Fantasy. Lori Foster
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mother was always proud, even when I didn’t deserve it. She used to claim I was the only good thing she had to look forward to. Which, when I look back to my misspent youth, is really pretty sad.” Then he grinned, just so she wouldn’t see how the topic affected him—how she affected him. “It’s a parent’s duty to be proud, no matter how you screw up.”
In a voice so low he almost couldn’t hear her, she said, “My parents haven’t always been proud of me.”
He stared at her profile, at her downcast expression, and frowned. “That can’t be true. You’ve just said how your father dotes on you, and Shay brags about your mother all the time. They love you a lot.”
“Yes, they do. But I’ve made some pretty terrible mistakes.”
He wanted to know what kind of mistakes she was referring to. He couldn’t imagine Brandi doing anything irresponsible or reckless. She didn’t seem the type. But he also wanted her to confide in him freely. So he didn’t ask. His job had taught him patience, especially with women, and he knew that if he bided his time, if he let her get to know him, she’d learn to be more comfortable with him.
She wouldn’t look at him, and he had to cup her chin to turn her face up to him. “We all make mistakes, honey. That’s part of being human.”
“I can’t…” She hesitated, not another word forthcoming.
Sebastian gave her a small smile. “It’s okay. No pressure, remember?”
She drew a deep breath, then blurted, “I shouldn’t be here. You should have had this vacation with another woman. It was unfair of Shay to foist me off on you like this. But it’s not too late. Maybe we could—”
“Brandi.” She went still as a stone, then blinked up at him. “I didn’t want to be here with anyone else. I wanted to be here with you.”
“But you don’t understand.”
“Understand what?” His temper frayed a bit and he struggled to control it. “That you’re not interested in getting cozy with me? Believe me, I’ve figured that out already. And it’s okay. I’m still enjoying your company.”
“I fell asleep!”
“You were tired. I didn’t mind.”
“It was rude,” she grumbled.
His sigh was long and loud. “Do you realize I’ve told you more about myself than any of my friends even know?” Her eyes widened. “I don’t know why, damn it, I just felt like talking. You listened, so you’ve heard it all.”
“I’m glad.”
“And I’m glad you’re here with me.” He squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll make the best of it, okay?”
She drew another deep breath, something she seemed to do when she was nervous, then let it out in a sigh. She peeked at him, her gaze hesitant. “I…I wanted to come. I really did.”
“But?”
“I’m just not ready to do this.”
He didn’t know what this was, but several things came to mind. She might be in love with someone else. She might have had her heart broken, or maybe she wanted someone more influential, someone with her background. He didn’t care. Whatever the obstacle, he’d overcome it somehow.
He’d been in his business long enough to know what appeared on the surface wasn’t always the reality. Brandi seemed like such an enigma—bossy yet sweet, confident yet sometimes unsure. He had five days to learn more about her, to figure her out, and he was looking forward to every minute of it.
He smiled. “Are you forgetting you’re in charge of this trip? We do what you want, when you want and how you want.”
“I just…I don’t like taking chances.”
He didn’t understand that, either, but it didn’t matter, not at this moment. “I think you’re ready to take a chance. A small chance,” he added, just so she wouldn’t stiffen up on him again. “With me.”
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