A Vengeful Affair (12 page)

She closed her eyes, feigning sleep.

“It’s hot in here.”

Vivian opened her eyes. The pitch blackness gave her no view of what he was wearing…or not wearing. The floor creaked under his bare feet, and as he moved closer, her heart beat faster.

“No air-conditioning,” Vivian said. “I checked.”

“I will open the window.” He turned her bedside lamp on.

The light exposed his silk boxers. It also exposed his bare chest, and a throbbing commenced at the juncture of her thighs.

He wasn’t paying her any attention. She propped herself up on her elbows, raising her eyes to the large window over the bed. He would have to step onto the bed to reach it.

And that’s exactly what he did.

“I can move,” she offered, pulling the coverlet up when his foot eased down on the mattress.

“This will only take a second.”

One painful second.

Washing her underwear instead of wearing it had not been a good idea. Vivian tightened her legs together, wanting to erase the moisture between them just as she wished she could erase the memories of his shaft thrusting deep and hard into her, his hot tongue teasing the dark corners inside her mouth.

“Much better,” Javier said when he popped the window open and a light breeze swept in, the scent of lime trees scenting the fresh air.

He returned to his chair.

She broke the silence. “Good night, Javier.”

He didn’t respond.

…

Bright sunlight shone on Vivian’s face. She rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes and opened them slowly to take in the morning.

With a yawn, she sat up in the bed, legs crossed and arms wide above her head like a lazy cat stretching. A cough from the other side of the room reminded her she was not alone, and she quickly covered herself with a sheet before glancing across at Javier.

“G-good morning.”

He stood, looking away. His hair was wet, and he wore his suit trousers and white shirt again.

“Did I oversleep? How long—”

“I just returned from the reception area. I brought you something to eat.” He pointed at the small tray on the top of the dresser. There was a small cup of coffee, a sandwich, and an apple.

“Thank you.”

“I have a map. I bought some essentials from the desk attendant.” He zipped a sturdy green backpack closed as he spoke. “We still need to stop at a store to get the right clothes to go into the forest.”

“Do you have any idea where Laura is?”

“He showed me on the map where she usually goes. It’s a popular camping site.”

She nodded, reluctant to get out of the bed. Of course she wanted to know if Laura had anything important to say that Vivian already didn’t know about Molly. But at the same time, a part of her warned that finding Laura meant she wouldn’t see Javier again.

“I’ll wait for you outside.” He grabbed the backpack and closed the door behind him.

When she dressed and emerged from the room, Javier led her to a small hiking shop. “We don’t have much time,” he said. The shop had some good and even expensive brands, and the racks were crowded. Javier picked out a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt with the efficiency that was his trademark. Never mind that he had never been to this shop. He worked his way around the rack until he’d selected a few items. “These should work,” he announced.

“You’re not going to try them on?”

“No need.” He went through the racks opposite her and removed a few hangers. He handed her a white-and-green-striped tank top and a pair of faded jeans. “These will do for you.”

“What are you, a salesman?” Vivian glanced at the randomly picked pieces, hoping the jeans would fit. She was enjoying this no-frills Javier. One day he sent for extravagant clothes for her in a five-star hotel, the next he was picking the first thing off the rack and not even letting her try it on.

“I’m good at making assumptions. Most of the time.” The hint of sarcasm in his voice brought her back to reality.

“Javier, can’t we just be cordial with each other? Soon this will all be over.” Vivian held the top over her upper body.

“It isn’t only about what I want to get, Vivian.” Javier’s hands tightened around the jeans he carried. “It’s also about what I don’t wish Easton to have.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t want to fail.” His eyes fixed on the floor for a moment. When he raised his gaze to hers, she saw an uncharacteristic hint of fear in his eyes. “If I can’t get the merger and he does…” He trailed off, as if the prospect were too unbearable for him to speak it out loud.

Vivian’s breath caught. She looked around them, wishing they were alone. The store clerk had her eyes glued to the small television on the counter. There were a couple of other customers trying on hiking shoes as they spoke in German.

She stepped closer to Javier. “Why does it matter so much? If he gets it?”

She had asked him this before, and her chances of getting an answer now were no better. As Vivian watched, the lines of Javier’s face tightened, and his eyes seemed to stare past her for a moment before he turned back to her and gave her his fiercest glare.

“Because that man ruined my childhood. In a sick way, he inspired me to strive for success, and as soon as I could make my own decisions, I left my past behind and never looked back. Acquiring Broussard’s company will make my wealth far greater than his. I am half his age. It will destroy him.”

His words echoed in her head, and she found herself staring at the scar on his chin. Her voice wavered when she asked, “Is he your stepfather?”

Javier shrugged. She had her answer.

Oh, no.

Her knees weakened, and she plopped down on a nearby wooden bench.

Easton Finn was his stepfather. That was why Javier had looked at her with such disgust. He thought Easton was her lover. Not only did he hate her, but he believed she had slept with the man who had been trying to ruin his life ever since he was a child.

“Javier…I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” She struggled to lift her voice above a whisper.

“We don’t have time for this.” He picked up a pair of women’s hiking shoes and leaned down. Vivian blinked when he took her shoes off and swiftly worked the hiking shoes onto her feet. “These fit.” He stood up again, gathering the items and removing his wallet to pay for them.

He turned his back to her.

“Javier.”

“Vivian.” It was a command, an order to compose herself. “We will change in the fitting rooms and depart from here.”

She followed his lead, and within minutes they had both changed into the outdoor clothes. Javier drove the car to a lot by the woods, and they parked and walked into the woods in silence. The tension suffocated her. As they hiked, her mind raced. She stared at Javier’s back encased in an ordinary cotton shirt, the faded jeans that clung to his long legs, and she thought about the terrible truth she had just discovered.

With every step they took, the tightness in her throat increased. It all made sense now. Easton Finn really wanted to destroy Javier—not only to take his merger but to humiliate him, personally and emotionally. And she had been his instrument.

Vivian hated Easton Finn for all he had done to Javier, and she hated herself for being part of it. Yes, there was no way she could have known. She had been doing what she did for Molly, her best friend.

But in no way did that knowledge bring her any relief, because she didn’t want to have been the instrument who hurt Javier even more than he’d already been hurt.

She had to set things straight, although she didn’t know how she could even begin.

Vivian took a big gulp from her water bottle and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. “Javier, we can’t just not talk.” She stopped short.

“There’s nothing to talk about. You asked me a question, and I answered it. That’s all.” He came to a halt and looked at her over his shoulder. Then he shook his head, as if thinking to himself, and continued to hike.

She called after him. “You can’t honestly expect me to stay quiet about this.” Sweat dripped from her neck down her tank top. He didn’t respond, and Vivian resumed walking with a deep sigh.

Sun rays slipped from in between long leaves of the tall, arched lime trees, shining down on the bushes. A light breeze swept over her skin, relieving the heat for a moment. She smelled moist earth and tree sap. Anyone else would rave about the outstanding air quality, about what a beautiful day it was to hike outdoors, but it didn’t matter to her. The air was heavy and stuffy, which was just how she felt.

She struggled to match Javier’s strides. He marched like an athlete, with power and agility.

“Javier, can you please slow down?” she finally asked after an hour of torture.

“Just keep up the pace,” he replied without looking back.

“I want to get there alive,” she panted. “Is this a punishment?”

“No.”

She didn’t believe him.

“I swear to you, I didn’t know who he was.” She said it loud enough to bring Javier to a temporary halt. His back stiffened, his hands stilling alongside his body. “I know it’s none of my business, but—”

“It’s not,” he replied angrily, without looking back.

He strode off again. If anything, he walked even faster.

“You just won’t talk to me. Nice.” Vivian shook her head. “Well, if training for a marathon is the only way…” she muttered under her breath.

Propelled by an instinct that she could no longer control, she increased her speed, pushing past her own limits. Her heart hammered in her chest, and as she surged forward, gravel flew down the slope beneath her feet.

“Vivian,” he shouted as she ran past him. She was past caring.

She ran ahead, cold sweat breaking out on her skin and her mouth dry as her breath came in short pants. She heard him catching up, but she ran as fast as she could.

For a single moment, it was all so simple. Her hair flying in the wind, caressing her face, the threads of light coming through the treetops of the forest…

Javier swore loudly behind her.

She turned to see him hopping on one foot, trying to maintain balance as he clutched the other in both hands.

“What happened?”

He hobbled to a rock and sat down. “My foot hit a rock, and my ankle turned. I didn’t see it in my way.” He wrinkled his forehead when he removed his shoe and peeled his sock off.

Blood covered the top of his foot, and his toes were already turning purple. Although he tried to breathe normally, there was no doubt he was in a lot of pain.

Vivian’s stomach tightened. “Is it broken?” She kneeled down next to him.

“I doubt it,” he muttered.

Vivian outlined the bruised and bloodied area very gently with the tips of her fingers. He suppressed a groan.

“You’re in pain.”

“It’s just an ache,” he said. “I’ll feel better soon.”

It was so like Javier to conceal his vulnerability. He was always so strong and in control, she could only imagine that admitting pain and suffering—even if it was only physical suffering—didn’t come easily for him.

“You can’t keep on hiking.”

“What other option do we have? We are three hours away from the bed-and-breakfast and still a couple of hours from the campsite where we should find Laura.”

Vivian shook her head. There was no way he could walk for two more hours with his foot bruised and swollen. “Stay right there,” she said.

She left to look for help—although of what kind, she wasn’t sure.

…

Javier opened his mouth to call her back, but she disappeared faster than his stock price would fall if he lost the merger.

Gone. She was gone.

She had probably taken off to get the advantage over him. She would find Molly’s mother, talk to her, and somehow convince her to say something that would screw him over at the end. By the time Javier found them, it would be too late.

He’d almost believed her frightened eyes when she told him she didn’t know Easton was his stepfather. She had never mentioned their relationship to him. It was not as though he considered Easton his stepfather, anyway. Javier hadn’t seen the man face-to-face in a very long time, and he had heard that Easton and his mother had divorced nastily years ago.

The thought of Vivian sleeping with Easton and helping him destroy the merger Javier had so carefully crafted made him pound his fist into the ground.

He stood up, shifting his weight to his healthy foot. Pain shot up his leg, although it was nothing compared to the ache in his chest. What felt like over fifteen minutes had passed, and Vivian had not returned. She had betrayed him again.

He wasn’t going to stand and wait. Hurt or not, he was going to—

“Javier.”

He turned around to see Vivian running his way, panting. Her tank top clung to her sweaty skin, her chest heaving.

She’d come back. He smiled before he could stop himself, and a dangerous combination of warmth and relief filled his heart. She’d come back for him.