“Mr. Economou? A Monique Pratt is waiting on line two for you.”

Beep, beep.

“Mr. Economou?”

Beep, beep.

The spell that lust had cast upon them eventually broke under the night housekeeper’s repeated inquiries via intercom, and Hallie shakily pressed one hand over her trembling lips as Andreus whipped away from her with a muttered expletive.

She watched Andreus angrily stride away with dazed eyes, heart still pounding hard, and her head still reeling from what almost happened. Even her body had yet to calm down, and the embarrassing amount of wetness soaking her panties had Hallie physically squirming.

What felt so right and good earlier now felt terribly wrong and humiliating – especially as Monique Pratt didn’t appear to be just anyone in Andreus’ life.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you at this time, Mr. Economou.” With Andreus having switched the intercom call to loudspeaker, the night housekeeper’s voice easily carried all the way to the couch Hallie had finally rested her shaking limbs on. “But I was told that you were to be informed right away if Ms. Pratt calls.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Andreus’ dark gaze swung to meet Hallie’s as he spoke. “I’ve been expecting Monique’s call.”

After thanking the housekeeper, Andreus picked up the wireless receiver, and Hallie had to strain her ears to hear what he was saying. His voice had lowered into a velvety purr, and it was a sound she was very much familiar with. It was the voice he only used with women he had fucked – and therefore a voice she had only heard him use with other women.

But never her.

She found herself covering her mouth again, but this time it was so she wouldn’t accidentally cry out.

Oh, Siri.

What do I do now?

Andreus was still talking on the phone, all the while keeping his gaze on her, and she couldn’t help thinking he was doing it deliberately, couldn’t help but think he was doing this just because she had made him promise.

Please stop making me feel so special.

And so here he was, hurting her instead.

The thought had Hallie reaching for her phone with clumsy haste. She was hurting so, so much, and she just wanted…she just needed…

Jerking her gaze away from Andreus, she quickly typed a question to Siri.

Hallie: Hey, Siri. Tell me something funny.

Siri: Does anyone want to buy my old vacuum cleaner?

Siri: It’s just gathering dust.

She instinctively choked back a laugh, and the strangling pain in her chest eased, just enough for her to start breathing again.

Andreus’ jaw clenched when he saw the way Hallie’s eyes suddenly sparkled as she read something on her phone. Sir Asshole to the rescue once more, he thought savagely, and Andreus had to literally contain himself before he ended up crushing his phone in anger.

“I have to go,” he told Monique the moment she paused for breath.

“Oh. Umm. Did I disturb you? I’m sorry if I did.”

His curt voice had obviously taken her aback, and with the slight hurt threading through her voice just as unmistakable, Andreus cursed himself silently for lashing out.

He made an effort to soften his voice when he spoke again, murmuring, “I should be the one saying sorry, chérie.” He saw Hallie stiffen at hearing the endearment, but he didn’t let it get to him. “I’m just tied up at the moment.”

“I understand.” Just like that, the hurt from her voice had disappeared, and Monique once again sounded her usual self, her tone soft and placid.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. Good night, Andreus.”

“Good night.”

After returning the wireless receiver to its charging pod, Andreus turned back to face Hallie again, and the first thing he noticed was her smile. It was too damn bright again. Too dazzling, he thought, that it couldn’t be real.

“So…Monique Pratt.” Hallie showed her iPhone to him, its screen displaying the other woman’s photo from LinkedIn. “Is this her?”

“Her father is one of the possible major investors we might welcome into the fold, and Monique’s acting as his liaison while he’s in Greece for a conference.”

All very plausible, Hallie thought, and in the past, she would have let him get away with it.

But things weren’t the same as before now.

“You’re dating that kind of girl now?”

The question halted Andreus midway to the bar, and he slowly turned to face Hallie again. “That kind of girl?”

“You used to limit yourself to girls who I couldn’t be seriously jealous about.” Her smile grew just a little brighter. “But Monique Pratt’s different. She has everything going for her – she’s beautiful, smart, accomplished. A trophy girlfriend and a business asset all at once, isn’t she?”

Andreus refused to show how much it irritated him that she had Monique perfectly pegged. Raising one brow at her, he asked silkily instead, “Jealous?”

Hallie didn’t even hesitate. “Of course.” She saw him jerk, and she would’ve laughed if she could. It was just so rare to see Andreus caught off guard. “I’m done hiding my feelings, remember?” She saw Andreus start to speak, and she quickly shook her head. “Don’t. There’s no need to say s-sorry.” Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her voice from catching at the end. “We h-had a deal, remember?”

And so they did, Andreus thought bleakly. She had asked, he had promised, and so all he could do was shove his hands deep into the back pockets of his jeans as he watched her rise somewhat precariously to her feet.

“I, umm, think I overstayed my welcome.”

Her gaze avoided his, and the smile she tossed at his general direction was wobbly.

Keep her heart broken.

Andreus watched her walk away, and he had to remind himself doggedly of his promise.

Keep her heart broken.

He watched the door close behind her, and he forced himself not to run after her.

Keep her heart broken.

She disappeared entirely from his view, and the world stopped turning with her.