“So what if I had shown up at your apartment?” Ransom challenges. “Was this a first come first serve situation? Did I just miss my window?”
His words feel like a slap in the face. “You don’t have to be so vicious about this. This is hard for me, too.”
“Yeah, only because you just realized that you made a huge fucking mistake.” Standing, Ransom puts his glasses back in place, shutting me out. “You’ve made your decision, and I have to respect it. All I can tell you now is good luck with my brother. You’re going to need it.”
Finalizing his words, he walks away and I find myself staring out across the playground wondering what the hell I’m going to do next. I think I might have chosen wrong, and now everything is a wreck.
Dropping my head into my hands, I close my eyes and retreat into myself, until the sun begins to set and the sounds of children playing grow scarce. Then I pick myself up, dust myself off, and head for home.
FOURTEEN
I’m digging myself a hole. I haven’t drummed up the guts to confront Rebel yet. I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but every time I see him, I end up biting my tongue. I hate confrontation, and it’s impossible to stay angry with him when he’s being nothing but sweet to me.
How am I supposed to yell at someone whose smile is so perfect and endearing?
Hanging out at the club all night, Rebel watched me dance, and then he waited for me to finish working the floor and collect my tips before escorting me home. He stayed the night, ravishing my body and mind with his powerfully addictive hands and mouth until we were both too exhausted to keep our eyes open. He’s infusing my every waking moment with his presence so that all I can think about is him.
As soon as the sun came up this morning, he rolled out of bed and made us a hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Now, we’re in the back of a limo driving to God knows where. All he’ll tell me is that I’ll find out when we get there and to sit back and relax.
That’s impossible to do. I’m a person who thrives on having control, which I never have with Rebel. He knows this, which is probably why he’s so amused now.
Glancing away from the window, I catch him watching me from across the seat with that damning half-smile again, and I narrow my eyes. “You’re a little too happy about this. I demand to know where we’re going.”
His left eyebrow arches up. “You demand to know?”
I tip my head. “Yes, demand.”
Stretching out his long legs, he smirks. “Be patient, pussycat. We’re almost there.”
“You’re abducting me, Rebel. I have no qualms about rolling down this window and screaming for help,” I warn him with a playful lilt as my finger twitches over the automatic window button.
“Gerardo,” Rebel barks, directing his attention to the driver behind me.
“Sir.”
“Would you please place the child lock on the windows?”
“Yes, sir.”
Gaping, I flick the button, testing it. The window doesn’t budge. “Was that necessary?”
“You threatened, I answered.” He shrugs casually. “Now sit back and behave.”
“Treating me like a child now. Check,” I mutter to myself, just loud enough for him to hear me.
“Check?”
“Oh, I didn’t tell you?” I say, feigning innocence. “I’m keeping a list of grievances. It’s getting quite long.”
“Is it now?” Leaning forward in his seat, Rebel’s large hands cover my bare knees. His eyes dance with humor as he stares into mine. “I’ll have to ante up soon, then. Can’t have my best girl working herself into a tizzy.”
I know he’s being playful, but his choice of words is poor. “Best girl” reminds me that I may not be his only one. Just the thought of Florence ruins my good mood. Casting my gaze out at the passing city streets, I bite down on my tongue until I taste metal.
“Did I say something wrong?” Rebel asks, his voice holding a note of concern.
Shaking my head, I tell him, “No. Just wondering where you’re taking me.”
Rebel doesn’t say anything right away, piquing my curiosity. Turning my head, I glance up at him to find him already looking at me. I smile shyly and my eyes dart away again.
“Forgive me, but I was under the impression we’d agreed to trust one another. Was I wrong?”
Once again, I’ve managed to upset him, but damn it, he’s upset me, too. I refuse to feel guilty about that. “Not where I’m concerned, no,” I hedge. My blood pressure is starting to rise and no matter how hard I try to bite my tongue, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep it up.
“What are you getting at, Josephine? And don’t say nothing, because I can tell you’re hiding something.”
I feel his onyx eyes boring into the side of my head. Coupled with the hard edge in his voice, I know I’m treading on dangerous waters. I don’t mean for it to happen, but the words I’ve been avoiding spill out of their own accord.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Florence is your boss? Or that she has a key to your apartment? You speak about how we’re supposed to trust each other, but you flat out lied to my face when you said I’m the only woman in your life.”
Shit. If possible, his eyes grow darker than I’ve ever seen them before. They’re not just black, they’re an abyss, a black hole that threatens to suck everything around it into its vortex and destroy it.
“Florence doesn’t have anything to do with you and me. She’s not a factor here.”
I hear Ransom’s voice in my ear saying different, and my blood boils. “The hell she isn’t. She’s smack dab in the middle of us.” With her still in the picture, I’m certain I can’t be. It will hurt like a sonofabitch, but I will walk away.
Heaving a tired sigh, Rebel reaches across the seat and hits a button on the door panel. A tinted window slides into place behind me, dividing us from the driver and creating a private enclosure for us to argue freely.
Still watching out the window, he says, “Like I said, we’ve been done for months. As soon as I came to my senses and realized what a mistake it was to be involved with a coworker, much less my boss, I ended it. The only reason I didn’t say anything was because of this. You would have thrown a fit just like you are now, and what would it have accomplished?”
I gape at him. “Trust, maybe? If you’d been forthcoming from the start, I might not feel like I can’t trust you now.”
“Come on, Josephine,” he says, casting me a doubtful look. “You decided not to trust me long before you knew she was my boss. Telling you would have just added fuel to the fire.”
“What fire, Rebel? I’ve been nothing but patient and understanding from the get-go. I wouldn’t be sitting here if that wasn’t true. If anyone has trust issues here, it’s you,” I accuse. “You’ve been withholding from me from the beginning, so don’t blame what’s happening now on me.”
“Then who should I blame it on? My brother? Because he’s definitely got something to do with it. Trust me on that.”
“If you’re referring to him ratting you out, then yeah, he has a lot to do with it. At least he has the balls to tell it to me straight.”
Rebel glares back at me. I can see the muscles in his jaw clenching as he considers me.
“Are you going to tell me what Florence—your boss—is doing with a key to your apartment?” I question. “Or is that asking too much?”
With great reluctance, he bites out, “She has a key because she owns the building.”