Page 19 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

In between naps, he’d followed us on our journey around the house. Luckily, he seemed back to normal. Peeing every other hour and sniffing the yard thoroughly, then showing up in the kitchen for dinner precisely at six like normal.

“How can he not want to see his own child?” She didn’t answer. I didn’t expect her to. “How can he use her as a tool to make sure he retains all his toys?”

Shelby crossed her legs and clutched her notebook that much tighter. “You’d have to ask him that.” She held up a hand. “Please don’t.”

I reached behind me to grab the pedestal sink. “Sorry, not my place to ask those questions. It just pisses me the fuck off. I used to look at it as a game, you know?”

She slid me a sidelong glance. “Not really.”

“Besting the other client’s attorney. Sure, people got hurt, but that wasn’t my fault.” I kept going, needing her to understand. “And hey, as long as my client was happy, I’d done my job. Besides, mostly they hated each other by that time, so I was helping them. At least that’s what I told myself. But I never saw the before.” My gaze lasered to hers. “The part with the love.”

“If it ever existed,” she said distantly.

“You didn’t love him?”

“I had fond feelings.” She chose her words carefully. “Then I got pregnant, and it seemed the right thing to do when he proposed.”

My fingers tightened on the edge of the sink but I stayed silent. Rare for me.

She turned over her wrist to look at her bangle watch and gasped. “I didn’t realize it was this late. My parents must think I’ve fallen off the face of the earth.” She jerked to her feet, and I realized I didn’t want her to go.

It made no sense. I didn’t know this woman. She was a mother and had bigger responsibilities than removing all the ridiculous gold leaf filagree in this house—there was even some on the light fixtures in here, for fuck’s sake—and replacing it with something less gaudy.

“When can I see you again?” I asked suddenly, swallowing hard at the sheer panic that crossed her expressive features. “Not like that. I mean, for house stuff. There’s a lot to do. A lot. We barely scratched the surface. I didn’t even show you the wine room or the movie theater or the pool and exercise room—”

Her eyes went wide and then she cleared her throat. “I have a whole team I work with. I only work on the preliminary sketches and then consult and then my team—”

“I want you. And I’m prepared to pay for the privilege. Whatever it costs.”

“Dex—”

“Don’t ‘Dex’ me and try to talk me out of it. I know what I want.”

“You don’t even know me. I could have the worst eye.”

“My brother doesn’t stop raving about you. Neither does Bishop. Both say you intuited what they wanted before they even knew themselves.”

“Oh, well, that was different.” She rubbed her throat. “I’m a good listener. Not psychic.”

“What about The Windsor House? Or the Revere Library? Did you or did you not design those two buildings?”

“Not the whole buildings, just certain parts.”

“Right. But what you put your stamp on is stunning. Don’t you want me to have a stunning place too?”

“My partners in Designing Women are incredible. TJ, Dahlia, and Avery each have their own areas of expertise and you’ll meet each of them soon. The people we hire to work with us—our subcontractors—are amazing too. I’d still be involved just—”

“You’re trying to be a participant. I want you to spearhead the whole damn thing. So tell me your price. What will it cost me for what I want?”

She licked her lips and looked down at her heels. “Does this have to do with what I told you about Berry’s father? I’m not destitute, Dex.”

“No. It has to do with me trusting my gut and wanting you to do here what I’ve seen you do elsewhere. If it would convince you to take the job, I can be totally hands off. I don’t even have to be here if I make you uncomfortable somehow. I’m fine with just signing the checks.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I don’t have any problem with you.”

“Good.” I stepped closer, just a fraction of an inch. “I don’t have a problem with you either.”

She was back to rubbing her throat. “Just as long as we both understand it’s strictly a professional arrangement.”

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