Page 56 of Threaded Lies

“I’m allowed to have my own secrets. My own reasons. You’re the king of them, the man who talks around all questions that are asked of him, so I figured you’d understand more than anyone.”

I blow out a breath. “I’m at a loss, Row.”

“Besides, how do I know you’re not going to hurt me again? How do I know that you’re going to follow through on the promises you made me? You are sitting in front of me, talking a good game, Holden, but I believed you before and got hurt.”

“But I’m here now. I’ve proven to you that I was worth it.”

“I know and I appreciate it, but … we had New York where I was on the highest of highs and then I saw that contract, and for the past few weeks have been in the lowest of lows. I can’t just flip a switch and forget.”

I nod, understanding but not understanding. “Don’t let yourself be fooled. That prick isn’t looking out for your best interest,” I say with way more knowledge about him than I should have.

I can’t show my cards. Won’t. Isn’t that what this whole thing with her taught me? How easily a unique woman, who hit buttons I didn’t even know I wanted hit, was able to make me uncharacteristically lose my perspective.

“No, but isn’t that the point? I know that no one is. My guard is up at all times now.”

Except with me. Her guard isn’t up at all. She may think it is but if it were, she wouldn’t be confiding in me the things that I could use against her.

She wouldn’t have admitted there is nothing real between Chad and her except for her self-interest.

And a part of me loves that. A part of me hates that. And the rest of me knows I need to exploit the fuck out of it.

“So just like that, you’re going to fuck me but stay engaged to Chad?”

Her shrug drives me mad, the uncertainty in her eyes even more so.

“You’ll have the board seat. You’ll have the extra 1 percent ownership. You’ll have the new co-CEO position. What does staying with him, what does this engagement charade, net you then?”

“A plan B if needed.”

“Fuck.” I scrub a hand over my face and groan.

Can’t blame her for it. Not one fucking bit, especially when almost everything I say or do has an ulterior motive to it. An endgame I won’t compromise on.

“So where does that leave us?” I ask.

“The same as we were before. Hiding in secret. The last thing we need is to be found out because if we were, you know the first thing said would be that I slept my way on to the board.”

My grimace is automatic. Her point is more than valid.

She wants to stay engaged to Chad while fucking me? Not going to say that I’m going to like it, but I’ll use it to my advantage. At least I’ll know more about what’s going on in the Williams-Rothschild camp other than what I can gather through Bob and dipping into their computers.

“Christ,” I say slowly, choking over the words I say next. “You make valid points. Ones I don’t like but that I understand.” I glance at the ring again and hate that it feels like a dagger to the heart.

“You understand but you’re going to glare at my finger, aren’t you?”

“Every chance I get.”

She clears her throat and moves her shoulders some so that my shirt shifts and her nipples press against the fabric.

Fuck.

“What now, Holden?” Her eyes meet mine. She knows exactly what she’s doing, and I’m here for the distraction.

“We fix the company,” I lie. “We figure out how to improve what we have. We root out the bad.”

“Even if that means my brother?”

“Do you want me to answer that honestly?”