Page 49 of Highest Bid

Layla’s legs threatened to buckle as the blonde—Sienna—shook her head. “It is true. You don’t want anyone to know about me, not even Aiden and Liam. I’m just some dirty little secret.”

Galan shook his head, his expression tortured. “If I didn’t love you, Sienna, believe me, you wouldn’t be here now.”

Something inside Layla shriveled and died even as she took a step back. She clutched at her handbag, while a distant part of her comprehended the strangled, primitive sob had come from her own lips.

Galan’s head shot up. His dark gaze met hers. “Layla,” he rasped. His eyes flared at seeing her raw, exposed emotions. “Shit. This isn’t what you think.”

Yeah, and the Tooth Fairy is real, too.

Sienna turned toward Layla, her teary eyes widening in shock before she twisted back to Galan and said hoarsely, “Who’s she?”

Layla didn’t want to see or hear anymore...she most definitely didn’t want to feel anymore. She turned and ran out of the front door, and back to the elevator, ignoring Galan’s hoarse shout to stop.

She stabbed at the elevator button with frantic fingers. When its doors immediately opened, she stumbled inside and banged on the ground floor icon.

Galan raced toward her, even as the doors slid shut to his shell-shocked expression. Only when the elevator descended did Layla put her face into her hands and quietly sob.

The bubble really had burst. And now reality would return with a vengeance.

She’d put her trust in Galan, had ignored every logical thought just to be with him. She’d truly believed he was different than her father, different than the man who’d had sex with more women than she had friends.

More fool me.

Although she was fragile as cracked glass, she used every reserve she had and then some to wrap steely composure around her heart before she stepped out into the foyer.

Collen had been waiting for her and immediately rushed over. “Layla, are you all right? You look about ready to faint.”

Layla didn’t answer the question. Instead she said in a brittle voice, “You were right. Galan does have a dirty little secret.”

Colleen’s face softened. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

Not half as sorry as me.

The doors slid closed behind her, the elevator then returning to the sitting room outside the brothers’ penthouse apartments. Galan would no doubt arrive soon, armed with excuses she didn’t want to hear.

Layla turned away. “I need some air.”

“Of course.” Collen sent her another remorseful look. “And, for what it’s worth, I truly am sorry.”

Layla was too heartsick to ease Colleen’s sudden attack of conscience. She really did need air. And although her legs were weak and shaky, she made it outside...and kept right on walking. She’d walk and walk until she was too tired to think, to feel.

She was beyond numb when she finally spotted a taxi ahead, parked on her side of the street.

She didn’t want to go back to work and face Galan. She didn’t even want to return to her apartment. Not yet. She couldn’t face the memories that were now firmly entrenched there.

So don’t go back. You have more than enough in your savings account to live on for a few weeks, or even a few months, if you’re careful.

She opened the taxi’s back passenger door. It wasn’t until she was about to climb in that her nape suddenly prickled.

Galan.

She looked behind and instantly saw him. Her heart contracted before her lungs squeezed tight, depriving her of all oxygen. She swayed and spots danced in her vision. Even if he was half as tall and without any charisma, she’d still find him in a crowd. Her senses were just too damn attuned to him.

He was half a block away, but she could read his alarm, feel his soul-crushing despair as he reached out as though to stop her.

She drew in a sharp breath. She’d thought she knew him. She’d never been more wrong. He might have cared about her enough to take her to bed, but he cared even more about his next fling.

“Goodbye, stud,” she said, voice cracking. Then, dropping into the back seat, she stared straight ahead as she instructed the driver to head north.

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