Matched to Her Rival

“This isn’t a social call,” he fairly snarled and then heard himself. Where were his manners?

Leo didn’t flinch. “I didn’t assume that it was. But this is my home, and my wife wanted to serve you a drink. It’s what civilized people do when someone comes by without an invitation.”

My wife. The dividing line couldn’t have been clearer. But then, Leo had drawn that line back in his office when he’d told Dax in no uncertain terms that Daniella was more important to him than anything, including money, the deal between Leo and Dax, and even their friendship.

All at once, Dax wanted to know why.

“I’m sorry,” Dax said sincerely. “Tea is great. Thanks.”

He followed Leo into a dappled sunroom with a view of the windswept back acreage of the property. The branches were bare of leaves this late into the season, save a few evergreens dotting the landscape.

Daniella bustled in with a tray, smiled at Dax and set a glass full of amber liquid in front of each man. “Nice to see you, Dax. Enjoy. I’ll make myself scarce.”

Gracious as always. Even to a man who made no secret of his intense dislike and mistrust of her.

Dax watched her drop a kiss on Leo’s head. He snagged her hand to keep her in place, then returned the kiss on her lips, exchanging a private smile that seemed like a language all its own. They were so obviously in love, it poleaxed Dax right in the heart.

Because he didn’t have that. Nor did he hold any hope of having it.

Against everything he’d ever believed about himself, the world and how he fit into it, he wanted what Leo and Daniella had.

The floodgates had been opened and then shut so swiftly, he’d barely had time to acclimate, to figure out what he was going to do with all the emotions he’d never felt before. Then bam! Betrayal at its finest. The two people he’d let himself care about had both betrayed him. And one of them would answer for it right now.

After Daniella disappeared, Dax faced Leo squarely. “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here.”

“Not really.” Leo grinned at Dax’s raised eyebrows. “Dannie and Elise are very good friends. I’m guessing you didn’t know that.”

Elise. Her name pierced that hard place in his chest and nearly finished what the lovey-dovey scene between Leo and Daniella had started. Death by emotion. It seemed fitting somehow.

And no, he hadn’t realized Daniella and Elise were friends. Daniella had probably been treated to an earful already this morning. “And your wife tells you everything, right?”

“Yep.”

Dax sank down in the wicker chair, but it didn’t swallow him as he would have preferred. If he’d known his spectacular flameout at the hands of Elise had been trotted out for everyone’s amusement, he might have gone someplace else, like Timbuktu.

“Last night was really messed up,” Dax allowed without really meaning to. It just came out.

“I sympathize.” Leo cleared his throat. “Which is more than you did for me when I was going through something similar, I might add.”

That hurt. “Is this what you were going through? Because I don’t see how that’s possible.”

Leo and Daniella had an effortless relationship, as if they’d been born for each other and never questioned whether they trusted the other.

“No, it’s not the same because we’re different people in love with very different women.”

“I’m not in love with Elise,” Dax broke in.

He might have been entertaining the notion, but she’d killed it. Somehow it was worse to finally embrace the idea that love wasn’t just a fairy tale only to have your heart smashed.

Leo just looked at him and smirked. “And that’s your problem right there. Denial. That, plus an inability to give someone a chance.”

“That’s not true,” he burst out. “She’s the one who didn’t give me a chance. She lied to me. I can’t trust anyone.”

And that was the really painful part. There wasn’t one single person in existence he could fully trust. If it could have been anyone, he’d have put his money on Elise, the one person who understood the man behind the curtain. He had put his money on Elise—five hundred thousand dollars—and she’d never lost sight of the prize. He should take a lesson.

“I can give you relationship advice all day long if that’s what you’re after. But you didn’t really come here to find out that you guard yourself by pushing people away? You already know that.”