Chapter 0026
BAILEE
“You bitch!” Caleb screamed. I had heard him call me countless times before, but it was humiliating having witnesses.
Yet, even though he was shouting behind me and I could hear the commotion of the security guards escorting my ex-husband from my ex-boyfriend’s office, I couldn’t pull away.
My body betrayed me, melting against Alexander’s as his fingers slid into my hair, and he kissed me deeper, his tongue meeting mine. The groan he let out sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my core, and my hands tightened into fists, clutching the fabric.
It was heart-achingly familiar.
His lips were just as soft as I remembered, and the butterflies I used to get with him returned. He was the only one I had ever felt
them with.
Yet, it was also new. Alexander’s body was larger and harder, more defined from his time in the military. The scruff of his neatly trimmed beard, which he hadn’t had before, scratched against my chin, waking me from the lust-inducing kiss.
Pulling away, I blinked several times, my nose still touching his.
The office was quieter now. The sound of Caleb fighting with the guards was faint. I knew when the elevator door closed, and he was gone because the floor went silent beyond our heavy breathing.
I wanted to cry from how good it had felt to be touched by him again, but I was even angrier that he had the nerve to kiss me after everything he had done to me.
His hand wrapped around my wrist tightly as I swung to smack him.
I leaned back, pulling at my arm to free it from his grip, but he held me firm. His other hand was on my lower back, holding me to him as he whispered coldly. “I told you I would let you have the one hit last night, but don’t think that I’ll let you keep hitting me. You could have pulled away if you didn’t want to kiss me back. But you were rubbing against me, Bailee. You were moaning and pulling me closer. You had your tongue in my mouth.”
His tongue peeked out to wet his lips, and I wondered if he was trying to taste me or just remembering what it had felt like a few seconds ago to have my lips against his.
He lowered my wrist slowly before releasing me and reaching up to tap the back of my other hand, which was, in fact, still in a death grip on his shirt, holding him to me.
Alex was right. I had wanted it. I had loved it even.
I just didn’t like the feelings and memories that stirred in me because of it… the pain that resurfaced with it.
“You’re right. Consider that the last time you ever get to kiss me.” I said, releasing his shirt and stepping back. His hands fell to his sides, allowing me to leave.
“Noted.” He sounded annoyed. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to give up trying to make things right with you.”
“That’s the thing, Alex. You can’t. If you had any idea what I went through because of you, you would know you can’t make things right with me.” I scoffed, shaking my head at the thought and speaking slowly so he would truly hear me. “I will never forgive you, Alexander Kingston.”
“I’m still going to try.”
I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me. Perhaps he had just wanted to piss Caleb off. Hell, I did, too.
But was he really risking losing my brother as his best friend just to annoy my ex?
1/2
Chapter
As much as I hated to admit it, I had kept tabs on Alexander over the years.
Not religiously, but every time he popped up in the news, I would look him up to see what was happening.
So, I knew that Caleb’s business wouldn’t even be in the same room as Alex’s, let alone at the same table. Caleb’s company was just as old as Alexander’s, but while Alex had turned his into an unstoppable powerhouse, I was confident Caleb’s wasn’t going anywhere. He had no head for business, nor did he have any management or leadership skills.
“Why? What are you hoping to get from this?” I asked.
“Ben doesn’t deserve to have to tip-toe around us anymore. He doesn’t understand why we don’t get along. He’s like a brother to me, and he is your actual brother, so I want to put this behind us.” He explained, and my eyes narrowed.
Using Ben against me was low. He knew I would do anything for my brother.
“As you’re well aware, since you seem to want to invade my personal business,” I snapped, pouring my anger and disgust into every word. “I won’t need to stay with Ben for long. The money will be transferred into my account soon. So, let’s just make this easier for all of us, and why don’t you just stay away from Ben’s house until I’m gone?”
He didn’t respond, but I knew this conversation was far from over.
I turned to leave, seeing Brinley sitting in the desk chair at Alex’s assistant’s desk. Nathan, who had introduced himself when I first arrived, was squatting next to her with a large smile.
Brinley had a blank Word document open. She was smashing her tiny hands into the keyboard, giggling, and proudly pointing out the gibberish she had typed to the man.
“I am sorry, Bailee,” Alex called behind me as I approached the desk. “For everything.”
“You don’t even know what you’re sorry for, Alex. You have no idea what you put me through.”
“Maybe so, but I never stopped thinking about you. I’ve regretted ending us the way I did every day since.” His words should have made me feel good…happy that Alex had been haunted by my memory just as I had been haunted by his.
Instead, I recoiled because it reminded me that no matter what I had felt for him, Alexander Kingston had never cared for me. We would have ended one way or another because I had been nothing more than a bet to him.
He had won a few hundred, and I had been destroyed.
2/2
