Page 61 of The Wicked

“It’s anything but a line, Cinderella.”

“But what if…what if I’m not enough? If in a month or two months, you discover I’m really not that interesting and—”

“Are you talking about breaking up before I’ve even had a chance to take you white-water rafting?”

“White-water rafting? I’m not the best swimmer, and what if—” I realised he was joking and shoved him in the chest. “It isn’t funny.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“We barely know each other.”

“So, let’s change that.”

“I’m a perpetual screw-up. My life has basically been one big mess since I was nine years old. I don’t have a job, or—”

“Good. No job means you have no excuse not to come back to Roseburg with me tomorrow. Now, what do you want for dinner? I have two dozen cookies from the Coffee House in the car, or I can pick up takeout, or I can cook.”

Charming liked to call the shots, that much was clear, and not just in the bedroom. I could have fought, but what was the point? My mouth watered at the thought of Mary’s cookies, and I was in no state to make dinner myself, not when I couldn’t even walk to the kitchen. I didn’t hate the idea of escaping Baldwin’s Shore for a day either.

“Okay, you win. Let’s see how good you are with a stove.”

Losing an argument had never felt so good.

22

SARA

There was something thrilling about all the subterfuge. About throwing clothes into a duffel bag and sneaking away from The Lookout without a word to my family. About texting Brooke to let her know I was being whisked away for a dirty break and not to worry. About spending time with a man I suspected had as many skeletons in his closet as I did.

This morning, Charming was sitting opposite me in a diner halfway between Baldwin’s Shore and Roseburg, eating scrambled eggs and checking emails on his phone as I covered my pancakes in maple syrup. It all seemed so normal when last night had been anything but. I smiled inwardly. We each had our own secrets, but now we shared some too.

“What do you actually do?” I nodded at the phone. “For work, I mean.”

“I took over running the family business three years ago when Dad decided on a change of direction.”

“And what’s the family business?”

“Investing. Dad made a bunch of money in software when he was younger, and after he cashed out, he began financing other entities he believed showed promise. I basically oversee a family office, albeit a fairly complex one.”

“Like a bigger version of Baldwin Estates? That’s our family company. Well, not mine—I don’t have anything to do with it. My cousin Parker is in charge now.”

“Not your uncle?”

So, Garrett had done at least basic research on me.

“Uncle EJ isn’t business-minded. His wife used to run things with Parker, but she won’t be getting out of prison any time soon.”

“She’s in for murder?”

“Google is your friend, huh?”

“Just doing my due diligence. I’m surprised you haven’t googled me.”

“I tried. There was nothing.”

His eyebrows dipped in puzzlement. “Did you spell my name right?”

“Maybe not? I tried Kamp with a K and a C, but neither of them got any hits.”

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