Page 16 of Sleeping with the Frenemy

“You were technically an adult when we met. You could have done this years ago.”

“I was a teenager, Victoria. Cut me a little slack.”

Her free hand flew to her hip. “Seven years of silence, Chase? You’re telling me Oxford didn’t have any breaks? What about Yale? No Christmas vacations?”

I gritted my teeth. “My father controls every penny I have. The money is in a spendthrift trust until he dies. It’s hard to fly overseas when you’re broke. Besides, he would have cut me off in a heartbeat if he knew I came here.”

She narrowed her eyes, her glare both angry and skeptical. “You couldn’t have picked up the phone? What about email? Or does he control that, too.”

“It’s complicated,” I bit out, my own anger stirring.

“Apparently.”

My anger climbed higher. “Your sarcasm isn’t helping.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was supposed to help you explain yourself. Especially when your explanation doesn’t make any sense!”

The back of my neck heated. If we kept going like this, we were going to end up arguing. Hell, we were already arguing.

I swallowed. “I didn’t come here to fight. My father’s threats kept me away in the past. Not anymore.”

“What changed?”

“He had a stroke. A series of them, actually.”

She looked taken aback. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “Don’t say that, Chase. He’s your father. Your family.”

“Family’s overrated.”

“No.” She gave her head a vigorous shake. “It’s not. I lost my parents when I was five years old. I grew up in a motor lodge. Yes, there was love, but I would give anything to have them back.” She gestured around the ruined room. “Why do you think I’m fighting so hard to save this place? It’s all I have left of them.”

“I’m sorry about that. I know what the lodge means to you. It means something to me, too, actually.” That summer with her family was the happiest of my life.

Her lips parted. “So you’re forgiving the debt? I mean, now that you’re in charge, you—”

“I’m not in charge. Not yet.”

The frown came back. “What do you mean?”

I almost said “it’s complicated” again, but thought better of it. “My father is physically incapacitated, but his mind is still very much intact. He knows he needs me to run the show. Otherwise, business operations fall to his lawyers. But I’m still bound by the trust. I can’t spend any money unless he approves it.”

“So you can’t forgive the debt?”

“Not right now.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Victoria.” I stepped toward her.

“No!” Her mouth trembled, and she turned away.

“We’ll work something out.”

She swung back around. “Like what? More sex on the table?”

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