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She decided to table those thoughts for the moment. After all, they were terrifying, and she had a trio of assholes to thwart and a company to save.
Just a typical day in the life of Tenley Taylor, she supposed.
* * *
Knox came out of the bathroom to find Rebecca leaning against the wall in the hallway, waiting on him.
Just. Fucking. Great.
He gave her a nod of acknowledgment and tried to walk past, but she wasn’t having it. She stepped into his path and blocked his only escape route. Damn it.
Her lower lip trembled as she stared up at him. That look used to bring him to his knees. There was a time when he would’ve done anything to keep that look off her face. Now, he had trouble bringing himself to feel anything but annoyed that she was standing between him and Tenley.
“I needed to talk to you, Knox. Alone.”
He couldn’t hold back a sigh. “I think my wife said everything that needed saying, Rebecca.”
The trembling lower lip poked out into a pout. “I can tell you’re still angry with me, and I don’t blame you. But in a way, I’m glad. It means you must still have some feelings for me.” She laid her hands on his chest. “I know there’s still a chance for us.”
Wow. Had she always been this bad at reading a room, or was this something new? He caught her wrists and gently but firmly removed her hands from his body. He had a feeling if Tenley saw any of this, she wouldn’t give Rebecca the same courtesy. “Rebecca, I meant it when I said I forgive you. Honestly, if the situation had been reversed, I can’t say for sure I wouldn’t have done exactly what you did.”
She shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “That’s not true. You would’ve stayed with me forever.”
“Maybe.” Probably not. “But we’ll never know.”
Rebecca reached for him again. “I can fix things between us. I know I can.”
OK, he was done being nice. He swatted her hands away. “There’s nothing to fix. I’m married. I love my wife. You’re nothing but my ex.”
She reared back as if he’d slapped her. “You…you mean that, don’t you? You really do love her.”
Finally! It was about damn time she accepted the truth. “Of course, I do.”
He was as shocked as she was by the vehemence in his tone. He’d known he was in love with Tenley for a little while now, but he’d never said it aloud. It felt…good to put words to his feelings.
He could only hope Tenley didn’t look as horrified as Rebecca did now when he finally said the words to her.
Rebecca took a big step back and held her hands up in supplication. “I’m sorry, Knox. I didn’t know. When Thadeus called, he told me your marriage was just a scam to get your trust released. I had no idea it was real.”
Yet another reason to hate Thadeus. As if he needed more. “He shouldn’t have led you to believe there was any chance of a reconciliation between us.”
She swallowed hard. “He told me he’d always liked me and wanted to see me happy. I was an idiot for believing him. If your marriage is real, then all he wanted me here for was to try and sabotage you so that he could ruin your chances of getting that trust. Since it’s almost your birthday, I must’ve been his last-ditch effort to make you look like you were no closer to settling down than you were five years ago.”
Well, suddenly this whole dinner party made sense. Tenley had been right, of course. On one hand, he was pleased that Thadeus wasn’t planning to frame him for murder or something this time. But on the other hand, trying to fuck up his relationship with Tenley was a really low blow.
“I’m sorry you got caught up in the middle of Thadeus’s…shit, Rebecca.”
She gave him a wobbly smile. “Tenley is really lucky to have you. I hope she takes better care of your heart than I did.”
That sure as hell made two of them.
CHAPTER 25
Knox was done letting Tenley circle the room like a shark, gathering intel.
Not that watching her work wasn’t entertaining. It was entertaining as hell. But after his conversation with Rebecca, he was really over this whole fiasco.
This room, these people…it was all more than he could stomach. He might’ve grown up in this superficial madness, but that didn’t make it his world. He just wanted out.
