Page 63 of Betrayal of a Billionaire
“Right. Well, it’s nice that your sister is very protective of you. I just wish she didn’t feel like she had to protect you from me.”
“I’m sorry,” she said as the house came into sight.
“Well, I’m glad you got to spend some time with her.”
She pulled into the driveway with the other car nowhere in sight.
“Did we lose the driver?” Grant asked as they slid out of the car.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know about the shortcut on Bucks Road,” she said as she strode to the house.
“Do you want a drink?”
“Oh, no, I’m still swimming from all those Marina Mists,” she said.
The mention of the special drink soured the little bit of progress he’d felt they made during the drive home.
“I’m just going to head upstairs. See you tomorrow.”
“Right,” he said, his disappointment ramping up as she climbed the stairs away from him. “Julia.”
“Yeah?” She twisted to face him.
“Are you sure everything’s okay?”
That haunted look flashed through her eyes before she plastered on that fake smile again. “Yes.”
She did her best to widen the smile that looked like a lie to him.
“Okay, good night, Julia.”
“Good night.”
He shuffled into the living room, pouring himself another bourbon. She’d lied to him. Something had been going on between Luke and her when he’d arrived. Something that had brought tears to her eyes. She’d brushed it off. Was it too painful for her to talk about? Or was it because she wasn’t ready to admit to him that Luke still held her heart?
What had Kyle said yesterday? She’d never gotten over him and had left Harbor Cove because of it.
He downed another drink and poured a double. “No, a piece of her would always love him,” he murmured to himself.
But did her heart belong to him?
He recalled their shared laughter as they watched a movie together, a stark contrast to the silence of the house now. The memory, once a source of warmth and encouragement for their relationship, now twisted like a knife in his gut.
The door opened, and the driver wandered inside, setting the key on the table before he wandered to his quarters.
Grant settled in the armchair, his eyes on the moonlit trees outside. Why had he gone to the restaurant? The image of his wife with another man was now burned into his memory.
Another question shoved its way to the front of his mind. What would have happened if he hadn’t shown up when he did?
The idea sent him back to the bottle of bourbon for another double. He’d never faced a situation like this before. More than one of his wives had sought the company of another man. He’d been furious, of course. But the fury had only driven him to call Mitchell Caldwell and have divorce papers drawn up.
He’d had no interest in competing with whoever they’d invited into their bed. He hadn’t cared that much.
Julia was different.
The mere sight of her with Luke gutted him. And her refusal to confide in him made it worse. She’d been honest and open with him so many times before, but this time, she shut him out completely.
He polished off another drink, pouring another. Was Kyle right? Should he do something? But what?
