Jacob’s voice dropped low and heavy. He stared at Claire, watching for the slightest change in her expression.
Claire shoved him away and stepped back, putting some distance between them.
"We already broke up. Who I see or get involved with is none of your business, Mr. Sinclair."
That was enough to set Jacob off.
"What the fuck did you just say? We were together for seven years, and now you’re telling me it’s none of my business?"
He gave a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "You made that shirt Miles Warren is wearing, didn’t you? Seven years and I never touched you. Now you’re sneaking around and sleeping with someone else?"
Claire’s heart sank. She hadn’t expected Jacob to notice the shirt.
"So what if I did? So what if I didn’t? Miles Warren, Miles Whatever—I’ll make clothes for whoever I want, and I’ll sleep with whoever I want."
Claire deliberately gave him no real answer.
Jacob sneered. "You think you can trade up? With your background, what man in Aethel is ever going to take you seriously? Miles will dump you the second he gets bored with you."
He tightened his grip on her shoulders. "I’m the only one who’ll give you everything you want. No strings attached."
Claire almost laughed. Miles had never treated her with anything but respect, even after she’d thrown away her pride and tried to seduce him.
Not every man was trash like Jacob.
"I don’t care if I marry Yvonne. You’re still mine, Claire. You’ll always be mine."
Jacob lowered his head and tried to force a kiss on her.
Claire raised her hand, ready to slap him as hard as she could.
The lounge door suddenly opened.
Yvonne gasped at the sight and put on a perfect show of surprise.
"Jacob? Claire? What are you two..."
Yvonne sniffed, then quickly pulled herself together and put on the gracious smile of an understanding fiancée.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were the one Jacob had been thinking about all this time. Claire, Jacob and I are only getting married for business. Today’s engagement is just for show. You don’t need to be upset or fight with him over it."
Jacob nodded and put an arm around Yvonne’s shoulders.
"See that, Claire? Now you understand why I won’t marry you? You’re not as understanding as Yvonne. You get upset over every little thing. How could you help me build an empire? That’s why Yvonne is the only woman who can be Mrs. Sinclair."
’Help him build an empire?’
Claire wanted to laugh.
Every time Sinclair Design had faced a crisis, her designs had been the ones that pulled it through.
But Claire wasn’t going to argue with a man determined not to see the truth.
She walked to the lounge door and spoke without warmth.
"Ms. Warren, there’s nothing to apologize for. Mr. Sinclair and I already broke up. We were only clearing up an old misunderstanding. I won’t interrupt you two any longer. Congratulations on your engagement. I hope you’re very happy together."
Claire closed the door behind her and walked away without looking back.
Jacob kicked over a chair in frustration and lit a cigarette.
Yvonne sat beside him, all concern.
"Jacob, you should have told me sooner. I wouldn’t have asked her to bring the scarf today, and none of this would have happened."
Jacob’s eyes stayed dark, and his voice was cold.
"Doesn’t matter. So what if she’s angry? I’m the only man in Aethel willing to give her that kind of life. She can’t leave me."
He looked at Yvonne. "What’s going on with Miles? Why does he keep stepping in for Claire?"
Yvonne laughed softly. "You’re overthinking it. My uncle has kept women at a distance for years. There’s someone he never got over. As for Claire, he probably just happened to be there and decided to help."
If she wanted Jacob’s heart, she had to endure this. She would swallow the disgust and push Claire out of his life for good.
After the engagement party ended, Claire searched the departing crowd for Miles.
She spotted him coming in from the terrace and hurried after him.
"Dr. Warren, are you leaving?"
"Yeah." Miles nodded. His gaze dropped to the red marks around her wrist, and his eyes darkened.
"It’s hard to get a cab this late. Could you give me a ride? We..." Claire pressed her lips together. "We’re going the same way."
"Okay."
The car carried the same clean, faint antiseptic scent as Miles.
Claire sat in the passenger seat and deliberately softened her voice.
"Dr. Warren, I hurt my wrist earlier. It really hurts. Could you help me with my seat belt?"
Miles paused, looking a little helpless.
He knew exactly what she was doing, but he couldn’t exactly throw her out of the car.
Miles leaned across Claire. The passenger seat suddenly felt much smaller as his arm passed in front of her to pull the belt across.
The seat belt clicked into place.
Miles started to sit back. Claire straightened and reached for her bag at the same time.
Her lips brushed his chin without warning.
Both of them froze.
An inch higher and they would have kissed.
Claire’s mind went blank. Heat rushed into her face, then spread all the way down her neck and to her ears.
She had been flirting with him on purpose, but kissing him had never been part of the plan.
"D-Dr. Warren... if I told you that was an accident, would you believe me?" Claire’s voice grew quieter with every word.
Miles slowly sat back, one hand settling on the steering wheel. "Address."
"R-Regency Gardens."
Miles turned toward her. She couldn’t read his expression in the dim light, but his dark eyes stayed fixed on her.
A short, disbelieving laugh escaped him. "That’s what you call going the same way?"
Claire nodded awkwardly.
"Fine." Miles clearly had no idea what to do with her. "What’s the excuse this time?"
"I’m going home."
She said it softly, almost sweetly. Miles’s breath caught, and his fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
’Home? Can a cold, empty penthouse really count as home?’
Miles didn’t say anything else. Something inside him suddenly felt strangely full as he started the car.
***
On the fifth floor of Regency Gardens, Miles entered his code, opened the door, and automatically reached for the pair of women’s slippers he’d set aside last time.
Claire’s voice came from behind him.
"Thanks for bringing me home, Dr. Warren."
Miles looked back and saw Claire entering the code to the apartment right next to his.
He frowned, the slippers still in his hand.
Claire opened her door and bit her lip, watching him carefully as if she was afraid he might get angry.
"I forgot to tell you. I moved in next door a few days ago. We’re neighbors now, so you’ll have to look out for me."
Miles’s eyes darkened slightly. ’So she was the one who moved in a few days ago.’
The corner of his mouth lifted. ’She really does have plenty of little tricks.’