CHRISTINE Christine thought quickly. “I heard him say her name. She’s your sister, right?” “Yes. My baby sister. What do you mean by saying he was being mean?” His voice grew sharp and dangerous. Christine held the bar in front of her as she walked on the treadmill and looked at the painted forest on the wall. “He was hinting that she was fat, which she isn’t. He kept throwing her to the ground without teaching her anything. She said her back hurt, and he twisted her wrist just to hurt her. But he still wanted to keep tossing her around, even when she admitted she was in pain. He’s a jackass. Why does she even want to marry him?” Terrence shrugged and sped up his treadmill. “He’s a local doctor now, and she’s known him since high school. We didn’t see much of her or him after she graduated, except when she came home on breaks. She just finished vet school last year and started her own clinic here. We’re all glad to have her back. Honestly, I don’t think any of us know James
CHRISTINE “I’m a guest who doesn’t like your teaching,” Christine shot back fiercely as she turned to face him. “James, she’s a guest. We should go. I didn’t think anyone would be here this early. We don’t belong here when guests are around,” Chloe said firmly from the side. “You’re just scared of being thrown again,” James mocked Chloe. Oh, she is definitely scared. You’re making her that way…asshole. “She’s hurt. You shouldn’t keep going,” Christine told him sharply. She wanted to call him a lousy teacher and a cruel jerk, but she held back. Instead, she suggested, “Why don’t you show her yourself? Examples might help.” She gave him a sweet, fake smile. “I’d be happy to show her with you,” James replied with a nasty smirk. That was exactly what she wanted. Christine took her stance. “Show me.” She waved her fingers for him to come at her. He came roughly and grabbed her arm so hard she winced. But she used her balance and grip on his arm to flip him over, leaving him shocke
TERRENCE All it had taken was a quick flash of honesty in her eyes to tell him she was telling the truth about the cheating boyfriend. But was that really why she was here? She didn’t fit in, not like the cheerful tourists and skiers who usually came this time of year. He had the strong sense she was running away from something or someone. Me? His grin widened as he walked out of the bar. She had walked away from him easily, never once looking back. That only made him more interested. It made him want to know her more—and to fuck her. I lied when I said I didn’t want to fuck her. I do. I wanted her the moment I saw her stumble out of the elevator. It had been a long time since he’d wanted a woman like this, long before his accident. His cock had been hard the instant he laid eyes on her, and his arousal hadn’t faded. She was stunning: long blonde hair, deep brown eyes hiding secrets, a body he ached to touch. Her legs seemed endless, and all he could think about was havi
CHRISTINE He walked up to her, took a strand of her hair between his fingers, and stroked it before leaning down slowly. Christine’s breath caught as she breathed in his scent. He smelled like clean air, pine, and raw male, and it was addictive. He was tall, towering over her. Even with her three-inch heels, she felt small and unprotected with him this close. She wasn’t scared, but she felt exposed in a way she never had before. For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn’t. His lips stopped at her ear, and in a low, husky voice he said, “Any man who would stray from your side doesn’t deserve a second thought.” He straightened, held her chin lightly, and tilted her face up until her eyes met his. “Don’t let any guy fuck with your head. He’s not worth it.” Christine was caught in the smoky gray of his eyes, lost for a moment. His words were firm, honest, and struck something deep inside her. The cheating boyfriend she had mentioned wasn’t recent, but he h
CHRISTINE “Yes.” Christine looked down at her drink and watched the ice melt as she stirred it again. She didn’t want to brush Terrence off completely, but she also didn’t want to say anything that might encourage him. God knew the man was already bold enough. Be friendly, but not too friendly. Christine wanted information from Terrence Roberts, but for some reason he made her feel defensive. Her gut told her to get away from him fast, but she couldn’t figure out why. “I haven’t seen you around. When did you get here?” “Late last night.” She wished he’d stop staring at her like she was some test subject. “So you’re a Roberts?” Christine gave him her fake-dumb-blonde look. “From the well-known Roberts family?” Flattery usually worked. “I’m not the most famous one, but I’m the smartest,” he said flatly, almost like he was warning her. “My mom is out of town visiting family, so I promised her I’d stop by every afternoon to check on things here. I was about to leave when I saw you s
CHRISTINE Startled because the man had come up behind her, Christine turned and finally spotted a guy she didn’t mind talking to: Terrence Roberts. The facts she’d memorized about him popped into her head: thirty one years old, blond hair, gray eyes, six foot one, excellent record in the Special Forces until an accident forced him to leave with an honorable discharge. Annoyingly, she hadn’t been able to dig up much more about Terrence. He was a billionaire; like every Roberts sibling and the man behind Roberts Fire Equipment, the biggest maker of firefighting and safety gear in the world. The company belonged to the Roberts empire, but Terrence had pushed it into massive success by focusing on smarter, better equipment. She hadn’t found one bad thing about him. He was even a volunteer firefighter. Christine watched him carefully as he moved to the other side of her table. He didn’t look dangerous. Actually, he looked even better in person than in his pictures. His blon