Melanie looked up from the document she was perusing to see Jessica standing inside the doorway.
"I'm just about finished, just give me a couple more minutes to--"
"There's someone here to see you."
If she hadn't been so busy and distracted, she would have picked up on the woman's dazed expression.
"I don't have time to--"
"I suggest you make time."
The achingly familiar voice had her lurching up from her chair. Her hands gripped the edge of her desk as she stared at him.
"Rodney."
"Mr. Lancashire has kindly asked me to excuse you as he has something important to discuss with you." Jessica gave her a curious look that spoke volumes. "I told him you were through for the day."
"Shall we?" The stiff formality of his tone warned her that he was just hanging onto his anger by a thread.
"I -- yes." Fumbling, she moved lethargically to get her coat and purse.
Stepping aside, he waited until she had moved past him before following her. Ignoring the curious looks they were receiving, he went directly to the silver gray Mercedes parked in the lot and wrenched open the door.
"Get in." He ordered curtly.
When she hesitated he took her arm, fingers digging into her flesh.
"I'm not above making a scene." He warned.
Dragging her arm away, she sank into the passenger seat and gripped her purse.
Rounding the hood, he jumped in and shoved the vehicle into gear.
"How did you find me?" She asked tonelessly.
"We'll get to that." He stopped at the light, his hands white knuckling the wheel as he stared straight ahead. He had hoped it was all a lie, that she wasn't a woman who had pretended to be who she wasn't.
But his hopes had been dashed. Once again, he had been fooled and taken in by a heartless, greedy bitch. It hurt like living hell.
He drove until he came to a narrow dirt road. Turning off the engine, he opened the door and came around to yank at the passenger side. It was icy cold, but he didn't feel any of it.
The anger churning inside him was making him hot as if someone had lit a fuse inside and was stoking the flame.
"Get out." For a minute, she entertained the idea of just staying where she was. A frightened gasp escaped her lips when he reached in and unhooked her belt and pulled her out. Slamming the door shut, he turned to her with blazing eyes.
"Who the hell are you?"
She melted back against the vehicle as if she could avoid the fury pouring from his body. No longer was he the gentle and considerate lover, the man who had teased and caressed her until she was putty in his hands. This was someone different and she had never been so scared in her life.
She had played with fire and was feeling the brunt of it.
"I--I--" She swallowed the lump that refused to move and tried to get the words out. "I am Melanie Foster like I said and a single mother of an eight year old son."
Rodney had thought he could not be more staggered or shocked, but he was dead wrong.
"You have a son." His eyes swept over her face. "Are you married?"
"No! No." She gripped her hands together and took a deep breath. "He, the father left when I told him I was pregnant."
