Page 77 of Captivated

All he needed to do was tell her. Liliana wasn’t asking for a lot, but if his involvement in her life was work-related, then that would have been great to know before they jumped into bed together.

“Had he just told me before everything else,” Liliana said, “I feel like maybe we could have gotten all of that out of the way first, and then it wouldn’t have been sprung on me. I wouldn’t have to feel like that’s the only reason he was around, you know?”

Cella cleared her throat. “I don’t think that was the only reason he was coming around, Liliana.”

“Oh, no, I’m sure the fact I was spreading my legs for him was another reason.”

“Damn—wow, not what I meant, either.”

Liliana rolled her eyes upward. “That’s all it’s been, Cella.”

“Not really. You had moments.”

“Don’t say it like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like they were some earth-shattering, ground-moving events in my life. They weren’t.”

“I didn’t say it like that,” Cella argued.

“Kind of did.”

“You did have … something, though. Do you know how many females were sitting at the table at that first dinner? Quite a few—he only talked, and looked at you. And he smiled at you, too. Anyone else, and he might as well have been carved from ice.”

“After he probably got the job to watch me, Cella.”

“You assume—you don’t know for sure.”

True, but still …

“I’m not saying my anger isn’t irrational,” Liliana muttered.

“Good because you’re acting like a child.”

“I am not.”

“And that right there really helps your case, Liliana.”

She blew out a hard breath.

Cella let her silently stew for a while.

Liliana was grateful.

“Listen, just the day before I found this out, I asked him to that event, and he refused me with no explanation. You know when and how he refused me?”

“Uh … no?”

“I was naked, and on my knees, Cella.”

Her sister made a low keening noise, and then said, “TMI.”

“Point is—that’s kind of hard to take, all right. What woman is going to take rejection from a guy in that kind of situation easily?”

“Well, what did you do after all of that?”

“Asked him to leave,” Liliana said.