Stripping It Down by Alden Jami Page B

and piled on top.
    "Jake, what are you doing?" Kit asked. The mere sound of her low, sleep-husky voice nearly brought him to his knees.
    How could he have been so wrong? How could he not have seen her for the cold-hearted bitch she really was?
    He looked at her, reclining in the bed, un-self-conscious as the sheet slipped down to reveal gorgeous breasts he'd spent a good part of last night worshipping with his lips and tongue. Despite the stabbing pain in his heart, his cock sprang to eager attention. He had his answer.
    "I'm leaving," he said, stuffing his running shoes into the corner of the suitcase. "Isn't that what you wanted, Kit?" He paused, staring at her hard. "Or do you prefer to go by C. Teaser, since that seems to be what you truly are?"
    She swallowed audibly as all the color drained from her face. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.
    At least she had the grace to look ashamed, even if she didn’t bother to defend herself.
    She clutched the sheet to her chest, looking so vulnerable that for a moment he was ready to forget everything and believe it had all been a big, harmless joke.
    But phrases he'd read drifted through his mind, cutting words that had the unmistakable ring of Kit's ruthless sense of humor. Lately he’s been hanging on my bra straps...Some might say I'm taking advantage, but why should I turn down the chance for a little pleasure along with a side of revenge?
    He shook his head, filled with disgust for both of them. "You got me, Kit, you got me real good. You wanted revenge, you have it. Congratulations. If I hurt you even half this much the first time we slept together, I'm surprised you lived through it."
    "No, Jake, you don't understand –" She babbled something about the column, a book deal, being pressured into writing more about him even though she didn't mean it.
    He continued as though she hadn't spoken. "I thought we were past what happened, Kit, but apparently you're still the same hurt little girl who wants to blame everything on me so you don't have to admit that you had as much hand in what happened as I did. I may have screwed up royally afterward, but you wanted it as much as I did."
    "That's not true," she sputtered, "you came on to me!”
    "We both know that's a lie." He laughed harshly. "And it’s pathetic that you're still trying to convince yourself it's not. Almost as pathetic as the fact that you use what happened as an excuse to push people away, to never let anyone get close enough to have anything real with you."
    "I loved you," she burst out, "and you tossed me away like a dirty sock! How was I ever supposed to trust anyone after that?"
    "Jesus Christ, Kit, it was twelve years ago." He pulled on a shirt and zipped up his suitcase. "Past time for you to get over it and grow the fuck up."
    Chapter 10
    The slamming of her front door echoed through the apartment. Kit wrapped her arms around her knees, still attempting to process what had just happened. She felt like she'd fallen asleep and woken up in some alternate universe, one in which everything had gone horribly, horribly wrong.
    Numb, she managed to drag herself out of bed. Pulling on a robe, she wandered out into the living room wondering just what in the hell she was supposed to do now. The smell of coffee permeated the room. Coffee Jake had made before he stormed out in a fury like she'd never seen.
    Her laptop was on, her e-mail in-box displayed for anyone to see.
    A burst of righteous anger hit her. How dare Jake snoop in personal email!
    But even in her head the words sounded hollow. She could blame Jake all she wanted, but she was the one who'd kept things hidden, the one who'd mocked and ridiculed every moment they'd shared. Sick with grief and guilt, Kit let the tears roll unchecked down her face, stunned by the depth of her pain as she thought of the things Jake had read, how betrayed he must have felt.
    More betrayed than she'd felt when he'd taken her virginity and left without so much as a