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“He sounds like a nightmare,” Hunter grumbled.

“His charming manners hid a cold heart,” Cleo said. “We started working together on a project to breed a rare species of monkey, and he asked for me specifically because of my knowledge on that particular primate. I was flattered and determined to show him I was great at my job.”

“He messed with you?”

“To begin with, we worked well together. Then work spilled into the after hours, and we had a few dinners together, but mainly talked about work. Then the dynamic changed. He told me he was having trouble in his marriage and had left his wife.”

“He lied?”

She nodded. “A few weeks after that, he said he’d fallen in love with me.”

Hunter gritted his teeth. “Was that the truth?”

“It was all lies. He was happily married and had three adorable children he conveniently never mentioned. He even went as far as to rent an apartment to make me think he’d moved out of the family home. It was complete bull. When he was with me, he’d tell his wife he was away on business.” Her sad sigh tore at his insides. “It was so convincing, and I was young and seeking validation. He always praised my brain and said he admired me. I was knocked off my feet by his attention. Most guys get intimidated by a woman with brains.”

Hunter tightened his grip on her hand. “I love your brain. How long were you together?”

“Not long. But he made sure I was completely in love with him, before he made his move.” Cleo shook her head. “And I didn’t fall straight into bed with him. I wanted to make sure he was committed to me. In a way, I wish I had. Then it would have been nothing but a one-night stand. A mistake. But we spent months getting to know each other, and he learned everything about me. He figured out what made me tick and what my vulnerabilities were. Then he used that knowledge against me. I never saw it coming until it was too late.”

“What did he do to you?”

“Anything he wanted.” Cleo dropped her head. “I was his willing plaything. And not just in the bedroom. I’d stand up for him whenever someone said anything bad about him. And even when a couple of the other women I worked with warned me about him, I ignored them. I figured they were jealous. I was such an idiot.”

Hunter cupped his hand around the back of Cleo’s neck and drew her closer. “No, you weren’t. He was the idiot for misusing you. He lost the best mate he’s ever had by betraying you.”

“I was the one to lose out. He made recordings of us together and showed me one after we had a fight. I was stunned. I had no idea he’d done that. Then he told me the relationship was over and said I had to leave the company.”

“You shouldn’t lose your job because he was a dick.”

“He was scared I’d make a fuss. And he’d gotten bored with me. There was a new target to prey upon, and he needed me out of the way, so he could focus on her.”

“I bet you didn’t go quietly, though.”

“I didn’t. I threatened to tell his wife. It was spiteful, but I was so angry with him. My heart was broken.” Cleo swallowed and looked at the floor. “I really thought I was in love with him. It took me a long time to figure out there was nothing good about that man. He was cold-hearted and cruel. He played with people because he enjoyed controlling their lives and knowing he had the power to ruin them.”

“Did you tell his wife?”

“No, but the damage was done, and he made sure I was sorry for making that threat. He went into my files and messed with a load of reports. Some he deleted, some he altered, so the information was wrong, and others he sent to competitors so they had valuable inside information on the company.”

Hunter growled again. “I’ll kill him. Please let me. I’ll serve time for getting rid of this inhuman scum.”

“You wouldn’t want to get his slimy blood on your hands.” Cleo stroked her fingers across his palm. “The final humiliation was when he called me in front of the Board of Trustees, revealed my false deception, accused me of colluding with an enemy company, and then fired me. I was out on my butt with no pay, no reference, and nowhere to go. Everything had been destroyed. My career, my relationship, and my heart.”

Hunter brushed a stray tear off Cleo’s cheek. “That’s why you won’t be with me? This guy messed you up, so you think we’re all the same heartless, manipulative bastards?”

Her bottom lip jutted out, and she nodded. “I can’t risk my heart again. It was so badly messed with, it won’t survive another hit.”

The anger Hunter felt died when he saw the sadness in Cleo’s eyes. “I’d never do that to you. Haven’t I proven my love to you? I am devoted to you. It’s not about the sex, it’s about love.”

“My boss said the exact same thing. For months, I resisted him, and the second I let my guard down and showed him I cared, he used me.”

A flicker of rage rose in Hunter, but he kept it contained. “I’m not like that. I’ve told you what I want, and I’m not hiding some secret wife and a dozen kids.”

“Are you sure about that? I heard Apexians are pretty fertile.” A wonky smile crossed her face.

“I don’t hit and run and leave a trail of abandoned infants behind me. And I don’t break hearts.” He rested a hand on Cleo’s chest. “I will mend this heart. I long to have you in my life full time and forever. And as for having a family, I can think of no one I’d rather have children with than you. You’d be the best mom to our infants. You’d adore them, always put them first, and make us the happiest family unit in the universe.”

“Hunter, you’re killing me,” she whispered, her bottom lip wobbling. “I really don’t want you to go. And I want to trust you, but I was so ashamed and humiliated by what happened to me.”