Return to You

stay because you wanted me , not because you felt
trapped into staying. But you needed to go and you didn't want me
to go along. I may have been wrong in not telling you, but you
didn't want to hear it either."
    He leaned casually in the doorway, his hand fumbling
in his pocket. She wanted to rail at him for his nonchalance but
then she saw the strain lining his mouth and relented.
    She squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them,
she gazed straight into his. "I'm sorry, Michael. Take care of
yourself."
    She walked away this time. She could feel his gaze
following her up the stairs.
    She heard Rick say, "Good going, Einstein."
    "Shut up," Michael snarled.
    And then she was out of hearing range. Taking the
back entrance to avoid running into anyone, she skirted around the
building to her car. As she slammed the door, it started to
rain.

Chapter Thirty-one
     
     
    "That didn't go swimmingly, did it?"
    Lainie glanced at Rick. She agreed but she couldn't
bring herself to say anything. She supposed shock did that to a
person.
    He'd been spying on her for who knows how long. She
ought to feel angry at him for the invasion of privacy, but he was
only doing his job. Anyone could see he'd acted out of concern for
Olivia. Besides, Everett was the one who hired him.
    How had Rick accessed her emails? She shook her
head. She didn't want to know.
    She could feel Everett studying her carefully. What
did he think she was going to do? Go into hysterics? Or maybe he
thought she'd just overlook this little gaffe and continue to see
him.
    As if, Olivia would say.
    Rick folded his arms and stared coolly at Michael.
"I knew you were an idiot but I didn't quite grok the extent of
your idiocy."
    "Fuck you, Clancy."
    Lainie winced at Michael's tone. She'd never heard
him sound so raw. She looked at him pityingly, wondering why he
wasn't going after Olivia.
    Apparently, Rick was too. He shook his head
incredulously. "I can't believe you aren't going after her. Olivia
is one of the most amazing women I've ever known. She's beautiful,
smart, fun, sexy as hell—"
    Michael growled. "Stay the fuck away from her."
    "That's what makes you such an idiot. You'd think
you'd notice that she doesn't want me. She wants you." With a
disgusted shake of his head, he stalked off.
    Michael stared after him for a second and then left
too.
    Leaving her alone with Everett.
    She took a deep breath and faced him. He'd composed
himself. The emotion that had for once leaked into his eyes was
hidden again. He watched her with the cool gaze of a predator.
    And it really made her mad. She jumped up to her
feet. "I hope you're happy."
    "Happy isn't the word that comes to mind."
    "You are so infuriating." She didn't realize how
hard her hands were clenched until her nails bit into her palms.
"What were you thinking?"
    She had to give him credit for not slinking away
with his tail between his legs. He stood facing her, his gaze never
wavering from hers. But then again, Everett wasn't that kind of
man.
    He rubbed his chin. "I only had Olivia's best
interests in mind."
    Her heart melted at the fatigue etched on his face.
She'd never seen him so tired, not even after several all-nighters
when they were buying out another production company.
    She frowned. She wasn't going to let him soften her
up. She had backbone. She wasn't going to cower in passiveness.
"Well, you have a funny way of showing it."
    He reached out to her. "Elaine—"
    "Don't." She stepped back. If he touched her she'd
be lost, and she had things to say to him. "What you did was
despicable. I know you love Olivia and want what's best for her,
but you were wrong eleven years ago and you're doubly wrong
now."
    His eyes narrowed coolly. "You have no right—"
    "Yes I do. I love Olivia. She befriended me and
helped me when I needed it. No questions asked and without regard
to her own feelings." She stepped closer, her anger making her
bold. "When she figured out I was in love with you, she didn't
throw me out or point out your bad qualities—which I'm very well
aware of, by the way."
    He opened his mouth but she cut him off with a jab
of her finger to his solar plexus. "She just said she'd help me if
you were what I really wanted."
    "Am I what you want?"
    She shivered at the low huskiness of his voice. She
closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and faced him again. "You're
what I wanted, but now I'm not so sure."
    The way he blinked at her made her wonder if any
woman had ever turned him down. She sighed. No