Cara fidgeted, her hands damp despite the air conditioning.
She wasn’t a complete idiot. Cara had researched her plan and knew roughly how much money she could expect to earn as a makeup artist starting out in Atlanta. If it took longer than she thought, there was always her trust fund. But she didn’t want to use any more of it.
She had wasted too much in the months following her father’s death. She was counting on what remained to act as the seed money for her dream. Cara wanted her own beauty line.
“I don’t need all this stuff, Dec!” She waved her hand at his modern glass and steel office, high above Water Street in the Financial District.
“Your Amex bill says differently,” he said with a small smirk.
Cara resisted the urge to smack him.
“If I’m no longer living in this environment, I won’t need all these things. I won’t be going to parties and charity galas—I can’t do this anymore!”
After someone she trusted sold nude photos of her to the tabloids, it felt like her life was over. Then the messages began, and she found out just how much worse it could get! After the latest email, when she had beensocareful, she knew the stalker was too close. She had to go!
See you soon.
Three terrifyingly simple words.
Declan’s lips lifted in a sad smile. “I understand, Cara. I do. Dad’s death and then a couple of weeks later those pictures—” He roughly cleared his throat and averted his eyes.
She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth grateful he didn’t spell it out. Declan strode over to his desk and lowered himself into the leather chair. His voice was gentler when he continued. “I heard your mom is getting married again. I know you had planned to do this makeup thing with Corinne—”
Cara bit the tip of her tongue, the sharp pain reminding her not to yell at her brother. “I wasn’t thrilled when she ran off with Alessandro, but it wasn’t shocking. She’s done this six times before!”
Corinne Blease was a hopeless romantic who loved weddings. And cocaine… and men… and parties… and freedom…
“I know you’re disappointed, but that doesn’t mean—”
Cara cut him off. “Yes, my mother backing out of plans to start a makeup line with me influenced this decision. But not in the way you think.” And it had nothing to do with why she really needed to move. “It made me face all the concerns you and the twins brought up when I first told you about my idea.Just because you like to play with makeup doesn’t make you qualified to run a business.”
Declan blanched as she parroted his words back at him. “But Idolove makeup and skin care—If necessary, I’ll finish my MBA. You were right. I need to know more than YouTube tutorials can teach me. That’s why I enrolled in a school.”
Declan waved a hand dismissively. “I’m happy to see you excited about something, but I don’t understand why your hobby needs to take the place of your future.”
“Itismy future!” Cara gritted out. “I’m twenty-six years old. It’s past time for me to take control of my life! I need to do it by myself!”
As independent as she hoped it sounded, Cara didn’t really have a choice anymore now that Corinne had pulled out of their plans. Without her mother’s famous face, Cara would never find investors.
Declan opened his mouth to interrupt, but Cara held her hand up to stop him. “I know you would take care of me, but that’s exactly my point. I’ve been taken care of my entire life. If we learned nothing else from Dad’s death, it’s that nothing is certain. I need to be able to fend for myself.”
Her brother leaned his massive frame back, his shoulders filling the leather desk chair, and steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. Just when she thought Declan would continue the argument, he suddenly placed his hands palm down on the glass desk and winked.
“So be it. I’m sure you’ll be grand.”
Cara watched suspiciously as his lips curled up into a smile. Declan’s Irish accent was thicker than usual, and that only happened when he was drunk… or putting on a show.
She pursed her lips. “I will be.”
Cara had just reached the double doors leading back to the marble reception area when her brother’s voice sounded again, more natural than it had before.
“If it doesn’t work out though—” Cara looked over her shoulder at him and softened at his worried look. “You know you always have a home here. With me.”
“I know.” Cara grinned. “And I love you, too.”
CHAPTERONE
Atlanta
