Free Just Tell Me (The Justice Series) by Emma Appleton Page B

her finger swelled red around it. It was fucking awful. She looked up and saw Daniel watching the whole thing from the doorway and his face darkened as she stared at him, he turned to walk away and she stood up, almost unaware that she had a glass in her hand as it tipped onto the table.  Andrew didn’t miss her reaction and he watched as she ran out of the bar.  He looked at the partners of Nicole’s law firm, he had made some good contacts and some good impressions tonight, they could do business and he smiled apologetically.
    She ran to the door to find him, her hand automatically tried to get the ring off her finger but it was too late and the swelling would have to go down, it was too late for Daniel too, he had already gone
    “Daniel!” she exclaimed and suddenly her head was clear, she knew he would have seen her with Andrew and got the wrong idea.  He wasn’t the type of man that would deal with that well .  She had to find him, the hotel would know his last name and she ran to the reception. The woman looked at her with interest as Nicole spoke, her make up was running from the tears and she knew who she meant, Daniel MacIntyre; he owned the hotel and others across Scotland.  She was under strict instructions to never give out any personal information on Mr MacIntyre; it was more than her job was worth.   She also knew the reputation he had with women and felt quite sorry for this girl.  She knew exactly who she was, and the hotel staff had already gossiped about Daniel’s latest conquest and the consensus was Nicole certainly wasn’t his usual type. 
    She bent down and whispered “I’m not supposed to say, but he sent a message saying he had checked out, he’s not coming back tonight hunny, I’m sorry”. 
    Nicole couldn’t stop the tears as they ran down her cheeks; she wiped them away as she felt the presence of Andrew behind her.
    “What’s going on?  Why did you run from the table Nicole? What’s wrong wi th you?”  His voice was hard, she knew he would drag it on all night and the receptionist watched in interest.
    “It was a shock.  Why did you ask me to marry you Andrew?  In front of my partners?  You knew I had no choice but to say yes didn’t you? Why?”  She stared at him in the hotel foyer and the st rength returned.  This was it, she was going to leave him.
    “It’s collateral Nicole.  See it as an opportunity, you think anyone would want to marry you?”
    “ I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth” she looked at him levelly “I hate you. Have the flat I just wish you would leave me alone” the tears ran down her cheeks from anger and frustration and she wished she had picked up her bag from the table. She wanted to run to her hotel room and hide away, her mind was spinning. She had slept with the first good looking man who had paid her any attention and she felt used, as she thought about her wanton lust for a passing stranger and how she had poured her heart out to him, and what had he thought when he saw Andrew? Now she had this mess to contend with, she had to be strong and she wiped her eyes and strode over to the table, the partners were watching her with interest.
    “Gentlemen I’m sorry . It’s been a long night and quite a shock I think I need to go to bed now” she smiled thinly picked up her bag and walked away from them. It wasn’t the celebration they expected and she knew words would be said, gossip for the office but she no longer cared, she walked towards the lift and Andrew followed her. 
    “Look Nicole” his voice softened and she knew he was trying a different tactic “Come on, I just thought” he looked at her, the man she had fallen in love with years ago stared back, not the monster he had become. “I thought it could be a fresh start, for both of us” He reached out for her arm, a sickly smile playing on his lips and her stomach churned in disgust as the lift doors opened. 
    “You can come to my room for your