The Ultimate Merger by Delaney Diamond Read Free Book Online Page B

from the darkened interior, slowly coming toward her. The
shirtsleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to reveal his bronze, hair
sprinkled forearms.
    She set her shoes
on the table against the mirrored wall and planted her most becoming smile on
her face in an effort to counteract the disapproving set of his.
    “Sweetheart, I’m
sorry I didn’t get here earlier. Feel free to give me a spanking,” she teased.
    He didn’t crack a
smile, stopping a few feet away. “Where have you been?” he asked in an oddly
quiet voice.
    “At the office, of
course,” she answered. She couldn’t decipher the strange look on his face.
    “Working late
again. You knew I was coming back tonight, but you couldn’t tear yourself away
from…whatever you were doing to be here to greet me.”
    She had really
screwed up this time. He was very upset with her. “I’m sorry, but when you see
the numbers I have, you’ll understand why I couldn’t break away.”
    He took a step
forward but stopped again. He eyed her, examining her features in a curious
way, as if he was seeing her for the first time. But there was something else.
His eyes were hard and cold. She’d finally pushed him too far.
    “Renny, I know
you’re mad at me. I’ll make it up to you.” For the first time, Sabrina noticed
the photos in his hand. They were turned inward toward his leg, so she couldn’t
see the images, but her heart rate sped up with trepidation. “What are those?”
she asked in a low voice.
    Renaldo tossed the photos on
the floor with a mixture of anger and distaste. They fanned out across the
polished wood, and she could clearly see the images. They turned her stomach.
    “You tell me,” he said in a
quiet voice. “Who is this man and what are you doing with him?”
    Sabrina swayed, feeling
lightheaded. She reached for the table to steady herself. “Where did you get
those?” But she already knew where they came from. He’d found the photos she’d hidden away in her desk.
     “You didn’t answer the
question,” Renaldo reminded her.
    She couldn’t get the words
out because she didn’t know what to say or how to explain.
    “Were you with him tonight?”
Renaldo asked.
    Sabrina’s eyes flew to his
face. He spoke calmly, but she could see the darker emotions hidden in his
eyes, ready to unleash on her.
    “No, I was at work. I
swear,” Sabrina said, her voice trembling.
    “And why should I believe
you? It seems that when I’m out of town, you find alternative ways to keep
yourself entertained.”
    Sabrina shook her head. “No.
That’s not true.”
    He jabbed his index finger
toward the floor in barely restrained fury. “Then explain this to me.”
    His composure was slipping
fast. The words were said behind gritted teeth and his accent thickened. How
could she explain when she didn’t know herself how this could have happened?
    “I don’t know how,” she
admitted weakly.
    “They are not…” his voice
trailed off as he fumbled for the correct English word. “They are not
doctored?”
    She recognized that he was
grasping at straws, hoping she would say they were doctored photos. If only she
could. If only she didn’t know herself that she had betrayed him with her
actions. She’d managed to keep it a secret for as long as she could.
    “No,” she said quietly.
    The breath he drew in was
harsh and loud in the grave-like quiet of the house. “So you have been lying to
me and sneaking around behind my back? For how long?”
    “I never sneaked around
behind you back,” Sabrina said. “It-it just happened. I didn’t plan it.”
    Renaldo gave a disgusted
snort. “It’s hard to believe you when I find photos of you in intimate
positions with another man, hidden away in your desk for enjoyment when I am
not here.”
    “That’s not why I hid them.
I was ashamed. I didn’t want you to find them.” She pressed her palms to her
hot cheeks. “Please. You have to believe me.”
    “You should leave before I
do something I