Cash watched Natalia as she disappeared into the next room. He’d barely been able to contain his shock when he saw her. She’d lost so much weight. Her oval face had hollowed out, and her beautiful midnight-blue eyes had dulled—no doubt because of the pain he’d caused. She obviously hadn’t been taking care of herself. His chest tightened uncomfortably. He closed his eyes and dragged in a shuddering breath as remorse gnawed at his insides. He’d fucked everything up, and now he had no choice but to share the very thing he’d kept hidden for so long. He was taking a monumental risk, but without it, he wouldn’t have a chance of getting her back—and damn, he wanted her back.

Feeling an urge to take care of her, he opened her fridge. Inside, he found a couple of eggs, half a bag of spinach, and a small piece of cheese. He’d watched his housekeeper, Anna, make quite a few omelettes, so cooking one shouldn’t be too difficult for his piss-poor culinary skills.

He beat the eggs in a bowl, grated the cheese, and tore up the spinach. The shower went silent. A couple of minutes later, the hairdryer started up. When it switched off, he poured a little oil into a frying pan and tipped in the eggy mixture.

Sensing rather than hearing Natalia behind him, he glanced over his shoulder. She was hovering in the doorway, nibbling on her fingernails.

“I made you an omelette,” he said, pointing his chin at the small table in the corner, indicating for her to sit.

“Will it be edible?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “I hope so. It falls within my narrow repertoire, but then again, it’s egg based.”

Natalia didn’t return his smile. Instead, she dug into the pocket of a coat hanging on the back of the kitchen door. She pulled out her phone and sank into a chair at the small table.

“Are you calling Pete, Emmalee, or the police?”

She met his gaze, but instead of the soft, loving expression she used to look at him with, her eyes held a hard edge. “I’m not calling anyone. I said I’d hear you out, and I will. But after that, I want you to respect my wishes and leave.”

His insides tightened and fear congealed in his chest as he flipped the omelette over and slid it onto a plate. He put the food and a cup of tea in front of her and sat down opposite.

“I’m hoping when you’ve heard me out, you won’t want me to leave.”

She made a derisive sound as she sliced a piece of the omelette with her fork. “Sure of yourself as always, Cash?”

“No,” he said quietly. “But sometimes things aren’t as they seem.”

She snorted. “Still sticking to the same story, I see.”

Her harsh tone made his heart clench. “It’s not a story. It happens to be the truth.”

She laughed, the sound short and bitter. “If you say so.”

Cash didn’t bite. It wasn’t worth it. He needed her full attention and to tell her everything from the beginning. Then she’d know he hadn’t cheated.

She finished the omelette, put her knife and fork together on the plate, and picked up her tea. “That wasn’t bad.”

“I must be improving.”

She sipped her drink, peering at him over the rim of the mug. “How did you find me?”

“Private detective. His name’s Frank, and he’s excellent.”

She pressed her lips together in a tight line and glared at him. “Stalking women isn’t something to be proud of.”

She was being belligerent, but he could hardly blame her. He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. “Don’t.”

He withdrew, ignoring the pang in his chest. She rose from her chair and, without saying a word, carried her tea into the next room. Cash took a deep breath and followed her. When he walked into the living room, Natalia was sitting on a chair, her feet tucked beneath her. She was nibbling at the inside of her cheek.

He sat on the sofa and leaned forward to warm his hands on the log fire. “This is a nice room.”

Natalia let out a deep sigh. “Just say what you’ve come to say, Cash.”

“Don’t you love me anymore?” The words spilled out before he’d had the chance to filter them, and her eyes sparked in defiance as she gave a disbelieving shake of her head.

“Starting with the low blows, Cash? And if I remember rightly, I never said I loved you.”

He exhaled on a gasp as though he’d been punched in the back, and his lungs burned in protest. “Wow.” He looked away and stared out of the window, unwilling to let her see his pain.

“You destroyed any love I had for you with your secrets and lies and cheating.”

Once again, he opened his mouth to deny he’d cheated on her, but it wouldn’t do any good. “I’ll tell you everything, and I ask only two things in return.”

“What?” Natalia chewed on the skin around her thumb.

“Try not to judge me, at least until you’ve heard it all. Afterwards, if you choose to throw me out, well…” He shrugged. “There’s not much more I can do.”

“Okay. And the second?”

“Sit with me.” He patted the spare seat next to his. “This is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I need you beside me.”

Natalia hesitated, and for a minute, he thought she was going to refuse. But then she rose from her chair and sat alongside him.

He took a deep breath and wiped clammy hands on his jeans. This was going to be fucking painful.