Bethany invited her to join her and a few other friends for a drink that night and Vivian thought emptily, why not?When she arrived at the wine bar the place was so crowded she almost chickened out and went away again, but Bethany saw her and waved her over. Bethany’s group of friends were lively and noisy and Vivian was surprised an hour later to discover that she was almost—almost—enjoying herself. Most of them were going on to dinner, then a nightclub, but the thought of eating anything made her stomach go queasy so she declined with a smile and some excuse that was something else she could not recall minutes afterwards. On Monday morning, she just couldn't do it anymore. Her head was filled with thoughts of Scott and she couldn't take it any more. She was sure now that the only reason why she was able to bring herself to work the previous week was because he wasn't present but she was sure he would be now and she couldn't face him. Not after his cruel rejection. So, after crying
She paused, and a sob escaped her.Jennifer grabbed her hand, offering her support, and Sara went on.“When I told him about the pregnancy, he told me he didn’t want me or the baby. To get rid of it because I was no longer useful to him. Then he walked away, like I was garbage he’d tossed out the window. He used me to get back at my brother. At the time, I worked at Scott's company as his executive assistant. I was so naive, so snowed by Bruce, that when he asked me questions about Scott's agenda, who he was meeting with, I gave him the information. He worded it to make it sound like he was only asking about my day, what I had on my plate, but he was pumping me for inside information. He never loved me, never had any intention of creating a family with me.” She shook her head, her throat working, as if swallowing back another sob. “I refused to end the pregnancy, but it didn’t matter. I miscarried and lost the baby.”Jennifer remained sitting next to Sara, but inside she reeled, enrag
"Just truth" He leaned against the car and the jut of his hips was like an open invitation. Vivian looked him straight in the eye. "I’m not interested in being one of a long line of willing victims, Scott" she said. He thought that victim was an unusual choice of word. "I’m not as indiscriminate as you seem to imply, Vivian," he said softly."No? So what was all that? And besides, apart from me, when did you last have a lover?" He frowned with memory, and the wry knowledge that, having admitted honesty, he could not now refuse to answer her question. "Months ago. I was seeing this… lady, but I haven't been with her in months." He met her eyes. He sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that she was the reason why he stopped calling Olivia. "Hardly evidence of a man who’s engaged on a mission to seduce every woman in sight—no matter what my reputation. Satisfied, Vivian?" It was an ironic and poor choice of word. Satisfied was the last word she would use to describe herself, not when
"Then take my sweater off," he instructed.But she felt so weak that she couldn’t have moved from the spot, drowning in sweet anticipation. "No." He smiled. "So you’re going to defy me, are you, Vivian? You’re going to force me to strip for you?" The roles were now reversed and, wordlessly, she nodded, watching with unbearable excitement as he peeled the sweater off and tossed it aside, then began to unbuckle the belt of his black jeans, his eyes not leaving her face.He kicked his shoes off, then unzipped the trousers slowly, provocatively, wincing very slightly as they rasped down over the undisguisable evidence of how aroused he was, and despite her hunger, her excitement, color flared in Vivian's cheeks and he smiled."Am I making you feel shy?" he purred"A little." she replied. He slid the jeans down over the hard, muscular shafts of his thighs, kicking them off impatiently, until he was wearing absolutely nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, their silken sheen emphasizing the
She felt him grow hard against her and slid her arm around his waist. "Okay," she said breathlessly."And then maybe we could cook dinner together. And then we can make love again." Idly, he began to stroke at a rosy nipple and felt it spring into instant life. "And then we can coordinate our diaries." Vivian's hand stopped stroking the skin in the small of his back. "Diaries?" she asked stupidly."I want to know when I’m going to see you again." "You'll see me at the office" Vivian replied. He smiled. "It's good to know that you've decided to come back to work, but I didn't mean that. I meant, when am I going to see you like this… out on a date, dinner…. In bed… like this." "We can figure that out as we go, Scott." Vivian replied, "and I'm a bit worried about our situation at the office. Everyone knows about us" "They do?" Vivian frowned at him. "Of course, they do, Scott. You shouldn't have kissed me in front of Collins. Did you really expect him not to tell anyone?" "Not tha
Not waiting for his confirmation, she strode toward the rear of the house. Anger bristled under her skin, poking her like thousands of tiny needles. When she entered her brother’s domain, she could barely look at him.“How dare you bring that asshole into my house?” Bruce ground out through clenched teeth as soon as he closed the study door behind them.“Your house?” She crossed her arms. “You were right when you told Scott that I chose to leave. Chose. Because this is our home, Bruce. I can bring whoever I want here, and you have no say. I don’t need to ask your permission.”“I would’ve never thought you were a traitor,” he snarled. “Mom and Dad wouldn’t recognize you right now.”She absorbed the power of that blow and fought not to stagger from it. But the pain ebbed and flowed inside her.Stand tall. He can’t hurt you. Inhaling a deep breath, she pushed past it.“You’re such a hypocrite,” she said, surprised at her even tone. “So righteous and high-and-mighty. And to think I defe
"You're not responsible for his actions and if you don't want to become another version of Bruce, you should find a way to forgive yourself and him too. Do it… not for me, but for yourself…. And maybe Vivian too. Whatever relationship you have with her, you don't want to have any kind of hate in your heart. It eats you up from inside and before you realize it, you have no emotions and no boundaries left. I'm not sure that's the kind of man Vivian or any woman would want to be with"—------------Coordinating their diaries.It wasn’t the most romantic way to begin a relationship, though Vivian supposed that it was the practical way, particularly because of the fact that he was still her boss. Sometimes she didn't quite believe that she was actually doing this. Dating the boss. "I’m going to be pretty tied up next week, so I won't be coming to the office" he had said as he’d bent his head to kiss her goodbye at her apartment. "But I’ll call you." And immediately she was catapulted int
Scott wondered if she would take him slow and easy, or hard and wild. God, he’d almost drove himself insane wondering that.Vivian nodded, but he shook his head. “You sure, baby? You good?”“Yes,” she breathed, giving his neck a squeeze. She removed her hand, replacing it with her mouth, trailing a path up his throat, over his chin until she hovered over his lips. She crushed her mouth to his. The kiss wasn’t patient, and wasn't tentative. Her tongue thrust forward, parried with his, tangling and dueling. She took him exactly the way he liked, the way he needed her to. As she sucked on his tongue, drawing on him as if he were everything she needed to survive, everything winked out of his mind. Nothing mattered but the in-toxicating, addictive taste of her. Running her fingers, through his hair, sheytugged on them, and the prickle across his scalp tripped down his spine, crackled at the base. He clutched her hips, digging his fingertips into the soft flesh.“Beautiful,” she whispered