Page 27 of Restrained

Now her smile isn’t forced. And in that one grin on her pretty face, I see how much she loves that child. “I sure am. To a beautiful little boy who reminds me so much of my brother, it makes me ache. They actually just moved in with me.”

No. Please be vapid.

She let her dead brother’s mistress and son move in with her? “And Penelope? How does she feel about all of it?”

“Penelope is an amazing person. She loves that little boy too. Her relationship with Linc was always kind of complicated. I think she loved them both from the start.”

“I see you guys are interesting.”

She laughs. “That’s a nice way of putting it. But still, not a reason not to work with us, right? I don’t think it’ll tarnish your reputation.”

I want to tell her everything. Why I really wanted to know about Penelope. Why I sought their small company out for my million-dollar contract.

And that is fucking terrifying.

“Nothing too unsavory. My clients aren’t all that conservative anyway.”

“Just wealthy.”

I study her. “You have a problem with the rich?”

“Not at all. I’ll gladly take their money.” Her grin is confident, and I fucking love it. “You?” She’s studying me intently.

“Same. I’ll take their money.”

“You don’t come from this life, do you?”

I swallow hard and realized I've moved closer to her on the bed. So close our thighs are touching as our legs hang over the edge of the bed. “What life is that, Lola?”

My voice is husky, the intensity between us thick and almost suffocating.

Her lips part, and she answers, her voice low, “Rich, privileged assholes. With big fancy homes and flashy cars.”

My mouth is in a straight line, knowing I’m showing my cards too soon and barely caring. “No. I didn’t come from any of that. I came from nothing.”

She’s not turned off by my confession, instead she seems to be intrigued as her fingers brush over my hand and the puffy pink scar there. “When we first met, I thought you were this entitled asshole like everyone I’ve always known.” I swallow again as I listen to her, transfixed by her full mouth and soulful eyes. “But something didn’t fit.”

Her eyes drop to the scar. “My scar threw you off?”

She traces it with her finger as she examines it. “Yes.”

“Rich people don’t have scars?” I don’t take my eyes off her finger on my hand.

“They do. But for some reason, it made you seem more real to me. Like you’ve experienced some type of hell in your life. But everything about you was so put together. Refined.” Her finger stops moving but stays on my skin as her eyes lift, as do mine. We meet each other’s gaze. “I wanted you to be like all of them, so I’d have a reason to stay far away.”

If only she would have. “I need you to be a spoiled little rich girl for the same reason.”

She doesn’t look hurt, her eyes dropping back to my scar. “I’m definitely that. Everything was handed to me, and I took it all for granted.”

I pull my hand away but only to use it to tip her chin up to meet my eyes. “You’ve worked your ass off to get where you are. You quit your job with your father and moved across the country.”

“And I'm failing. You’ve seen the finances.”

“It’s hard to get off the ground. It won’t be long before your business is successful.”

She smiles and shakes her head as I drop my hand from her chin, though I still want to touch her. “I’m not sure I can handle the nice, Hayden.”

I laugh. “I’m never nice.”

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