Anton studied her expression, then moved slowly around the Ping-Pong table, approaching her as if she were a fawn in the forest that might spook and run. “Lillian ...”
She held out a hand. “Please, don’t come any closer. Just give me a minute to digest this. I need to figure things out.”
“I thought we had it figured out last night.”
“We did,” she replied, “but now I’m not so sure anymore.” She laid her hand on her belly. “He’s my husband, Anton.”
Anton tried to reach out to her, but she backed away from him.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Is it? I’m about to tell my husband that I’ve been having an affair—that I’ve been sleeping with another man in our very own bed. Poor Freddie. He has no idea.”
Anton gestured toward a sofa. “Let’s talk about this. Come and sit down.”
“No.” She started pacing again. “If I sit down with you, you’ll touch me or kiss me, and I’ll forget about everything—my life back in Tallahassee, my wedding vows ...”
“Then tell me what to do,” he said. “Do you wantmeto talk to Freddie?”
Her eyes flashed to meet his, and she scoffed bitterly. “Are you joking? No, Anton! You’ve done enough.”
Her voice was cold and exact, and she felt the pointed cruelty of her words like a dagger to his heart.
Part of her regretted it. She didn’t want to hurt Anton, because he was right. Nothing had changed. She was still madly, passionately in love with him. She could feel the energy from his body, just a few feet away, and all she wanted to do was dash into his arms.
An excruciating longing rose up inside her like a hot fire, clouding her judgment. She didn’t dare look at Anton. If she did, she would crumble. She would fall into him, apologizing, telling him that she didn’t mean it.
Instead, she reminded herself that she was a married woman who had become infatuated with a handsome, older man who was also herwealthy boss. It happened because her husband had been neglecting her and because this place was like something out of a fairy tale.
She had indeed lost touch with reality. She had been seduced by beauty. But it wasn’t real. This wasn’t her life. Freddie was her husband and she loved him, and he loved her.
Lillian stopped pacing and met Anton’s frantic gaze. “This was a mistake.”
The space between them crackled with electricity. Lillian was horrified by the sound of those words on her lips, but she couldn’t take them back. She told herself that she had done the right thing to have spoken them.
“We have to end it,” she added, in case he didn’t understand.
“No.”
“Yes. We shouldn’t have let this happen. We took it too far, Anton. You must realize that. I don’t know what we were thinking. You’re my boss, and I’m married, and you have a wife and children. This was wrong.”
“Please don’t say that.”
“It’s true.” Panic flooded into all her nerve endings. “I have to go.”
She bolted for the door, but he blocked her path. Their eyes met with feverish intensity. He took hold of her arm, and she melted instantly. All her resistance fell away.
“Leave him, Lillian.” Anton pulled her close and touched his forehead to hers. His jaw was unshaven and rough. She felt the heat of his breath on her lips.
“It’s not that easy.”
“I know it’s not, but you have to do it.”
She couldn’t pull away. Tears streamed down her cheeks.One last time,she told herself.One last kiss ...
Her hands slid up to his shoulders, and she couldn’t hold back. Desire eclipsed everything. Anton backed her up against the wall and kissed her fiercely until she let out a sob.
“Please, Anton. I have to go.”
