Knock Out (The Billionaire's Club: New Orleans) by Mallery Malone Page B
Authors: Mallery Malone
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father. You can’t just yell and throw money and issue orders and expect everything to go your way. Intimidation is no way to be a family.”
“Intimidation?” He abruptly stilled, body tense as if awaiting a blow. “You’re afraid, aren’t you? Afraid of me, of what I might do.”
She wanted to deny it, but couldn’t make the lie come. “Yes.”
He took a step back from her with a pained groan, a stricken look on his face that hurt her heart to see. “Christ, Rennie, just say that you don’t think I’d be good husband and father material and leave it at that. No need to twist my balls off while you’re at it.”
He turned on his heel and stalked away.
CHAPTER NINE
What the hell just happened?
Pain gripped Renata’s heart, obliterating the need to call Sebastian back, to apologize. He’d looked at her as if she’d sucker-punched him. As if she’d broken his heart instead of the other way around.
She stared up at the night sky, struggling to breathe past the sobs that threatened to choke her. How could he not understand that there were things she wanted too—things she needed to hear from him? She’d promised herself that she’d be on her own rather than be with a man who didn’t love her, a man who only wanted what he could take from her. Even though the love she felt for Sebastian was all-consuming, even though he offered everything any sane woman could ask for or hope to have, being with him wouldn’t work if it was one-sided. Without love, it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
Even now she felt her resolve weakening. Even now she wanted to apologize to him, to give in and say yes to a man who only spoke about what he wanted, not what they wanted or needed, or could have together if they both loved each other. So what if he didn’t love her? Maybe he wasn’t capable of love—it wasn’t like he’d had a good example of it growing up. Maybe all he could offer was the physical passion. She’d be a fool to refuse him—she’d have the children she wanted, the security of marriage … and she’d slowly die inside, waiting for Sebastian to inevitably choose something or someone else over her like he’d done before.
“Renata.”
She turned to find Duparte standing in the doorway. Disappointment weighted down his features and Renata knew somehow that she was the one who’d disappointed him. The pain spread through her chest, leaving her gasping for breath and fighting tears.
“Mr. Duparte,” she managed, trying to find enough air to speak, to apologize, to ask about Sebastian. Her lungs refused to work, but she tried. “Armand …”
Concern chased away disappointment as he took a step forward, reaching for her. “Renata, are you all right?”
She shook her head violently, arms wrapped around herself in a futile effort to keep from falling apart. Sebastian had finally broken her, and it took all her energy to keep herself together. She could fall apart later when she was alone. Except she’d have to go back to Sebastian’s house, get her things … “Oh, God.”
Duparte guided her to a bench and eased her down. “Breathe,” he ordered, rubbing a hand on her spine. “Breathe in, now out. That’s it.”
She did as he asked, and the burn slowly eased from her lungs. Minutes passed as she sat there, holding back tears as Duparte comforted her. It so reminded her of five years ago, when her father had comforted her after Bas broke up with her, and tears spilled again.
“Why can’t he love me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Inwardly she cringed at the pathetic sound, but she needed to know and Duparte was the closest Bas had to a father figure. “I promised myself that I wouldn’t open myself up to him again but I did and I’ve let him hurt me. Again. But it hurts so much worse this time. I know his childhood wasn’t the best, but I’d hoped … is it something about me or something in his past that makes him unable to love?”
Duparte looked at
“Intimidation?” He abruptly stilled, body tense as if awaiting a blow. “You’re afraid, aren’t you? Afraid of me, of what I might do.”
She wanted to deny it, but couldn’t make the lie come. “Yes.”
He took a step back from her with a pained groan, a stricken look on his face that hurt her heart to see. “Christ, Rennie, just say that you don’t think I’d be good husband and father material and leave it at that. No need to twist my balls off while you’re at it.”
He turned on his heel and stalked away.
CHAPTER NINE
What the hell just happened?
Pain gripped Renata’s heart, obliterating the need to call Sebastian back, to apologize. He’d looked at her as if she’d sucker-punched him. As if she’d broken his heart instead of the other way around.
She stared up at the night sky, struggling to breathe past the sobs that threatened to choke her. How could he not understand that there were things she wanted too—things she needed to hear from him? She’d promised herself that she’d be on her own rather than be with a man who didn’t love her, a man who only wanted what he could take from her. Even though the love she felt for Sebastian was all-consuming, even though he offered everything any sane woman could ask for or hope to have, being with him wouldn’t work if it was one-sided. Without love, it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
Even now she felt her resolve weakening. Even now she wanted to apologize to him, to give in and say yes to a man who only spoke about what he wanted, not what they wanted or needed, or could have together if they both loved each other. So what if he didn’t love her? Maybe he wasn’t capable of love—it wasn’t like he’d had a good example of it growing up. Maybe all he could offer was the physical passion. She’d be a fool to refuse him—she’d have the children she wanted, the security of marriage … and she’d slowly die inside, waiting for Sebastian to inevitably choose something or someone else over her like he’d done before.
“Renata.”
She turned to find Duparte standing in the doorway. Disappointment weighted down his features and Renata knew somehow that she was the one who’d disappointed him. The pain spread through her chest, leaving her gasping for breath and fighting tears.
“Mr. Duparte,” she managed, trying to find enough air to speak, to apologize, to ask about Sebastian. Her lungs refused to work, but she tried. “Armand …”
Concern chased away disappointment as he took a step forward, reaching for her. “Renata, are you all right?”
She shook her head violently, arms wrapped around herself in a futile effort to keep from falling apart. Sebastian had finally broken her, and it took all her energy to keep herself together. She could fall apart later when she was alone. Except she’d have to go back to Sebastian’s house, get her things … “Oh, God.”
Duparte guided her to a bench and eased her down. “Breathe,” he ordered, rubbing a hand on her spine. “Breathe in, now out. That’s it.”
She did as he asked, and the burn slowly eased from her lungs. Minutes passed as she sat there, holding back tears as Duparte comforted her. It so reminded her of five years ago, when her father had comforted her after Bas broke up with her, and tears spilled again.
“Why can’t he love me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Inwardly she cringed at the pathetic sound, but she needed to know and Duparte was the closest Bas had to a father figure. “I promised myself that I wouldn’t open myself up to him again but I did and I’ve let him hurt me. Again. But it hurts so much worse this time. I know his childhood wasn’t the best, but I’d hoped … is it something about me or something in his past that makes him unable to love?”
Duparte looked at
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