Page 81 of Filthy Hot Billionaire
“Why’d you do it?” she asked, her words vibrating with barely restrained fury.
“Do what?”
“Take it all? Ruin our lives?” Her eyes locked with mine. “Was it because of”—her voice lowered—“what we did that night?”
I frowned, trying to process. “What?”
“In the hot tub?”
I stared at her, dumbfounded. Had she honestly spent the past two years believing she was responsible? Based on the fear in her gaze, she had.
“For fuck’s sake, Em. No. God, no.”
“Then what did we do?”
Unable to resist, I reached out, slid my thumb over her jaw. I expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. The moment my finger caressed her soft skin, her resolve faltered, her beautiful brown eyes brimming with unshed tears.
It would’ve been so easy to tell her what happened, to explain what my mother had done, how her father was complicit. Or better yet, I could’ve told her how her father had attempted to use her to pay off his debt. I could’ve redirected her hatred with a few simple words.
However, I didn’t feel it was my place to do so. Nor did I want to cause undue friction between her and her father. Their relationship was tenuous at best these days, considering he’d yet to make an effort to see Emily at all since it’d all gone down. Rhett Campbell was a coward, terrified to admit the truth to his own daughter, to share with her the fact that his wife had also left him, moving on to greener pastures, driven purely by her own greed. Emily deserved better than that. In fact, she deserved everything, and I intended to give it to her. In the process, I would prove to her I wasn’t the man she believed me to be without having to point fingers.
“Why?” Emily whispered.
She was leaning into my touch and my chest warmed.
When a single tear glided down her soft, smooth cheek, I cupped the back of her head and pulled her to me, holding her there because I couldn’t resist touching her, consoling her. Her arms banded around my waist, holding on as though she needed that connection. I understood because I needed it, too. Had for so long, I didn’t remember who I was before I’d begun obsessing over her.
As I hugged her to me, comforted her in this small way, I could smell the fresh scent of her hair, a hint of something fruity. I had the strong desire to strip her down and inhale every inch of her, see which parts of her smelled like fruit, which smelled like clean, sweet woman.
My gaze shifted to Kieran, who was still across the room, watching the exchange as though there was no place he would rather be.
Emily pulled away, wiping her eyes and muttering an apology.
“You shouldn’t have done it,” she finally said, her voice stronger. “You should’ve asked me before you moved my stuff.”
“I agree,” I admitted honestly.
Her eyes widened, as though she couldn’t believe I would cop to being wrong.
It was true. Ishould’veasked her first. That didn’t mean I ever would. I wasn’t a man who sought permission for my actions. I tended to take and then ask for forgiveness. It made things simpler in the long run.
She paced away from me, so I turned, tucked my hands in my pockets once more, and watched her. Every now and then I looked at Kieran, saw the way he was watching her, too. I wanted to ask how their visit to Central Park had been, but I refrained. I would ask later, and when Kieran resisted telling me, I would torment the story out of him.
My cock thickened behind my zipper. Just the thought of the two of them at the park together, walking hand in hand, side by side. I wanted to know how she made him feel, whether or not he’d had the pleasure of kissing her.
“I think I’d like to be alone,” Emily said, dragging me out of my thoughts.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Emily’s number, letting it ring once before disconnecting. “You’ve got my number now, in case you need anything.”
She was staring at her phone where it rested on the arm of the sofa. When she didn’t say anything, I turned and headed for the elevator.
“Knox?”
I paused, slowly turning back to her.
“I don’t want to hate you.”
“I don’t want you to hate me, either,” I said softly, ensuring she heard my sincerity.
