One Night with Morelli(74)

                Mark held her back with a protective arm, anger making him feel brave as he faced Draco. ‘He’s dead. Her father is dead; our father is dead.’

                Draco froze, the blood draining from his face as his gaze moved between the two faces staring back at him with similar expressions of disgust and loathing.

                ‘He’s your brother? Charlford was your father?’ he said in a strangled voice. He was struggling to take in the information as panic slid through his body, freezing his brain. He had messed up big time! ‘I thought…’

                ‘You thought that I was cheating on you and you also implied that my mother has questionable morals,’ Eve said coldly.

                ‘I didn’t say that!’

                Even as he protested he realised that it didn’t matter what he said; there was no going back. She would never forgive him—he had insulted her mother, and he’d punched a man…her brother!

                She was looking at him with loathing in her beautiful eyes and he deserved it.

                The shame of having lost the control he prided himself on, the shame of acting like some sort of Neanderthal was a bitter taste in his mouth, and the words he wanted to say wouldn’t come. Maybe that was for the best. So far what he’d said had only made things worse.

                ‘As good as!’ she charged furiously. ‘I’m really glad I discovered before it was too late what an intolerant, evil-minded jerk you are!’

                His lean profile clenched. She was saying nothing that he didn’t deserve. The furious jealousy he had felt when he saw Eve appear with another man had ripped away any claim he had to being civilised. He had never experienced anything like it before, and he never wanted to again.

                ‘Well?’

                He arched a brow and said quietly, ‘What am I meant to say?’

                ‘Sorry?’ she suggested in an icy voice.

                ‘I am sorry,’ he said, including Mark in his response.

                ‘Is that meant to make things better?’ she shrilled, not to be placated. ‘I never want to see you again ever!’ she yelled wildly, then, grabbing her brother’s arm, she stalked off towards the entrance to her building, not pausing until they were in the communal foyer. ‘Is he coming?’ she asked her brother through clenched teeth, adding urgently, ‘Don’t look!’

                Mark, who was already looking, turned back. ‘Don’t worry, he isn’t coming. He’s gone.’

                Eve expelled a long shuddering sigh. ‘Gone?’ she parroted blankly.

                ‘Yes.’

                Mark’s smile died as his sister burst into tears.





                                      CHAPTER THIRTEEN

                SITTING AT HER desk as Draco walked into the office, his PA beckoned him wildly. ‘It’s him!’

                ‘I’ll take it in my office.’ He didn’t ask who the him was; there was only one person he had seen make his unflappable middle-aged secretary blush and that was Kamel, the Prince of Surana. He’d be lucky if he got any work out of her for the rest of the day, he thought sourly.

                ‘Hello, Kamel. What can I do for you?’