“I told you. You can’t buy me out,” she says through gritted teeth, realizing that I’m not playing some sick kind of sexual game. I tighten my grip on her wrist, and push it harder into her back, but she yelps this time, which makes me release her instantly. It wasn’t my intention to hurt her, fuck, she gets off on being hurt, but I would never want to be the one to cause heractual pain that wasn’t pleasurable. I turn and slam my hand flat against the filing cabinet behind me, which makes her jump.
Fucking woman. I can’t believe she pushed me that far. I feel like an asshole. If Arianna had seen what I just did, she would run away and not look back. I’ve never felt like this toward a woman. Amy is bringing out the worst in me, pushing all the buttons that make me want to smash the fucking place up around her. Not once has she made me feel warm, or happy. Not once has she listened when I thought I needed to talk. Then I think of Arianna. My grounding. The girl whose smile melts my heart and it makes me realize what I’ve been missing out on all these years. So it’s time to move on. For everyone’s sake. Before we destroy each other.
“Right,” I say, blowing out a deep breath, and taking a seat in my desk chair hoping that having the hard wood between us will help us negotiate. “It can’t go on like this, Amy. You and I know that whatever you and I had, is over…it’s not healthy and it’s not fun anymore…” I watch for her reaction as she straightens out her skirt and smooths her hands through her hair, but there isn’t one. She’s her usual cold self, unaffected by my reaction to her, and the sneer she wears so well, is placed back on her face. “So, I’m going to make you an offer, and you are going to take it, understood?” I say, my voice determined so she knows there’s no negotiations here.
“King. I think it’syouthat has misunderstoodme. You can’t buy me out.” She walks forward with controlled movements and leans over, placing both palms flat on my desk in front of me. “I already sold my share.”
What the actual fuck did she just say?
“Did you just say…yousoldyour share?” My low voice sounds dangerous even to my own ears, and I’m seriously starting to boil from the inside.
“You heard correctly, Mr. King. You fucked with me. I fucked with you,” she says nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders. “I hope you and your new partner will be very happy.”
She throws her head back and laughs, and I grip the arms of my chair so hard, I think my fingers are going to go through it.
“Who?” I grate out through clenched teeth.
She turns on her impossibly high heels, and struts to the door.
She stops and turns to me when she gets to the doorway, placing her hand on her cocked hip “Call me when you get bored of the little whore, you’re a fuck worth coming back for.”
“Amy, tell me WHO?” I yell. She closes the door behind her, shutting out my question and I’m torn between calming myself down and going after her, which right now, is a very bad idea.
“Get out!” I yell at the two security guards still standing on either side of the door. “Get the fuck out, and make sure she leaves the fucking building,” I order harshly. They scurry after Amy, and once they’re gone the rage rips through me.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” I bellow, the sound bouncing off the walls. I swipe at the desk and everything flies off in all directions. Glasses smash, and paperwork is strewn around the room in a whirl of anger. I’ve worked myself into the ground over the last three years to keep this place afloat. I couldn’t have done it without Amy’s investment, and she knew she had me over a barrel. But to fucking sell her share on to someone else. Fuck. I don’t even know who now owns a share in The Kingdom. My pride and joy. She knows how much this place means to me. She knows what it means to my family and now, now that I’m not sleeping with her, she’s turned into the woman scorned and tried to hurt me in the way she knows will go straight to my heart.
Chapter 8
Arianna
It was a couple of hours before Denham came back to the apartment. He seemed distracted, and was far quieter than usual. I put this down to having the talk with Amy, and even though I don’t know her well, from what I’ve seen, she’s enough to make anyone feel tired and deflated.
The rest of the weekend flew by fast. Too fast. Denham took time off work, again. He made lots of excuses to stay with me, but spent a lot of time making and receiving calls to try and keep things running as smooth as he could, without actually being in the office.
We lazed around, we ate, and we made out. We listened to music and cooked together, and it wasn’t long before he was back to his usual charming self, making me laugh and making me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.
It was great, but it also prolonged the fact that I’m going to have to be left alone at some point, and it wasn’t me delaying it. I needed to get back to normal, whatever that was going to be. I needed to get out of the apartment. And I needed to breathe the fresh air, and start to make a life for myself. I had to show Denham that something terrible wasn’t going to happen to me every time he wasn’t around. But this was proving difficult, because so far the universe had other plans every time he tried to go to work and get on with things.
The only way I was going to convince him was to get assertive.
***
I wait until he gets out of bed and goes for a shower. I feel like a teenager trying to sneak out, and I know it’s not going to be easy to get dressed and ready for work in the time it takes for him to shower and shave, but I’m going to do my best.
I grab a navy tailored pant suit from the closet, and pair it with an oyster-colored cami and heels which match perfectly. The suit fits like it was made for me, and the heels hug my feet as though they were slippers. I just hope my feet feel the same way by the end of the day. I sling the jacket over the back of the chaise to pick up on the way out.
I just about manage to finish applying minimal make up and sit at the dresser to brush my hair, before Denham comes out of the bathroom with just a fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist.
Damn.
Now I’m rethinking my decision to go to work today.
Now I’m thinking I’d like to be that towel…clinging to his defined muscles and hugging every curve of that gorgeously sculpted body.
“Uh…what do you think you’re doing?” he asks, breaking my visual exploration.
“I’m…I’m just thinking how good you look in that towel.”
