He stops drawing and grips my hand. ‘Don’t say things like that, Scarlett. You’d be fine without me. You’d be better off without me. But I know that night is eating you up inside. I can see it. I know what it looks like to turn black from the inside out. You need confirmation that you did the right thing.’ He lifts my hand, pressing my fingertips against his lips, then he looks me in the eye. ‘You did the right thing, Scarlett, and when this is cleaned up, the right way, you’ll see that. I promise you’ll be able to move on.’
‘It sounds like you’re breaking up with me and you just can’t say it straight.’ A shiver runs the length of my spine.
His Adam’s apple moves slowly up and down his taut throat. My stomach falls and I hold my breath. ‘That’s not what’s happening, Scarlett. I’ve told you before, you’d be wise to walk away from me but I’m too selfish to tell you to go. I wish I wasn’t; I wish I could find the strength to let you find someone right for you. But I can’t let you go.’
‘I don’t ever want you to do that.’
His eyes are fixed on mine as he retrieves his dancing phonefrom the inside pocket of his suit jacket. ‘Sydney, what now? Which one? Fuck integrity. Give them more. However much it takes, just fix it.’
The phone is pushed with bitterness back into his suit jacket. He reaches for a piece of my uneaten pastry and pops it in his mouth, sucking the tip of his index finger then his thumb as he stands. ‘Let’s go.’
I pull on my coat and gather my things. ‘I need to go home for a shower,’ I say, following his back as he navigates the tables of café.
He turns his head back over his shoulder to deliver a sexy half-smile and twinkling eyes. ‘I was counting on it.’
‘You’re coming with me?’
‘I most certainly am, Miss Heath.’ He holds open the door and gestures for me to step onto the now bustling street before him.
‘So you listened to me when I said I needed space then?’
He suddenly grabs me, nudging me back against the Mercedes. My squeal has yet more people tuning in to this morning’sGregory Show. He leans into my neck, with no regard for his surroundings, his breath hot on my skin. I close my eyes and breathe him in, his familiar scent making me melt against him. ‘I listen to your body language. We established a long time ago that what you say and do often don’t tally.’
I smile, remembering our first night together. How he drove me insane with desire in our own private box at the theatre. A torturous three-hour performance. Then, my biggest conflict was whether I let myself get close to a client. Now, there are so many conflicts torturing me, I’ve lost my grip on life. And as much as I hate myself for it, I can’t stop the thought lingering that this all started with Gregory, the man I love. He thinkshe’sscrewed up. I don’t even think MI5 could solve the mixed-up puzzle in my head right now.
He steps back, the exposure to the cold air reminding me of our position in the street. Subtly adjusting his blazer to cover himself, he inclines his head, gesturing for me to climb into the back seat before he slides in next to me.
‘Change of plan, Jackson. Back to the Shard.’
‘Sure thing.’ He flicks an eye to me through the rear-view mirror and shakes his head with a smirk when I huffily cross my arms. Whether it’s intuition or the silent understanding between these men, Jackson rolls up the partition screen.
Once the screen hits the roof, Gregory moves a hand under my arse. ‘Get here,’ he says.
I fight it at first.
‘Lady, do not anger me more than you already have.’
‘Meangeryou?’
He lifts me to his lap and hitches up my dress so I can slip my knees either side of his legs and rest down onto his lap.
His smouldering eyes have been replaced with big, brown, teddy-bear eyes and he strokes my hair behind my ear in that way he does. ‘Don’t ever be afraid to come home to me, baby, please.’ His voice is genuinely pleading. ‘You have to always talk to me. Do you understand?’
I decide against pointing out the irony of that statement, instead nodding my head, leaning into his palm.
‘Say you understand.’
I turn my lips to the warm skin of his hand. ‘I understand.’
‘Good girl. Now, not only did you terrify me last night by going missing?—’
‘Oh, Gregory, get real; I was at the office, for Christ’s sake.’
‘Your attitude is going to get you into even more trouble than you’re already in. Are you trying to piss me off?’
‘Are you trying to piss me off?’
‘Fuck, Scarlett, no one can make me as angry as you can.’ He yanks my hair at the nape, pulling hard, jerking my head back, and lets out a primal growl as he bites the plump flesh of my breast over my dress.
