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"That’s not true You s for you that I"

He raked his hands through his hair, looking for words Excuses, she thought Nocare I’ll have Sadie bring me home around four You’d better not be there Since Bonheur and Sexy Sirens are both closed on Sundays, don’t make me lay eyes on you until Monday’s dinner service Even then? Don’t talk to ain"

Luc didn’t say a word as she disappeared into the bathroo her eyes like acid drops She knehat she’d said, but a part of her wished he cared enough to fight for her Apparently not Ridiculous, wishful thinking She’d learned fairy tales were shit at fifteen How had she forgotten that valuable lesson?

After cleaning up, she dragged on a new thong and brushed her hair,at the flushed, swollen-lipped woman in the mirror She’d finally fallen in love for the first ti experience

Turning away from the mirror, she breezed past Luc and headed for her bedroom door He stood in her way

"I’ed on his face, and he looked both uncertain and contrite

"Do what? Be sain after Thursday?"

Guilt tightened his face He looked away "No"

Pain swelled inside her all over again "I’ve been through too er to castme should be a snap"

With that, she slid past him and stomped out the door As soon as she cleared the bedrooain After he left, she could never again lay eyes on that man Be alone with him He’d already crushed her, and she’d cru for his affection

Damn it, she refused to put herself in a position to be te, especially from someone who didn’t value her

She barreled down the hall, to the stairs, hiding behind the wall of props as she e

"Alyssa?"

She heard Sadie call to her--and she couldn’t respond now She held up a hand and ran to her office where she opened the door, slahts

Closing her eyes against tears, she felt her way to her chair and collapsed in it A moment and a sniffle later, she opened her eyes to reach for a tissue

Peter stood there--and he looked beyond pissed

Chapter Ten

LUC stared at the closed door of the bedroom He could still hear the slaible--and well deserved

Swiping a hand down his face, he felt exhaustion seep into his bones Yetdeep inside, he itched, wanted, yearned It had taken everything inside him to be honest about their future and let her walk away

Seeing Tyler’s uts inside out The beast inside hi her body and subive hi he needed froood-bye

Yes, she’d let Tyler kiss her, but Luc knew that, of the two of the control with her, he deserved whatever she threw at hione, he had to confront thearound in his head: Why did jealousy get the best of hiht have another lover? He couldn’t stay Why did he take his frustration out on her sexually?

Because you’re falling for her, and that scares the hell out of you

He staggered to the bed, then sank down Was that even possible? Could he really have fallen for her in a uments as they did sexual encounters, both heated But Alyssa was so irls Smatic and unafraidexcept that vulnerable side she’d let hilimpse only once or twice There was a part of her she kept hidden that he was dying to know Everything about her fascinated hi in a flashy business, Alyssa was soreal More real to him, in fact, than any of his previous lo vers

But she didn’t fit in the future he had planned

Since she wasn’t his exclusively and never would be, he had to stop acting like a jackass, even if it killed him She’d demanded that he leave her in peace until he departed Lafayette Somehow, he would It was for the best, and he owed her that He’d just have to figure out how to forget her Or learn to live with the open wound

A ed across the room and pulled the door open Tyler

Luc had no idea what to think about the man On the one hand, he acted with the fauy had to be one of her friends with benefits, right? But Alyssa had sworn that Tyler wasn’t Luc wanted to believe her so badly

"Where is she?" Tyler took at the rumpled bed, at Luc’s disheveled appearance, at Alyssa’s ripped garritted his teeth "Goddamn it, did you hurt her? Where the fuck is she?"

How the hell did he answer that? "I didn’t hurt her physically"

"But you broke her heart, you sancti aThe right cross was a killer, and his head sla his brain

He rubbed his sore jaw and glared at Tyler "If it’s any consolation, thehit by a semi She barreled over me, and I feel like roadkill"

"Good Alyssa puts on a daile She doesn’t show her e the desolate"

Luc hung his head He’d treated her like a whore, had sex with her to get her out of his syste around He’d been astounded by her intelligence It had never occurred to hirees With any other woman, he would simply have admired her accomplishments, not been shocked He’d all but forced his way into her body and tried to push his way into her heart with no intent to stay around and give himself back to her

He deserved every bit of his broken heart and ain"

"Daht!" Tyler snarled "I love that woman, and you shit on her Do you kno hard it’s been to stand back and watch?"

Incredibly difficult, Luc was certain He hadn’t liked Tyler kissing her, but if he’d been sidelined while being forced to watch another one completely insane and ripped the bastard’s head off Suddenly, he admired Tyler’s restraint