Page 51 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

He slapped his knee. “Damn, you are a wreck over this girl. If you want to keep pretending that you feel nothing for her, then you’re going to be in for a rude awakening when you realize the only person you’re lying to is yourself.”

“Get. Out.”

He laughed, stood up, and headed toward the door. “Just be careful. I know this is for the business, but it’s also Harlow.”

I forced a casual shrug because he wasn’t wrong. “I’m doing this for Marty, too.”

Hayes’ grin faded. “So, you’re doing this for grandpa?”

I leaned back in my chair. “I want to make Marty happy, and we need this expansion if we want to compete in the market.”

My dad and grandpa built this business from almost nothing. They trusted me to take over, and letting them down wasn’t an option.

“There are other ways to make Marty happy. We can try to find another investor. You don’t need to do this.”

I stared at him, trying to figure out if I should be annoyed or grateful for his advice.

“I’m doing what I feel is best.”

He nodded and turned to leave. “Good luck tonight. Let me know how it goes.”

After he was gone, I stared at the estimate in my hands. Hayes wasn’t wrong.

My grumpiness wasn’t solely about the investors and Marty. It was about Harlow, too.

No matter how much I tried to deny it, she was under my skin, and that scared the hell out of me because I liked having her there.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

BROOKS

Harlow was late—fifteen minutes, to be exact. I picked up my drink and sipped just enough to take the edge off. I needed to be sharp tonight. I needed to convince Richard Clark to invest in my business and believe that I was a man madly in love with his fiancée.

Which wouldn’t be a complete lie, but we’ll keep that between us.

I checked my watch and rolled my shoulders back, trying to shake the nerves and remind myself this was simply a dinner.

She’d been in the bathroom for the past hour while I paced my living room like a caged animal.

“You can come out any minute now,” I yelled toward the bathroom door. “Dinner is in thirty minutes, not next week.”

When the door swung open, every rational thought left my head.

She looked stunning. No, stunning wasn’t even the right word. Harlow was the kind of beautiful that knocked the wind out of you. Her dark hair was curled in loose waves, spilling over her shoulders. Her black dress was sleek and form-fitting without being flashy. The neckline was modest, with a slight dip hinting at what was underneath. She turned to the side, glancingdown at her dress, which was the epitome of class and elegance. I almost forgot how to breathe.

“Is this okay? I found it in one of the shops in town.”

I should be talking. There should be words coming out of my mouth. Instead, I stared like an idiot.

“Do you not like it?” she asked when I still hadn’t said anything.

“You look fine.”

She snorted. “That’s the best you can come up with?”

I clenched my jaw and looked away, refusing to let her see how badly she affected me.

“Fine, you look nice,” I said, trying to sound normal.

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