Page 71 of Heartless
“I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“Of course, you did. It's your signature move. You’re always overstepping.”
Parker’s large hand cupped my elbow, trying to get my attention. I glanced up at him. He had that wary expression on his face. Heprobably expected me to swat his hand away. To turn my anger on him.
But I didn’t move an inch away from him. “Merry Christmas. We’re leaving.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Parker
The drive back to The Gem was long. Uncomfortable silence stretched between Madison and me. I waited for her to ask me about my marriage. It occurred to me that she might have been waiting for me to start that conversation. But I needed her to do it. Especially after she told me she didn’t care about my love life earlier that evening.
I needed to know she cared enough to ask.
Apparently she didn’t.
She remained silent and reserved up until the moment Mel’s eyes zeroed in on us in the lobby. That’s when her restraint transformed into an angry stomping.
A simple nod was all I gave Mel who probably thought I was insane. Not so long ago I told her I didn’t trust Madison andburdened her with the task of spying on her. And for a second time that night she saw me following her around. I had to talk to Mel again and end her special assignment.
We walked past the reception desk and continued towards our villas. Just as Madison was about to swing the door of the Pink Diamond open and no doubt escape me without a word. I grabbed her by the elbow and turned her around. She shook my hand off immediately, rage quite visible on her face.
She was still beautiful though. In a scary yet undeniable way.
Had I read the signs wrong?
The way she answered my kiss in her mother’s kitchen seemed genuine. Then she lost her shit and wanted to leave and I thought it was because of her mother’s behavior. I assumed she was into me as much as I was into her, but maybe she was disgusted by my closeness. Maybe she just needed us back here so I would stay away from her.
I placed one palm on the door right above her head, cornering her. As much as her face screamed murder, the heat of her body radiated towards mine. I needed to feel that heat under my palms.
My gaze dropped to her lips. They parted slightly for a moment, but then she pursed them together and crossed her arms over her chest. The movement only made me drop my eyes even lower. I had spent half the drive to her mother’s house semi-hard and fully distracted after I accidentally brushed my hand against the swell of her breast earlier in the lobby. She went on and on about Melany’s infatuation with me, while I imagined what it would feel like to glide my hands down her naked body.
I forced my eyes up to her face. Why did she have to be so gorgeous? Why didn’t her looks match her devilish personality? That would make things so much easier for the both of us.
“Why don’t youwant to talk to me?”
“People usually avoid talking to someone they hate.”
I reached over and ran a tip of my forefinger from her cheek down to the corner of her mouth. “You might have hated me before, but now you simply hate that you want me.”
Madison slapped my hand away from her face. “Don't touch me.”
“That will be a challenge. I want to touch you everywhere.”
“That sounds like a you-problem.”
Removing my hand from the door, I stepped away from her. “This is hard for me, Madison. I want to explain, but if you don’t want to hear me, I will respect that. So you can go in there now,” I pointed at the door of The Pink Diamond. “Or you can come with me.”
I turned around and walked into The Blue Diamond, leaving the door wide open for her to enter. I sat on the couch, waiting for Madison to decide if she wanted us to have that conversation or not. Franny’s face stared at me from every wall and shelf in the room and I felt guilty I had invited another woman here, but I also needed Madison to know.
I took the remote and turned the TV on, playing the same thing I did almost every day. If I was about to tell my story to Madison, I might as well lay it all out there, right?
I fast-forwarded the video to where I wanted and paused it. Franny in her wedding gown laughing at something I had said, her head tilted back. I stood right next to her in a tux, my hands wrapped around her waist as I simply stared at her.
Madison’s footsteps thumped in the hallway, but I didn’t turn to look. Even though I was the one inviting her in here with the intention of telling her everything, it still felt like I was betraying Franny somehow by sharing our story. Logically I knew I should allow myself to move on, and yet the guilt still had a firm grip on me. Ryan had suggested therapy numerous times, but I hadn’t been ready to let go.I wasn’t sure I was ready now, but I wanted to be. That had to count for progress.
Madison stopped by the couch. I could see her in my periphery, but didn’t dare to glance at her, so I continued staring at the paused video.
