The Billionaire's Paradise (Sexy Billionaires)(61)
“What else is new,” Wyatt said, heading for the door. “Say hi to Avery for me.”
His pulse leaped as he followed Wyatt out of the office. No matter how seeing Avery played out, for the first time since he was a damaged boy, he’d found a love worth fighting for.
He wasn’t about to lose her now.
…
Avery wiped a hand across her brow, inspecting her spotless apartment. Every surface gleamed, from her newly waxed floors to her spotless steel-top stove. Who would have thought there could be so much to clean in her small apartment? Since she’d come home she’d been focused on that one purpose. Get rid of the dust. Create a space that was hers. It was time to stop running around the globe trying to forget her problems.
Hell, maybe she’d even put down roots. Stay in the city long enough to start up Sunday dinners with her parents. Adopt a guinea pig or something. She had choices again. A life to live.
One that would have to be without Hayden.
Pain shot through her.
He’d called twice that first day she’d been home, but she’d had nothing but peace the last four.
He tried really hard to mend things with you, didn’t he? her inner voice taunted. What else did you expect from someone like him?
More, she realized. He might not have loved her, but she’d thought he cared. His silence, however, truly told the tale.
Somewhere out there, she had no doubt, was a woman who’d match him. Someone sophisticated and gorgeous who would make him smile. A woman who would win his heart. Spend life by his side.
But it clearly wasn’t her.
That’s fine. I’m better off.
She didn’t need love or a partner. The only person she could depend on was herself, and she would never again make the mistake of wanting more. After all, she had a lot to be thankful for. She had a family and good friends, a successful business and a spotless apartment.
She was done wishing for hopeless, impossible dreams.
Opening the balcony door, she inhaled the cool air. It wasn’t anywhere near as fragrant as the island breeze, but it would do.
A knock sounded behind her. Stripping off her scrubbing gloves, she tossed them on the counter and pulled open the front door.
“Hi, love,” Hayden said.
Ice spread through her veins. She could tell herself all the live long day that she was fine, but seeing him turned those words into a lie. Her heart raced, even as it pumped nothing but pain through her body. Maybe someday she’d be able to handle seeing Hayden again, but today was not that day.
He was as impeccable as always in a jet-black suit that no doubt sported designer tags. Gone were the more causal jeans and T-shirts of the island. Instead he was back to being her untouchable boss, a man who moved through circles far above her own.
A man who would never settle for a woman like me.
“Hayden,” she said, gripping the door. Lifting her chin, she was proud her voice didn’t quiver. He must be looking for some closure. If so, she’d get through this. Somehow. And once his was gone, she had a brand-new bed to cry herself to sleep in.
“Can I come in?”
“I don’t think that’s a great idea.”
“Please.”
She arched a brow.
“Five minutes is all I need, and then I’ll go. I promise.”
“Three minutes.”
“Fine.”
She hesitated a moment before stepping aside to hold the door open. Three minutes was nothing. She could get through this. He’d come in, offer some lame excuse, and then he’d leave. All she had to do was keep breathing, and this would soon be over.
Permanently.
He crossed the threshold, stepping into an apartment that was almost the size of the suite in his hotel.
Seeing him in her space made it even clearer she’d been living in a fantasy. How many times had Jon told her he was the best thing that had ever happened to her? Reaching higher only led to pain. She and Hayden came from different worlds, and without the island magic wrapping around them, she saw those differences with fresh eyes. They’d been doomed before they even started.
She swallowed hard, pulling her professional facade around her like armor. “I trust you received our report.”
“Wyatt is already coordinating to find a new GM and introduce a new training initiative. Your work was excellent as always.”
“Good. I’m sure you understand why it will be my last contract with you.”
He leaned back against her kitchen island, watching her with his sapphire gaze. “I wish you’d reconsider.”
She glanced away. “I’m not experienced enough to work with a man who hurt me the way you did, and just pretend it never happened. There are other excellent consultants out there. I’ll give Wyatt a list of who to call.”