Falling from Grace: A Billionaire Romantic Suspense series (The Filth Monger Series Book 1) by Annabel Chant

and the spikes of his hair were flat on one side. ‘I’m not going to touch you. I just want to talk.’
    ‘Okay.’ I stayed in the corner, the smooth coldness of the walls pressing into my shoulder blades through my clothes. ‘So talk.’
    ‘Look, this has got out of hand.’ He pushed his fingers through his cow’s lick, ruffling the remaining spikes into feathers. ‘I’ve done wrong, I know that. I know you must hate me.’
    ‘Oh, I do.’ I fought back the tears that sprang, unbidden, from the deepest recesses of my soul. ‘I don’t even want to see you, let alone talk to you.’
    ‘You need a few days to calm down.’ He shifted from one foot to the other. ‘I get that. You must still be angry.’
    ‘Angry?’ I shook my head. ‘You have no idea. Where were you last night, anyway?’
    ‘I went to a hotel.’
    ‘Alone?’
    ‘Of course, alone.’ He put his arms out to me, and began to pad around the side of the bed. ‘Look, come on, babe. Come and have some breakfast. You look like shit.’
    ‘Thanks.’ I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the clothes I’d had on for work the day before. I hadn’t even noticed. ‘You said you wanted to talk.’
    ‘I do, but I don’t know what to say.’ He stopped before he reached me, and stood there, his arms still outstretched. ‘I’ve told you I'm sorry. I am, so much. I don’t know what else I can say.’
    ‘Well, then.’ I pushed past him, batting his arms out of the way. ‘There’s really nothing more to say, then, is there?’
    ‘Come and have something to eat, babe.’ He followed me out onto the landing. ‘You don’t look well.’
    ‘I don’t want something to eat.’ I turned round to face him. ‘I want you gone .’
    ‘You can’t be serious,’ he said with a short, hard laugh.
    ‘Oh, but I can.’ I glared at him. ‘You said I needed time to calm down.’
    ‘Yeah.’ He was starting to look angry, now. ‘But I didn’t think you’d take it.’
    ‘I want you gone now .’ I walked into the bathroom, and stood in front of the sink.
    Leo followed me, and stopped behind me, staring into the mirror at me.
    ‘We just need to talk, Grace.’ He spoke quickly, desperately. ‘You don’t understand. I’m probably going to lose out on the transfer window, after everything that’s happened. I need you, babe.’
    There’d been speculation about him moving up the Premiership, to one of the big clubs, at the end of the season. It was all he’d talked about recently. This would come as a major blow to him, I could see that, and it almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost. ‘It’s your own fault,’ I said, with a shrug. ‘You didn’t need me in Hull.’
    ‘It was nothing, Princess.’
    I turned on the cold tap. If he calls me Princess one more time, I’ll end up pushing him down the stairs. ‘You need to go,’ I said, splashing water over my cheeks. I hadn’t realised how sore and swollen my eyes were until I felt the fresh relief of the icy water.
    ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He folded his arms, a mulish expression on his face. ‘My place is here, with you.’
    I dabbed at my face with a towel. ‘Fine,’ I said. ‘I’ll go then.’
    The words came out unbidden. I had no idea where I’d go – I just knew I couldn’t spend another minute under the same roof as the man glaring at me, over my shoulder, in the mirror. ‘My place is anywhere, as long as you’re not around.’
    ‘Fine.’ He raised his eyebrows in challenge. ‘Off you pop, then.’
    I decided to bluff it out. ‘I need to pack. At least give me time on my own to do that.’
    ‘Whatever you say.’ He shrugged, and looked at his watch. ‘I’ll give you till lunchtime. But Princess…’
    ‘What?’ I walked back out onto the landing and stopped by top of the stairs.
    ‘Don’t stay away too long. I don’t want to have to come looking for you.’
     
    At this, he strode down the stairs and out the front door. As soon as it slammed, I sat