Page 33 of Billionaire Daddies Next Door

I shook my head. “No. It’s depressing. When I moved here, I decided I didn’t want any of that stuff invading my new life. The tabloid stuff, I mean.”

“You’re not kidding.” Chase sank into my office chair. “I thought everyone in the country knew. There’s a reason everyone was so kind to me when I first got here. They all felt sorry for me. I thought you knew.”

“I’m pretty sure people were just nice.”

“My wife cheated on me and got caught in a very public way. I went through a disgusting public divorce and found out the baby I thought was mine, wasn’t.” He said it like it was nothing but I could see the pain seeping from him. “If I hadn’t had a backup plan, I would’ve lost everything and been left to deal with the nonstop public shaming.”

I walked around the desk and sat in his lap without thinking twice. Chase wrapped his arms around me and held me steady. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

“I thought you were just playing dumb about it to save my feelings. Looking back, that was stupid of me because if you could smash my feelings, you would.”

“I never wanted to smash your feelings. Just your ideas.” I looped my arm around his neck and sighed. “What a fucking dumbass.”

“Ouch.” Chase leaned his head back and looked at me through mostly closed eyes. “I don’t know what I did to deserve that.”

“Not you. Her. Your ex. You’re kind of the whole package. You’re hot. You’re hung. You’re smart, I guess. You’re also loaded, which I’m sure was important to her. Who the hell did she cheat on you with? Brad Pitt?”

He slowly smiled and it stretched all the way across his face. “Wow. That was a rave review.”

“I just hate cheating.” I swallowed and met his eyes. “I know what the papers all said about me. I didn’t cheat on my boyfriend. I mean, sure, flashing an entire bar might be considered crossing some lines, but I never touched anyone.”

“I never believed it.” He rubbed his hand up and down my thigh. “I saw you around back then. I was too old to talk to you but I couldn’t help seeing you.”

“That makes me want to run through the wall to get away. I was horrible.”

“No, not all the time. I saw you smile at people and treat them kindly. You weren’t all bad.” He blew out a breath. “All my cards on the table? You intrigued me. That’s the reason I invested when I heard you needed help. I wasn’t going to do anything about it. I was married. It felt good to help you, that’s all. When all my shit blew up, though, I wanted to escape the same way you had. I wanted to know you better.”

“Chase…” I blinked away tears that came out of nowhere. “If you know all that and understand wanting to hide, why are you pushing so hard for the expansion?”

“I just want to help.”

“And I just want you to listen.”

CHAPTER 25

Joanie

It was late the next night when I heard my doorknob rattle. I’d been in the middle of a really good thriller so my heart stopped as my brain skipped to murder. The only people who broke into my house were the twins, but they were already in bed, for sure. I panicked and looked around the room for something to attack my attacker with. Silently cursing myself for not being better prepared I held the book over my head as the door started to open and I prayed I’d hit whoever was breaking in with just the right angle and force to knock them out.

“What if she jumps out at us again? She scared me last time.” Maggie’s voice was quiet as she whispered but I still recognized it.

Macey whispered back at her. “We’re being quiet this time, Maggie. She won’t hear us.”

I cleared my throat. “I hear you just fine. What are you two doing over here this late?”

Maggie elbowed her sister as they stepped inside. “Now what?”

I pulled them in so I could shut the door and keep some of the mosquitos out. “Talk, girls. Why are you here so late?”

Macey sighed and threw herself down on my couch. “We’re running away.”

I choked on my spit and shook my head. “What? No. No, you’re not. You can’t run away. Why would you even want to run away?”

Maggie sat down next to her sister and shrugged her little shoulders at me. “Just cause.”

I grabbed my phone and opened it, just to realize that I didn’t have Bear’s number. “What’s your dad’s number?”

“Nuh-uh. We’re not giving it to you.” Macey crossed her arms and pouted. “We’ll just stay here with you. You like us, right?”

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