Page 82 of Reckless

“He did not.” And they’d been together alone plenty of times since then in which he could have said. And decided not to.

But he’d shared with this person who despite being lovely and all, was a relative stranger.

“Harlow, he only wants to help. I’m sure he expected to talk to you about it or have me talk to you about it. I explained when he paid the retainer that if you went forward with this, it would be up to you to share whatever you chose.”

“He paid a retainer to you? For me?” She hadn’t intended to sound so pissed, but there it was. Miles just pushed and pushed and pushed and apologized afterward, and despite his intentions being good, it really made her mad.

Ben cursed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m usually better at this,” he said at last. “Then again, I guess I never expected Miles to be clumsy like this either. He’s not…I’ve seen him be protective of many people. Our family definitely, but also his band members. But never once a romantic interest. That’s the only reason I can imagine him not telling you. He’s not underhanded like that. He respects you and wants you happy.”

No, he wasn’t underhanded. But.

Harlow wasn’t about to make a scene over it. As pissed off and hurt as she was by Miles’s paying a retainer without even consulting her, they’d work it out and that would need to be done outside the view of his fan club.

“How much is the retainer?” she asked Ben.

“He took care of it. Don’t worry.”

She just looked at him until he sighed. “Work this out with him. Then whatever you need, you’re the client and we’ll handle it if you want to pay instead. I informed him when I accepted the retainer that once that had happened, you were my client and what I found would be confidential. He agreed to that.”

“Oh, I do want to pay. It’s my issue, not Miles’s.” She had money to pay her own damned bills. It was one thing to stay in his swanky hotel suites and take advantage of the offers he’d made of things like sharing their transport to the venue and the like. Another entirely for him to pay her fucking expenses like he was her sugar daddy as her mother had screamed in one of those voicemails.

“I’ll have an invoice sent to you directly,” Ben said at last. “And I won’t share anything else with him from this point on.”

She scrubbed her hands over her face a moment. “This is already more complicated than I want.”

“I apologize,” Ben said. “I have messed up here because he’s my nephew and he’s so fucking in love with you he can’t stand knowing you’re hurting. He just wants to take care of you. I should have been clearer up front and not shared any of this with him. It’s not professional at all.”

And now she was in an impossible position.

“I think I’ll watch the video on my own. You don’t need to be part of this. It’s not fair for you to have to take responsibility for something Miles did. No matter his reasons. That he hasn’t shared with me.”

Ben put a hand on her arm to stay her. “Please don’t. He fucked up. I fucked up. I absolutely understand why you’re upset. Can we start over? Please?”

What could she say other than yes? Even though she wanted to leave and be alone for the hours before they took the stage, she couldn’t. Because she was with someone now who came with this big extended family.

It felt like manipulation if she were to be totally honest. Ben knew that too. He knew she cared so much for Miles that she wouldn’t risk alienating him or them.

“I dislike being manipulated with my feelings,” she told him, and he nodded.

“I’m not trying to manipulate you. I wouldn’t do that even if you weren’t with Miles. I’m not that guy. But I understand right now, Miles and I have given you reason to feel that. I can only apologize again and promise you to be better. I truly do want to help.”

She blew out a breath. He was a genuine guy and she liked him. And importantly, she believed his apology and his reasons. He loved Miles and Miles loved her and that was what made this all so complicated even as it was generous and wonderful.

But she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to keep him on the job. If she even had the job done at this point.

“Fine. Tell me what was in that video. And I don’t want you revealinganythingto Miles.Iwill let him know if that’s what I choose to do. They are my details and I have every right to do that myself.”

Relief flashed over Ben’s expression. “Fair. So very fair.” He looked back over their shoulders to the restaurant and then back to her. “Gloria is a narcissist. She’s the kind of person that if you say you broke your toe, she’d interrupt with a story about her own health. There’s no subject she will allow anyone to shine with and will always center herself in every conversation. All while telling everyone how much she cares about them. And when she gets called out, I bet she tries to pretend it’s that she’s truly just awkward and is only trying to connect.”

Bullseye.

“She blames your father and the liberal elite for your scandalous behavior. She claims you were purchased from her and then made into his image. Says you were sexually forward from an early age and trained to be by your father and his minions. And that’s why you’re so successful in the music business.”

Harlow swallowed hard and willed the tears away.

“According to her, Miles is your sugar daddy and is using you and your youth and beauty to further his own success.”

Well, he did just pay on her behalf without even discussing it with her beforehand. If anyone like Gloria found out Miles had paid for this investigation into her background it would only lend credence to the sugar daddy theory.

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