Page 24 of Daddy's Billionaire Broker

GRACE

It was humiliating to have Dad drag me home like a disobedient child, but in a way it was a relief. I needed some space to think about Jack.

Not that I could think at all on the way home, with the way Mom and Dad fought. Even though they hadn’t told me yet, I knew that they were separating, and there had been terrible underlying tension between them for the past few years. Now that they had something outside of themselves to argue about, they were pulling no punches.

Dad was upset that Jack had simply "helped himself" to his daughter, and was scandalized by the thought of me dating someone from his workplace.

Mom had the strong opinion that I was making the absolute perfect "career move", and was setting up a wonderful life for myself. She didn't once mention my feelings, or that Jack was nice to me. She was just thrilled that he was rich.

By the end of the ride, I was left wondering how these two people had ever ended up together. I was not going to be sad about their upcoming divorce. I couldn't imagine a time that they really clicked, and understood each other.

Unlike Jack and I, who appeared to have clicked right away.

The second the car stopped in the driveway, I jumped out, ran inside, and went up to my room.

I didn't hope for a text from Jack. I had just told him that I needed space. But I wasn't sure if I should reach out or not.

He was the one who was older, and had more experience of this sort of thing. Right?

I changed into my pajamas, then sat curled up in the center of my bed, staring dismally out the window at the huge tree in the backyard.

Come to think of it, maybe Jack hadn't dated very much at all. He'd been working so hard to get where he was. He seemed completely focused. Single minded. Until I showed up, anyway. That thought gave me a pang.

I never dated in college. I spent the time making some solid friendships, and genuinely enjoying studying literature. I figured that boys would be a distraction.

I might have changed my mind had anyone really caught my eye, but no man ever had – until Jack.

He was so gorgeous that he probably caught everyone's eye. I didn't want to think that he was only interested in a cute young wife to complete his perfect billionaire lifestyle. That still nagged at me. Why hadn’t he told me?

But then again, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that not telling me he was a billionaire was probably the right thing to do, until he knew me a little better, and knew that I wasn't only into him for his money.

Rolling over to stare at the wall, I sighed. We'd only known each other a couple of days. When we were alone, everything was perfect. Yet when we were in public, I thought about his colleagues looking at me, judging me, and judging Jack by what they thought he thought of me…ugh. It was too much to take. It made my head hurt.

Being a corporate wife was certainly not my thing. If that's what Jack was after, then our relationship was definitely a fling, and it was over already.

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