couldn’t. Why?
First, because she wanted to know who had told Kyler she was sleeping with Matt Becker. That was so far from the truth. Just the thought of that man touching her made her gag.
As she sat there, trying to work up the nerve to leave, a million thoughts kept running through her head. Should she go to work on Monday and plant the evidence ? Or should she just pack up and leave town? What exactly was Kyler thinking ?
Finally, she decided to go back up to the house and ask him. There were too many things hanging in the air for her to know how to plan. She cut off her car’s engine and hurried back up to the front door. Rang the bell. And waited.
Kyler looked so shocked to see her, she swore she could’ve knock ed him over with a feather.
“I can’t leave yet,” she explained, coolly.
“I’m… surprised. U mmm, c ome in. ” He raked his fingers through his hair again as he stepped aside to let her in . “ I’ve been thinking this past hour. And, well, e arlier. When you … I had no right… Shit, I’m sorry. Not that I’m making an excuse, because there are none. No matter what, I have no right to treat you the way I did. But I’ d hear d one thing from you and something different from another person , and I was having one hell of a time knowing who to believe.”
She could understand that. She n odded. “Who told you I was sleeping with Matt?”
“It doesn’t matter who said what or who you’re sleeping with. That’s none of my business. ”
Wasn’t his business? That was true, but she still felt like he’d punched her in the gut when he said it.
His gaze dropped to the floor. He shook his head. “I’m so fucked in the head.” When he finally lifted his head again, his jaw was set . His expression was so dark, she didn’t know what to think. Suddenly, h e turned around and headed toward his office.
She stood in the foyer for a few minutes, not sure whether she should follow him or just forget it and head back out to her car. Finally, she decided to try to get the answers she’d come back for. She stopped at his office door and, leaning on the doorframe, peered in. “What are you going to do about Matt blackmailing me ? I just need to know, so I can make plans.”
He was sitting at his desk, his face buried in his hands. “I’m still trying to figure that out. ”
“ Maybe I should just go away . Leave town. Start over somewhere.”
He tipped his head up, looking at her. “Where will you go? What will you do?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. But I might not have a choice. O nce Matt takes the proof he has about my cousin, I’ll be fired. I wouldn’t put it past him to take the information to the police too , like he threatened . He’d do that.”
Silence.
“Not if I give him what he wants first.”
“What do you mean?” She followed Kyler with her eyes as he stood, ran his hands down the front of his creased trousers.
“I could quit. It’s a fucking shame. I didn’t want to leave my job. It’s the first thing I’ve accomplished without my father’s help , and it’s taken me over ten years to get where I am . But keeping my pride isn’t worth the price you’d have to pay.”
Did she just hear right? Kyler was willing to give up his job — the one that clearly meant more than she had ever guessed — for her?
She sat there, stunned, as he called Matt and told him he’d won, the VP position was as good as his, but only if he brought the evidence he had against her … all of it … to his house by six o’clock tonight.
No one had ever done anything that selfless for her. “Thank you,” she said. It seemed so inadequate but she didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t have the means to pay him back.
He nodded, toyed with the cordless phone. “I want to make another phone call. But I won’t, if you tell me not to.”
“Who’re you going to call?”
“My father. I haven’t asked him for any help in years, but I’d like to see
First, because she wanted to know who had told Kyler she was sleeping with Matt Becker. That was so far from the truth. Just the thought of that man touching her made her gag.
As she sat there, trying to work up the nerve to leave, a million thoughts kept running through her head. Should she go to work on Monday and plant the evidence ? Or should she just pack up and leave town? What exactly was Kyler thinking ?
Finally, she decided to go back up to the house and ask him. There were too many things hanging in the air for her to know how to plan. She cut off her car’s engine and hurried back up to the front door. Rang the bell. And waited.
Kyler looked so shocked to see her, she swore she could’ve knock ed him over with a feather.
“I can’t leave yet,” she explained, coolly.
“I’m… surprised. U mmm, c ome in. ” He raked his fingers through his hair again as he stepped aside to let her in . “ I’ve been thinking this past hour. And, well, e arlier. When you … I had no right… Shit, I’m sorry. Not that I’m making an excuse, because there are none. No matter what, I have no right to treat you the way I did. But I’ d hear d one thing from you and something different from another person , and I was having one hell of a time knowing who to believe.”
She could understand that. She n odded. “Who told you I was sleeping with Matt?”
“It doesn’t matter who said what or who you’re sleeping with. That’s none of my business. ”
Wasn’t his business? That was true, but she still felt like he’d punched her in the gut when he said it.
His gaze dropped to the floor. He shook his head. “I’m so fucked in the head.” When he finally lifted his head again, his jaw was set . His expression was so dark, she didn’t know what to think. Suddenly, h e turned around and headed toward his office.
She stood in the foyer for a few minutes, not sure whether she should follow him or just forget it and head back out to her car. Finally, she decided to try to get the answers she’d come back for. She stopped at his office door and, leaning on the doorframe, peered in. “What are you going to do about Matt blackmailing me ? I just need to know, so I can make plans.”
He was sitting at his desk, his face buried in his hands. “I’m still trying to figure that out. ”
“ Maybe I should just go away . Leave town. Start over somewhere.”
He tipped his head up, looking at her. “Where will you go? What will you do?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. But I might not have a choice. O nce Matt takes the proof he has about my cousin, I’ll be fired. I wouldn’t put it past him to take the information to the police too , like he threatened . He’d do that.”
Silence.
“Not if I give him what he wants first.”
“What do you mean?” She followed Kyler with her eyes as he stood, ran his hands down the front of his creased trousers.
“I could quit. It’s a fucking shame. I didn’t want to leave my job. It’s the first thing I’ve accomplished without my father’s help , and it’s taken me over ten years to get where I am . But keeping my pride isn’t worth the price you’d have to pay.”
Did she just hear right? Kyler was willing to give up his job — the one that clearly meant more than she had ever guessed — for her?
She sat there, stunned, as he called Matt and told him he’d won, the VP position was as good as his, but only if he brought the evidence he had against her … all of it … to his house by six o’clock tonight.
No one had ever done anything that selfless for her. “Thank you,” she said. It seemed so inadequate but she didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t have the means to pay him back.
He nodded, toyed with the cordless phone. “I want to make another phone call. But I won’t, if you tell me not to.”
“Who’re you going to call?”
“My father. I haven’t asked him for any help in years, but I’d like to see
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