Read Online The Ex Files by Victoria Christopher Murray - Free Book Online
Authors: Victoria Christopher Murray
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took a final gulp of coffee. “It’s been wonderful chatting with you.” He stood, and when he leaned to kiss her, his lips lingered on her cheek.
She stayed still. Didn’t look at him. Acted as if her heart didn’t beat a bit faster just because of the closeness of him.
When he leaned away, he chuckled, like he knew his effect. He slapped on his sunglasses. “Tell Tori I’ll call her tonight.” He paused. “And I hope we get a chance to do this again…soon.”
She shrugged as if she didn’t care about what he’d just said. But as he strolled away, her eyes followed him until he slipped inside his Maserati and sped from the parking lot.
Chapter Eleven
K ENDALL
The line between love and hate is thin indeed . That was Kendall’s thought as Anthony leaned over her desk. She inhaled his smell, enjoyed the motion of his fingers. Closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the music that was his voice. She loved him. Hated him.
She remembered all of her dreams—since their divorce had become final—and now she wondered if there was any way they could ever be together again.
“The projections show that within three years, my dear, The Woman’s Place, with all the new locations, will be netting close to a half million dollars.”
My dear . She locked away those words, along with all the others—darling, sweetheart, baby—the names of love that he’d graced her with throughout their four years of marriage.
“Kendall?”
She cleared her throat and her thoughts before she looked at him. “This sounds good.”
“Thought you’d like it.” He tilted his head as he sat across from her. “I’m glad we’ve found a way to work together. We haven’t been able to figure this out personally, but professionally, we got it going on.” He grinned.
She shrugged. “I’ll do anything for this business.”
“This I know.”
She peered at him. “That was just your excuse.”
“Not an excuse, a fact. Look at where you spend your life, Kendall. You always were and always are in this office.”
She wasn’t about to tell him how the office was now almost her home. “I’m not going to let you put it on me, Anthony. Our marriage didn’t fail because of the hours I worked.” She leaned forward, spoke slowly. “I left because you were in bed with my sister.”
Her words knocked his smile away.
“I’ve told you a million times, but I will tell you as often as you need to hear it, I’m sorry about that.”
“Like an apology is enough.”
“I don’t know what else to say. But our problems didn’t begin there.”
“And sleeping with my sister helped our problems.”
“It wasn’t just an affair, Kendall. You know that. I love Sabrina.”
His words made her blood boil green. It killed her that Sabrina and Anthony were still together. According to her father, the two claimed to have tried to fight their feelings. But destiny, fate, idiocy had kept them together, and now they’d turned that sordid affair into something fit for the circus.
“I never meant to hurt you.”
She held up her hands. “No need to say that anymore. It is what it is.”
“I just want you to know that I will always be here if you need me.”
“I’m hoping that I won’t need you much longer. You’re still going to let me buy you out of this business, right?”
He nodded slowly. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
“I’m sorry about that. I love working with you. But, if me leaving will make you happy…”
“It will.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.”
She nodded as he stood. Wished that she had more to say. Something that would allow him to spend just a bit more time with her.
“I guess we’re finished,” he said.
“We are.”
He nodded. “I’ll catch you later.” He moved toward the door, then paused. His gaze was intense when he turned back to her.
“What?” she asked.
“There’s something you should know.”
Her eyes repeated her question.
Anthony shook his head.
She stayed still. Didn’t look at him. Acted as if her heart didn’t beat a bit faster just because of the closeness of him.
When he leaned away, he chuckled, like he knew his effect. He slapped on his sunglasses. “Tell Tori I’ll call her tonight.” He paused. “And I hope we get a chance to do this again…soon.”
She shrugged as if she didn’t care about what he’d just said. But as he strolled away, her eyes followed him until he slipped inside his Maserati and sped from the parking lot.
Chapter Eleven
K ENDALL
The line between love and hate is thin indeed . That was Kendall’s thought as Anthony leaned over her desk. She inhaled his smell, enjoyed the motion of his fingers. Closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the music that was his voice. She loved him. Hated him.
She remembered all of her dreams—since their divorce had become final—and now she wondered if there was any way they could ever be together again.
“The projections show that within three years, my dear, The Woman’s Place, with all the new locations, will be netting close to a half million dollars.”
My dear . She locked away those words, along with all the others—darling, sweetheart, baby—the names of love that he’d graced her with throughout their four years of marriage.
“Kendall?”
She cleared her throat and her thoughts before she looked at him. “This sounds good.”
“Thought you’d like it.” He tilted his head as he sat across from her. “I’m glad we’ve found a way to work together. We haven’t been able to figure this out personally, but professionally, we got it going on.” He grinned.
She shrugged. “I’ll do anything for this business.”
“This I know.”
She peered at him. “That was just your excuse.”
“Not an excuse, a fact. Look at where you spend your life, Kendall. You always were and always are in this office.”
She wasn’t about to tell him how the office was now almost her home. “I’m not going to let you put it on me, Anthony. Our marriage didn’t fail because of the hours I worked.” She leaned forward, spoke slowly. “I left because you were in bed with my sister.”
Her words knocked his smile away.
“I’ve told you a million times, but I will tell you as often as you need to hear it, I’m sorry about that.”
“Like an apology is enough.”
“I don’t know what else to say. But our problems didn’t begin there.”
“And sleeping with my sister helped our problems.”
“It wasn’t just an affair, Kendall. You know that. I love Sabrina.”
His words made her blood boil green. It killed her that Sabrina and Anthony were still together. According to her father, the two claimed to have tried to fight their feelings. But destiny, fate, idiocy had kept them together, and now they’d turned that sordid affair into something fit for the circus.
“I never meant to hurt you.”
She held up her hands. “No need to say that anymore. It is what it is.”
“I just want you to know that I will always be here if you need me.”
“I’m hoping that I won’t need you much longer. You’re still going to let me buy you out of this business, right?”
He nodded slowly. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
“I’m sorry about that. I love working with you. But, if me leaving will make you happy…”
“It will.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.”
She nodded as he stood. Wished that she had more to say. Something that would allow him to spend just a bit more time with her.
“I guess we’re finished,” he said.
“We are.”
He nodded. “I’ll catch you later.” He moved toward the door, then paused. His gaze was intense when he turned back to her.
“What?” she asked.
“There’s something you should know.”
Her eyes repeated her question.
Anthony shook his head.
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