CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

From the moment Nick had stepped out of the house, Chloe felt things were going to changeâ??she felt it deep in her gut. The longer he’d been away, the more that feeling had grown. The day had become even worse for her when her father had called. By the end of that telephone call, she’d been trembling so badly she’d had to sit down, fighting tears she wouldn’t allow to slip.

But the day had continued to pass and still no sign of Nick. He’d met with his attorney. With him being gone so long, she knew it was a bad omenâ??knew that he was likely aware of who she was. The first thought had been to run. She’d wanted to pack her things and leave.

Something had made her stay, though. She’d been afraid her entire life—afraid of her father’s fists, afraid of failing the people she loved, afraid of ending up with the life her father said she deserved. She’d tried to make things better for herself, had gotten an education, had struck out on her own. But no matter how far she tried to get away, she couldn’t fight who she was or the family she’d been born into.

So this time she hadn’t run. It didn’t matter if Nick hated herâ??that was expected. What mattered was she’d been hired to do a job, and she was doing it successfully. He should have let her go already. He was fine on his own. But for some odd reason, he wanted her around. Maybe he hadn’t yet tired of the sex.

If Nick thought he could break her, though, he was very wrong. She’d been broken long ago, and there wasn’t anything he could do to her that would make it any worse. If only there wasn’t that small sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her how very wrong she was.

She’d grown attached to Nick in the short time she’d been with him. She knew he wasn’t responsible for her brother’s death. If he were, she would have seen some sort of sign by now. But there was still that voice in her headâ??her father’s voice that told her he might be guilty.

And now she was trapped in front of him, his arms caging her in. She could have gotten away, but maybe she really didn’t want to. Maybe she was so messed up from the years of her father running her life, that she truly felt she deserved Nick’s wrath. Chloe honestly didn’t know.

The thing that terrified Chloe more than anything else was the fear that Nick would take so much from her, there wouldn’t be anything at all left. She didn’t think there was anything for him to take, but she’d been wrong so many times before. If he truly knew what an empty shell she was, he wouldn’t bother with the game he was playing.

She had no doubt he would eventually tire of whatever it was he was doing, though. She had nothing to give him but her body. But maybe that was enough to someone like Nick Armstrong, who already had the world at his fingertips. Chloe was a convenient distraction for him while he spent the required time mending his body. She was the one there helping to set him free. When he was where he needed to be, he would quickly discard herâ??and that was okay. It was what was expected.

What Chloe had never figured would happen would be the feelings she had developed for him. She had thought when it was all done, she’d walk away the victor, Nick placed behind bars, her heart beginning to heal from the loss of her brother.

She now knew she’d been naïve and foolish. Her father had been wrong and manipulative. She’d been shallow to follow his orders. And who had she thought she was that she could go head to head with Nick? Maybe it had been her last attempt to become the person she’d always dreamed of becoming. But she cared about this man, something she’d never expected, and perhaps she was in love with him, and to him she was nothing more than a convenient lay. She was unsure of so much.

One thing Chloe knew, though, was that even though she could see the fury in his eyes, could understand how angry he was with her, she didn’t fear his fists. If Nick thought for even a moment she was afraid he’d hit her, she’d probably send him staggering back on his feet. Instead of that making her feel better, it only made her guilt of ever suspecting him that much worse—because in addition to all his qualities he did have honor.

“I would pay money to know what is going on in that head of yours,” Nick growled.

Chloe trembled as his deep voice rumbled through her, his hot breath cascaded across her face, the heat of his body surrounding her in waves. He might pay money to know what she was thinking, but she’d give up everything she had to keep those thoughts from him. He already had too much power over her. There would be no way she’d give him more or hurt him with the truth. It took great strength on her part not to reach out to him. This might be the last time they were so close—it should be the last time. She wanted to memorize him, to have something to dream about. It was a foolish thought, but her thoughts were her own and she could have whatever ones she wanted.

And even though she would miss this man when she did leave, she knew she had to leave sooner rather than later. It had grown too complicated. She wanted to scurry away and try, once again, to rebuild her life.

“Maybe I was thinking about the moment I can escape you,” she said with just the right amount of bite she knew would infuriate him.

Nick’s eyes narrowed as he pulled back from her. His hands trembled as if he wanted to reach out and shake her. Chloe was impressed with his control. She’d be black and blue if she’d said such words to her father. Why had she ever believed her father when he’d said Nick was the reason her brother was dead?

If Chloe truly wanted to cast blame on anyone, it would be on her father. He’d pushed her hard, and he’d tormented her brother. Her dad was the reason Patrick had joined the Coast Guard, that’s why he’d taken the dangerous position of being a rescue swimmer. He’d wanted to impress the old man. And in death, her brother had finally managed to do so. So much so that their father wanted someone to be punished. ER TWENTY-FIVE

From the moment Nick had stepped out of the house, Chloe felt things were going to changeâ??she felt it deep in her gut. The longer he’d been away, the more that feeling had grown. The day had become even worse for her when her father had called. By the end of that telephone call, she’d been trembling so badly she’d had to sit down, fighting tears she wouldn’t allow to slip.

But the day had continued to pass and still no sign of Nick. He’d met with his attorney. With him being gone so long, she knew it was a bad omenâ??knew that he was likely aware of who she was. The first thought had been to run. She’d wanted to pack her things and leave.

Something had made her stay, though. She’d been afraid her entire life—afraid of her father’s fists, afraid of failing the people she loved, afraid of ending up with the life her father said she deserved. She’d tried to make things better for herself, had gotten an education, had struck out on her own. But no matter how far she tried to get away, she couldn’t fight who she was or the family she’d been born into.

So this time she hadn’t run. It didn’t matter if Nick hated herâ??that was expected. What mattered was she’d been hired to do a job, and she was doing it successfully. He should have let her go already. He was fine on his own. But for some odd reason, he wanted her around. Maybe he hadn’t yet tired of the sex.

If Nick thought he could break her, though, he was very wrong. She’d been broken long ago, and there wasn’t anything he could do to her that would make it any worse. If only there wasn’t that small sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her how very wrong she was.

She’d grown attached to Nick in the short time she’d been with him. She knew he wasn’t responsible for her brother’s death. If he were, she would have seen some sort of sign by now. But there was still that voice in her headâ??her father’s voice that told her he might be guilty.

And now she was trapped in front of him, his arms caging her in. She could have gotten away, but maybe she really didn’t want to. Maybe she was so messed up from the years of her father running her life, that she truly felt she deserved Nick’s wrath. Chloe honestly didn’t know.

The thing that terrified Chloe more than anything else was the fear that Nick would take so much from her, there wouldn’t be anything at all left. She didn’t think there was anything for him to take, but she’d been wrong so many times before. If he truly knew what an empty shell she was, he wouldn’t bother with the game he was playing.

She had no doubt he would eventually tire of whatever it was he was doing, though. She had nothing to give him but her body. But maybe that was enough to someone like Nick Armstrong, who already had the world at his fingertips. Chloe was a convenient distraction for him while he spent the required time mending his body. She was the one there helping to set him free. When he was where he needed to be, he would quickly discard herâ??and that was okay. It was what was expected.

What Chloe had never figured would happen would be the feelings she had developed for him. She had thought when it was all done, she’d walk away the victor, Nick placed behind bars, her heart beginning to heal from the loss of her brother.

She now knew she’d been naïve and foolish. Her father had been wrong and manipulative. She’d been shallow to follow his orders. And who had she thought she was that she could go head to head with Nick? Maybe it had been her last attempt to become the person she’d always dreamed of becoming. But she cared about this man, something she’d never expected, and perhaps she was in love with him, and to him she was nothing more than a convenient lay. She was unsure of so much.

One thing Chloe knew, though, was that even though she could see the fury in his eyes, could understand how angry he was with her, she didn’t fear his fists. If Nick thought for even a moment she was afraid he’d hit her, she’d probably send him staggering back on his feet. Instead of that making her feel better, it only made her guilt of ever suspecting him that much worse—because in addition to all his qualities he did have honor.

“I would pay money to know what is going on in that head of yours,” Nick growled.

Chloe trembled as his deep voice rumbled through her, his hot breath cascaded across her face, the heat of his body surrounding her in waves. He might pay money to know what she was thinking, but she’d give up everything she had to keep those thoughts from him. He already had too much power over her. There would be no way she’d give him more or hurt him with the truth. It took great strength on her part not to reach out to him. This might be the last time they were so close—it should be the last time. She wanted to memorize him, to have something to dream about. It was a foolish thought, but her thoughts were her own and she could have whatever ones she wanted.

And even though she would miss this man when she did leave, she knew she had to leave sooner rather than later. It had grown too complicated. She wanted to scurry away and try, once again, to rebuild her life.

“Maybe I was thinking about the moment I can escape you,” she said with just the right amount of bite she knew would infuriate him.

Nick’s eyes narrowed as he pulled back from her. His hands trembled as if he wanted to reach out and shake her. Chloe was impressed with his control. She’d be black and blue if she’d said such words to her father. Why had she ever believed her father when he’d said Nick was the reason her brother was dead?

If Chloe truly wanted to cast blame on anyone, it would be on her father. He’d pushed her hard, and he’d tormented her brother. Her dad was the reason Patrick had joined the Coast Guard, that’s why he’d taken the dangerous position of being a rescue swimmer. He’d wanted to impress the old man. And in death, her brother had finally managed to do so. So much so that their father wanted someone to be punished.

Tags: Melody Anne Billionaire Aviators Billionaire Romance
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