It was obvious he was supposed to wait in the entrance, but instead, showed himself in. The look of disproval on Mavis’s face gave that away.
“What are you doing here?”
He whistled as he looked around the room while stepping into it. “He really is filthy rich, isn’t he? That’s hard to compete with.”
Mavis gave Tammy a concerned look and Tammy shook her head saying it was okay. She nodded, but cast a suspicious glance at Richard as she left.
“Wow, I honestly thought you’d fall to pieces after you left me.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at her. “I’m disappointed. I guess Mr. Hartley has everything then, doesn’t he? I mean he’s got looks, intelligence, wealth—and you.”
“Where’s Melanie?” Tammy would not feed into this man’s self-pity. He was getting married to another woman hopefully moving on with his life. Richard did not love her, he wanted to possess her, and have the trophy wife her mother tried to turn her into. Richard wanted something that didn’t exist and really, they were both better off. Melanie was a much better choice. Richard just didn’t like losing.
“Doing some boring pre-wedding stuff with her mother.” He walked past her to the windows dismissing the conversation, “What a fucking view!” He splayed his hands out like he was going to take flight.
Tammy took a deep breath for patience. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Richard turned around and his eyes ran over her. She was wearing the jeans and blouse she arrived in the day before yesterday. “You are still a knockout. Did you know that? I mean, your mother kept you under her thumb so you were quite naïve, but Christ you were pretty. Now look at you. You filled out nicely after you left—a late bloomer I guess.”
She tilted her head and stared at him while ignoring the derogatory comment. Regan said the same thing to her yesterday. She’d matured a lifetime since she left, and she refused to be intimidated by him anymore. Another thing had peaked her curiosity and worried her. She’d already asked him what he wanted and he’d yet to answer her. There was something really odd about him too. He had perspiration on his brow, and his tie was crooked. Anyone who knew this man would know that he never had a crooked tie, or a hair out of place. Appearances meant everything to him. Also, it wasn’t too warm in the penthouse, or outside. “If you’re here to flatter me, it’s falling on deaf ears.”
“Yes, I supposed with the millionaire in your pocket, it is.”
“It’s never been about money Richard or I wouldn’t have left. I support myself. It just goes to show how much you don’t know me.”
“No? I think you actually knew how you looked to the opposite sex and held out. I think you’re a big tease Tammy. I should have taken what was mine all those years ago. You would be married to me now.”
She didn’t like how this conversation was going. She felt an unfamiliar fear creep through her. “I think you should leave. Your hold over me ended when I left nine years ago.”
He shrugged ignoring her request. “Your mother seems to think we can get back together.”
“My mother’s ideas will never change. I’m with someone else now.” Yes, it was a lie, but she needed him to believe it.
“Are you? I think you still have feelings for me.”
“I did when I was young and naive, until you tried to rape me.”
“It wasn’t rape. You were going to be my wife.”
“Richard, this might be hard for you to believe, but if a woman says no, and you force them, it’s rape, whether you are engaged or married. I was barely eighteen.”
“You were old enough to pleasure me. I wouldn’t have gone to Melanie, if you had given in.”
“I did not love you. I don’t love you.” It fell on deaf ears.
“It’s not too late for me to call off the wedding. We could still be the couple we were meant to be.”
“Quite frankly Richard, I don’t want you. I love Lance. Also, I can’t do that to my sister regardless of what occurred years ago.” That was not a lie. She wasn’t sure how much more blunt she could be. He just wasn’t listening. Some things just don’t change. He always did what he wanted and told her how things were going to be without even checking to see if she disagreed or not.
He walked up to her until he stood toe to toe looking down at her. She refused to show fear and move back. He couldn’t affect her anymore. He lifted his hand and ran it over her shoulder. “Maybe you were just too young at the time. Now that you’re more mature, you’ll see it differently.”
She finally stepped back. “You don’t have the right to touch me.”
Suddenly his face contorted in rage. “And Mr. High and Mighty does?” He screamed it at her, and spittle flew into her face.
She flinched and stepped back again, her eyes wide at the sudden show of fury. What is wrong with him? She’d seen him like this before, but they were younger, and he had a hold on her then, but he wasn’t this fierce. Except once. A wash of fear went through her.
He glared at her. His eyes were dark and cold. She could smell alcohol on his breath, horrible memories came flooding back to her of when he came to her room smelling the same way at seventeen and tried to force her. She ended up with bruises on her legs, ribs, and wrists in the shape of fingermarks. He’d managed to rip her clothes off her but was interrupted before he’d finished what he started. At that time, she couldn’t be more relieved for her mother coming home early. Richard fled, and Tammy showed her mother what’d he done, hoping that she’d finally come to her senses. To her horror, her mother insisted she kept this to herself because people would label her as a loose woman, and her father would be shunned at work and the social circles she’d worked so hard to become a part of. She was mortified. So yes, against her principles and fear of her mother, she did, but she was young and had no one she could turn to. For all she knew, this was the way things were. However, when she turned eighteen she got the hell away from both of them. Now she knew it wasn’t right. She was no longer a teenager and would scream the rooftops off if he so much as touched her in that way again.
“I can be this wealthy. I’m up for a junior partnership. You need to give me time.”
