Page 43 of One Hot Deal

He glides one finger down my cheek."Don't look so shocked.You only need to look at Pippa to see the proof of how incredible you are.She's a special girl, and that's all down to you."

"No, I—"

"Yes, it's true.Ask Pippa sometime.She'll tell you."

My cheeks feel a touch warm.I need to change the subject, and I did offer to tell him my story."I was married to Lyle for fifteen years.We met at university and married a year later.Our marriage went smoothly at first, until we both graduated and secured good jobs at the firms we'd wanted to work for.We both had studied business, but I began to achieve success rather quickly while he struggled to find his place.It caused…strife between us."

"I've known people who had the same issues.But I'm guessing there's more to the story."

"Yes."I rub my palms on my trousers because they've suddenly turned clammy.No one has ever heard this story, except for my brother—and he would have kept the secret no matter what.But now, I need to tell Derek about it."The more successful I became, the more withdrawn and sullen Lyle became.He started to drink, moderately at first, but then more heavily.Back then, I believed a couple should stay together and work through their issues no matter how long it took.But Lyle… He changed."

My throat feels tight, and I must seem anxious because Derek takes both my hands and surrounds them with his larger ones.The warmth of his touch gives me the strength to tell the rest of my story.

"Lyle stopped drinking," I say, "when his employer threatened to fire him if he didn't clean up his act.He did that.And to his credit, he never drank again.But he grew to resent me even more as the years went by, so much that he belittled me at every turn.And I let him, because I felt guilty for having success when he didn't."

"I'm guessing something went seriously wrong between you two."

I shut my eyes as the memories assail me."Lyle sneaked into my office one day and photocopied sensitive client files.He then released them to the media.I was sacked for not having secured my files well enough.Lyle simply wanted to humiliate me.I filed for divorce the very next day."

"Shit, that's awful.I hope you reamed that bastard in the courtroom."

"Thankfully, I hadn't become wealthy yet at that point.Lyle received half of our assets, but that didn't amount to as much as he would've liked to get, and it didn't bankrupt me.But I spent years repairing the damage to my career and my self-esteem.Not sure I ever succeeded with the latter."

Derek gives my hand a light squeeze."You succeeded in every way, Diana.You became a billionaire, and you've helped tons of people start up their own businesses.You've raised Pippa too."

"Yes, but I gave up my own happiness to achieve that success in business.I could've been a better caregiver to Pippa too."

"Sounds to me like you're still letting your ex mess with your head.You have a great life with Pippa, don't you?"

I nod."But I could have done better with her."

"That's not what she says."He rotates toward me, still clasping my hands."We both have bad things in the past that changed us and that still haunt us.But we can choose to move past that stuff.We can choose to be happy."

His words, the tone of his voice, and the look on his face affect me so deeply that the start of tears burn in my eyes.Derek means every word of what he said.Can we simply choose to be happy?To move on from the past and create a better future?Perhaps we can.But the most frightening question of all looms between us.

Do we want to craft that future together?

My mobile rings.

I pull my hands free of his and answer the call—because it's Pippa ringing me."Yes, pet, what is it?"

"Dinner will be served in twenty minutes.Kendall just told us.Where are you?"

"In the summer house."

"All alone?"Pippa sounds disgusted by that thought.

"No, dear, I am not alone.Derek is with me."

"Brilliant!Are you two kissing?"

A laugh splutters out of me."No, of course not.Honestly, you do say the most outrageous things sometimes.We will be there for dinner.Goodbye, Pippa."

I disconnect the call before she can say anything else that's utterly ludicrous.Kissing in the summer house?Derek and I have only kissed once, but Pippa knows nothing about that.She has fairytale fantasies about what adult relationships are like.

Derek rests an arm on the bench behind me."What outrageous thing did Pippa say?"

"It was nothing."

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