He Wants Her Back: The Billionaire’s Leading Lady Novel by Jasmine

He’s so dreamy

“What on earth are you doing, Pierce?” I whispered as I tried to tug my arm from his tight grasp. I smiled at CEO’s wife who watched us curiously. Fear filled my body as he pulled me along with unwavering resolve, Ignoring Lancaster’s wife as she tried to exchange pleasantries. I did not want to be alone with him, I could not.

“Pierce stop” I pleaded. He was always keen on keeping our public appearance to near zero. Acting like this would certainly stoke the rumors. I was sure I heard a camera click as we walked past a table. Oh god. I turned back for a second to find my sister grinning mischievously at our retreating figures.

Tami’s glaring face was the last thing I saw before we rounded a corner. The wide hallway was empty.

“Pierce, for chrissakes, you’re hurting my arm! Can you let go?” My voice betrayed my panic. I needed to reason with him. “Enough people have seen us together, it’s going to take hell explaining this stunt.”

He pulled me into a room and shut the door behind us, “I don’t give a shit what the media thinks Myra.” His voice was calm, almost too calm like he was keeping his emotions in check. “What has my particular attention right now is you. Your message, to be more specific. I was sure I had read it wrong, the Myra I

know is smarter than that.”

I looked around us, everywhere but directly at him. We were in one of the smaller conference rooms, with a thin layer of dirt coating the furnitures, shrouded in dim lighting.

“You read my message correctly Pierce. I think I was clear enough. Our little arrangement is over.”

He walked towards me, with slow steps. Driven by instincts I backed away, causing him to pause. I know he was studying me, In that calculative way he was fond of doing. It made shivers run down my spine and settle in my belly. I always had that reaction to having his eyes on me.

“What makes you think it’s over, Myra?”

“Oh I don’t know, maybe it’s the appearance of another woman in your life.” One he didn’t mind attending a public event with.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were jealous.”

“Lucky for both of us you do know better.” I knew the drill with Pierce. He had ended past relationships with women the second they showed signs of clingy mess, or jealousy. It didn’t matter to me that we were not together anymore. I just knew it would wound my pride to admit to being jealous of Tami.

“Where were you these past few days, I couldn’t reach you…I told you we had to talk.”

“About what? Cutting me off? I made it easier for both of us, saved you the trouble.” It was unreasonable that he was angry because I ended things before he had the chance to do so. What he would do with that anger, made my heart race. I wrestled my desire to touch my belly. “I’m sorry.” I apologized quickly.

Pierce took a breath in and sighed. Was that relief? “Fine.” He said finally. “The keys are still where you left it.”

Keys? To the apartment! He had misunderstood me.

“I’m not going back there, Pierce. I was apologizing for the text, not the cholce.”

A shadow moved across his face, making him appear darker, more dangerous.

“You really want to end this ”

Our relationship didn’t even have a name. Two years and there wasn’t a word I could use to describe this.

I nodded. I can’t play a mistress while you’re with someone Pierce, it would not be fair to her.” Or me. My heart wasn’t strong enough for that level of hurt.

“Where did you go?” His tone made me flinch, but I forced overy cell in my body that wanted to flee to stay rooted in their spot.

I knew it might have driven him a bit crazy, not knowing where I was, being a control freak and all. But we were over, I didn’t have to cater to his needs.

I lifted my chin, 7 don’t have to tell you where I was.”

He lifted a brow at me and waited. He was giving me an opportunity to do as he said. I squirmed under his piercing gaze, which seemed to stare right through me and into my soul. Like he was slowly unraveling me till he would see my secret.

” went to my mothers” I blurted out, I just wanted him to stop staring at me.

“s she alright?”

I thought about the expensive changes we had to make in her life if we wanted to guarantee more time with her. “She’s perfect. Thanks for asking.”

“There’s something else wrong Myra, why won’t you talk to me?” He said as he closed the space between us and stretched a hand out to my face. I moved away from his touch and his hand hung in midair. Guiltily I look up to find a subtle expression crossed his face. Was that hurt? it disappeared like it hadn’t been there. I might have imagined it.

“Myra…” a knock came from the door interrupting him!

“M” Blackwood, are you in there? you have your speech in five minutes. Mr Blackwood?”

He finally broke eye contact with me “T’ll be out in a second.” Then he turned back to me. “We will finish this conversation later, Myra. Don’t think this is the end of it.”

I gave myself some time to regulate my breath, before I stepped out into the hallway. The hallway was still empty.

Steeling myself I walked to the main hall just as Pierce climbed the stage with the sound of applause accompanying him.

I slipped to my designated seat between my sister and Adams and looked straight at Pierce on stage.

He commanded the respect of everyone in that room. Anyone his age who had gotten success that quickly needed to be revered like he was.

“He’s so dreamy.” Lily said beside me and I whipped my head to look at my sister. Her eyes were not on me though, she was watching Pierce on stage, with a light in her eyes. I didn’t think she knew that she had said it out loud. If she did, she didn’t particularly care. That’s my future brother–in–law, I just know it.”

Hannah choked on her drink. I needed to get control of the situation. “Lily, that is a ridiculous notion and you need to get it out of your head.” Like I had forced myself to do the same.

“It’s not ridiculous,” she defended “Right aunty Hannah?”

“Well…I mean, his eyes were sorta glued to the back of your head since he walked in.” I gave her a look that said not helping. She lifted her glass to her face, hiding her guilty face behind it.

“That’s absolute rubbish,” I declared, ignoring the warmth that spread through me at the idea of having his eyes glued on me all evening. I needed to shove those feelings down, they were doing battle with my need to remain distant about Pierce. And the quicker Lily’s mind was wiped clean of thoughts of Pierce, the better for me.

“That’s so true Myla,” Tami said behind me, “It’s absolute rubbish.”