The Tenant (21 page)

“You tried to destroy my wedding? How much
do
you hate me?”

“That was not—”

“Not what? Not an asshole move? Did you arrange everything
before
you fucked me, or did your fingers still smell of my pussy while you dialed the caterer’s number? Did you think of how you’d fuck me over, every time we screwed? Double the pleasure, huh? Make me act like your bitch in bed, while you were planning to bring me down.”

She was painting what they’d shared in the darkest colors, and blaming him for it. Derek went from apologetic to livid in no time. “I didn’t
make
you do anything. You came to my bed
like a bitch in heat
. And I didn’t even have to try to get you down. You did so more than willingly, if I remember correctly.

“So don’t act all holier-than-thou with me. You wanted it. You asked for it. I did you a favor.” His voice was no more than a whisper. He needed all the control he could muster, not to yell at her about all the stupid decisions she’d made and how sneaking into his bed hadn’t been one of them.

He expected the slap and caught her wrist in the air before her palm made contact. “Martial arts pro or not, you fight like a girl,” he said and pulled her closer, using his grip on her hand as leverage. “A pissed off little princess. And you know what the worst thing is?”

She sneered, disdain evident in her gaze. “That you weren’t even that good?”

Derek shook his head and then finally did what he’d wanted to do for days. He kissed her. It was hard and demanding. Their teeth clashed, and he all but forced his tongue through her lips. She fought him for just a second before opening to his intrusion with a sigh. Her free hand clutched at his shirt.

It was wrong. It was goodbye.

She pushed him away and he pushed back, so she fell on the couch. “No, Princess. The worst thing is that you still want me.”

He didn’t wait for a reply.

Surprisingly, sleep came to him as soon as his head found the pillow.

•●•

His room was well lit when he woke up, a sign that the sun was high on the sky. He stretched and scratched at his stomach. Shower and breakfast were in order, but he didn’t want to run into Amanda after the words and saliva exchanged the night before. She probably considered him an ogre now, kissing the poor, defenseless damsel against her wishes—no matter that she’d melted against him after that first moment of hesitation.

He closed his eyes again and listened. No sounds of footsteps, no TV noise, no coffee brewing. If he were lucky, she’d stay in bed until he was out, apartment hunting. He had enough in the bank for two years of rent, assuming he found a place as affordable as this, even if the restaurant didn’t take off again.

Derek knew Catherine had been running it to the ground. The conceited bitch wanted it because she knew it’d hurt him; she didn’t love it as he did. That was why, when Derek had finally agreed to let his father negotiate in his behalf, Catherine seemed willing to agree for two thirds of the price Derek had been planning to offer her. She’d have to run things by her lawyer, of course, she’d said.

Of course.

If the giant prick agreed, Derek’s father would have the contract finalizing the sale in his hands in a couple weeks, at the latest. Then everything would be okay.

But first, Derek had to move. Cole Valley was the ideal location, but he didn’t want to risk running into Amanda ever again if he could help it, so he’d arranged to check out something more coastal.

He needed a nice omelet to tide him over, if he were to spend most of the day running around. This would be the first and possibly last meal he cooked in the renovated kitchen. He hadn’t had time to think about it till now, but he really liked the new design. The counters were wider, there were four more cupboards, the stove was the latest technology, and the new oven installed at bench top level. He could do wonders in there.

Pity he wasn’t staying.

The door to Amanda’s bedroom was closed, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was in. He doubted she’d ever leave the thing unlocked again, whether she was there or not.

He refused to spend another moment thinking of her. They’d had fun—
both
of them, even if she’d tried to deny it—but now she was in his past. No more than a blip in his rearview mirror, soon to be forgotten.

He opened the refrigerator door and was mercilessly assaulted by the stench of all things bad. It was as if something had crawled up and died in there…and taken with it the pound and a half of prosciutto his Italian supplier had overnighted Derek to thank him for getting his nephew a waiter job with one of the New York restaurants Derek’s father owned.

“I’m going to kill her,” Derek said through gritted teeth.

“Something wrong?”

He hadn’t heard Amanda come up behind him.

“Drop the innocent act.” He shut the refrigerator door and turned to see her too-smug face mere inches from his own. His anger dissipated when he saw the mischief in her eyes.

She wrinkled her nose. “Do you keep human body parts in here?” A smile was very obviously tugging at the corners of her lips. Derek was scared by how much he wanted to kiss it away.

“You unplugged the fridge, didn’t you? Your silly little games cost me a few hundred bucks,” he said, trying to sound menacing.

He had to have said the wrong thing, because she glowered. “You almost cost me much more than that, you jerk.”

“I didn’t jeopardize anything you weren’t too happy to lose—including the cobwebs between your legs.”

“Oh, you did
not
just say that!”She thumped him hard on the chest with her index finger.

He took a step forward, but she held her ground. Her chest was a hair’s breadth away from his torso. A brief look down revealed her nipples stretching the fabric of her top, and Derek was glad he was in jeans. Nothing would ruin his show of indignant anger faster than his dick poking her midriff.

“I was
heartbroken
,” Amanda said. “I thought the man I loved was sleeping with another woman.”

The man she loved. It felt like a slap on his face, but Derek didn’t react.

Amanda narrowed her eyes, and a nasty smirk formed on her lips. “I thought there was something wrong with
me
. I wanted to punish myself. Degrade myself. That was the only reason I slept with you.”

If Derek didn’t put some distance between them, this’d be the first time he hurt a woman without her explicitly asking him to. He circled her and leaned against the kitchen table. He needed to put a lid on his anger before it boiled over and burned them both.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” he said, forcing his voice to sound emotionless. “But we both know the truth. You still ache for me. Still go to bed knowing only I can soothe that throbbing in your cunt. Still wonder what it would feel like if I fucked you up the ass, nice and slow or hard and dirty. I’m still inside you,
Mandi
. Remember that when your future husband collapses on top of you after three minutes of pointless grunting and sweating.”

Even looking at her back, he could tell she was tensing for a fight. She squared her shoulders, knees slightly bent, fists by her hips. When she spun toward him, her gaze was filled with nothing but scorn.

She’d never been sexier.

“You were nothing more than a distraction. A human vibrator. Correction,I’m sort of attached to my vibrator. You, I couldn’t care less about.”

She’d never been more infuriating.

“Oh, you care, Princess. You care enough to not have left the room yet. You care so much, you’re having this fight with me, hoping I’ll kiss you again—like I did last night. Only this time you want me to take it further. Want me to take you on this table, while we’re both furious, so you can find another excuse for
letting
me fuck you. But whatever you decide to tell yourself to make it all okay, we’ll both know the truth is you’re a dirty little cheater who loved taking my cock down her throat.”

He’d been lashing out, trying to defend himself, but the way her face fell showed he’d cut too close to the bone. It was too late to back down, so he pushed on. “So what do you say?” he asked. “Will you lie down and spread them for me, or will I need to actually put in some effort this time?”

“I hate you,” she said.

“No, you don’t.” That he might be wrong tore him up inside, but he couldn’t let her see the effect she had on him.

“You’re right. I don’t.” Before Derek’s relief sank in, she spoke again. “I hate myself for becoming who you said I am.”

He was still fumbling for an answer, when Amanda walked away.

He watched as she picked up her cell phone from the living room and disappeared down the hallway.

Derek had been right. About everything.

He’d seen right through her, to her most secret core, and knew he ruled the dark place that contained her desires.

He’d mocked her for that.

She felt weak for letting him know he’d gotten to her, but couldn’t help herself. It was true. She wanted him, and her defenses were lowered with every minute she spent in his presence. She was too close to blowing her wedding, her future—everything—to smithereens, and that could only mean one thing.

She couldn’t possibly go through with it.

She couldn’t commit to a man she didn’t feel half as passionate about as she did about Derek, even when she wanted to kick Derek’s ass.

She dialed Mason’s number from memory and held the receiver to her ear. She was going to hurt him. She knew it. She also finally knew there was no other way.

He picked up at the first ring. “Mandi? How are you feeling?”

Huh? Or, right. He’d always dealt with her period as if it were the flu. “I’m okay, Mase, but I need to talk to you.” She had to get it all out before she changed her mind and decided to do what was expected instead of what was ultimately right.

“Great!”

The joy in his voice sent a spear through her heart. She wasn’t in love with him, but she’d grown to love him. If only that were enough. If only she could be happy with that.

“See you tonight?” Mason asked. “Come by my place. We can order in, do some talking, and then…do some more
talking
, if you know what I mean.”

She did, and her skin prickled. Just a couple weeks ago, she’d wanted nothing more than to hear this suggestion from his lips, but now… “I can’t.”

“But you said you’re okay. We’ll take it slow.” He chuckled. “I promise I’ll try not to hurt you.” He sounded happy and fun, and
light
, where Derek had been dark moments earlier.

His lightness felt crushing. It drove the air from her lungs. She had to speak before there was no sound left. “No, Mason. I’m saying I can’t. I can’t go through with this. I can’t get married to you.” Hearing the words hurt less than she’d expected.

“What are you talking about, babe?” He sounded concerned instead of angry, and that urged her on.

Amanda squeezed her eyes shut and prepared to deal the final blow. “You’re a great guy, and I really care about you, but that’s not enough. I’m not
in
love with you—”

“That will change once we get to know each other better. There are deeper, more meaningful things a marriage can be built on.”

He was using his rational voice, the one he used to get witnesses where he wanted them. It wasn’t working except to solidify her resolve. “You’re not listening to me. I’m saying I don’t
want
to marry you. You can’t talk me into it. Please stop trying.”

He was silent for a moment. “There’s someone else. Don’t lie to me. You wouldn’t call it all off if it weren’t for another guy.”

“No, that’s not it. I…I did something when I thought you were cheating on me. It was stupid and thoughtless, and I’m so very sorry, but that’s not why I changed my mind.”

“I can forgive you. We’ll work on it, but I’ll do it. It’s my fault to, for insisting we wait. We’ll fix that. Just get over this insanity.” This time she could make out the anger in his hushed tone.

“This isn’t about
him
. This is about you and me being wrong for each other.”