Page 106 of Nothing to Deny
She didn’t like cold, detached Baer. “We do? What?”
“Not us. Me and mine. It would be better if you didn’t come around anymore. I’ve told Conrad we’re through—”
“Through? We’re—why? Us? Forget what I said in the car, it was stupid and impulsive, I was turned on—”
“You want to keep using Squires, go ahead. I’m just not on your menu anymore.”
“I don’t understand, I—I’m sorry. You said women were stupid falling for—I’m sorry.”
“Conrad knows not to pair us again. Plenty of other guys there to pick from, guys who’ll love to be controlled.”
That startled her. “Controlled? What do you mean—I wasn’t trying to control you. Whatever it is, we can talk about this, let’s go upstairs and—”
“No, I have a client.”
Oh, the twist of the knife split her open. Her love caused him to lash out? To rush home and immediately arrange to be intimate with another woman.
“I shouldn’t have said—”
“This is nothing to do with what you said,” he hissed, bowing a little. “And everything to do with what you did.”
“What I did?”
“I said not to talk about it and you went behind my back. I don’t know what the fuck kind of guy you’re looking for, Princess, but it’s not a guy like me. Did you expect me to be happy? How the fuck did you think I’d react?”
She had no earthly idea what he was talking about. “All I did was come home and take a shower, I haven’t—”
“That’s one of the shittiest things about it. You did it while we were away. You did it behind my back while we were off the board, and you just kept on smiling. I can’t fucking believe—you have no idea who I am.”
And she’d thought…
“Hound, I don’t know what—”
“Money, it’s all about money for you, isn’t it? Am I supposed to be impressed? Grateful? You thought you’d pay off a few bills and I’d get in line? Not a chance. This family got along just fine without you.”
“Paid—”
“Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out?”
Stunned, her jaw relaxed, yet she struggled for air. “Baer, I didn’t—”
“Stay out of my life, Freya. The Claymores are not one of your charity cases.”
With that, he disappeared inside and slammed the door.
A charity case…?
On instinct, she almost knocked again. What would that achieve? She couldn’t think straight, none of this made sense. She hadn’t… Who had she talked to? Her cousins, Roxie, none of them knew enough about Baer to interfere. No one knew enough.
The groceries stayed with her on the ride across town. She didn’t want to be alone but hadn’t thought much about where she wanted to go.
Seconds passed in a flash, yet it felt like days before she arrived at Roxie’s. She had the wherewithal at least to get in the right elevators. And thank God when the final one opened, there was Roxie, arms already open.
“Oh, honey…”
She dropped the grocery bag and went to accept the woman’s comfort. They hadn’t even talked… had they? She’d texted… maybe. God, she couldn’t even remember the ride over.
“What happened?” her friend asked, guiding her to the couch. There were drinks and nibbles already laid out. Roxie was always a consummate hostess. Shame her guts felt too squeezed to function. “You went over there?”
