Savage Love

“What?” Kallie asked.

“My mother was right. All you did was fly out on my dime and snag yourself another man. A richer man than me. And you prance around with your innocent eyes and your holier-than-thou demeanor, pretending to feel uncomfortable in these kinds of scenarios when really, you love the attention.”

“No, I don’t,” she said.

“You love the money. The elegance. You turn your nose up at it, yet you’re with a Worthington, Kallie. You set your sights on bigger prey, and now you’re trying to convince me you’re leaving because you don’t love me anymore?”

“That’s exactly the reason why I’m leaving,” she said.

“No it’s not. You’ve won the lottery with a Worthington and you’re running while you can. You have everyone else around you fooled, but not me, Kal-Bear.”

“Don’t you dare call me that again.”

“Why? Is that what he calls you?”

Kallie was livid. Seething with anger. Her fists were balled up at her sides and she could feel people staring at her. At them. Wondering what was going on. And she knew James would spin it into his favor. Convince them of what he thought he knew. The thought made her sick. Kallie didn’t want money or fame or fortune.

All she wanted was to be loved. Happy. Wanted.

All she wanted was a man to fucking stay faithful.

Kallie didn’t want to make any more of a scene. But she did need to get out of there. So many things were tumbling around in her mind, and none of them were good. Smacking James. Tossing her water in his face. Picking up her knife and stabbing him in his beady little eyeball.

No, she needed to get out of there before things got worse.

And just as she turned on her heel and got out of the restaurant, she felt a hand come down onto her wrist.

Chapter 16

Kallie

Before she could catch herself, James ripped her around on her feet. His lips came crashing down onto hers, his nasty tongue thrusting between her lips. His tongue that had been on other women. Kissed other women. Tasted other women. She worked her wrist from his grip and got her hands between them, then pushed him away. She wiped at her lips and grimaced before whistling fell on her ears.

She turned her head and saw a few guys with their phones out as their fists pumped in the air.

Kallie hoped they hadn’t taken any pictures. Any embarrassing photos that would surface later. She turned on her heel again and tried to get away, listening as James followed behind her. She was frightened. Pinned down. Felt like there was no escape. She held her hand up for a cab before James caught her wrist again, and she struggled to get free from his grasp.

“I don’t want you, James!”

She yelled it as loud as she could, startling him as he dropped her wrist. A cab pulled up beside her and the driver got out of the car, his eyes boring into the man standing in front of her. She glared at him. Took him in one last time before she ducked down into the yellow car. The driver slid back in and drove off, leaving James standing on the street.

“You okay, ma’am?” the driver asked.

But Kallie wasn’t paying attention.

Her phone was immediately ringing.

James was calling. Messaging. Leaving voice mails she didn’t want to listen to. She turned her phone off and closed her eyes, leaning back against the seat. What the fuck had just happened? Where the hell had that come from? James was many things, but forceful and possessive he wasn’t. It was like he wouldn’t let her go. It was like he came to the restaurant with the idea that she wasn’t leaving without him.

The thought made her shiver as she rattled off the address to her apartment.

She ran upstairs and tossed her things into a corner. Peeling her clothes off, she left a trail from the door to the bathroom, her hands trembling as she started to run a bath. The water was hot and the bubbles were thick. All she wanted was to wash off her ex-fiancé and the terrible feelings he engendered. Kallie poured herself a big glass of wine and settled into the bath, still trembling from the night’s activities. Tears streaked her cheeks as she chugged the red liquid, trying to get her body to relax.

“It’s okay,” she said to herself. “You’re safe. You’re fine. He’s gone.”