Page 75 of Restrained

I can’t hide my smile. “She sounds like me.”

This makes her laugh. “Yeah. She does.”

No matter what plan I had to get to know my sister, the way it went was not at all what I anticipated.

But this is what I needed.

32

LOLA

“Do you need anything else, Mr. West?”

Hayden turns to Gretchen as she stands in the doorway of his office. I’m on the leather sofa against the window, looking over my notes for hotel number three as he answers her with a smile. “No. Thank you. Enjoy your weekend.”

She gives him a curt, professional nod, her lips thinning when she looks briefly my way and then leaves.

Hayden grins at me, climbing out from behind his desk to join me.

I no longer hate how badly I need him. I wouldn’t say I'm used to it, but I definitely don’t fight it. The DNA test came back this morning.

“Penelope is never going to stop hating me.”

“Yes, she will.” I lay my head on his shoulder. “Trust me. You’re her brother. She knows that now. You weren’t lying.”

“It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t there.”

“That’s not fair. You didn’t know about her.”

He’s laughing at me. “Isn’t that what the oldest sibling is supposed to do? Blame ourselves for things we couldn’t control?”

“You’re annoying.” He pulls me closer to him. “She wants to meet you for coffee tomorrow. I would say that means she won’t hate you forever.”

“Or she wants to punch me.”

I shrug. “You can take a hit.”

“What do you want to do this evening?” I smile and quirk an eyebrow as his lips slide over my neck. “You wanna go for a swim?” He whispers in my ear. “I definitely want to fuck you in the pool.”

I tense. I wish it was because my mind is lost thinking about his hard body pressed against mine in the pool, but my heart beating rapidly has nothing to do with Hayden.

I think he feels it because he pulls away, looking at me. “What’s wrong?”

My throat is dry as I turn to him. “I can’t.”

He studies me intently, trying to figure me out without making me say anything. “You can’t swim?”

I shake my head. “I can.”

I can’t seem to move or breathe. I’m just stuck in my fear, uncertain how to break free of it. Then I feel his hand lifting my chin. I didn’t even realize I was looking down. “Lola, look at me.”

I look into his eyes and fight the sob, my body fighting my soul. I don’t want to talk about this. But I can’t hide my reaction to water around Hayden. “I was on the swim team in high school. I have medals, for Christ sake.”

“Your brother drowned.”

A sob fights its way from my throat as I look into his eyes. “Yes.”

“So, now you don’t go in the water.”

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