I gather my courage and lift my head while trying to force a smile to my face. “It’s in the past.”
“I don’t think so,” he disagrees. “You have an appointment with Regina Davis on Thursday at nine a.m. I really hope she’ll be able to help you.”
I nod before taking a sip of water.
Easton inhales deeply before asking, “Are you comfortable with me?”
My head bobs up and down. “Yes. I know you won’t hurt me.”
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Good. It’s important to me that you feel safe with me.”
I tilt my head and hesitate for a moment before I admit, “You’re the only man I feel safe with. I’ve known you for over twenty years, and you’ve never done anything to hurt me.” I hesitate again before I take the only chance I might ever have to say the words to him. “I love you for it.”
I almost let out a massive sigh of relief for finally getting to express in some way how much he means to me, but I manage to suppress it.
He pulls me to his chest and hugs me tight. “It makes me happy to hear you say that.”
I take a deep breath of his addictive scent while a sense of peace settles in my heart.
Yeah, I’ll be happy with just having Easton as a friend. It’s so much more than I ever could’ve wished for.
He pulls back, then says, “While we’re tackling serious topics, we need to discuss finances.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure.” I take a step backward and fidget with the bottle in my hands. “It’s probably time for me to get a job.”
He shakes his head. “I’d prefer it if you stayed at home to take care of Lainey. I don’t want her routine changing too much.”
“Okay.” I give him a confused look because I’m not sure I’m following.
He pulls his wallet out of his pocket, and after removing a credit card, he places it on the island. “This is for you.”
“What?” I gasp, my gaze flicking between the black card and Easton’s face.
“The credit card is yours to use for anything you and Lainey need.” When I keep staring at him, he gives me a pleading look. “Please let me take care of you.”
Oh my God.
“Easton,” I breathe his name like a prayer. “I can’t let you do that. What will people think?”
“I don’t give a shit about what other people think. I promised Rachel I would take care of you, and I have every intention of keeping that promise.”
My heartbeat speeds up as I move closer to the island, and when I see the nameEaston Roweprinted on it, my stomach flutters.
“Please, Nova.” Placing his hand on my lower back, he leans down to catch my eyes. “Take the card.” I reach for the credit card, and when I pick it up, he presses a kiss to the side of my head and murmurs, “Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should say thank you,” I mutter. “You already do so much for me.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “You can thank me by actually using the card. There’s no limit on it.”
My forehead wrinkles with a frown. “I need a limit.”
“Let’s make it twenty thousand. Once you get used to it, we can up it.”
My eyes widen again, and I almost choke on a random drop of spit. “That’s too much!”
He shakes his head. “You’re Lainey’s guardian, and soon, everyone will know you’re living with me. I understand it’s going to take some time for you to adjust to this new life, but trust me when I say twenty thousand is nothing in my world.”
Holy crap. I’ll never be able to spend so much money in a month.
