Page 46 of The Exposed Heiress

Chapter 9

Leo sailed the boat back while Emma slept in the cabin below. The night had already fallen, and he kept a close eye on the lights leading him back to the marina.

He barely noticed the spectacular wind that night. Normally, he appreciated the power and gracefulness of the boat. But tonight, his thoughts kept returning to the woman he’d just shagged. Thoroughly and completely shagged. Regret seeped into him.

She needed his help to save her precious family business, and he owed her father a debt of gratitude. Even more than that, he owed his brother a scant amount of loyalty. Tyler had wanted to marry her and start a life with her. But Emma refused to hear his explanations and he had disappeared from London. Even now, nearly a year later, Tyler avoided London whenever possible.

About to pass through the channel, he took down the sails. Leo kept busy getting the boat back into the marina under the power of the small engine. He slowly maneuvered the sailboat until he jumped onto the dock and used the ropes to pull it close to the slip, securing it.

Climbing back on board, he gathered up Emma’s bag and clothing and went to find her.

She slept on her side with the sheet barely covering her body. His nerve endings began to stir. He clenched his hands and looked away from her. He couldn’t allow her to soften his resolve. They shouldn’t have allowed lust to swamp their ability to reason. No good would come of this.

“Emma.”

She stirred, and then sat up quickly. He resisted the urge to take her into his arms.

“We’ve docked. Here are your things. I’ll meet you on deck.” He turned and left without softening his message.

She probably had regrets too. They shouldn’t have let a moment of madness turn into a stint of hot sex.

He stowed away loose items on the deck and took the rubbish to the dockside bin.

Emma stepped onto the deck and met his gaze.

His chest gave a painful squeeze. “We should go.” He stepped off the boat and waited for her to join him on the dock.

Emma tightened the grip on her bag. “What’s happened? Why are you acting like this?”

He looked over at other boats. “I don’t think we need to dissect what happened. It was a moment of madness.”

“Fine.” She stepped off the boat, ignoring his outstretched hand.

Following her back to the parking lot, he tried to calm the response of his rebellious body. He didn’t want to fight with her or make wild accusations about her relationship with Tyler. He wanted to pull her close and lose himself in her embrace. But it wasn’t the right move.

Clicking the fob, he unlocked his car from a few meters away. He stepped in front of her and opened her door. “Why don’t we go back to my building and we can hash this out?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe. Or maybe I should just go home and lick my wounds in private.”

He hesitated for a brief moment and then gestured for her to get into the car.

They needed to figure out how to continue working together. Francis Bolles wasn’t in the clear yet. They had made a dent in the problems, but now they had to restructure and spin the media in their favor.

Leo got in and started the car. He drove through Rotherhithe in silence, and his mind tried to make sense of the last few hours. He had screwed up by letting down his guard with her. She had nearly destroyed his brother, and he had allowed himself to forget that in a fit of lust so strong that it overrode every logical thought.

Opening the garage door with the remote, he pulled in and parked.

Getting out of the car, he said, “I can’t get past your relationship with Tyler.”

Emma headed to the elevator and pushed the call button.

He slammed the door and followed her.

They took the elevator to the top floor and she headed outside to the terrace. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. Every rigid line of her body told him that he had screwed up.

Leo took a bottle of Jameson and two glasses from the bar area.

Pouring a small amount into each glass, he handed her one. She placed it on the table and looked out into night sky.

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