He dropped against the pillows at the headboard and asked her, “Why?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Allie looked unconcerned.
He’d never hit a woman before and he wasn’t about to start now regardless as to how tempted he was. “You drugged me with the water and I think Derek helped you… You either tell me or I go to the cops. Your choice.” And as soon as he could walk without wanting to puke, he’d go after Erin, but fuck knows how the hell he’d get out of this…he also couldn’t remember how he ended up in bed…with Allie.
“I thought if I could get you away from Erin or Caprice,” she raised a brow, “that I might stand a chance with you. She’d be out of the picture.” Allie shrugged.
“That’s bullshit, Allie. We haven’t been an item since high school and even then it was more like fuck buddies.”
“It’s the truth, Mateo. I want to be back home and your moving back so I figured there was no reason why we couldn’t move back together.”
He frowned. “I’ve never once hinted that I wanted more from you. You never wanted more from me either…and why would you want someone who you drugged first?”
He felt sick to the stomach and couldn’t decide if it was the drug or the fact that Erin had seen his fall from grace and thought the worst when he wasn’t in any fit state to go after her and explain.
“Did we actually have sex?” He couldn’t remember a damn thing from last night.
Allie winced and he could see the lie before it left her mouth.
“The truth, Allie,” he growled. “I’ve no patience left for lies.”
“Derek knew I had a thing with you and approached me to help him screw you over. He’s still pissed because you got the coveted position on the team and he got nothing. I figured everything would work out to my advantage. He told me you wouldn’t remember anything, so—”
“So we didn’t have sex, but you went along with it.”
Allie dropped down into a chair by the window and looked out before facing him. “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot and jealous that you’ve fallen in love with someone who isn’t me.” She shrugged.
He’d never said the ‘L’ word but that was what he felt for Erin. She was in his heart and his heart ached because he wasn’t with her.
“Allie, just leave.” He rested his head against the pillow. “And please stay away from me. We’re no longer friends, in fact, I’m not even sure we ever really were.”
“Please don’t say that.” She moved closer to the bed and looked ready to drop back on it.
“Do not even think about it. Go. Now.” He glared back at her, until she got the message that he was serious.
Without another word, she left and minutes later he heard the door close. He’d have to change all the security for the place. In fact, he wouldn’t even bother. He’d sell the place and take Erin somewhere else.
Erin.
His woman.
But she hadn’t been innocent since he’d taken her virginity. She’d been buttoned up, but now he’d unleashed a sexy woman, who constantly wanted him, who he constantly wanted. He couldn’t keep his hands off her, but he knew it was love and had been waiting for her graduation to tell her. He had it all planned out.
But would he even be at her graduation now? Would she even accept the truth because to his ears it sounded pretty far-fetched?
He loved his Erin, and he loved lying in bed and just talking with her. Once or twice, he’d read to her, which he knew she loved even if it wasn’t an erotic scene that he read. Erin had admitted that she loved the sound of his voice.
He’d certainly gotten used to having her with him and felt lost when she was elsewhere, like now.
Something had to be done to get Erin back to him because he wasn’t sure he could go anywhere with how sick he felt.
He just made it to the bathroom to pray to the porcelain gods again.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The photograph of Mateo and Allie had made the front page news. It was all over the Internet with lots of speculation about his engagement to Caprice. It broke her heart even more to see. No matter how much she tried to accept that there was another explanation for Mateo’s behavior, the photograph was damning and only added fuel to the fire.
What she needed to do was disconnect her computer from the Internet and try and forget…If only it was that easy.