“Obviously, you can deduce that I don’t say those words lightly. I don’t, but I said them to you, and I said them for one reason.”
I lift my eyebrows.
He gives me that slight smile again. “I meant them.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. A breath of relief. Again, I squirm against the tickle between my legs.
“I’m not in the habit of saying things I don’t mean, Skye.”
“I didn’t think you were.”
His smile disappears. “So when I say I don’t talk about what happened between Addison and me, I mean it.”
So we’re back to this. I’m not surprised. I’m the one who brought it up, and now I have to deal with the fallout. Only fair.
“Good. You’re not opening your mouth to fight me. I’d say that’s progress.”
“I’m not sure what I should say, Braden. I’ll always wonder what happened between you and Addison. I’ll always wonder why she changed so much after your relationship.”
“You know Addison,” he says. “You know what kind of person she is. Yet you can’t figure out why she might tell lies about me? Or anyone else, for that matter?”
“I admit you have a point,” I say.
“You of all people should know that Addison feels very strongly when she thinks she’s been crossed. She comes out fighting, and she doesn’t fight fair.”
“Okay, I admit she accused me of trying to steal her spotlight, which I never meant to do. In fact, I can’t. She’s so far ahead of me, she may as well be in a different galaxy. But she never said or gave any indication that I hurt her in any way.”
“No, she didn’t. Right now, you don’t have something she wants. Despite your quick success, she hasn’t lost any of her own following. But she’s watching you, Skye. I know she is.”
I wrinkle my forehead. Is he talking about Addie watching my Instagram? Or does he mean something more? “How do you know?”
His gaze darkens. “Because I’m watching her.”
My skin grows cold, as if it’s been flash frozen like those chicken breasts at Sam’s Club.
“I’ve been watching Addison for years,” he says. “She’s intelligent and cunning, but she does have a weakness.”
I lift my eyebrows in question.
“Her vanity,” he says. “Her need for attention.”
“She’s a hotel heiress. She’s had everything given to her since she was born. Of course she’s vain.”
“True, and when she feels those things are threatened, she strikes.”
“Why? Why did she strike against you?”
“You’re as intelligent as she is, Skye. More so, in my opinion. You can answer the question yourself.”
He’s right. I nod. “She wanted you. I know the story, Braden. Parts of it, at least. She pursued you relentlessly and you began by rejecting her. But you eventually didn’t reject her, and that’s what led to—”
“You’re getting perilously close to the line, Skye. I will not talk about these things.”
“If you don’t talk about them, what choice do I have but to find the information somewhere else?”
He shakes his head, scoffing. “My God, you will drive me to an early grave. You sit there, looking so delectable… Trying my patience…” He rakes his fingers through his gorgeous hair. “You have the choice to trust me, Skye. You have the choice to let this go.”
I sigh. I want to fight back, find fault with his words. But I can’t. He’s right. What happened between him and Addison has nothing to do with him and me. The fact that Addie and I have a history also has nothing to do with him and me, other than that I probably wouldn’t have met him but for Addison.
“You gave up your control to me in the bedroom. I need you to give up your control in this situation as well. As long as you insist on pressing me about Addison, there will always be an issue of trust between us. I won’t be in a relationship with a woman who does not trust me.”
I nod. He’s right. I have to give up this fact-finding mission.
If I don’t, I could lose the man I love.
The only problem? It goes against my inquisitive nature. It goes against my controlling nature.
“I’ll try, Braden.”
“Trying means nothing. You either do or you don’t. Are you going to give up on this ridiculous quest for information? Or aren’t you?”
I know which answer will get me into Braden’s bed. Braden’s bed is where I want to be. Already, his controlling nature is washing over me, making me hot, making me wet.
But if Braden thinks I can just give up on any quest for information, he doesn’t know me very well. Any answer I give him won’t matter. Because he knows me, and he knows the truth.
“Yes,” I say, smiling. “I can give it up. I can try, at least.”
Braden returns my smile.
“I see,” he finally says. Then he stands.