bulbs went off in her face, and people began to scream at her.
For a moment she could only stare at the press. What the hell? Terrified, she slammed the door shut and whirled around. “Are you kidding me? You fucking called the press?”
He straightened, and his eyes darkened dangerously. “Me? You were the one who just said it might help your career!” he growled.
“It was a joke!” she hissed. “Why would me being here with you be any good to my career!” She ran her hands through her hair and stared at the door. “Is there another way out of here?”
He just stared at her, and she snapped her fingers to get his attention. “Charlie. Is there another way out?”
“Do you really think that a night with me would destroy your career?” he said coldly. “You’re nothing but spoiled little girl who’s gotten everything because of a pretty face. I give hundreds of thousands of people jobs. I run a multi-billion dollar industry!”
“Yes. And you sleep with half the fucking the city,” she snapped. “I don’t really want my name tied to that.”
“Only prefer married men?” he said smugly. “You’re so hypocritical. There’s a fire escape out the back. The sooner you get out, the better.”
His words drenched her like cold water, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Was that what he really thought of her? Was that what the world thought of her? Without another word, she moved to the back and flung open the window. Surprisingly enough, there were no reporters waiting for her out there.
With a pained heart, she turned to face him. “I thought Spencer Harker was my friend. When he invited me over that day, he did so out pretense of a job. He invited the press. He set me up. He’d discovered that his wife cheated on him, and he wanted to humiliate her. He later claimed that he had no idea what it would do to me, but he refused to deny our fake relationship. I lost my career because I trusted the wrong person. And now I can count on one hand the number of people who really know who I am. I thought that you, of all people, would know not to believe everything you read.”
She climbed out the window and shimmied down the ladder before he could respond. Tears burned in her eyes as she slipped through the park in the back and called Lizzie for a ride.
For some reason, the accusations of Charlie Connor hurt worse than the accusations of the rest of the world.
* * *
Charlie stood dumbfounded as he watched the breeze blow through the curtains of the open window. Of course she wouldn’t have called the press. Why would she have wanted that attention after what she had been through?
And how could he have stood there and accused her like that? As soon as the words had left his mouth, he’d regretted them. But he didn’t want her to think of all the other women that he’d been with. He didn’t want that to be an issue between them.
He didn’t want there to be any issues between them.
Moving across the room, he hit the button on his intercom that connected him to security. “There are more than a dozen reporters at my door!” he barked.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Connor,” the bewildered voice stated. “But you authorized clearance to anyone who wanted to come in today.”
“I sure as hell did not!”
“I took the call myself,” the guard insisted. “You said to let everyone in between the hours of four in the morning and noon. You gave me the password.”
Password. Only a handful of people knew Charlie’s password for the security gate. And since he didn’t think his family would pull a stunt like this, that only left one person.
Frustrated and angry, he grabbed his phone and dialed his public relations agent. “What the hell have you done?” he snapped.
“Charlie?” the man said sleepily.
“You know damn well who this is. Why are there reporters at my
For a moment she could only stare at the press. What the hell? Terrified, she slammed the door shut and whirled around. “Are you kidding me? You fucking called the press?”
He straightened, and his eyes darkened dangerously. “Me? You were the one who just said it might help your career!” he growled.
“It was a joke!” she hissed. “Why would me being here with you be any good to my career!” She ran her hands through her hair and stared at the door. “Is there another way out of here?”
He just stared at her, and she snapped her fingers to get his attention. “Charlie. Is there another way out?”
“Do you really think that a night with me would destroy your career?” he said coldly. “You’re nothing but spoiled little girl who’s gotten everything because of a pretty face. I give hundreds of thousands of people jobs. I run a multi-billion dollar industry!”
“Yes. And you sleep with half the fucking the city,” she snapped. “I don’t really want my name tied to that.”
“Only prefer married men?” he said smugly. “You’re so hypocritical. There’s a fire escape out the back. The sooner you get out, the better.”
His words drenched her like cold water, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Was that what he really thought of her? Was that what the world thought of her? Without another word, she moved to the back and flung open the window. Surprisingly enough, there were no reporters waiting for her out there.
With a pained heart, she turned to face him. “I thought Spencer Harker was my friend. When he invited me over that day, he did so out pretense of a job. He invited the press. He set me up. He’d discovered that his wife cheated on him, and he wanted to humiliate her. He later claimed that he had no idea what it would do to me, but he refused to deny our fake relationship. I lost my career because I trusted the wrong person. And now I can count on one hand the number of people who really know who I am. I thought that you, of all people, would know not to believe everything you read.”
She climbed out the window and shimmied down the ladder before he could respond. Tears burned in her eyes as she slipped through the park in the back and called Lizzie for a ride.
For some reason, the accusations of Charlie Connor hurt worse than the accusations of the rest of the world.
* * *
Charlie stood dumbfounded as he watched the breeze blow through the curtains of the open window. Of course she wouldn’t have called the press. Why would she have wanted that attention after what she had been through?
And how could he have stood there and accused her like that? As soon as the words had left his mouth, he’d regretted them. But he didn’t want her to think of all the other women that he’d been with. He didn’t want that to be an issue between them.
He didn’t want there to be any issues between them.
Moving across the room, he hit the button on his intercom that connected him to security. “There are more than a dozen reporters at my door!” he barked.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Connor,” the bewildered voice stated. “But you authorized clearance to anyone who wanted to come in today.”
“I sure as hell did not!”
“I took the call myself,” the guard insisted. “You said to let everyone in between the hours of four in the morning and noon. You gave me the password.”
Password. Only a handful of people knew Charlie’s password for the security gate. And since he didn’t think his family would pull a stunt like this, that only left one person.
Frustrated and angry, he grabbed his phone and dialed his public relations agent. “What the hell have you done?” he snapped.
“Charlie?” the man said sleepily.
“You know damn well who this is. Why are there reporters at my
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