Deadly Temptation (Book 3)

Deadly Temptation (25)

"Thank you for picking me up... I really needed someone to talk to and I wanted to apologize for how we left things... and for ignoring your calls. It took me days but I realized what I did was unfair." She exhaled and looked out the window of the moving car.

His silence only urged her to continue. "I really fucked up, if you haven't noticed yet," she nervously laughed. "I'm just so tired of messing everything up. You were right. I let this... this thing consume me and now I only made things worse," she closed her eyes to suppress the tears. She hated being this weak. She hated not being able to control her life.

After her phone call, Marshall had emerged from the house saying that it was a dead end. No utility bill, no credit card statement... nothing that would elude to the identity of this person. He drove her back into the city where she told Marshall to let her off at the closest coffee shop.

Suddenly, Keith held both her hands and forced her to look at him. "I've been a hypocrite, so don't kick yourself too much."

"What do you mean?" She looked up into his green eyes as the lights came in and out as the car drove on the highway.

"I'll tell you more later. For right now, let's just get your mind off the subject. How does dinner sound?" He brought her hands up to his lips to kiss them. He couldn't resist kissing some part of her. It was too overwhelming.

"Unless you plan on being in the tabloids... I'd prefer some takeout and we eat somewhere secluded."

"As you wish," he softly smiled before telling his driver to pull up at the nearest drive-thru.

"Since when do you have a driver?" She whispered so he wouldn't hear.

"Since I became a very important man," he told her. "It's just easier."

"Keith," she fully turned to him, "I really am sorry for the way I reacted at the party."

"You had every right to," he shushed her, "I should have told you what I was going through and I hurt you by not doing that. I'm sorry too."

Janessa smiled. This was good, they were making progress and maybe now they could be friends.

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Hours later, they were back at his apartment with Janessa staring down at the lights while nursing a glass of wine. She had offered to go back to his place— needing somewhere to lay low that wasn't her house and not worry about paparazzi watching her every move. Keith had informed her that Kimmy was gone for weeks abroad trying to get her shoe company off the ground.

Janessa thought it was a load of crap but Kieth assured her it was the first thing she was passionate about and he was trying to nurture her business side.

"Sounds like quite the power couple," she sneered while taking a sip.

"It's complicated. I made her father a promise—this isn't about me and her."

"Funny, I never took you for the gold digger type," she scowled.

"So much for trying to be civil." He sighed before getting up from the couch and setting his glass of scotch down on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "It's just a lot to take in. I'm sorry,"

"I'm speaking with my lawyers to figure out a loophole for the prenup. She wants out and so do I. I hate that I would be disappointing Sean but I have no problem transferring everything to his daughter. That's why I'm trying to get her into the business world. She might like it," he shrugged.