He did. And he looked gorgeous and refreshed. Just how she wanted to feel.

He walked over and dropped a couple of newspapers on her bed, and then stood regarding her, his hands buried in his pockets. His hair, still damp, curled enticingly around the nape of his neck and his olive skin gleamed darkly against his pale blue shirt. But it was his guarded expression that eventually held her attention. A level of awkwardness about his stance that gave her pause.

‘I owe you an apology.’

‘For last night?’ Her voice was sharp and she moistened her lips. ‘That’s not necessary.’

‘Yes, it is.’ His voice was that of a polite stranger. ‘If I had known it was your first time I never would have let things go so far.’

Lily sighed. She had been trying not to feel bad about what had happened last night but his open regret wasn’t helping. Nor was the way he paced back and forth. ‘I think we should just forget it ever happened,’ she said, not quite able to meet his eyes. Lord, was this worse than his rejection of her six years ago? ‘As you already said, we had unfinished business—and now…now we don’t.’

He stopped pacing. ‘And you’re okay with that?’

‘Of course. Aren’t you?’

‘Of course.’

Lily nodded. Of course. What had she expected? A declaration of love? Even the thought was ludicrous, because she absolutely didn’t want that.

‘So…’

‘I also want to apologise for my attitude towards you when I picked you up. For accusing you of using drugs and knowingly bringing them into the country,’ he said.

Lily’s eyebrows shot skyward. ‘So because I was a virgin I’m innocent of drug smuggling as well? Gosh, if only I’d thought to tell the customs official it would have saved all this hassle.’

Tristan threw her a baleful look. ‘Your virginity has nothing to do with my reasoning.’

‘No?’

‘No,’ he said irritably. ‘I had already worked out you weren’t a user before then. And you’ll be pleased to know I’ve fired my investigator.’

‘Shooting the messenger you mean?’ she jeered.

‘His work was substandard—even with the limited time frame he had to collate the information. Hell, I thought you’d be happy to hear that.’

‘Happy that a man lost his job because he confirmed your view of me? He probably just gave you what you wanted, like everybody else does,’ she said caustically.

‘Don’t push it, Lily. You weren’t exactly forthcoming with the truth when I questioned you.’

‘That’s because I don’t find it beneficial to bash my head against a brick wall.’

She saw a muscle tick in his jaw as he regarded her from under hooded eyes.

‘Tell me why I found you hiding a joint under Jo’s mattress when you were fourteen.’

‘I thought you were apologizing?’ she countered.

‘I did.’

‘It could use some work.’

Tristan said nothing, his expression coolly assessing. It was a look Lily had come to recognise. It meant that he fully intended to get his own way.

‘Don’t use your courtroom tactics with me, Tristan,’ she said frostily. ‘They won’t work.’

‘Would it help if I tell you Jordana has already admitted that it was hers?’

Lily tried to keep her surprise from showing. ‘When?’

Tags: Michelle Conder Billionaire Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net