry for what I did. It was a terrible mistake and I regret it. Don’t risk your job just to get back at me. You know the type of man Cole is. He’ll break your heart worse than I ever could. All I want is a second chance with you. To show you how I’ve changed.”

“You already had a second chance—after you broke up with me because I didn’t jump into bed with you.”

“You didn’t have trouble jumping into bed with someone else, though, did you? Does Cole know you’re the type of woman to go out to bars and pick up strange men?”

I’m so angry, I almost blurt out that Cole knows very well that I’m that kind of woman, and he definitely didn’t have a problem with it. But I refuse to be as unprofessional as Paul. Instead, I ask the burning question. “Is that why you cheated on me? Because I slept with someone else after you ended it with me? Was it supposed to be some kind of punishment?”

He crosses his arms and looks out the window for a moment, and at least he has the grace to look embarrassed.

“You owe me the truth,” I say.

He turns back to me and his shoulders sag. “It didn’t start out that way—to punish you.”

“So what then?”

“When I was in the London office, Philippa and I hooked up. It was only ever meant to be casual, and it ended when I came back home. Then you and I started dating. But when she came over from the UK, she let me know she wanted to continue our relationship. I’d hoped things would progress between you and me, but obviously they didn’t. Since Philippa made it clear she wanted us to pick up where we left off, I decided breaking up with you was the best thing to do.”

“So while we were broken up, you and Philippa...”

“Yes, but Delilah, what Philippa and I had was only physical. After you and I split up, I missed you.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “And that’s when you decided to apologize and ask me to take you back? And what, you just forgot to let Philippa know?”

“No.” He scrubs his hand over his face. “I broke it off with her, but then you told me you’d slept with someone else while we were apart, and...” He shrugs helplessly. “I tried to be okay with it, I really did. But I was angry. Philippa and I were working late one night, and... Well, you know how things like that can happen.”

“No. I don’t know how things like that can happen. Because I would never cheat on someone.”

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