Page 56 of The Billionaire's Ride

It’s beenten minutes since I messaged Kate that I’m waiting out front. And nothing. No response. No Kate. I ring her mobile but it goes to voicemail. Is her investor meeting running longer than she thought? I park Black Jack and head inside her hotel. The bar has no sign of her, so I take the lift up to her floor.

Knock, knock.

There’s no answer, but I can hear stirring. Someone’s in there.

“Kate.” I knock again, and the door swings open. Her face is pink with streaks of black down her cheeks. She looks up at me with glossy red eyes and a quivering bottom lip.

“Are you okay?” I ask, reaching for her hand, but she pulls away and swipes beneath her lower lashes with her thumb.

“I’m fine.”

No, she’s not. She’s not fooling anyone with that frown on her face. My mind races with thoughts of how to make her smile again. I step inside and shut the door behind me. “What happened? The investor meeting didn’t go well?”

Kate’s chin trembles and tears burst out of her eyes. “No, it was awful.”

I pull her in, holding her close. She sobs against my chest, and my heart pounds hard. Why is she so upset? Who did this to her? I squeeze her tighter as if it will help ease her pain. I can’t stand to see her like this. It breaks my heart. “It’s all right.”

She cries harder, then pulls away. “It’s not all right. He doesn’t want to invest. He wants to get in my pants.”

My jaw drops, then immediately clenches along with my fists. “He what?”

“I know. It’s unbelievable,” Kate sobs, pacing the room.

“No. Nobody messes with my girl. Who is this tosser?”

“Why? Are you going to beat him up for me?” she asks, mocking me with a few shadowboxing moves. But it’s no joke. If I ever get my hands on this asshole . . .

“You’re damn right I’ll take care of him.”

Kate shakes her head and wipes her tears. “Don’t bother. He’s not worth it. I already threw my drink in his face.”

“You did?” I ask, and she nods. Atta girl! “This clown deserves a lot more than a drink in his face.”

“And I deserve a lot better than sex for money,” she says, and now I feel even worse about the offer I made. I only want her to have the money she needs. I want her to have everything she needs. Everything she wants. And if I can get it for her, I will.

“Yes, you do. C’mere.” I pull her in again, and this time, I feel her relax in my arms. After a few minutes, she’s quiet, so I make her a different kind of offer, one that won’t come with an inappropriate sex stipulation. “My brother’s an investor. I can set up a meeting with him as soon as possible. Maybe you can still get the money. He’s a good guy.”

She lets out a long sigh. “Thanks, but I think I’m done with investors for now.”

A failed attempt to make this better. So I try again and lift her chin, looking into her sad eyes. “Can I still take you out? Get your mind off all this?”

“I just want to stay here,” she says, and I’m starting to get the feeling her despair is deeper than one bad apple-investor. Kate walks away and curls up on the bed, flinging more tears off her face.

“Then I’ll stay with you.” I kick off my boots and crawl in bed next to her, and she curls into me. I kiss the top of her head and say nothing. I hold her, breathe in the smell of her hair, and listen to her soft, sweet inhales and exhales. Any other woman and I would have left. I don’t do emotional support because I don’t do emotions. But here I am, consoling the girl who stunned me from across the room at Nina Savoy’s party. And the craziest part is that I want to be here with her. I want to be here for her.

Kate, Kate, Kate. What am I going to do about you?

Bing! Ding! Ding!

Chirping phone alerts bring me back to consciousness. It’s morning, and I’m still in Kate’s hotel bed. Fully clothed. I look over at Kate, yawing and rubbing her eyes. Her dress covers her legs and feet like a black tulle blanket. She sits up and checks her buzzing phone.

“Oh, my God,” she says, covering her mouth with her pretty manicured hand. “Oh, my God.”

“What is it?” I sit up, fully awake and ready for anything.

“The show. My pieces. The reviews . . . Everyone’s raving about them. Hashtag Kate Golden is trending. Garret’s blowing up my phone.”

“That’s brilliant!” I look over her shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of the very good news.

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