“Rebel isn’t the best guy. I’m his lawyer, client confidentiality and all that, but I know things. Things about how he treats the women he goes out with. And I’m just looking out for you.”
Her brows knit together as disbelief spreads across her face.
“So let me get this straight. You booked a hotel room, pretended to be a potential couple for me, paid the full fee to receive therapy services plus extra, and ambushed me because you’re...protecting me?” She folds her arms, her tone biting. “You’re now out at least a thousand dollars; plus, the cost of a hotel room you didn’t need since youlive in the freaking building!You could’ve just sent me to the penthouse to talk like a normal person! Hell, I still would’ve taken the money!”
“I’m—”
She holds up a hand, stopping me. I want to tell her that I’m sorry and that a thousand dollars is nothing to me, but something tells me that’s not the right response.
“Let me finish. I’m twenty-eight years old. I don’t need you, or anyone else, to swoop in and save me from life. I’ve been handling my business on my own for almost eight years without my parent’s around. You could’ve just told me whatever concerns you had, and I would’ve said, ‘Thanks for the heads-up, Cain. But you know what? I think I’d still like to meet with him and hear about his designs given this could change my life.’” Her voice rises in frustration.
She’s glaring at me now, hands on her hips, as she delivers the final blow. “It’s not like I thought Rebel and I were going to be come best friends. I just wanted one fun night where I got to learn about a literal celebrities new clothing brand and try to convince him why I’m model material when I know that I’m clearly not! What’s so hard to understand about that? This was supposed to be fodder for the interesting stories that I tell Keira and Kai someday when I want them to think that I’m still cool.”
“Who are Keira and Kai?”
She snaps her fingers. “Focus!”
“So, you didn’t want to sleep with him?”
Her mouth drops open in shock and if I could just stop putting my foot in my mouth when I’m around her, that’d be great.
“I can’t believe you just asked me that.” Then she spins on her heel and stalks towards my front door.
“Rhiannon, wait.”
She turns, hazel eyes a harsh shade of green now. Like gemstones meant to cut right through my defenses.
“Sex with Rebel wasneveron my mind, but maybe it should have been. I’m horny and work seven thousand jobs and never have time for it, let alone to get myself off. The last time that I made time for sex was with you. Theonlyperson that I’ve had sex with this year has been you! You’re the only person who I ever think about having sex with for some crazy reason!”
She stalks back to the counter and grabs her empty glass. She fills it, takes another long sip, then wipes the back of her mouth with her hand before tilting her face to the ceiling and laughing sadly.
“You know what Eden said to me before I left the house?”
“What?”
“She said she wasproudof me for taking time for myself tonight. For meeting up with Rebel just because his business opportunity sounded fun and getting a free meal out of it.Proud of me for letting loose.”
Ah, shit.
She shakes her head and lets out a bitter laugh. “I’d do anything for her. And I’ve done everything for her. I haven’t done something for myself in a long timejust because. Hell, my twenty-eighth birthday was the first time I’d drank in this city in eight years and look where that got me.”
“Where did it get you?” I ask, stepping closer again.
She’s silent while I watch her, noticing the tired lines on her beautiful face as she slumps against my kitchen island, looking defeated. I hate that I’m the cause of that heaviness in her shoulders tonight. I hate that I keep dragging her down.
“A guy who I know it would never work with, and a mind that doesn’t seem to get the picture.”
I run my tongue over my bottom lip, realizing that she’s feeling this too. That she wants this too, but something is holding her back.
“I’m sorry. For ruining your night,” I admit, my voice low.
Jealousy, possessiveness, feeling out of control; all are reasons for why I did it. The risk of putting my heart on the line for the one woman who doesn’t want me back feels like stepping in front of a speeding train.
How would we even manage things? We don’t live in the same city. We don’t work in the same place. The fleeting moments where our paths naturally cross are when she’s working at my hotel and that’s it.
Our worlds are designed to keep us apart.
She sighs and huffs out a breath. “Well, you booked the session, and I’ve already rescheduled the meeting with Rebel, so you might as well get something out of it. If I have one more drink, I’ll be tipsy, and I’d rather stay sober for the train ride back to Brookhaven.”
