Page 29 of So Close

He hadn’t meant to ask that.

Her lips tightened. “No, I wouldn’t say that. And—you know what? This is really none of your business. It has nothing to do with you or our agreement.”

“Actually, it does. Why does this guy care if you need money anyway?”

She gave him a hard, dark look, and for a moment he was sure she wasn’t going to answer. And really, he couldn’t blame her. Ifhewasn’t even sure why he was asking her, he couldn’t expect her to respond. Then she slumped over the desk, resting her head on her arms. “Because he wants me back. And he’s richer than God, and he thinks if he can convince me that I need his money, it’ll give him a way in.” She spoke into her forearm, but the words were distinct enough, even through the cloud of her curls.

“Will it?”

Not his business. Not his question to ask. She’d have every right to tell him to go to hell.

She sat up, and her dress slipped to reveal the edge of pink lace against the satin of her fair skin. His mouth went dry. “Not in a million years.”

He recognized the slippery emotion in his chest as relief. Which—

What. The. Fuck.

And no. Just no.

“Wait a minute,” he said, his brain catching up with what she’d said. “Richer than God? Patrick who?”

“Patrick Moriarty.”

“You were withhim?” he demanded.

“You know him?”

“Not well. But our paths have crossed. We move in some of the same circles.”

“Yeah. I figured, from the fact that he’s chummy with your COO.”

“He’s also a prick.”

That made her laugh. She had a good laugh. Real. From the belly.

“I mean, way worse than I am.” Patrick was Trey’s least favorite kind of man, the kind who kissed ass to people’s faces and screwed them behind their backs. Who came on like a hero to women, and treated them like shit in private. Totally inexcusable in Trey’s book. And that asshole had had his hands on Auburn. Had touched her all over.

Not that he should have an opinion about that.

She gave him a wry smile. “Yeah. He turned out to be not such a prize, though he treated me like I was one. A prize he owned.”

Some things that hadn’t made sense to him before were starting to make more sense. “That’s why you turned me down at Bob’s. Because you think I’m like him.” And he hadn’t really given her any reason to think otherwise, had he?

“I turned you down because I don’t do casual sex and you came on like an arrogant prick.”

“Oh, is that all?”

She laughed again. It felt good to make her laugh. He could turn making Auburn laugh into his own personal crusade.

Which—shit, no. He couldn’t. He was going to tear down her inn and break her heart, which was the exact fucking opposite of making her laugh.

“Where’s the router?” he asked gruffly. “I’ll see what I can do about getting the Wi-Fi back up for you. Can’t ink this deal if I can’t send email.”

The humor fled her eyes and lips, and he regretted it—but he had to be realistic about this situation. Abouthimself.

“Over here,” she said.

He caught her glancing at him a moment later, though. Searching his face, as if trying to catch a glimpse of something he’d kept hidden from her.

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