I promised myself I would never hurt her.
And given the woman she is today, it’s clear I broke every single one of those vows.
“I’ll tell her.” His brows lift. “And arrange for the rest.”
A nod. “We’ll help too.”
“I know you will.”
A nod. Then he turns for the elevator, but before he hits the button, he stops, glances back at me. “Brooks?”
“Yeah?”
His expression goes as hard as steel. “You hurt her again and you’ll be nursing a fuck of a lot more than a bruise to the temple.”
Inclining my head, I acknowledge the well-deserved warning.
Then I walk back into my apartment, lock the door, and head straight for the living room, for the couch.
Only…it’s empty.
Briar’s gone.
FOURTEEN
BRIAR
I close my eyes,lifting my face into the breeze.
It’s slightly too brisk, cold enough to raise goose bumps on my skin, but I don’t go inside.
Ican’tgo inside.
Not when the moonlight and the stars beckon, drawing me into the past.
Another night. Another couch. Another man.
Anotherlifetime.
And now I need to shut the door on it.
I’ll tell him the truth, deal with the fallout, and then we can both move on, untangle this twisted-up knot that’s drawn us back together—before he can turn himself into my savior and me into the damsel in distress again.
Before he destroys me again.
I turn around and gasp, not having heard him come out onto the balcony behind me. He’s leaning back against the wall, arms and ankles crossed and, God, why does he have to be so fucking handsome?
Those deep brown eyes. The dark stubble on his cheeks. That chiseled jaw. Broad shoulders. Strong arms. Narrow waist. Thick thighs. An ass I can’t see…
But that I got caught watching time and again during our brief relationship.
It’s a really nice ass.
“I can’t get the USB back,” I say. “And I don’t know what’s on it, but I’m guessing it’s not good because they wanted it.”
He doesn’t move, just keeps his ankles and arms crossed and stares at me.
“What charity did you donate the money to?”
