"Why the hell did you come all the way here if you were just going to go home?" I demanded. I hated how upset I sounded.
Victoria bit her lower lip. "I don't know. Maybe it was the way you ordered me to come, as if I didn't have a choice."
"Don't give me that." I growled. "You came because you wanted to."
“Either way, I'm leaving," Victoria said firmly. I could see the steel in her eyes. She was serious. I wasn't even sure if I could use my charm to get her to stay, but I wasn't about to beg. It pissed me off that I was even upset. Usually, I didn’t even show them the door . . . that was Jonathan’s job.
"Are you sure?" I hated even asking that much.
Victoria nodded and then tilted her head at the bathroom. "I'm going to go change into my clothes and then I'll be ready to go."
"I'll have Jonathan ready take you home."
On her way to the bathroom, Victoria paused to regard me. "You're not coming?"
"Nah. I think I'll take a shower and just relax."
She was a moment in replying. "Okay then."
While she went and changed, I told Jonathan to get the car ready to drop her off.
Victoria looked a rumpled mess when she appeared out of the bathroom, her skirt looking like it had a few holes in it from where I'd been rough. I made a mental note to buy her a new one.
"I hung your bath robe on the rack in there," she informed, doing her best to smooth her skirt.
"Alright," I said shortly. "Jonathan is waiting for you outside."
"Okay."
She walked over to the staircase leading down to the first floor of my loft. I hated myself for it, but I had to blurt, "Not even going to say bye?"
"Bye."
Then she was gone. I stood there for a long moment, varied emotions rolling through me, wondering why she'd suddenly decided she couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
I know she enjoyed the sex, I thought. What the fuck is going on?
And that's what impressed me about Victoria. She made me work for it, something I’d never had to do before.
Victoria
I shouldn't have been so cold to him, I thought as Jonathan pulled the limo up closer. A pink corvette came swerving into the parking lot like a bat out of hell at the same time we were exiting, but I was too embroiled in my thoughts to notice.
It’d taken a lot to get the strength to leave, and I still wasn't exactly sure what it was that made me do so.
While I'd been taking a shower, all of my doubts and worries about Tyler's honesty came back to me and I suddenly found myself angry again. The strong emotion had made it easy for me to give him the cold shoulder and leave him with a bruised ego.
The image of the hurt in his eyes as I left flashed in my mind, making me feel a little sympathy, followed by a surge of anger.
Still, I had to admit the make-up sex in his office was off the charts. The whole thing had been exhilarating.
He only did it to show off his power over me. I bet he thought he could just smooth everything over with his charm and I would just forgive him because he fucked me good. Bastard.
I dug my fingers into my palm and angrily bit my lower lip, engaged in my thoughts. His cockiness pissed me off to no end. My skin burned as anger flared through my stomach . . . along with feelings of lust.
Fuck.
It pissed me off even more that even though I was mad at him, I still wanted him and couldn’t stop fantasizing about him. I couldn't deny that the sex had been hot. Almost too hot. I didn't think I would ever experience something that sexy again. But did it matter if I did? In the end, I was just a fad, someone he could use against his dad to show his defiance. He still hadn’t proven that I was anything to the contrary.
For most girls, the thought of being with Tyler Locklin would be a dream come true. For me, it was horrifying. That is, as long as I wasn’t thinking about the sex.
I was the first girl who’d ever shown resistance to him, and he wanted to prove to himself that he could conquer me. And the whole thing with helping me start my own business? It upset me that I'd fallen for such an offer.
The limo rolling to a halt at a stop light brought me out of my thoughts. I reached for my purse to grab my cell, I needed to text April about an assignment at work . . . only to find it not there.
“God damn it," I muttered. “It took everything I had to leave. I won’t be able to do that again. . .”
I mulled for a moment. We weren’t that far away from the swanky apartment, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go back there. Showing back up after the cold front I gave Tyler would show that I was weak and needy.
But I need my phone.
Screw it, I thought finally. I'll just run in, grab my purse and leave. I won't even look at him.