Beth Ciotta - Anything but Love

Rae swallowed. “Me, too.”

He sensed lingering anxiety, traced his memories for any holes in their discussion. “Anything else you want to tell me?”

“No.”

Brain still scrambling he flashed back on a discussion a few days prior. Something Rae had said and then tried to brush over.

“ The thing about being smart and influential is that there’s always someone smarter and more influential than you. And if that person wants to derail your life, well, then you’re sort of screwed. ”

Olivia didn’t strike him as smart and she probably wasn’t all that influential. No. That would be Geoffrey Stein. Of Stein & Beecham Industries.

Luke shifted closer to Rae. “Does Geoffrey know you encouraged Olivia to leave him? Is he threatening you in some way?”

She sidled to the edge of the bed, ready to flee, only Luke stayed her. She licked her lips, a nervous tell. “Geoffrey and I have been on bad terms for a couple of years now.”

“Did you catch him with another woman?”

“No.”

“Did you accuse him of having affairs? Of mistreating your mom?”

“No.”

“Was he trying to manipulate you somehow? Coerce you into allowing him to manage your inheritance?” Luke’s temper flared. Rae’s silence on the matter only made it worse. “Dammit, Rae. Is Geoffrey threatening you?”

Her face was beet red now. “It doesn’t concern you, Luke.”

“What?” The anger he’d been feeling toward Geoffrey took a sharp turn toward Rae. He struggled to keep his calm as she wiggled out of his grasp. “We’re a team now, Reagan. Every aspect of your life is of concern to me.”

“That goes both ways.”

Clueless, he spread his hands wide. “Am I stonewalling you on something?”

“Yes. Yes, you are.” She shoved off the bed and scrambled back two steps, fists at her side. “Your dyslexia.”

“I told you—”

“You told me and then you shut me down. You said you didn’t want to talk about it. That you didn’t want my help.”

“I said it would be hell on the ego and you’re changing the subject.”

“No, I’m not. We’re talking about levels of comfort. You’d rather handle your visual challenges on your own and I feel the same way about Geoffrey.”

“So there is a problem.”

“Not as long as I don’t talk about it.” With that she fled to the bathroom and closed the door.

Luke followed and knocked.

In response she turned on the shower.

It reminded him of their blowout in Bel Air. When she’d shut him out. When, in anger, he’d given up and left. Only this time he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d order up breakfast for them both and wait her out. He’d cool off and mull over the best way to handle this new kink in their relationship. He’d always considered himself an expert on women. Always knowing what to say, what to do, how to manipulate the situation. Rae stumped him at every turn.

Maybe Sam was right, Luke thought as he pulled on his sweats then nabbed the menu. Maybe there was something to be said for patience.

Rae wasn’t sure how long she’d been in the shower. Hands braced on the tiles, chin dipped, she allowed the pulsating water to pound the back of her head and shoulders. A small fanciful part of her willed the water to wash away her problems. Another small part of her beckoned the pounding water to jog her good senses.

Rationally she knew her judgment and emotions were all over the place. She knew for a fact she was a smart person. A grounded person. Yet lately she’d been making questionable choices and acting in irrational ways. Chances were most people didn’t notice. It’s not like she socialized all that much. But she noticed. And she was pretty sure Luke noticed.

He’d mentioned hormones. She’d read something about that. No doubt a contributor, but not the sole cause. She couldn’t pinpoint her reasons for acting rashly or out of character. She didn’t like media attention and yet she’d fully planned to monopolize on her new inheritance and famous mother in order promote the Cupcake Lovers cause. She’d told herself and Luke that she could handle it and then she’d bobbled her composure when the news had actually hit the fan.

She’d put the Cupcake Lovers at legal risk when she’d offered to back their publishing project without fully researching the matter first.

She’d dealt a low blow to Luke by bringing his dyslexia into their argument, but she’d felt backed into a corner and she’d lashed out.

For all her education, for all her confidence, Rae was intimidated by Geoffrey Stein. Olivia had been married to him for five years now. And although Rae hadn’t lived in their home all that much, she’d been there enough to overhear several snatches of Geoffrey’s business conversations, whether in person or over the phone. The man was ruthless. Ruthless and powerful.

And he hated Rae for rebuffing him.

She remembered the first time she caught him looking at her in an inappropriate way. And the second and the third. It made her uncomfortable. Then again, she’d caught him looking at other women as well, his appreciative gaze lingering a scant second too long. Since he was always highly attentive and even affectionate toward Olivia, Rae had chalked Geoffrey’s wandering eye up to annoying, but harmless.

Lots of men ogled.

Lots of men flirted.

That didn’t mean they cheated.

Since Rae so badly wanted to bond with her mother the few times she was home from college, she made a concerted effort to get along with Geoffrey. She’d considered their relationship platonic if not genuinely warm.

But then he’d cornered her last year, on the Christmas just after her twenty-fourth birthday. That year, Rae had joined Olivia and Geoffrey for a string of holiday parties. Olivia had been drinking heavily and enjoying the attention of a Hollywood producer. Rae had been exhausted and uncomfortable and ready to call a cab. Only Geoffrey had offered to drive her back to the mansion, saying he’d return later for Olivia.

Rae hadn’t realized how inebriated Geoffrey had been until he’d followed her up the stairs and pinned her against the hall wall, just shy of her bedroom. She’d been stunned when he’d pressed in and kissed her. She’d been horrified. She’d turned her head, broken the kiss. She’d told him to back off but he’d leaned in harder, accusing her of playing games.

“ You know you want this. ”

But she didn’t.

Her stomach turned, remembering how she’d frozen when his hand slid up her thigh. But then her instincts had kicked in and she’d shoved and kneed him, escaping into her bedroom and locking the door. She’d broken out in a sweat, heart pounding in fear. Would he try to break in?

He didn’t.

But he did issue a threat through the door, his voice tight with anger and pain. He’d accused her of asking for it. He’d listed signs. He’d called her a prick-teaser and he’d promised if she breathed a word of this to Olivia or anyone else, he’d deny it. And if that didn’t work he’d say Rae started it and he’d ended it. That she was trying to make trouble because he’d scorned her.

Rae had spent a sleepless night with those taunts ringing in her ears.

“ You asked for it. ”

She’d racked her brain, recalling the instances Geoffrey had mentioned. The signs . But she was certain in her heart of hearts that he’d misconstrued her intentions. She kept telling herself that he was drunk. Maybe he’d apologize in the morning.…

But it had only gotten worse.

A knock on the bathroom snapped Rae out of her tawdry reflections.

“Everything okay?” Luke called.

Rae turned off the shower, sluicing water from her face. “Be out in a minute.”