Free Caught Up: With An Alpha Billionaire (A BWWM Romance) (A Love Like No Other Book 1) by Heather Banks Page A

seat, leaning over to shake Mark’s hand.
    “Thanks,” he said, face grim. “Sorry about all of this,” he apologized.
    “Don’t mess with a woman scorned,” I replied.
    I turned back to Alex, who was standing up out of his chair, looking thoughtfully out the window at the Chicago skyline.
    “Can we talk in your office?” He asked.

9. Verdict
     
    I sat down in my desk chair and Alex perched on the leather chair on the other side of the desk, looking a little wired.
    “So what’s the deal?” I asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. And even though I tried to set low expectations, I realized that I was a little pissed that he hadn’t called me all weekend.
    But if I was going to end up like Deirdre, maybe it was best to limit our contact.
    “Tiffany,” he said, the word heavy on his lips. “Why didn’t you call me?”
    I wasn’t sure how to respond. Here I was, pissed that he hadn’t called me, but he was just as upset? That changed the game a little bit.
    “Why would I call you?” I asked, defensively. “You had my number, too, you know. You’re a competent guy,” I said. “I’m assuming you know how to dial a phone.”
    “I wanted to talk to you all weekend,” He admitted, leaning back in the chair, crossing his ankle over his knee. “But I wasn’t sure if I should. And this morning I tried to catch you before we went in to the deposition. I wanted to talk to you before all this went down, but you didn’t answer your phone.”
    “I always leave my phone at my desk when I go in to a meeting, and I like to get there early,” I said, the realization that he had probably tried to call when I was in the conference room early dawning on me.
    Alex nodded. “That’s why I was late. I kept trying to get you, and I left my office too late. Then I got stuck in traffic.
    “Look, Alex,” I sighed, studying my fingernails, reluctant to make eye contact.
    “Wait,” he interrupted. “Before you talk, let me say what I was going to say when I called you.”
    He looked so earnest, I couldn’t deny him. “Okay. Shoot.”
    “I wanted to talk to you before the deposition because…well, because I knew I was going to come out looking like an asshole.” He admitted. “I knew Deirdre was going to bring up how I treated her, and while I still don’t think I did anything wrong where she was concerned, I’m kind of sorry for how it all ended up. “
    “It does sound like you treated her like shit,” I pointed out.
    “I know,” he agreed, uncrossing and re-crossing his legs. “What didn’t come out, though, is that she treated me like shit, too. She was just trying to hook me because she thought sleeping with me was a way for her to move up. When she found out it wasn’t going to work that way, she got mad and manipulative. That’s why her behavior got so erratic and I had to fire her.”
    “Sounds like you both used each other – you used her for sex, she used you to get ahead,” I observed. “So you’re both assholes.”
    “Yeah, I know,” he said, looking away, somewhat embarrassed. “But that’s not how I wanted you to see me.”
    “What do you want me to see?” I asked, irritated. “Because you know what I see now?  A guy who treated another woman like dirt, then moved on to me. You fucked me and told me to screw off. Then you apologized, fucked me again, and didn’t bother to call. That isn’t a great image, Alex,” I spat.
    “I can’t change what I’ve done, or how it looks,” he said, growing frustrated. “But I can change things going forward.”
    I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest.
    “How? By not sleeping with me again?” I asked.
    Stan was right. I could feel it in my bones; this is where he broke my heart, despite my best attempts to stay distant. I had a sinking feeling that when Alex Richardson walked out of my office after we were done, I’d never see him again.
    “No, by sleeping with you every chance I got, and also treating you