Page 26 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

She glanced over her shoulder to see him sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest. Doing so pulled the worn cotton of his T-shirt snug over his broad shoulders.Don’t get distracted, Liyah, this man’s a fucking mess.“And?”

“You’re very successful.”

She turned back to the table and narrowed her eyes on him. What was he about? “I am. I built that business from the ground up and I’m proud of what I accomplished.”

“As you should be. Please sit down.” At least it was a soft request this time instead of a sharp order.

“I don’t understand the point of this meeting if you didn’t need to talk. I also don’t like being lied to.”

“I didn’t lie. I needed to talk to you.”

“About my personal life.”

He got up and moved around the table to stand in front of her. Her pulse sped up as he searched her face. A few seconds later, he put his hand on the back of her abandoned chair and said, “Please sit.”

Holy shit.She just figured out what he was “about” tonight. The reason for this meeting.

The reason he didn’t want anyone seeing them together.

He wasn’t only interested in her connections, he was interested inher.

Since he didn’t want to be interested in any woman, he found reasons to push them away. He planned on using her connections as a reason to do that with her.

By finding faults with any woman he may have even the slightest interest, he used those faults as an excuse to not let that woman in and continue to keep himself closed off.

He looked for problems to avoid finding happiness.

To him, being alone was safe. And painless.

She wondered how long ago his wife or partner—she still didn’t know who it was—died.

If it had been years, this man needed more help than what she, and maybe even the average therapist, could give him.

But she was willing to take a shot at it.

She closed her eyes and pulled in a breath. Why would she even consider getting herself involved in his emotional mess?

She was busy with her career. She had two young men to raise. She had family to deal with. Not to mention, all the extra people who came along with that family.

And now she had the weekly group to lead.

A murmured, “Please,” had her opening her eyes and meeting his.

She had two options. She could leave and wash her hands of him. Or…

She could sit and feel him out. See what “faults” he could uncover.

Would her father and his family be a fault? Her being a single mother? The fact her two sons were fathered by two different men?

The fact that she still loved her first husband with all her heart? And always would?

She truly believed that Mark had been her soulmate.

She found out the hard way that Jason had been a soul crusher.

Every day she wished Mark was still alive. Every other day she wished Jason was… not.

Maybe she judged Keenan’s father more harshly than she should. Even so, she knew better than to ever say that occasional thought out loud. Because if it passed her lips, she was afraid the wrong ears would hear it and it might actually happen.

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