Page 23 of Who's Your Daddy?

She pauses for a moment, then gives a sheepish nod. “Yes, but it’s not—”

Disappointment carves itself into my every feature. There might also be a tiny element of jealousy in there as well, but that’s irrelevant. “Ah, Lia, come on. You know—”

“I told you not to judge. Besides, I’m...I’m desperate. I got kicked out of my penthouse. My car got taken away. I’m living in some dingy motel. I can’t go on like this. I need to—”

Not only can I see the stress and desperation on her face, I can hear it in her panic-stricken voice. I’m not sure what’s this feud she’s got going on with her dad, but he’s taken it to an extreme if he kicked her out.

“Okay, calm down.” I grasp her shoulders and squeeze gently to put her at ease. “I have a suggestion. Let’s go have a drink at the bar, and you can tell me why going back to your asshole ex is the best idea you could come up with.”

That gets her more riled up. “What? No. Peter, I came here with a singular goal in mind. I didn’t come here to get lost in your enchanting green eyes or fawn over your cute, little grin. I have more pressing things to do with my time. You also smell incredible, by the way. These are unnecessary distractions.”

“Thanks.” I try to hold back a smile. “I just want to point out that you have an uncanny ability to mix in a substantial amount of hostility into every compliment you give me.”

“I wasn’t complimenting you. I was expressing my intense hatred of your entire being.”

“Somehow, they sound the same.” I slip an arm around her shoulder and slowly usher her through the crowd toward the bar. “Now, let’s get a drink.”

Although her feet are moving in the same direction as mine, she protests by shaking her head. “I really shouldn’t be drinking.”

“Based on what you told me, I can guarantee you’re gonna make better decisions when you’re drunk.” We reach the bar and I help her up onto the high stool. The beat of the music thumps loudly, vibrating beneath my feet. I lean closer so she can hear me over the noise. “So, what’re you having?”

“Um...” She wrings her hands, seemingly nervous to answer, though I’m not sure why. “I’m not much of a drinker. Can you order something that isn’t going to wreck me?”

I’m already ticking from the drinks we had in the limo and also opt for something lighter than tequila. Turning to the bartender, I order a strawberry daiquiri for her and a beer for me. I wait for our drinks, then slide her glass over to her. “So, what kind of voodoo magic spell did that dickhead cast over you that you’re willing to go back to him?”

I check my tone because it’s laced with venom that really shouldn’t be there. I don’t know her ex. I barely know her, and I don’t have the faintest idea about the dynamics of their relationship. All I know is that she’s here for him, and for some reason, that’s stirring up a storm of some very irrational emotions.

My ego and I have been at war with each other for the past three days. I’ve been trying to forget about her, but he hasn’t been able to let go of the fact that she snuck off in the middle of the night. Despite my better judgment, I’ve been reliving that night over and over again in my mind while he’s been analyzing every tiny detail. Needless to say, finding out that she’s here to make amends with her ex is not something me or my ego wanted to hear.

“He’s not a bad guy...he just...” She pauses to take a sip of her strawberry daiquiri. “Oh, wow! This is delicious. Thank you.” She gulps down more than half before resuming the conversation. “He’s not always a jerk. We just...we just had a misunderstanding. I know he cares about me, but—”

I can already see her formulating whatever excuses she deems necessary to justify his behavior. I don’t know why they broke up, but I’d bet my last dollar that it was his fault. “Let me ask you something, Li,” I cut in. “And I want you to answer me honestly. If you hadn’t been kicked out of your penthouse, and if you weren’t living in some dingy motel, would you even consider giving this guy another chance?”

She mulls it over for about a minute and her shoulders slump when she realizes the answer. “No...I guess not. What he said...and did to me was pretty unforgivable.”

“And if I’m not mistaken, I think I also saw you glance at the VIP section a few times. Trust me, if that’s where you were expecting to find him, he’s definitely not worth your time.”

“Didn’t you just come out of there too?”

“Yeah, which provesmypoint, not yours. The fact that I was in there should tell you just how sleazy it is.” I cup her chin and tilt her head up for her to look at me. “Don’t sell yourself short and settle for a man who doesn’t deserve you just because he can offer you security.”

She deflates instantly. “Well, what else am I supposed to do? I have no one to turn to. No family. No friends. No one...and the world is a very scary place when you’re all alone.”

Anxiety and despair are encompassed in her body language. Her ex seems like the biggest asshole in the world. The hurt he caused her is written all over her face. Her big hazel eyes are brimming with tears, begging for reassurance, and I don’t have the answers she’s looking for. Instead, I make it my mission for the night to make her forget all about him.

“You know what?” I say. “You’re already out, looking gorgeous. Let’s just have fun tonight. Then tomorrow, I’ll come over to your dingy motel, and we can come up with a better plan. I’ll even help you look for a job or another modeling gig. Whatever you want.”

Her eyebrows draw together, and she studies me for a moment. “You would do that for me? Why? Why do you care? You don’t even know me.”

“You’re throwing around loaded words again. I don’tcare, but I have nothing to do tomorrow, and I wouldn’t mind...spending the day with you. I imagine it may be slightly less than awful.”

A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips, but she doesn’t let it fully materialize. “Okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Get me another one of these...” She tips her glass toward me. “...then let’s dance the night away, Peter Danahay.”

“You got it.”

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