Page 56 of His Rules

“Making money?”

“I won’t lie and say that having a healthy bank account that allows me to indulge in my passions isn’t pleasing, but I prefer the chase and the win.”

“So corporate of you, or does this go for your personal endeavors as well?” Was I fishing to find out what he thought about me? Absolutely. Why not? Since we had crossed that line, it offered some leeway when digging deeper into the man.

“Always in my personal life. I’ve always been competitive. If I didn’t win first place in every race, I considered it a total failure. My father did as well.”

“Why do fathers push their sons so hard? Why can’t they just be kids?”

“My dad wanted the best for his sons. While he was never there to pitch softball for practice, he always made time to talk to us. That was valuable too. He instilled in us that doing our best was the only option.”

“Failure is often in the eye of the beholder. Some failures can be considered wins.”

He chuckled. “Only if you’re looking through rose-colored lenses. I’m curious. What made you leave New York?”

I knew he’d eventually ask that question, but I wasn’t certain how or if I wanted to answer it. “I needed a fresh start.”

“Because of the location, the job, or the man?”

I winced a little when thinking about Nathan. “All three. Plus, I was homesick.”

“Tell me about the asshole.”

“There’s nothing decent to say. I thought I cared about him, but it was all a game, only I hadn’t been provided with the rules. I was thinking happy ever after and he was thinking fling until something better came along. It did by way of Cherry, a voluptuous blonde with fake tits.”

“Ouch. The jerk didn’t know what he had.”

Why was it his words caused me to blush? I licked my lips and his gaze became heated. Even his nostrils flared. “No, he didn’t. I knew then my time at the company his father owned wasn’t going to work out the way I’d thought. So, I made a decision one night and that was that. Tell me about your wife.”

“Is this tit for tat?”

“It’s only fair.”

He laughed as if I’d invoked another memory. “Not necessarily. Women are complicated. Ashley was more interested in my bank account and her future as head of my father’s corporation, which he sold because I wanted nothing to do with the hospitality business.”

“Oh… I guess my ideas sucked.”

His laugh continued. “No, they did not. If I hadn’t been such a pigheaded man when my father had suggested my brother and I take over, perhaps I’d have come to my senses about Ashley sooner. Even my father was on board for the union. Come to find out, he was using me as a bargaining chip for the sale he’d proctored.”

“Are you still speaking to him?”

“He is family, Kacey. We don’t abandon family.”

A sigh escaped my mouth. “You’re right. They must come first before anything else.” Maybe I was purposely using my father to push myself further away from temptation if nothing else.

“Do you remember what I told you about your father not being so innocent?” He made the question sound coy.

“Yes, but I don’t think I want to know.”

“There are some stories Daniel would kill me over if I repeated, but one thing that I learned all those years ago was that your father has a wild streak a mile wide. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he’s even more conniving than I am. Just ask him about the night we had to talk ourselves out of being arrested after being found on top of the huge flagpole in front of the administration building.”

“You did not.”

“Oh, yes, we did. It was on a dare and remember, I never let anyone win. Only that night, he did.”

I couldn’t stop laughing. “I never thought of my dad as a gymnast.”

“I think monkey is the appropriate term.”

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