Stomach churning, Maggie turned around and stumbled down the hall toward the conference room. She’d heard enough. The coffee she’d had earlier was like acid in her belly. She saw the ladies’ room door and immediately pushed her way inside, turning the lock behind her. Hands clutching either side of the white bathroom vanity in the small room, she stared hard at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin was pale and her eyes glistened with tears, threatening to overflow at any moment. The pain was too poignant. Something inside her had shattered, leaving her physically nauseous and emotionally broken.
Her trust.
She had trusted Hunter Cross, and not just in bed. She’d confided in him, giving more of herself to him than she’d ever offered anyone. She’d told him about her childhood and how growing up with her father had left her determined to secure her future. This book was the key. He knew that. And yet, he’d spent the past week trying to manage the message of her work.
Hiding things from her.
While she’d been reveling in the ecstasy she found in his arms and the joy she’d discovered in doing everyday things with him, he had simply been doing his job. The reality felt like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach. She’d known their relationship came with an expiration date. Hunter ran from commitment. He was the wrong man for her, too controlling. And his job? It spelled Disaster—capital D.
But what if there had never been a relationship at all? What if he’d been lying to her from the minute he’d walked through the door? All in an attempt to take away the one thing that had helped her through years of living with an unreliable drunk—control.
Maggie looked up into the mirror and saw the tears running down her cheeks. She reached for a paper towel and began wiping them away. She had to get out of here. She couldn’t let Hunter, his teammates, anyone, see her like this. They couldn’t watch her fall apart over a wounded Ranger who’d said things he didn’t mean.
I’ve fallen for you. Hard. I don’t want this to end.
Maggie shook her head, trying to force the words out of her mind. He hadn’t meant them. They were simply one more way he could manipulate her. She checked her appearance in the mirror. Not perfect, but it would have to do. She opened the door, determined to keep her head down and her red, puffy eyes hidden. She took two steps and bumped into a solid wall of muscle.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, trying to step around the man, but he moved with her.
“Professor Barlow?”
Maggie looked up and watched as his smile turned to concern. “I’m Mike. I went to the conference room first, but when I couldn’t find you I thought you might have lost your way. Forgive me for saying so, but you look a little upset. Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not. It must be something I ate.” Her voice sounded calm and collected, while inside she was falling apart. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to be going. I’ll call to reschedule.”
“Let me walk you out,” he said, falling into step beside her as she headed to the conference room. “I can call Chief Cross for you. He’s waiting outside with your rental car.”
“No, thank you.” She moved around the room, gathering her things and speaking on autopilot, while inside she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. But she couldn’t, not here. It wouldn’t be professional. She might pick the wrong men, but she was, above all else, a professional. “I’ll call a cab.”
But Mike was already on his cell, talking to Hunter. “Hey, man, Professor Barlow’s not feeling well.”
She couldn’t face him. Not right now. Not here in front of his teammates. “I need to leave.”
“Ma’am, Hunter will be here in a minute,” Mike said, watching her from his post by the door.
Maggie stuffed her computer into her bag and swung it over her shoulder. “When he gets here, tell him I know about his orders. I know it was all a lie.”
18
“WHAT WAS A LIE?” Hunter asked as he rushed in, breathing heavily from his all-out sprint to the conference room. His only thought was that Maggie needed him. But the wary look in her eyes told him this wasn’t a stomachache. Something had happened.
“Maggie?” He stepped toward her, but she moved away, out of his grasp.
“I know about your orders.”
Hunter froze. Cold, hard fear gripped him. Practically everyone she believed in had let her down. And now that list included him. “How?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, her voice sharp. But he heard a slight waver as if she might cry at any minute.
How had this happened? His teammates. It had to be them. But she was right. It didn’t matter. She was all that mattered to him.
“I need to leave.” She moved toward the door, but Hunter stepped into her path.
“Maggie,” he pleaded. He’d never begged for anything in his life, but he was ready to fall on his kn
ees now. “Please don’t go. Let me explain.”
“Why wouldn’t you tell me how you got shot?” she demanded. “You were hiding something, weren’t you?”