Page 34 of The Billionaire's Seduction Revenge

“Go on.” It was a challenge and a dare.

“Did you have sex with me because you wanted to make sure I wouldn’t have that kind of relationship with your grandfather? Was this about staking your claim or something?”

His eyes widened and lips tightened. Though he didn’t nod nor answer in the affirmative, Emma knew she was right.

“God, Vasilios,” she said, angry. What kind of an idiot had she been? He’d used her, because he had refused to take her assurance at face value. “Nothing is going on between me and Costa, except friendship.”

“I told you what he’s like. Do you really doubt my experience?”

“This isn’t about him, or you. It’s about me, and what my relationship with him is.” She dug her fingernails into her palm. “We’re friends,” she hissed. “If you slept with me to make sure I wouldn’t set my sights on him then you wasted both our time. I was never going to get involved with Costa. He’s not interested in me like that, and I’m not interested in him. You didn’t need to do any of this, Vasilios.”

“How could I be sure of that?”

She gasped. Had she been hoping for a denial? Had she been hoping he’d say something to fix this?

“I—,” she stared at him, at a total loss for words, feeling more upset than she should have been, given she barely knew Vasilios. But the sense of betrayal was enormous. Reaching into her handbag with trembling fingers, she pulled out some money—as she had been avoiding using her credit card, she always had cash to hand—and tossed it onto the table. “Screw you,” she snapped, scraping back her chair. “Go to hell.”

She stalked away from the table before another moment passed.

9

OUTSIDE, SHE LOOKED LEFT and right, disorientated and angry and to her surprise, crying! God, what a fool she was. Of course he’d used her as some kind of revenge, or sick plan to manipulate and control a situation he hadn’t understood.

He was Vasilios Valenti, a man whose ruthless reputation preceded him, who’d pushed away his own grandfather, who’d made it apparent to his family and the entire world that he put business above absolutely everything else.

Except…this wasn’t about business.

Maybe it was about winning?

Maybe he had such deep-seated resentments of his grandfather and father that he couldn’t allow Costa the possibility of happiness with Emma, not that such a relationship had ever been in the offing. It said more of Vasilios’s narrow perception of life and relationships that he’d even think as much.

Emma ground her teeth together, trying to stop the hot, angry tears from falling, but her emotions were rioting, no thanks to Vasilios.

“Emma, stop.” His voice, right behind her, was a cold command, yet despite that coldness, there was strength and resounding determination in the syllables.

She spun around, glaring at him angrily. “Why? This was a mistake, Vasilios. An awful mistake. And it’s sure as hell a mistake I don’t intend to repeat. Just…leave me alone.”

A muscle throbbed in his jaw as he stared at her for several seconds.

“You’re angry.”

She let out a harsh bark of laughter. How could she be anything but angry? He was the first man she’d slept with since her husband and despite what she’d said in the heat of the moment, thatmeantsomething. Now to discover he’d used her for some kind of…revenge seduction? Some sort of manipulative insurance policy against her and Costa ever getting together? She glared at him hotly. “No shit.”

“A moment ago, we spoke of the need for honesty. So I was honest with you. I told you the truth. But it’s not the whole truth, Emma. This wasn’t just about coming between you and Costa.”

She growled, turning away from him and stalking down the street. He caught her wrist, spun her around, their bodies close now, so close she could see the tiny smattering of freckles on the bridge of his autocratic nose, his thick dark lashes that rimmed both eyes fully.

“I wanted you, Emma. You know that. Not because of Costa, not because of anything except…you. I wanted you. It’s that simple. And you wanted me. Remember? It means nothing,” he slashed his spare hand through the air. “Nothing except that we desire each other. In that moment, when we were in bed, that overrode every other concern. Believe me, there was nothing else in my mind when I possessed you.”

She shook her head, not wanting to believe him, so angry and hurt and sad.

“Both can be true,” she said eventually, the words dragged from deep within her. “You can want me and still think the worst of me. The thing is, I don’t know if I’m okay with that.” Her brow furrowed, her forehead crinkling. “In fact, I know that I’m not. I can’t do what we did last night, do this,” she jerked her thumb towards the restaurant, “if in the back of your mind you’re seeing me as some kind of fortune hunter, only being nice to Cos—or you—because of what you might be able to give me.” She tilted her chin angrily. “I don’t need his money, nor yours.”

“Because you have your own money,” he pressed quietly.

Even then, he was interrogating her, quizzing her, trying to understand her.

“Damn it,” she pulled away from him, but he wouldn’t let go. “Stop trying to work me out. Why can’t you just accept what I’m telling you?”

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