Roses are Red by Jasmine Hill Read Free Book Online

“She obviously has a home to go to, and I need to spend some private time with my fiancé,” she finished, her voice turning husky and seductive.
    Rhett winced and Lucy gasped audibly. If she had thought that things couldn’t get any worse, she’d been sorely mistaken. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. It was bad enough that this woman was obviously planning a seduction, and clearly she had some history with Rhett, but her last pronouncement had been like a slap in the face.
    “Please, Rhett,” Lucy whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, perhaps. Have a nice night.” She didn’t wait for him to say anything further but pushed past him. Without looking back, she walked briskly down the hallway and to the elevator that would take her to the lobby and to the safety of distance.
    Lucy stumbled to her car in a daze. Her fingers were shaking and tears blurred her vision. She fumbled with her keys, until eventually she managed to unlock the driver’s door.
    Once in the seclusion of her car, she let the tears flow unchecked. She couldn’t describe the sensations swamping her—mortification, betrayal and indignation came close. Why would Rhett deceive her like that? What had he hoped to gain?
    Lucy started the car. She needed to leave. She didn’t want Rhett to follow, then a high-pitched laugh escaped her. Why would he even attempt to come after her, given what she had just discovered? In fact, he and his fiancée were probably laughing about the old lady’s gullibility. Her mortification level increased and a searing pain shot through her at the thought.
    How could I have been so stupid? she mentally castigated herself. I knew that this younger man was too good to be true. Why would anyone like Rhett Hunter be interested in me?
    The pain was deep and intense, and she wanted nothing more than to go home, soak in a hot bath and lick her wounds.
    She drove home on autopilot, all the while thinking about what had just transpired in Rhett’s office. There was no question that Camille would be considered beautiful by anyone’s standards, and she was younger, late twenties or early thirties. A perfect match for Rhett. Why would he cheat on her?
    “And why choose me to aid and abet in his betrayal?” But it wasn’t just she whom he had betrayed, he’d also betrayed Camille. She couldn’t work out why he had gone so far as to invite her to the Valentine’s Ball. Surely it hadn’t been a serious invitation. Why would he risk being seen publicly with her when he was engaged to Camille?
    Nothing made sense and she definitely couldn’t reconcile the cheating, hurtful actions of Rhett with the man that she had come to know.
    She wasn’t sure how she was going to face him again. The prospect of seeing him daily while she completed the interior design task was unwelcome and worrying. She would just have to straighten her spine, be brave and pretend that he hadn’t hurt her. Acting professionally, and like their sexual encounters had never occurred, would be the only way to maintain her dignity.
    She parked the car in her garage, glad to finally be home. She’d entered the house and had just removed her high heels when the doorbell rang.
    It couldn’t be Rhett, surely. He didn’t know her address but, then again, it wouldn’t be hard for him to find out. She walked to her front door, peeked through the spy hole and sighed heavily—her day was going from bad to worse.
    Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. “Hello, James. What are you doing here?” she said to her ex-husband.

Chapter Eight
     
     
     
    Rhett was angry with himself and absolutely incensed with Camille. He knew that she wanted to resurrect their relationship. She had called him often enough and he’d worried about dealing with her when she returned to town, but he hadn’t figured on her arriving early and breezing into his office to announce that she was still his fiancée!
    He could only imagine what Lucy was feeling after that