“You are?” Hope lifts my chest as she turns to me.
“He needs to see that he has options. And those include not being alone anymore. He has a lot to give and could make someone very happy. It would be a terrible waste for him not to realize that.”
She blinks and looks away, fluffing her hair with one hand like she needs the distraction.
“Oh! There’s Helen. You must meet her. She’s one of the charity’s board members.”
I fall into the backseat of the limo with a happy sigh as Sterling slides in beside me.
“Good night?”
His eyes sparkle as I turn to face him, resting my cheek against the cool leather headrest.
“Amazing.” I beam. “Lavinia introduced me to so many people. A few asked about hiring me.”
“Ah, but you’ll need to have finished with me before that.” Sterling smiles, soft lines creasing the corners of his eyes.
“I know.” I roll my eyes dramatically. “Most difficult client ever.”
He chuckles, resting his elbow on the door as he runs his hand around his silver-flecked jaw.
I met a lot of women tonight whose eyes lit up when Lavinia introduced me and explained to them that I’m helping Sterling find love. A lot of women who were quick to slide their single status into conversation. I don’t think he realizes how many admirers he had in that ballroom tonight. One of whom in particular, that had an insane amount of energy flowing from her whenever he looked in our direction.
“Lavinia was very complimentary about you.”
I steal a sideways glance at Sterling when he doesn’t respond. His eyes are narrowed as he gazes out of the limo’s windows. His legs are spread wide, and he’s reclined in his seat as if he’s relaxed.
But I don’t miss the way a muscle in his cheek flexes at her name.
“Especially when I told her I wished to donate, and she told me you’d already taken care of it… With three hundred thousand dollars,” I add.
His brow scrunches. “Did I overstep?”
The deep rasp of his voice has delicious, tingling warmth wrapping around me like a cloak.
When I don’t answer, he turns, pinning me with piercing blue eyes.
“Hallie? If I upset you, then I apologize. I could see the charity struck close to your heart, and I wanted to help.”
“And… perhaps you could see the way I reacted when you told me what the minimum donation was?” I wince.
“Not at all.” Sterling deflects smoothly, being the gentleman that Lavinia praises him to be.
“You’re extremely generous.” I stare out of the window, trying to form the words he needs to hear. “I should explain… I’m not as rich as the press articles make me out to be.”
“Hallie, you don’t need to?—”
“I do.” My apprehension melts away at the kindness waiting for me in his eyes. “The rumors went wild after I matched the Prince. And it’s true that I have a long waiting list.” I look at my dress and fiddle with the silk, twisting it between my fingers. “I’ve invested a lot of my fees, that’s all. And the money isn’t available to me?—”
“Do you need help getting it back?”
Sterling’s concerned tone makes me snap my eyes to his. He’s sat forward in his seat, his full attention on me, like he’s trying to gauge whether I’m in some sort of trouble.
“No. I don’t want it back, I?—”
He searches my eyes and exhales, sinking back in his seat, a soft smile lifting his lips.
“You gave it all to charity,” he says.
