Page 73 of Unbuttoning Her Brooding Boss

‘I know that,’ he snapped, goaded. ‘But you’re always sobusy.’

‘I’m alwayshere,’ she argued.

‘Staring at your computer screen.’

‘Because I’m trying to make us some money. Because we have to eat.’

‘You’llneverunderstand what it’s like for me!’ he shouted suddenly.

‘No.’ She paused, counting to ten, trying so hard not to shout back. Or to cry. ‘I probably won’t. And you know what? I can’t fix it for you either. I’ve tried for so long. I’ve tried everything I can think of to make it better. And I can’t.’

She lost the battle against her tears.

‘Youhave to rebuild your life, Dan. I can help you, support you, but this has to come fromyou.There’s nothing more I can say. Or do. I don’t know how to reach you. How to help you. I’ve tried and I’ve failed.’ She shook her head and turned away from him. ‘I’m done.’

She walked into her bedroom and closed the door. She looked at the ‘Steffi Leigh’ corner. Its bright and stylish decor mocked her—it’s perfect facade so far removed from reality. A fake—a failure, in every way.

She fell onto the bed face-down, pressing her eyes into the pillow so she wouldn’t have to see any of it.

‘The airport, please.’ Jack instructed the taxi driver, avoiding the urge to go back to her and grovel out an apology.

The other urge riding him was stronger—to get the hell on the road.

Keep moving. Keep working. Keep safe.

He needed to be alone. He always had. And it would be better for Stephanie. She had trouble enough without having to deal with the current emotional mess that he was.

She didn’t want his help—she couldn’t have made that clearer. She’d cut him off. Pushed him away with words and her manner alone.

And he’d retaliated in kind. He knew how to put up walls and end a conversation. Because the last thing he’d wanted to hear was hergratitude—pure platitude that it was.

He boarded a jet that afternoon and on the long flight back to the States watched six movies. He couldn’t remember the titles of any the second he disembarked from the plane.

Los Angeles—city of dreams and destiny for some.

He didn’t even make it out of the terminal before his curiosity—his need—got the better of him. He pulled out his tablet and hooked into the WiFi, flicked to her blog. She hadn’t uploaded anything new since she’d met him, so he watched her most recent performance again.

Now he understood why she was so brittle. And he couldn’t believe that her fans couldn’t see it—that behind that perky demeanour and the bright smile of her most recent posting there was sadness. There was worry in those revealing eyes.

Steffi Leigh was a part of Stephanie, but only one part. On screen she was one-dimensional, but there was so much more to her.

He’d been wrong in what he’d said to her. Shewantedadventures. Shewantedto travel. That was why she’d been so excited when his PA had made initial overtures about her blog. Because she wasn’t able to leave. Because she was caring for her brother and doing everything she could to stay afloat.

No wonder she’d looked so enchanted by the beauty of the forest and had been so enthusiastic and open in her enjoyment of that restaurant. When was the last time she’d eaten out?

And she’d been using all that make-up to cover up the sadness. Forcing herself to be ‘Steffi Leigh’ because it had become more than a fun blog with her schoolfriends—it had become a job. It had become a source of income and a possible springboard to something more.

He was flooded with the urge to scoop her up and carry her off for a billion more adventures. He’d take her to a different restaurant every night. Show her all the sights he loved. Share everything with her.

Except that was the last thing she wanted from him. And that was why he’d lashed out at her in the apartment.

Because he knew she’d only gone to the Green Veranda with him because she’d been desperate to sell the blog. She’d not wanted to say no to him. And, while she’d enjoyed the surroundings, he could no longer believe that she’d enjoyedhim.

He’d thought she’d opened up to him. But she hadn’t. She hadn’t told him the most important thing of all. She’d let him use her because she’d thought she had to. And he was still so angry, so hurt about that. But he wanted her to be set free so she wouldn’t ever have to pretend with anyone else.

She wouldn’t accept help from him personally—he got that. But in business...?

Maybe he had a chance.

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