This Cruel Love

“I know of him. Now, he’s a guy who gives assholes a bad name. Stay away from him, Ryley.”

“I intend to,” I replied with conviction. “He’s gross. He seriously creeps me out.”

“Me too.”

Cillian’s easy manner and sense of fun was infectious. I enjoyed being around him, and it helped to take my mind off missing Justin. Before speaking to Cillian, I’d been carrying a lead weight around in my stomach. Fearing the worst about Justin and all that he was going through. However, being with Cillian made me feel lighter, less on edge. It wasn’t to last.

“Twinkle toes, we need to get a drink before we both pass out.”

He spun me round one last time before we both left the dance floor and turned to face the bar. I went to walk forward, but bumped into Cillian’s solid back as he stopped dead in his tracks and cursed under his breath.

“Shit.”

“What?” I peered around him as he winced.

“I think I fucked up.” He looked down at me and grimaced. “Sorry.”

I had no idea what he was on about until I looked back at the bar and saw Jackson Caine with some random blonde woman draped all over him. She was stroking his chest and rubbing herself up against him, and there was a lot of flesh on show to rub, believe me. She licked her ruby red lips as he whispered something into her ear and batted her huge eyelashes as she laughed. Without missing a beat, he turned straight towards us as we stood watching and gave me the most savage, evil smirk.

I wasn’t jealous. I had no reason to be jealous. This was Jackson Caine, and this was what he did. But in front of my aunt and uncle, and other people here who thought we were together? That was what bothered me. He was disgusting and he was making me look like a weak-ass girlfriend by virtually making out with another woman under my nose. Why would he do something like that? Didn’t he realise that by ridiculing me this way, he was undoing all the good work he’d done tonight? People wouldn’t trust him, and they certainly wouldn’t support him if he treated his girlfriend like this. That girlfriend in question was me, and these people all knew me. They knew my family. They knew I wouldn’t put up with crap like this from anyone. There was only one thing I could do.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the two of them, but when he ran his hands up her thigh and under her short skirt, I lost it.

“Excuse me.”

I pushed past Cillian. He tried to make a grab for me and call me back, but I was too fast.

A passing waiter was carrying a tray of drinks, and I grabbed the biggest glass I could see. Without a second thought, I walked right over to where Jackson and his lady friend stood and I took a deep, fortifying breath.

“You. Fucking. Asshole,” I snapped, and threw the drink in his face, part drowning the other woman as I did. I felt no remorse. In fact, it felt bloody great.

A whoop went up behind me as I turned on my heels and stalked out of the room, and out of the building into the cool evening air.

I smiled to myself, picturing Jackson’s face as the red wine splashed over him and stained his white tuxedo shirt. If the room were questioning the validity of our relationship before, they’d be in no doubt now. I’d never stand for cheating. Even if it’d been Justin all over that woman tonight, I’d have done the same thing. So I’d played my part of the dutiful girlfriend perfectly.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

I heard Jackson shouting, literally bellowing behind me like a mad man. But I wasn’t about to stop and have it out with him in the street. I jumped into a waiting cab and told the driver to put his foot down, leaving the angry ogre to his party and his new friend.

Maybe I should’ve headed back to Justin’s apartment, but I didn’t. I think the wicked side of me was looking forward to throwing it down with Jackson when he eventually came home. I hadn’t expected him to charge through those doors minutes after me, though. His face was so red he looked like he might burst a blood vessel at any moment.

He slammed the door shut with so much fury it felt like the apartment rattled, and

I flinched in surprise. His presence made trickles of fear run down my spine. I rubbed my chest to calm my nerves and took a deep breath before I looked him in the eyes. Boy, was he pissed, and he wasn’t afraid to show it either.

“You are a fucking crazy woman. What the hell was that?” He stood with his hands in his trouser pockets, his muscles taut, and his eyes blazing with fire. He was a formidable force when he was angry like this, but I was fuming too, and I wouldn’t let him intimidate me.

“I’m crazy? Me? I’m not the one that’s just fucked up their reputation tonight, and for what? To secure your next hook up?”

He growled and pulled his hands out of his pockets then ran them through his hair, tugging in frustration.

“I don’t even know where to start with you.” He held onto the back of his neck and shook his head. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I wasn’t looking for a hook-up. That’s not what I’m about.”

Yeah, I wasn’t convinced about that. After all, he did take great pleasure in telling me he’d had hordes of women begging to get into his bed when I first met him. I doubted that’d changed in the week since he’d met me.

Or maybe he’d lied.

“And second, I wasn’t the one making a fool of myself on the dance floor,” he growled. “Looking like a flirt, a tease, and fucking up my business in the process.”