Tempting the Tycoon

Chapter 23

Sydney whipped around on her heels and strode away through the crowd, relieved that the quiver in her voice had been barely audible as she'd delivered her parting line to Alexios. She may have dealt the last word, but she felt no pride for it. She'd just kissed off the man she loved. She sped up, feeling her chin begin to tremble. Don't cry. You're stronger than that, for god's sake!

"Syd, come back!"

She heard his voice, detected a matching quaver as he said her name, but she steeled herself against turning around. He still hadn't said the words she needed to hear, the promise that she had been more than just a summer fling. The assurance that he needed her as much as she needed him. She couldn't allow herself to settle for anything less than that, not when she knew she loved him. So she continued to walk away on recalcitrant legs, sliding her body between two groups of people just as the MC began to announce the next selection of songs.

Chatter came to her from all around, happy, celebratory conversations that underscored the good time everyone else was having. There was no room here for a squabbling, has-been pair of lovers who could no longer see eye to eye about their relationship. She needed to escape, at least until Alexios gave up on her and left. She could hang out in the background until she gained control of her emotions.

Keeping her head ducked, swiping at the tears that had begun to fall against her wishes, she forged ahead, slipping amongst the merry-makers while the musicians tuned up. She wished like hell that the band would start to play something, anything just to mask her exit and erase that last expression on Alexios's face that floated in front of her. That stricken look that told her he hadn't expected her to spurn him once he'd persevered in getting through the barriers she'd erected.

Ha! He probably thought that showed how much he cared for her. All it really proved was how persistent he was in getting his way. She needed more from him, and since that didn't look likely to happen, she would just crawl off and lick her wounds in private. Her eyes filled with more tears of self-pity.

God, how pathetic was she, crying over a break-up that was two weeks old? Crying because the man had dared to come here just to tell her she'd blind-sided him with her pronouncement. It didn't matter that he'd looked...sad. It was what he'd said that mattered. Blind-sided him?—

Suddenly someone stepped in her way, so abruptly that she ran into him. Immediately her hands braced against his shirtfront as she looked up to see who had now thwarted her getaway, her heart skipping a beat in hopeful anticipation that it might be Alexios. But when she lifted her watery gaze to see who blocked her way, she nearly groaned aloud. It wasn't the man of her dreams. It was Orrin. Great. The Verga brothers were tag-teaming her.

The serious expression he wore gave her pause. It was the first one she'd ever seen on his face. It appeared at odds with his features, for he always looked ready to laugh. But not now. Now he resembled his older brother, all grave and focused with those tense lines bracketing his mouth that on Alexios made her want to smooth them away with gentle fingers, but on Orrin simply told her he was displeased with her. She huffed out a loud sigh and dropped her hands from his chest.

"I don't want to talk to you, Orrin. This is where I work. Now let me get by."

He studied her face for long seconds, and Sydney clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides. She hoped he wouldn't notice the tracks of her silent tears, though the way her luck had been playing out lately she didn't hold high hopes. But then he moved aside and she started forward, surprised that he'd acquiesced so easily. She'd nearly passed him when he spoke.

"He loves you, you know."

She froze in mid-step. As the band began to play that champagne music her predecessor loved she slowly swung around. Orrin was still there, still somber. She searched his face, could see no deception in it. But that didn't have to mean anything, even though her blood began to pulse thickly through her veins at his pronouncement. She went on the offensive.