Page 72 of Beautiful Ruin

Was he just ringing a list of women he’d slept with and hoping one of them was available?

Leilani spotted the neighbor leaving her mom’s house and snapped back to her priorities. “Look, I have family commitments of my own. Sorry Jacob. I have to go. I hope you find someone else.”

The idea of the man she had spent not just Friday with but Sunday night walking around the museum and playing hide and seek with taking another woman on a family trip felt...wrong.

Which was also wrong.

She had no claims on him.

Jacob Dufort wasn’t her boyfriend, or really even her friend. Yet here he was, phoning her. Asking her.

Why?

Why did this man who was so far out of her league want her in his life?

God she was losing her mind trying to understand this stupidly handsome and complex man.

“I don’t want anyone else, Lani. I want you.” Jacob added, his voice rough and sexy, affecting her in the way that only he seemed to be able to do. “For. The weekend. Obviously.”

For the weekend.

Obviously.

Translation: Do not read anything more into this.

As if she would.

Leilani started walking, conscious of the time and not wanting to miss the doctor’s appointment.

Speaking of time, Jacob was just wasting hers. She should be out dating and looking for a man she could have a real relationship with. Not a man who owned a sex club and took woman there to share her with other men.

This was all a game to him, she was sure.

Why would he need her at a Dufort family event? She’d heard Blake talking about his family and how supportive they were.

His request didn’t make sense.

“I thought you were a close family,” she said. “Why do you need a buffer?”

Jacob took a moment to reply, but when he did, she could hear the tension in his voice. “We are. It’s just...complicated.”

She huffed through her nose. “They all are.”

“So, you’ll come?” Jacob asked.

The arrogance of this man.

He gave her no explanation and thought she’d just roll over and say yes.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t.

Whatever his “rich people” problems were, Leilani had bigger ones. Her mother was dying, and she couldn’t just pack up and go on a vacation.

“No Jacob. I have my own complications.” She stood at the foot of the drive and watched as her mom opened the front door and then shot her a grumpy look.

Like this was all her fault.

Like she was the one forcing her to drink and not face her grief.

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