Page 24 of Taming Liberty

Naomi stands. “It’s okay.” She looks at Angel. “Thank you for allowing me into your home, sir.”

His chin dips. “Sure.”

He looks at me, and maybe it’s because of my conversation with Naomi, but for a moment, I think I can actually see the longing in his eyes. Like he doesn’t want to leave me. Like he cares for me.

He does, on some level. I know that. It’s just impossible to tell to what extent.

When the ball was in his court, he almost made me fall in love with him. Could I really do the same? Is he evencapableof feeling love?

I don’t know. But I have to try.

Naomi and Angel reach the back door, and she peeks at me over his shoulder, the questions so clearly displayed in her gaze that I worry Angel may see.

Will you do it? Will you help me?

I inhale a deep breath before slowly letting it out.

Then I nod.

7

Angel

One week later

Iopen my eyes when my body jolts.

Sawyer sits across from me, staring out the window into darkness. The plane is dim with the overhead lights off, so when I sit up, I click mine on.

“We’re landing,” Sawyer says, not looking away from the window.

I roll my neck and lift my hand to cover my yawn. I don’t reply to Sawyer, and I doubt he’s expecting me to. We haven’t had much to say to each other all week, and now that we’ve officially blown the multimillion-dollar deal in Shanghai, you could take an ax to the tension between us.

I blame him. It was his job to seal the deal, and he couldn’t get it done. He rubbed our prospective partner the wrong way, and no effort on my part could reconcile the trust I’d been building for the past year.

Worst of all, instead of admitting to his mistake, Sawyer’s chosen to quietly stew in self-pity like an entitled brat. If I didn’t know his history better, I’d say Mommy and Daddy never allowed him to experience failure.

This is my business partner. This child posing as a man.

The plane hits the tarmac, and as soon as we’re able, Sawyer stands from his seat and strides toward the cabin exit. I stand, my muscles still trying to wake up, and follow him. We get into an SUV together and wait in silence while our luggage is loaded.

A boat awaits us when we drive to the shoreline, and we travel the three miles around the island to the manor’s dock.

Neither of us say a word the entire time, and even though I think he’s pathetic for it, I’m glad he doesn’t try. I’m going to get over this. We both will. And when that time comes, I’ll be glad I didn’t speak what’s on my mind.

Sawyer pulls the boat up to the dock, and I climb out, bag in hand, while he secures the spring lines. I’m walking away when he speaks to my back.

“You don’t have to be such a pompous prick, you know.”

I pause but don’t turn around or look over my shoulder. My hands ball into fists at my sides, and I close my eyes. It’s an enormous practice of self-control, but I don’t respond to him. I take a deep breath, open my eyes, and start toward my home.

I half expect Sawyer to follow me, but he doesn’t, and I’m grateful for it. I’m exhausted, and all I really want to do right now is sleep. I don’t have the energy to deal with Sawyer or Shanghai or even Lib.

Lib. I nearly cringe when I think about what might await me with her. I told her I’d be gone for a few days, and it’s been a week. I didn’t have a way of calling her, and I thought better of requesting that someone from the manor check in with her. Not when Jasper is running it.

She must be pissed. Lonely. Bored. Maybe even worried. It’s one in the morning so she’s most likely sleeping, but she’ll be there bright and early, in my home, ready to criticize me. I won’t blame her for it, but I won’t lie and say I’m not disappointed that I can’t simply avoid her ridicule by not going to the manor. She lives with me now. She’smine.

I don’t know how I’m going to get used to that.

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