Philip kept a solicitous hand on her elbow. “Want me to stay?” he murmured, not bothering to look at me. As if I wasn’t important enough to concern himself about. His eyes never wavered from Ella’s face, though her eyes darted from mine to Philip’s and back. Her cheeks lost the bright spots of color the cold air and exercise had brought about moments before.

“No. But thank you. For the hot cocoa, too.”

His smile remained warm, almost intimate.

The asshole was still in love with her. And he’d been with her this week while I . . . wasn’t.

“I’d like to talk with my wife,” I said.

Philip’s wry glance landed on me for the first time. “Huh. You’re right. He doesn’t like to share. Must have been the photos of us together, El Bel.”

My shoulders tightened further and my jaw clamped rigid when he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her pale cheek.

“I’ll ring you later,” he murmured in her ear.

Ella nodded, her eyes still bouncing back and forth between us. Philip leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Her gaze snapped back to his and she nodded, her mouth settled in a solemn line.

I stepped forward, unwilling to watch this . . . this . . . man touch Ella further. He glanced up, amusement and something akin to anger sparking in his eyes. Yes, he knew I considered him my rival—and he reveled in that. But his anger surprised me. Until Ella stepped back, and I saw her trembling hands.

“I’m not going to hurt her,” I said, my tone waspish.

Philip raised his eyebrows. “That’s where you’re wrong, mate. You already have.” He turned back to Ella leaned in a little closer. “Think about what I said.”

She nodded. “Bye, Philip. And thank you again for the outing. Jeremiah and I enjoyed it. Very much.”

He squeezed her gloved fingers one last time. “Anything to make you happy, El-Bel.” The polite British bastard inclined his head toward me before heading back down the short walkway to his large silver SUV. A Land Rover, naturally.

“Didn’t think Brits drove big vehicles,” I said.

“He doesn’t, normally. But he wanted to take all of us to the show up in the Cotswolds, and we didn’t fit in a regular sedan, so he bought that one.”

“Of course he did.” Rich, arrogant wife stealer.

Wait. I could make purchases like that now, too. And it’s not like Ella ever asked me to do something like that—I’d just hated I couldn’t give her the same lifestyle Asher provided for Lia and their kids.

“Where’s the Audi?”

“In the garage.”

Of course. I scrubbed my palms over my eyes, down my cheeks, hating these emotions ripping at me.

“Jeremiah won’t even talk to me.”