Page 12 of Tempt My Heart

ChapterSix

After a ridiculous amount of stress dreams, Ali was pretty sure she'd already experienced every worst-case scenario of the conversation she needed to have with Jared that morning.

If everything went wrong and Jared refused to listen, then she’d decided that the best thing to do would be to leave Christopher—andHorizons.She couldn’t put the company through the explosive press that would result in someone so close to one of the CEOs having a scandal, nor could she put Christopher in a position to defend or condemn her. She would have to take the choice out of Jared’s hands and resign if he refused to see reason. Sure, he could release the video anyway, but who would care by that point? He wouldn’t be getting what he wanted and she could use some of her savings to travel abroad until the mess calmed down. At least, that was what she was telling herself.

She'd chosen her outfit with care for some reason, maybe so she could resign with flair, or maybe to try and remind Jared of what she'd thought they'd shared.

Either way, the effect was impressive if Freya's expression had been anything to go off of when Ali had left her room in the close-fitting, but still office-appropriate, dress that made the most of her height and curves.

It was warm outside, even though they were now beginning to approach late fall, but she had slipped on a jacket for the brief walk to the office in the main hub of Cincy anyway. She’d met up with Jared hundreds of times when they were dating, so she wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous, or why she kept jumping at every small sound. It was just Jared—but the problem was that she wasn’t sure she’d ever really known who he was.

There was a slightly secluded spot around the side of the office building that would still give her a good view of the approach so she could intercept Jared, and she made her way to it as she glanced over her shoulder yet again.

Ali checked the time on her phone for what felt like the millionth time since she'd arrived and frowned when she saw eight AM had come and gone. She wasn't overly concerned though, Jared always had been terrible at being on time—usually because he got too wrapped up in whatever story he was working on.

A familiar silhouette strolled up the sidewalk like they didn't have a care in the world, and Ali tamped down a surprising rush of anger. Mostly she'd been worried and stressed about what Jared had demanded—it hadn’t given her much time to focus on the anger she felt at his betrayal, so of course it was now all bubbling to the surface at the worst possible time. She needed a cool head for this. To be pleasant. Flirty, even. Two exes, meeting for a cordial chat.

"Jared!" Ali raised her hand and his expression didn't change as he altered his course to come up beside her.

"Alison." He wrinkled his nose as he ran his eyes up and down her outfit but didn't comment, bewildering her. Had he always disdained her and she just hadn't seen it? "I don't really see what we have to discuss. I've told you what I need. Have you made a decision?"

She tried for a smile and dropped it when it wobbled. "It’s not going to work. Christopher doesn't look at me that way. He's my boss. Plus the wedding is only a couple of months away, they wouldn't be able to find a space for me and—" she continued to babble on and choked on her words when Jared's face remained impassive.

"You'll figure it out."

"What?" Her eyes flew wide and she bit back the urge to curse at him. "I won't just figure it out, what you're asking for isn't possible—"

"Make it possible, Ali. Unless you want a prime-time slot on the air."

"You wouldn't," she whispered and bit her lip when he smirked. "Was any of it real?"

"Sure." He shrugged and it blew her mind how much of his facade he’d let drop now that he’d got what he wanted. "If that makes you feel better."

Her temper flared and Ali nearly growled as she stepped closer to him.

"You bastard. What if I have you arrested, huh, what then? You realize you're breaking a dozen laws with this little scheme? And for what?" She snorted derisively, trying to appear confident even if nothing she’d just said was quite true. "To show your tiny dick off to the world? To get a couple of pictures of a wedding?"

Any trace of civility on his face dropped, his brown eyes turning hard as his jaw clenched. "This story will make my career. Not to mention how much those pics will sell for.”

Ali hummed, knowing she was treading a dangerous line but unable to stop her mouth from spouting more and more insults. "Oh yeah, I can see the headline now.Pathetic pap jailed for revenge pornhas a nice ring to it. Or maybepoor performance aired by prick pap."

"Bitch," he hissed, crowding into her space and Ali swallowed hard, half-wishing her mouth hadn't run away from her, as his hands grasped her arms bruisingly hard and he shoved her back against the side of the building. Her head hit the wall and caused a ringing in her ears, her stomach dropping as he leaned into her. "You'll do what I tell you to, Alison, or things are going to get a little uncomfortable for you" he said warningly, squeezing her tighter, his voice like silk as he sneered into her ear. She attempted to shrug him off, shaking her shoulders until he shoved her against the wall again, his face so close she could see the individual hairs in his eyebrows.

Her breath hitched and she opened her mouth without knowing if she would try to scream or beg. She never got the chance to find out as a shadow fell over them.

"If you like your hands attached to your body then I suggest you take them the fuck off of her."

Her eyes flew up as that voice dipped straight inside her and coiled tightly. A familiar pair of dark eyes, warm in a way that Jared's never had been, met hers briefly over Jared’s shoulder before Christopher stepped closer.

"Don't make me repeat myself," he said quietly, his frame towering over Jared's as the menace in his voice raised the hair on her arms.

Jared released her, giving her boss an easy smile before he looked back at her unblinkingly as he backed away. "Remember what we talked about, Alison. You know, I've been missing your mom's cooking so if you have any more hesitations I can always go and pay her a visit."

Ice shot through her veins and she froze as he walked away. Maybe she could have lived with her own public humiliation if he'd released that video of them, but she wouldn't risk her mother. Ever.

"Ali?" She barely heard Christopher as he placed a hand on her back and steered her towards the front of the building and the entrance. "What just happened? Fuck, you're shaking."

The unexpected curse shook her out of her shock and she blinked at him. Usually unruffled, perpetually-calm Christopher was nowhere to be found. The intensity of his gaze made her feel like she needed to hide even as she reveled in it like a cat stretching in the sunlight.

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