Without acknowledging his presence, she said to the young woman sitting at the desk, “You can leave for lunch now, Pia.”

The young woman nodded. “Thanks.” She got her purse out of the drawer and stood. Before walking out the door, she glanced over at him and smiled faintly. He figured it was her way of warning him that her boss was not in the best of moods today.

When the door closed behind the young woman, Bryce turned to him with narrowed eyes that were shooting daggers at him. “What are you doing here, Kaegan?”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I came to see you.” She crossed her arms over her chest. He wished she hadn’t done that. That drew emphasis to a pair of perfect breasts. That was the last thing he needed to think about now.

“Why?”

“I said it last night and I felt the need to say it again today. I’m sorry, Bryce.”

Her spine stiffened and the glare in her eyes deepened. “I don’t want your apology, Kaegan. It doesn’t matter. I stopped caring how you felt about me that night you walked out of that club with that other woman. Please leave.”

He could tell her that woman hadn’t meant anything to him. That the two of them hadn’t slept together that night. But that couldn’t erase the other women he’d slept with over the years. Women he’d used to eradicate Bryce from his mind and heart.

“Bryce, I—”

“No. Today is not a good day, Kaegan. Maybe one day I’ll be ready to forgive you. But not now. Not today.”

At that moment, although she didn’t say it, the words not ever hung between them. He wasn’t given a chance to ask because she turned toward her office, went inside and closed the door behind her.

He had been dismissed with a finality that he felt all the way to the bone.

* * *

“YOU LOOK LIKE crap, Kaegan.”

He rubbed a hand down his face. Of all people, he didn’t need Vashti to tell him that. Besides, he had news for her—he felt like crap, as well. When he left Bryce’s office, he’d come here to Shelby by the Sea. He needed to see Vashti because she was one of his best friends. Always had been. More than anything, he knew he owed her an apology.

Since returning to the cove and finding out about his and Bryce’s strained relationship, Vashti had, on more than one occasion, tried intervening. Now he wished more than anything that he would have heeded her advice. Hell, he wished she would have knocked some damn sense into him.

“I owe you an apology and you can go ahead and say ‘I told you so,’ Vashti.”

She looked at him over her shoulder as he followed her to her office. “Apology accepted. You have to admit I tried.”

“Yes, but now I wish you could have been a little more forceful with it.”