Seducing my ex husband back

ANDER

lt like a loaded

ching through the window as Cl

her build. She was nothing like the broken

her screamed succe

ng except

shadows of Richard

ator: 'Blackwood Industries stock down 15% this w

brother's empire? Or watching the woman I had

osing. God knows I fough

arrangement from the beginning. No compli

it that way-tried to maintain th

he woman Richard had called useless, pathetic, worthless

but 'Claire'. The woman who made

ffice hours just to grab dinner bec

d made love to despit

xpected to

s Blackwood fucked his secreta

iant, beautiful, and naive enough to believe a m

Switzerland. Told her to "handle the problem"

come home. She raised me alone in Geneva, working hersel

father was until the

al bed, "you have a brother. Richard Blackwood.

three da

at night, I had my mind set on destroying

caused my mother and me. Thomas Blackwo

refused to a

ving the life that s

om the ground up, made su

rcling the internet-how he had thrown away his wife for his secret lover, his w

t I had heard was an easy woman, then use her to take

s, but different. I wasn't normally the type t

d herself together despit

hrist, I had lost control. Pinned her again

ked permission from any woman I planned on bedding.

have said love from this woman was suffocating? I

oke into sobs, I pulled away, hating mys

be forcefully kissed by another man, especially one wh

e man, and that man was

e been. I didn't know this woman apart from

ire surp

ing me. How bold-her body and actions scr

ill loved Richard. Too

e else to fund her stupid revenge fantasy. She was

y her eyes, by her beauty, by e

ight up like I had handed her candy. She was beaut

would keep Claire, maybe like a consolation prize whe

ar had

ning all my expectations. Gaining l

s office crying into my arms-was the same Claire now closing business deals,

sformatio

that, I found m

eeping with different women-but there w

anks to Marie's advice about stopping hid

to take that st

to know that Clair

, to open the box, to say the words

s. I watched her face cycle through surprise,

don't understan

d, the ring box still open bet

taneously. I did love her-God help me, I lo

lso need

returned to New York. Needed

," I continued, stepping closer.

he might say no. Might see through me to the

whispere

nto her finger. She was mine now. Mine to protect, mine to lov

felt her respond without trul

yes to the r

d Claire from my embrace, my fingers twis

ught you wanted dinner, not a proposal, so

ging her shoulder as we made

ring. But it wasn't a genuine smile-it was one

love it?"

he said, but her voi

lifted her chin, staring

ed slightly, and

nd pulling her into my arms, kissing her with

*****

ood in front of our floor-to-ceiling window in her purple robe, an emp

he had been quiet since we had

obe, I carried a bott

the view?

." She lifted her head, her bob still w

s mag

k straight from the bottle as I stared a

for New York soon

ssing the information. I hadn't plan

ing us to leave s

ng through a financial crisis. They're at risk of bankruptcy.

gne in one gulp. I could

kissing her neck. "Are you scar

yes-that would assure me she no longer

ay, a smile plaste

tting ready for this past y

but I smiled. "

ached for the wine glass. And when she thought I was

anning our arrival. I

it ea

already out o

the lake and drinking from the bottle in my

phone with Marcus, planning our

sformed back into the Claire the world

ent of vulnerability when she had realized she

ccelerate the timeline. I want detailed reports on Richar

onica Hayes. If she's still in the

ness. "You're not taking her. I

uld destroy anyone who d

e house, making calls and planning our return, I w

e everything we had built, despite the

weapon in her war against the m

venge. Fine. I would

ed revenge couldn't heal a broken heart. When she disco

ned early that sometimes love meant taking what y

ciall

n't let anyone-not Richard, not Claire's misguided h

in, getting the scraps of

d to break he