Chapter 32

We may have been resting on the bed in perfect silence, but I could tell from his erratic breaths that he was anything but calm in his mind. Bryce was acting dangerously tranquil, petting my hair in a rhythmic pattern whilst his free arm was secured around my body possessively.

"You sound like a bull on steroids," I said lightly, trying to brighten up the mood.

He didn't laugh like I thought he would. Instead, he let go of my body and sat next to me. Oh no, I thought, I must have hit a nerve. Maybe I should quit jesting at very serious moments, I mean I was acting like I wasn't almost taken advantage of just a second ago.

"Don't fucking joke with me right now, Aubrey. Not right now," he seethed lowly, those beautiful steel orbs of his glistening with contempt. "Why was he even here anyway?"

I blinked, then gulped visibly. This is the part I was most afraid of, the explanation. But what exactly was I to say to him? Was I to say that that crazy man just came banging on my door and started firing questions out as if he were some sort of machine gun? That he had even gotten physical with me?

Now, that would just brew murderous thoughts, wouldn't it?

I, too, sat up but on the other side of the bed with my back facing towards him. I needed to lie and I knew damn well I couldn't do that looking into his beautiful, well sculpted face.

"He had come to check up on me and update me about the lawyer. When I told him that you no longer wanted to take custody from me, he threw a fit. Something about me being ungrateful and he was livid. I got scared and that's why I called you," I choked out untruthfully. I just hoped he would swallow every bit of it.

The bed creaked, probably because he stood up. It was silent for some seconds before I heard his thunderous voice next to me.

"You.Are.Lying. Dammit, you're lying. When I got here, Logan was just leaving and he looked utterly freaked out. Your call was alarming and I know for certain that it wasn't because of the bullshit you just spewed," he roared furiously and ran a hand through his sleeked back hair. His towering figure and intense glare petrified me, and made the hairs on my skin stand.

Wrong move, Aubrey. Wrong move.

He brought his face so close to mine that with one dip, our lips would collide. "Tell me what actually happened, or I'll beat it out of Hunter," he warned and I gulped.

That was when my mouth started running like a motor, distinctly narrating everything that had transpired. I watched his expression go from pissed to even more pissed. Once done, I was a sobbing mess and his arms were around me in a vice like grip, not ready to let me go.

"I'll kill him," Bryce vowed with so much determination and turned to leave but I took his hand in mine.

"No, please. Don't do it. This is why I didn't want to tell you."

He blinked, not once but twice. "So, you were afraid I was going to murder his cowardly English ass, even though God knows he deserves it? What's the matter with you?" he said, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Because despite it all, I cheated on him. He was angry, since I betrayed his trust and the guy is in love with me-"

Bryce laughed, one of those arrogant, throaty laughs of his. I wanted to slap him for it. "In love with you? Well, what he did just an hour ago clearly indicates otherwise,” he drawled sarcastically.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Is it so hard to believe any other man could fall in love with me, douchebag?" I spat indignantly.

He actually had the nerves to roll his eyes at me. Bastard! "Stop trying to change the subject. The bottom line is I was right from the beginning. I told you not once, but several times to stay away from him, didn't I. Yet you still went out with the bastard and compromised your safety…something I wanted you to avoid."

"I wanted to make you jealous-"

Bryce scoffed and swatted my hand away only to put his deep into his Armani suit pants' pockets. "Well, how did that work for you, love?" he mocked in a fake British accent. "All he ever wanted was to get into your pants. Desperately, it seems."

"You know what," I said and pushed him away from me. "This wouldn't even be happening if you and I had not slept together yesterday."

He released another rich laugh, but this time he took two big steps towards me. He was right in front of me again. I stepped back, however.

"Stop acting like you didn't enjoy it. If I remember correctly, you were the one moaning my name out all night long," he groaned huskily, causing my cheeks to tinge. He took a step forward, whilst I took another step back.

"But you know what?" he asked and I shook my head. "I understand where Hunter was coming from. You are quite the tease, sweetheart. I know that for the past couple of minds you've been trying to seduce me in the office and it was slowly driving insane. One time, I recall, getting a major hard on from just looking at you running around the office."

I shivered when he said that, and it made with very uneasy. I suddenly felt hot all over. To be honest, if he wanted to have a go at it again, I would gladly comply. Bryce made me feel certain things that I'm sure no other man will ever make me feel. He knew my body like the back of his hand and just how to please me.

Gosh, I'm starting to sound like a wanton woman.

I took another step back and then my back hit the wall. There was no escape for me as he took another step forward and sandwiched me between his hard frame and the wall. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.

His hands came onto either side of my head on the wall, and he pressed himself into me. "I knew it drove Hunter crazy that you weren't even attracted to him. He should have seen that your pretty eyes-only lust for me," he whispered looking down at me.

"You're very full of your-self, y-you know," I stammered nervously. My heart was doing cartwheels at this point.

"No, I'm not. I only talk of the things that I'm truly confident in and it doesn't take a genius to know that you irrevocably and hopelessly attracted to me, Bree." Did he really have to use my nickname?

One of his hands left the wall and slowly went from the side of my face, to my neck and outlined the middle of my chest. The funny thing is that I was as stiff as a board, completely unable to move. He brought his face so close to mine that our lips were brushing.

"Is that a lie, Bree?" he asked but I remained silent. I couldn't even speak because I knew all that would come out would be a treacherous sound of want, of need. The undeniable need to have his hands on me again.

He smirked against my lips and proceeded to place feathery kisses on my jawline, then finally, my neck. His other hand was still travelling downwards until it ended at my robe's belt.

"W-wha-," I tried to speak pathetically but he silenced me with his glorious lips.

"I don't need to hear those gorgeous lips lie. Your body tells me everything I need to know," He said and then undid the knot on the belt. My robe flew open and put my bareness on display, but he didn't look down. Bryce's eyes remained on my face.

Both of his hands grabbed the top of my robe and flung it off in one swift motion. The morning breeze harshly bit into my skin, inciting goosebumps. Then, his head descended downwards and he placed a lingering kiss on my shoulder. I struggled to withhold the moan that threatened to escape my lips.

"Your body is mine. Your heart is mine. You are mine," he pronounced lowly, yet sensuously. Suddenly he stopped what he was doing and stared deeply at my body. I found it rather odd.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly, but he ignored me. I also looked down and saw what he was looking it. The crimson-purplish bruises littering my arms were all but standing out.

Oh shit!!!

He stood straight at looked away. Without a word, he turned away and stalked in the direction of the door. "Bryce, wait, where are you going?" I questioned scared, quickly picking up my robe and shrugging it one.

But he didn't stop. Only when he was out of the door did I hear him say,

"I'm going to kick Logan's ass back London."

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