“We can’t be together, Mitch. It would be great if that were possible. I wish I could change everything and ignore what might happen,” Jess murmured as she reached up and touched his face. Mitch leaned into the palm of her hand.
“Come with me. Ericks might destroy my company, but I’ve money set aside. We can live comfortably,” Mitch said.
“No.”
Mitch stared in disbelief. “What?”
“No, Mitch, I’ll not let you throw away everything you’ve worked for. And Leon wouldn’t go after your business, what do you reckon he is?” Jess exclaimed.
“I think Ericks is the bastard controlling the woman I love,” Mitch stated and grabbed her arms.
“He’s not. Leon’s nothing like that. It’s not Leon stopping us from being together,” Jess whispered.
Mitch ground his teeth, and Jess flinched. She wished she could reveal the truth. She shouldn’t have agreed to that initial dinner with him. Jess had known she’d fall for Mitch and had made the same mistake as before. Why couldn’t she learn? Jess had hurt a good guy as well as herself. Disease poked at her guilt, and Jess ruthlessly locked him down. There’d be no outbreak this time.
“If it’s not Leon, then who or what?” Mitch demanded.
“Mitch, my life is complicated. If I could give us a chance, I would,” she said, letting him hear the truth in her voice.
“Then come with me, I’ll help you,” Mitch insisted.
“I can’t.”
“Won’t.”
“Fine, Mitch, I won’t.”
“So, you’re picking Leon over me? Leon and his billions. I mean, he gave you a hundred-thousand-pound evening gown and a ten-million-pound diamond necklace set. Guess I don’t match up. All about the money, isn’t it, Jess?”
Jess shook her head as Mitch’s words struck home. He intended them to hurt and succeeded. Jess moved away, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Think what you will,” Jess muttered and shoved past him. Mitch reached out and grabbed her. Anger blazed from his eyes.
“Guess you were a dirty gold-digger after all. Thank God I never screwed you; you’re a right honey-trap. How much would it have cost me to get free of you?”
“Christ, you’re such a child, Mitch. Why can’t you understand that there are some things you can’t control!? Why is money such an issue?” Jess cried.
“Because I can give you everything Ericks can!” Mitch yelled.
“And that’s what you think matters? Wealth?”
“To you, yes,” Mitch spat.
“When have I given that impression? I’m not the one harping on about money constantly. That’s you. Just what is your problem?” Jess exclaimed. She didn’t understand where Mitch was coming from. Sure, she’d hurt him, and Mitch was lashing out, but what was his fixation with wealth? It was a good thing she’d kept her personal fortune from him. Lord knows what he’d have made of that.
“You want to know, Jess?” Mitch snarled.
“Yes!”
“It’s the fact that you played me for a fool. I believed I’d met a genuine, girl-next-door type. Somebody who saw past status and bank accounts. But you knew the price of the Bugatti. That was my first warning. I never expected you to be a gold-digger, and I thought we had something honest. What happened, Jess? You and Leon had a falling out, and you didn’t believe you’d reconcile? Was I your fallback plan? God, Jess, was anything real?”
“What do you think I am? No, don’t answer. You’ve made it perfectly clear. For the last time, Mitch, there’s more to life than fucking money. I wasn’t with you for that, but because I cared. There are things I can’t explain, which means we can’t be together. But rather than accept that, you create untruths.”
Mitch stared, and Jess hoped he’d understand. Hurt flashed again in his eyes. “Be honest, Jess. I thought we had something, but it was built on lies and partial truths.”
“I cared about you, Mitch,” Jess cried. Tears in her eyes, Jess wrenched the door open and stumbled into someone. Instantly, recognising his smell, she clung to Leon’s lapels. Leon immediately closed his arms around her for protection, and Jess buried her head in his chest.
Mitch
