Page 50 of Billionaire Retreat

“Isn’t it simple? He’s into you. I can’t have another man sniffing at my woman.”

I raised my eyebrows. So, I was his woman now? Interesting.

“Jerry is just a friend. And you and I only became ‘reacquainted’ last night.”

“And what a good night that was,” he said jokingly, giving me a lewd wink.

I couldn’t’ help but laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Don’t I know it.”

The doorbell rang and Griffin looked annoyed. “I’m not expecting anyone. Be right back. Watch these eggs for me, I hate overcooked eggs.” He muttered almost to himself as he walked to the door.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt, just flannel pajama bottoms that hugged his backside in the most appealing way. I liked the way his back muscles moved with his every step. Apparently, while I got curvier, Griffin got sexier... sometimes it’s not fair being a woman. I popped a small piece of an egg in my mouth and added another. I was starving.

He went to open the door when the door opened up on its own and Mrs. Wallace came striding in.

“It’s almost noon... why don’t you have any clothes on? I didn’t raise you to be a heathen—” She stopped abruptly as she caught sight of me.

“You! What are you doing here?”

I opened my mouth to speak and the words came out as gibberish because my mouth was full of eggs.

She turned to Griffin and said, “What is she doing here?”

“She has every right to be here, Mom. Calm down,” Griffin said more fiercely than I would have expected.

“I will not calm down!” she said, marching past him and coming within inches of me. “You just don’t give up, do you? Do I have to pay you off again? Why won’t you just leave him alone?”

I looked at Griffin who looked at me curiously.

“Pay you off?” He said to me and then looked at his mom, “What are you talking about?”

“I paid her $250,000 to leave you alone. And she took the money and apparently is back for more.”

“What?”

“That’s not true,” I said, finally able to defend myself now that I was done chewing.

“Oh, really? Then explain where the $250,000 went.”

I gulped hard. “I used it.”

“You see!” his mom said victoriously.

Griffin looked at me as if he’d never seen me before. I felt humiliated and vulnerable... the same way I felt all those years ago when Mrs. Wallace had lied to me about Griffin having a family. And then it occurred to me that because of her lies, my daughter hadn’t known her father. It was because of her lies that my daughter didn’t know her uncle or know that she had a cousin and another one on the way. I was done with Mrs. Wallace scheming.

“It’s true, your mom paid me $250,000 to make me go away.”

“And you took it,” Griffin said emotionlessly. I felt my eyes tearing up, but I was determined to not let her win this time.

“What your mother didn’t mention is why... ask her why I left. She led me to believe a lie.”

She glared at me and turned to Griffin. “I told you already, Griffin. This is why I had security escort her out. I just wanted to protect you from her, I knew she was bad news. Not our kind, at all.”

“And what exactly is our kind, Mom?” Griffin growled.

“Griffin, I—”