Page 21 of Hire A Cuddler

I’m sittingon Haven’s porch waiting for her when I get the text.

“I think we need to talk.”

I text her back immediately. “I’m at your apartment. Tell me where you’re at and I’ll come to you.”

Her response is slow, and I’m staring at my phone waiting for her to text back. “I’ll be there in ten.”

I put the phone in my pocket and then rest my elbows on my knees. I can’t see Callan through the tinted windows of my car, but I can imagine the look he’s giving me. He’s had pity on his face since I fucked everything up last week.

I reread the first text from Haven, and I can’ttell if it’s a good text or not. Of course, her finally wanting to talk to me is a good thing, but I’m hoping it’s not to tell me to fuck off.

I pat the papers in my pocket, and I hope I’m not about to fuck this up even more. An idea came to me last night. It’s crazy, hell, I know it is, but there’s no talking me out of it. When I had my attorney draw up the papers, he tried to tell me how crazy it was, but I ignored him and told him to do it.

Ever since then, the more I think about it, the more I want to do it. I’m going to try and not blurt it out to her until I plead my case.

I see her pulling into the parking lot, and I’m on my feet, striding to the driver’s side of her car before she’s even fully parked. I open her door and then stand back so she can get out.

“Hey, peaches.”

She shakes her head, but at least it looks as if she has a little bit of a smile on her face. “Hey.”

She walks past me and up the steps of her apartment. I follow behind her and can’t help but watch the sway of her hips. As soon as she gets to the door, she unlocks it and walks in. Since she left the door open, I follow her in and stop in the center of the room. She is putting down her purse andbag and then takes a deep breath as she looks at me.

“Thanks for coming.”

I put my hands in my pockets so I don’t try and reach for her. “I missed you.”

She laughs and then sits down on the end of the couch. “Don’t talk like that. This conversation is already hard enough.”

I sit down on the middle cushion and turn to her. “I want you to know that if you got me here to tell me to leave you alone… I can’t.”

She tilts her head. “You can’t?”

I clasp my hands in my lap. “No, I can’t. I think about you all the time, Haven. I know I fucked up… but I need you to let me make it right.”

She tilts her head. “Tell me the truth about your family.”

“I didn’t lie about that. The only lie I told you was being a cuddle therapist. The rest was all true.”

Her voice is soft. “So you were a foster child?”

“Yes, and what I told you about my foster brothers and sister… all true.”

“Why didn’t you just approach me? You’re Ridge Beckett.”

Every time she says my full name, it guts me. “My friends call me King.”

She purses her lips, and when she doesn’t say anything, I answer her question. “There are a few reasons I didn’t approach you.”

“I’m waiting.”

She’s still angry, but at least she’s willing to listen to me. “Because I wanted you to see past my money.”

She gasps and puts her hand to her chest. “I don’t care about your money.”

I put my hand on the couch between us and lean toward her. “I know that now, Haven.”

“What else? You said there were a few reasons. What else?”

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