He took a seat beside me.
It was still there, that electrifying excitement that hummed over my skin. But so was the anger, hurt, and resentment. “Going somewhere?”
With his body pivoted toward me and his arms on his knees, he looked at me. “Join me for dinner.”
“Not hungry.” That was bullshit. Never in my life had I not been hungry. Just didn’t want to spend more time with him than necessary.
Those intelligent eyes stared at me, silently calling my bluff.
My own body betrayed me when it released a loud growl, hungry for food.
His eyes never left my face.
“Okay, maybe I’m a little hungry. But I don’t feel like going out.”
“Going out, or going out with me?”
The resentment seemed to get worse, not better. Every time I looked at his face, I was reminded of his betrayal and that made my anger grow. It was hard to believe I used to look at him and see him as my everything. “Both.”
He took the truth in stride, hiding the sting of my insult behind his handsome face.
I didn’t want to tear him down, but I couldn’t help it.
Another bout of silence ensued, long and poignant.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said. “But I guess I’ll do that here.”
I sank back into the couch, my knees to my chest, my skin tanned against the little white pajama shorts because I’d spent the entire summer at the pool.
“I miss you.” He held my gaze as he spoke, speaking with sincerity or having the best poker face in the entire world. “I was lost in my head when everything happened. But now I’ve had a chance to think clearly.”
No idea where this was going.
“I’d like to try…to be more.”
Try? That’s it? After everything?
“I can’t promise anything—”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?”
His dark eyes shifted back and forth between mine.
“You think I don’t know what you’re doing?”
“What am I doing?” he asked calmly.
“This is just a tactic to get me wrapped around your finger. Another opportunity to show Grave what you have and he doesn’t. You ripped my heart out of my chest, but you still own me.”
He straightened at my words and feigned hurt in that dark gaze. “Camille—”
“And if I’m wrong, it doesn’t matter. Because I don’t trust you. I’ll never trust another word that comes out of that goddamn mouth of yours. I’ve been humiliated once…and I won’t let you do it again.”
He dropped his gaze, his palms rubbing together gently.
“Yes, I enjoy fucking you. That much is obvious. But that’s all it is now—fucking.”
His eyes remained down.
“I’m just here until you kill him. And once you do, I’m gone.”
He finally lifted his gaze again and looked at me. His eyes were once intense and focused, but now they had unlimited depth, like they were dead inside. “For what it’s worth…if it’s worth anything to you…I really am sorry.”
Nope. Wasn’t worth anything.
“I’ve never felt something for a woman, but I feel something for you.” There was a subtle plea in his eyes, a plea that came all the way from his heart. “I think we could have something great if you’d give me another chance.”
“I did give you a chance, Cauldron.”
His eyes looked defeated once more.
“You pulled the trigger, and I still gave you a chance.”
A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
“So don’t act like I’m the problem here.”
“Never said you were—”
“It’d be one thing if you told me that you loved me and wanted to spend your life with me, but offering to try is simply not good enough. I’m not going to risk my heart again for try. I’m better than try.”
“I don’t feel that way, and I’m not going to lie about it to get what I want. But I’m willing to explore it. That’s a big deal coming from someone like me—”
“And I should feel special?” I snapped. “Should I feel special that you made a sex tape to make your brother jealous, too? Should I feel special that the only reason these small feelings developed is because your brother wants me?” I rolled my eyes. “Wow, I really do feel special. I’m such a lucky girl.”
“Maybe it started that way, but the feelings that came afterward happened solely because of you. Because of us.”
“Look, this is how it is.” I wanted to nip this conversation in the bud so it would die and never come back to life. “Once you break my trust, there’s no going back. If someone fucks you over once, they’ll fuck you over twice. I give people the benefit of the doubt at first, trust them until they give me a reason not to. Well, you’ve given me several reasons not to, so we’re done.”
He looked away, his argument abandoned in his throat.
“Until Grave is dead, I’m just your whore and nothing more. Tell me what you want and how you want it, and I’ll deliver. That’s the extent of our personal relationship as well as our business relationship.”