The Billionaire's Favourite Mistake(14)

He flinched. Okay, that was low even for him, and he'd had a lot of low moments in the last two years. "That bad?"

"Yes! And then when you saw me again, you had the gall to ask if it was  even yours?" Her small finger stabbed into his chest again. "Did you  even stop to notice I was a virgin?"         

     



 

Oh, god. This just got worse and worse. Looking down at her angry face,  he felt . . . ashamed. He'd never even bothered to wonder if quiet,  unnoticeable Greer had been a virgin that night or not. He'd just  assumed when she didn't point it out . . .

Well, fuck. "I didn't know, Greer."

"That much was obvious when you asked me if it was your baby. As if I'd  leap off your terrible, limp dick right onto another?" She spat the  words at him. "You knew me, Asher. You knew me all through college.  We've met every week for the last few years. Did I ever date? Did I ever  have a string of men waiting to go out with me?"

"You were waiting for me, weren't you?" It hurt to say the words. Hurt  his fucking goddamn black heart. He could have had such a good thing and  he'd fucked it up.

Her rage seemed to break, and she took in a deep, steadying breath. Her  eyes seemed shiny, and Asher realized with a sick feeling in his  stomach that she was on the verge of tears. "I've only ever loved one  person, Asher. And he never noticed I existed until the moment he took  everything I had to offer and threw it away."

"I'm sorry, Greer. I'm so fucking sorry."

She angrily swiped at one cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "You hurt  me. You really, really hurt me that night. You used me and never even  stopped to realize it was me. You never saw me, just like everyone  else."

Each word was like a dagger in his chest. "I was a stupid, drunk fuck."

"Yes, you were."

His hands went to her shoulders. He wanted to pull her against him and  hug her to his chest so she could cry it out, but he knew she'd hate  that. "I hurt you, and I'm sorry. I know you've cared for me in the  past-"

She pushed his hands away as if they were diseased. "That's right.  That's in the past. What I had for you? It's dead and gone. You killed  it that night in the gardens. Now please, just leave me alone."

With those words ringing in his ears, she headed up the stairs and left him behind her.

And for the second time in his life, Asher felt completely and utterly destroyed.

***

He'd fucked up, and he'd fucked up bad.

Asher left the Dutchman castle, sick at heart. He returned to his  hotel, showered, headed off to the gym, and ran on the treadmill for two  hours, trying to clear his head. When that didn't work, he lifted  weights and then swam in the pool. Nothing helped.

He kept seeing Greer's devastated face in front of him, haunting him. What I had for you? It's dead and gone. You killed it.

He'd had a good thing and he'd pissed it away. Greer had been a friend  to him through thick and thin. She'd given him the money he needed to  save his business in his darkest hour. And what had he done? Taken her  virginity, gave her the worst sex possible, and knocked her up.

God, he was a shitty excuse for a human being.

And to make things worse? Now he saw her. Now he wanted her. Now he  couldn't get Greer out of his mind. He'd lost everything that night, and  he hadn't even known he'd had her. The sense of regret was even keener  than when he'd lost Donna. When Donna had betrayed him, it felt as if  the world he'd known was ending. Coupled with the near-destruction of  his business, and he'd been in a tailspin. Looking back, he'd perhaps  been more upset over the loss of his business than Donna herself, who'd  grown distant months before.

But this? Losing Greer and finding out that she'd been the one who had  his back all along? This was a gut punch. If he was less of a man, he'd  return to the bottle and drown his sorrows.

That was what had lost her in the first place, though. This time? He was determined to fight.





Chapter 5


Greer glared at the florists as they delivered another set of flowers.  So far, every hour that afternoon, she'd received a massive bouquet of  flowers in a different color, each one with the same note.

I'm sorry. Forgive me? Can we talk?

She'd torn up each card and was tempted to make a bonfire of the  flowers, but the triplets loved them. They'd started to wait by the door  just to see what would be delivered. At least someone was getting  enjoyment out of them. Greer was just irritated. Asher needed to get  over it. He couldn't fix everything with a quick apology. Some things  just could not be fixed with words or gifts.         

     



 

"‘I'm sorry'," Bunni read from the card. "‘Forgive me? Can we talk?'" She looked up at Greer. "Is this from your boyfriend?"

"Not my boyfriend."

"Is he single?"

Grr. Why did that piss her off so much? "You're getting married to my father, remember?"

"Maybe," Bunni emphasized as Tiffi came and sniffed the white  camellias. "It's a one in three chance, and if not, I need a backup  plan."

Greer gritted her teeth. "Let's just focus on one man at a time, all right?"

"Okay, but this guy's loaded, right?" She flicked the card. "Because  these aren't cheap flowers, and trust me, I know cheap flowers."

She was not going to discuss Asher's wallet with Bunni. She was  absolutely not. Brimming with anger, she turned and strode to her  father's office. Damn it. He still wasn't back from the shoot. She  jerked her phone out and began to text him.

Greer: Vader, I have a problem with the wedding.

Vader: So soon? I'm busy. Have the best man handle it.

Greer: The best man is the problem. I can't work with him.

She watched her phone, waiting for the three dots to pop up to show her  that her father was sending a text back. To her surprise, it rang a  moment later. Uh-oh. Fighting the vague feeling that she was a child in  trouble with her father, she clicked Answer and put the phone to her  ear. "Yes?"

"What is the problem with the best man?" Her father sounded cool, remote. Irritated.

Greer braced herself for his anger. "I can't work with him."

"And what is the reason behind this refusal?"

"Vader . . . he is the one that got me pregnant." She felt her face  grow hot as she confessed it, and pressed a hand to her cheeks. "He's  not a nice man. He uses people."

"Do you think he's going to get one of the brides pregnant?"

Her father's question stymied her. "Um . . . I don't think so?" She was  pretty sure he hadn't even planned on getting her pregnant.

"Then I do not see the problem."

He wasn't going to support her? Greer's heart sank. "Vader, please. I don't like him. I don't want to be around him."

"This is business, Greer. Whether we like someone or not has no bearing  on our ability to work with them. He is the best man I have chosen for  the wedding, and my proxy, and I expect you to work with him  accordingly."

"He's a problem," she blurted. "Vader, please."

"You are an adult, Greer. If you have a problem with him, tell him." And he hung up.

Shocked, Greer let her phone fall from her ear. She should have guessed  that her father wouldn't have her back. Stijn Janssen was all about his  own personal comfort, and she'd known that ever since she could  remember. Still . . . she'd hoped.

Greer squared her shoulders. All right, then. If this was her problem  to solve, she'd solve it. She went through the settings on her phone,  unblocked Asher's number, and then sent him a text.

Greer: We need to talk somewhere private and hash out our situation.

Before she could even put her phone away, his response dinged.

Asher: You name the time and place and I'll be there.

She looked around her. Tiffi and Bunni were still toying with the  flowers, and Kiki was on the deck out by the pool, sunning herself.  Combine those three with a staff full of nosy servants (a few of whom  she was pretty sure were leaking info to the tabloids), and there was no  privacy at the Dutchman castle. Not here, then. She didn't want to meet  him at his hotel room, either. That would give him too much control.

They needed neutral territory. But where?

***

Asher checked his phone and then the map app to make sure he was at the  right place. Yup. Botanical Garden at the Springs Preserve. Kinda  random, but wherever she wanted him, he'd be there. He strolled in from  the parking lot, straightening his suit. The place was deserted, but  that was no surprise given the heat of the day. Vegas in summer was  hellish at best.         

     



 

The gardens were full of cactuses and palm trees, and he strolled down  the stone paths looking for a tiny, dark woman with a big ponytail. When  he spotted a familiar figure near the rose trellises, he headed in that  direction. His steps had a bit of anticipation to them; maybe his  flowers had softened her anger. Maybe they'd inspired her and that's why  they were meeting here.