She began slipping on her shoes, looking up when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to face Bree, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
“I’m so sorry, Susan,” she whispered. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I know how this is going to play out. Not only did I hear this straight from you in the past, but I also know from personal experience. He is going to fly off the handle, and when he does, he will get violent. There were several times he almost killed me, and I don’t want for that to happen to you. Call me selfish, but I love you too much to lose you.”
Susan stood, her gaze lingering on Bree’s face for several moments. Wiping away her tears with one hand, she left without another word, racing across the skating rink and toward the exit as though the devil himself was hot on her heels.
Chapter 7
Bryan Sexton wasn’t sure what was wrong with Susan, but he had every intention of finding out. He had no explanation for it, he couldn’t understand it, but she had been acting strange ever since they had left the ice skating center. Clenching his fists, he struggled to regain his composure. It wouldn’t do for Susan to see him lose his temper.
He had fought hard to show Susan Weston the man he wanted her to see. She thought he was practically perfect, and he was determined not to let her see him lose his cool. The Bryan Sexton Susan saw was merely an illusion, simply a smoke screen of the man he truly was.
*
Susan Weston took a deep breath as she unlocked the front door leading to her single-bedroom apartment, irritated with herself when she realized her hands were shaking as she opened the door. She whirled around, forcing a smile as he followed her into the living room. She watched with a heavy heart as he walked over to the loveseat, just as Bree had predicted, and sat down.
“How about pouring me a drink, darling?” Bryan questioned.
Her hands trembled as she poured his drink, the liquid sloshing over the rim of the glass. She cursed beneath her breath. She inhaled and then exhaled slowly. She had to pull herself together. She turned around, his drink in her hand, and approached him, her nerves on edge.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded, his voice cold as ice. His midnight blue eyes shot daggers in Susan’s direction.
She cleared her throat as her shaking hands placed his vodka down in front of him. She gasped when his strong hands clamped down onto her wrists.
“I asked you a question, and I demand an answer,” he spat out forcefully, his fingers tightening around her wrists like a vise.
Susan was afraid of the anger she saw lurking in his eyes. This wasn’t the man she had fancied herself to be in love with. This man was the formidable monster Bree had described.
“Come sit down by me,” Bryan demanded, dropping her wrists.
She shook her head in refusal, watching anger flash in his blue eyes. She folded her arms against her chest, her olive green gaze locking with his angry blue one.
“We n-need to t-talk,” she began, hating the sound of her stammering. She began twisting her hands and then placed them on her slender hips before deciding against it and dropping them to her sides. She refused to meet his angry eyes as she continued, “I am sick and tired of this game you seem to be playing with me. I think it’s time for you to do what you have been promising me and leave your wife.”
At these words, Bryan grasped his drink with one hand, tightening his fist around the glass, causing it to shatter in all directions. Nonchalantly, he looked down at his closed fist, which was beginning to trickle blood. Without a word, he reached into the jacket pocket of his expensive business suit and removed a hand-stitched silk handkerchief, which he wrapped around his wounded hand.
He stood up quickly and grabbed her by the hair, staring into her eyes, his own darkening with anger.
“Now why in the hell would I ever do something like that?” he
“I’m so sorry, Susan,” she whispered. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I know how this is going to play out. Not only did I hear this straight from you in the past, but I also know from personal experience. He is going to fly off the handle, and when he does, he will get violent. There were several times he almost killed me, and I don’t want for that to happen to you. Call me selfish, but I love you too much to lose you.”
Susan stood, her gaze lingering on Bree’s face for several moments. Wiping away her tears with one hand, she left without another word, racing across the skating rink and toward the exit as though the devil himself was hot on her heels.
Chapter 7
Bryan Sexton wasn’t sure what was wrong with Susan, but he had every intention of finding out. He had no explanation for it, he couldn’t understand it, but she had been acting strange ever since they had left the ice skating center. Clenching his fists, he struggled to regain his composure. It wouldn’t do for Susan to see him lose his temper.
He had fought hard to show Susan Weston the man he wanted her to see. She thought he was practically perfect, and he was determined not to let her see him lose his cool. The Bryan Sexton Susan saw was merely an illusion, simply a smoke screen of the man he truly was.
*
Susan Weston took a deep breath as she unlocked the front door leading to her single-bedroom apartment, irritated with herself when she realized her hands were shaking as she opened the door. She whirled around, forcing a smile as he followed her into the living room. She watched with a heavy heart as he walked over to the loveseat, just as Bree had predicted, and sat down.
“How about pouring me a drink, darling?” Bryan questioned.
Her hands trembled as she poured his drink, the liquid sloshing over the rim of the glass. She cursed beneath her breath. She inhaled and then exhaled slowly. She had to pull herself together. She turned around, his drink in her hand, and approached him, her nerves on edge.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded, his voice cold as ice. His midnight blue eyes shot daggers in Susan’s direction.
She cleared her throat as her shaking hands placed his vodka down in front of him. She gasped when his strong hands clamped down onto her wrists.
“I asked you a question, and I demand an answer,” he spat out forcefully, his fingers tightening around her wrists like a vise.
Susan was afraid of the anger she saw lurking in his eyes. This wasn’t the man she had fancied herself to be in love with. This man was the formidable monster Bree had described.
“Come sit down by me,” Bryan demanded, dropping her wrists.
She shook her head in refusal, watching anger flash in his blue eyes. She folded her arms against her chest, her olive green gaze locking with his angry blue one.
“We n-need to t-talk,” she began, hating the sound of her stammering. She began twisting her hands and then placed them on her slender hips before deciding against it and dropping them to her sides. She refused to meet his angry eyes as she continued, “I am sick and tired of this game you seem to be playing with me. I think it’s time for you to do what you have been promising me and leave your wife.”
At these words, Bryan grasped his drink with one hand, tightening his fist around the glass, causing it to shatter in all directions. Nonchalantly, he looked down at his closed fist, which was beginning to trickle blood. Without a word, he reached into the jacket pocket of his expensive business suit and removed a hand-stitched silk handkerchief, which he wrapped around his wounded hand.
He stood up quickly and grabbed her by the hair, staring into her eyes, his own darkening with anger.
“Now why in the hell would I ever do something like that?” he
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