Page 104 of Playing Mr. Perfect

“No. Please just let me be.” Tears sting my eyes, but she knows I process better alone. “Please.”

“Damn it, Pepper.”

“Please, Sable.”

“Fine. Crawl under your rock, but if I don’t get a text with proof of life tomorrow morning, I’m going to be on your doorstep before eight a.m. Now tell me where Clay is staying so I can go kick his fucking ass.”

“Sable, I can’t do this with you right now. I’ve got to go.” I end the call, struggling against tears.

“I guess we’re official.”

I spin around at Clay’s voice, and my stomach roils. “How can we be official when I don’t even know what we are?” Too upset to stand still, I pace again.

“Yes, you do,” he says calmly. “If you didn’t, you would never have allowed me to stay.”

“Fine! I do, but I can’t think straight right now! I worked my butt off to gain a place in my industry and get a little recognition in my field, and you come to town for one weekend, and suddenly the whole world knows me as your frigging flavor of the month. This is why we should have left whatever this is in Paris. But no. You had to come here and woo me.”

“You like my wooing,” he says calmly.

“Clay! Are you trying to piss me off?” I know I’m being irrational, but I can’t stop. “Listen to me. I’m yelling! I don’t yell! This is not me!”

“Yes, it is. You’re a passionate woman.”

I glower at him. “Now is not the time to flirt with me!”

“I’m not flirting. You’re passionate about work, you’re passionate about family, and you’re passionate about us.” He opens his arms. “Come here.”

“I don’t want to come there.”

“Yes, you do. Come here.” His arms remain open, and he beckons me with his fingers.

I shake my head, trying to gain control of my runaway emotions.

He stalks toward me, his arms open.

“Clay,” I warn, but he just wraps his arms around me. My arms hang like a petulant child, but I immediately feel safer.

“It’s going to be okay,” he promises, and kisses the top of my head.

The tears I’ve been holding back spring free. “Nothing is okay,” I say softly. “Why are you even here? You’re supposed to be at a business dinner.”

“I got on a plane the minute I heard about the social media storm.”

“You can’t just shirk your responsibilities because of me.” I try to push out of his arms, but he tightens his hold on me.

“Nothing is more important than you. When we were in Paris, you were adamant about not becoming part of a scandal. I didn’t think it would happen, and I didn’t take it seriously. Especially once we were here. People seemed respectful of my privacy. But I should have known better. I’m sorry, Pepper. I never meant to hurt you.”

I tip my face up. His eyes are brimming with concern, and that takes the starch out of me. “It’s not your fault. I just worked so hard to be taken seriously, and now I’m embarrassed.”

“Because you got caught kissing your boyfriend, or because of the nasty headlines?”

“The headlines mostly. But did you see the pictures? I’m practically climbing you in the parking lot.”

He smiles, speaking gently. “I told you you’re passionate.”

“I don’t need the world to see it.” I touch my forehead to his chest. “I lose my head when I’m with you.”

“That’s a good thing, sweetheart.” He slides a finger under my chin and tilts my face up, bringing my eyes to his again. “I’m sorry this happened. I hate that you got hurt because of my reputation. If I could go back in time to change it, I would.”