"Because—" I squeeze my eyes shut. "I slept with your father."
34
Isaac
"You what?" I blink, then burst out laughing. "I know you’re pissed at me, but c'mon. This isn’t the kind of thing you should joke about."
"I’m not joking."
I wipe the smile off of my face. "I don’t understand, Lena."
"What’s not to understand?" She jumps up and off the bed, then begins to pace. "I slept with JJ. I fucked him. I had sex with him."
Anger squeezes my rib cage. My heart jumps into my throat, blocking off my airflow. I try to say something, but nothing comes out of my mouth. My brain cells seem to be unable to create a single thought.
She turns and surveys my features. "Why aren’t you saying anything?"
I shake my head to clear it. "You slept with JJ?"
She nods.
"You fucked my father?"
She pales, but doesn’t glance away. "That’s what I said."
I sit up, then drag my fingers through my hair. "When... when did it happen?"
"Just now, on our way back from the office."
"You fucked him... In the car?"
"In his Rolls." She locks her fingers together. "It’s only happened once, Isaac."
"Are you in love with him?"
She stares at me. "What? No, of course not."
"So why did you sleep with him?"
"We were attracted to each other. And the, uh, connection between us has been growing over the last few days. We’ve been spending so much time in each other’s company—in the office, in meetings… It… just spiraled out of control. But I swear, I’m not going to sleep with him again, Isaac. I’m going to do my best to avoid him. I—"
"Bullshit." I spring up and face her across the expanse of the bed. "Look me in the face and tell me you don’t want to fuck him again."
She opens her mouth, then shuts it.
"That’s what I thought. You’re not the kind of person to make impulsive decisions, Lena. It took me years of getting to know you before you agreed to sleep with me, and you’ve fallen into his bed within days of meeting him? You must feel something for him. That’s the only reason you’d allow him to fuck you, unless—"
"Unless?" She scowls.
"Unless it’s his money. The security he can provide you. You’re always worried about having a roof over your head, about paying your bills. It’s why you’ve been so focused on your career. You hate having debts, Lena. You lay awake at night, unable to sleep, wondering how you’re going to pay it off. No doubt, his wealth played a factor in your letting him seduce you."
For a few moments, she seems speechless, then she bursts out, "You’re accusing me of being taken in by his affluence? By his position and his riches and" —she waves her hand in the air— "by all this?"
"You wouldn’t be the first. And it’s okay, I get it. It must be a lot coming from a background like yours..."
"And what background is that?" she asks in a low voice. "What are you trying to imply?"
"That you’re just another gold digger. I thought you were different, Lena. I thought you saw through the masks people wear, to what's true underneath it all. I thought you weren’t the kind of woman who’d be taken in by status and money, but I guess I was wrong."