As if sensing her thoughts, Cade shifted so that she was sprawled on top of him.
"Please take me home."
"If you tell me you regret--"
"I do. Take me home, Cade. This was a mistake."
Anger shimmered, replacing the passion that had grabbed hold and clung to him like a well-worn cloak.
"Then you're a goddamned hypocrite. Even now, I can feel your heart trembling." His eyes held hers. "How can you say--"
"That it's a mistake?" Her eyes flared. "Because it is. I made one five years ago by following you like a docile mouse and let you seduce me."
His eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you saying that our daughter was a mistake?"
"Don't!" Curling her hands into fists, she beat them against his chest. "My daughter was the only good thing that came of that night."
The silence that followed her impassioned statement was fraught with tension. She was still in his arms. He was still buried deep inside her and even though he could feel the anger coursing through him, he was still hard, still yearning.
"I'm in love with you." He had not meant to say it, but it just came out, and he could not take it back.
Her eyes widened and then narrowed. "What do you expect me to say to that?"
Despair coated him like a wet blanket. "Evidently nothing." Plucking her off him, he nudged her over to the passenger side and started to pull on his clothing. "I'll take you home."
Abby sat hunched into one corner of the vehicle as he made the turn, her face almost pressed to the glass. Tears formed at the back of her eyes and refused to spill. How dare he say that to her now! Five years ago, she would have begged himfor a declaration of love. Five years ago, she would have done anything for him. But not now. Pressing her lips together to compose herself, she started to open the door, then stopped.
"You have a reputation." She spoke tonelessly. "Telling me you love me makes me question your motive. It makes me wonder if you think I'm so hard up for love that I would fall at your feet when you say the words and hand over my daughter. I'm no longer the naïve girl you took to bed and seduced beyond reason. I've had to grow up pretty fast."
Every single word she spoke was like a sharp two-edged sword tearing him to pieces and leaving him bleeding. If she had set out to get her revenge, she had achieved it. For a moment, he did not say anything. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he looked straight ahead. Her scent was still inside his nostrils. He could still feel the imprint of her slender curves against his.
He had made a declaration of love for the first time in his life and had it flung back in his face. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. Drawing on a reserve of pride and self-preservation, he nodded curtly.
"Get out."
Barely waiting for her to slam the door shut, he floored the accelerator in his haste to get away from her.
Wrapping her hands around her waist in defense, she watched the taillights disappear, tears burning her eyes and making her throat ache.
Hoping she would not encounter any family member, she bolted for the front door and ran inside.
Her breath came in short, shaky bursts as she leaned against the closed door, listening for any sound that might signal someone had heard her arrive. The house was silent, save for the ticking of the hall clock, offering no comfort but at least granting her a moment's solitude. She pressed her forehead to the cool wood, letting herself feel the weight of the night before forcing herself to straighten and move further inside, determined not to show any sign of her turmoil to anyone who might still be awake.
Locking the doors behind her, she crept upstairs and felt like a teenager coming in after curfew, something she had never done before.
Heading straight for the bathroom, she stripped off her clothes and deviated from habit. She left them strewn on the floor. Crawling under the shower, she allowed the water to beat down on her back and the tears to fall.
The bastard! She thought passionately. The sick bastard. How dare he say those words to her? As if she would gobble themdown and simply open her arms wide. She had learned her lesson, hadn't she? From a wide-eyed college graduate to a very successful entrepreneur. She didn't need his brand of charm and his so-called love. He didn't know the meaning of the word.
The cooling water had her staggering to her feet and turning off the tap. Stepping out, she wrapped a towel around her and wondered at how cold she was.
Dropping the damp towel on the tiled floor, she put on a robe and went into her bedroom. Sliding between the sheets, she sat up against the headboards and wrapped her arms around her drawn up knees.
She was contemplating making the effort to go and make some tea when her door was pushed open. Her brother stepped in wearing casual jogging pants and a white tee.
"What're you doing here?" The annoyance in her voice had him raising his thick brows. Crossing the room, he got in next to her.
"I still have a room here." Shifting so he could look at her, he tugged at the damp ends of her hair. "Must be bad."
