Beauty and the Billionaire

BACK TO THE WAY WE WERE

No, I breathed it in the air.

It was there in the quick rise and fall of his chest. The clenching of his fists. The stiffness of his shoulders.

I stared up at him and gulp audibly.

His gaze was completely black again. It was like he could kill Rossi and not feel an ounce of guilt about it.

He started to push me away, but I blocked his path so my back was to his front and I was facing Scott. "Take him out, please. And make sure he's nowhere to be seen around here."

Scott nodded. And then dragged Rossi's bloodied body of the house with Romero and the other two behind him.

"I'll go and check," André said. I nodded.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath.  I turned around about to curse Austin, too, but I was transfixed by the slow, but clear lighting of his eyes.

The black had dissipated and was now replaced by his usual mesmerizing blue. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone showing off his skin.

Under the lights, his tanned skin contrasted against the white shirt. Due to his fight he had two bruises against his cheek and collarbone. His right shoulder was drooping to the side like he couldn't keep it upright.

Even in his dishevelled state, he still looked every bit the gorgeous bastard.

"Have you lost it? What is wrong with you? You could've killed him!"

His gaze penetrated mine. "That was the plan. Until you interrupted."

"I interrupted? Did you want to go to jail? He's a lawyer for God's sake. You couldn't have escaped it no matter what," I tried to be reasonable with him.

His nostrils flared as he leaned down towards me, "I don't give a flying fuck about who he is. He called my wife a slut. He had to pay."

My voice softened just a little. "And your wife doesn't want her husband to go to jail because of an asshole."

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he clenched it. His eye twitched. And then he straightened to his full height and tried to step pass me but I blocked his way.

"Where are you going?" I was not letting him go outside right now.

He rubbed his jaw, "I'm not going to kill him if that's what you're worried about. "

"But--"

He shook his head like he was tired of all of this. "Go to your room, Eva. Rossi won't die. At least not today." And then he left.

And I was left wondering what the hell just happened.

***************************

Back to my room, I was lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling when the door of my room barged open. I almost yelped when I saw my husband standing at the threshold still in his dress shirt and pants. It was almost midnight and he still hadn't changed.

What was he doing here?

"Austin?" I whispered into the darkness.