Page 51 of Mine Forever
“But I thought you were doing well. Last time I saw you, business was thriving.”
I swallow and look down at my hands wringing the towel.
“I made some…let’s call them bad judgment calls over the last year, year and a half. And now I’m strapped for cash. I’ve had to lay out a lot more money than I anticipated on some things, and I haven’t recouped yet. But this event is going to pay enough to take care of some stupid loans I took out that are draining me.”
He locks his hands behind his neck and pulls down. “No pressure or anything, right?”
His voice is angry and I don’t blame him.
He’d left the New York Admirals under less than ideal circumstances if the media is to be believed.
He and I had one glorious night together that put my heart in danger.
We said things we shouldn’t have, did things we shouldn’t have, and with my heart broken yet again, I left and never returned his calls.
It’s no wonder he isn’t exactly thrilled to see me.
For the first time, the enormity of what I’m asking of him sets in, and it isn’t fair to put this burden on him for mistakes I’ve made that he wasn’t a part of.
Why didn’t it bother me to ask Mason Jackstone to be the speaker? This is business. Would I be so conflicted about this if we didn’t share a history?
I shake my head because I don’t even need to answer that. All kinds of emotions are involved when it comes to Chase.
Still…I have people depending on me. They have families and lives.
But so does Chase.
What a fucking mess.
He shoves the stool back and walks over to where I stand. “I need to think it over, okay?”
“Fair enough.” I pick up the dirty egg pan. “I’ll just finish cleaning up.”
He shakes his head. “I got it. You cooked; I’ll clean.”
“No, I can?—”
“Eden, leave it.”
His large hand covers mine on the handle, and the heat from it sends a shock of desire straight to my core.
I look up into his green eyes that always hold me captive. Honest to God, it was the first thing I noticed when we met in freshman English lit class.
I’ve known this man for so long and yet over the last several years, I don’t know him at all.
Torment mixes with desire in his green depths, and my chest flutters, leaving me breathless.
I need to walk away. Move out of the line of fire before we burn each other again. I don’t know how many more close encounters I can take before I combust.
A rumble of thunder outside brings me back to earth and I blink, snatching my hand away. “Fine. I’m just…I’ve got some work to do so…I’ll be…just…yeah.”
He nods slowly, his eyes not leaving mine. When they do, he looks down at the pan like he doesn’t know how it got there. “Right.”
I take a step back and then another before turning and nearly fleeing out of the kitchen.
Moving quickly down the hallway to Chase’s room, I’m anxious to be alone so I can recalibrate my body.
I shut the double doors behind me, leaning back on them.
