Page 17 of Million Dollar High

“Yes. It. Is.”

“If you truly believe that, then I’m not sure I even want to contemplate being with you.”

His sluggish heart picked up its pace. “Tell me that means you’ve thought about it? That you haven’t written us off?” The hopeful words spilled out before he could stop them.

“I know you think I am, but I’m not a heartless bitch capable of turning my emotions on and off at will. Everything I felt for you when I woke up on Saturday morning is still there. But that doesn’t mean I can ignore reality, or my feelings about what’s happening here.” She paused. “But for the sake of conversation, if you want to tell me why you’ve moved out, I’d like to know.”

He forced himself to release his stranglehold on the cup. Her words swirled through his head and he was sure he was missing something. Something important. But fuck if he could think straight in the midst of hating himself for wanting her as much as he did, for barely managing to keep seated when he wanted to bend her over the barstool, bury himself in her wet pussy and let the rest of the world go to hell. He shook his head and forced sanity back.

“Ashley needed a place to stay. I gave her the condo.”

Several emotions flitted across her face. “So you confirmed it? She’s really pregnant with your baby?” The words were hushed.

“Yes, she’s pregnant. Whether it’s mine or not is yet to be determined, so you might want to hold off on the congratulations.”

Her eyes darkened, but they stayed on his long enough for him to see that the alcohol was wearing off. Long enough toonce again get the sensation that he was missing something when a dart of pain clouded her eyes, right before she lowered them.

She drained her cup and set it down in the middle of the table. “Let’s get this over with. Why did you want to see me?”

“My PI found out some things yesterday that I thought you should know.”

“Your PI? You mean you still went to the appointment?”

“Once he called me with the info he found.”

“What info?”

Noah thought about how to play this without alarming her. If his PI’s investigation turned up something other than what Noah suspected, he would’ve alarmed Leia for nothing.

“Something we can possibly use to track Willoughby down.” She opened her mouth but he shook his head. “Before I tell you, I need you to tell me about your stepfather. Every single thing you can remember from the moment he walked into your life.”

6

The moment Noah confirmed Ashley’s pregnancy, Leia’s heart had dropped to her stomach and stayed there, a heavy ball of steel that refused to beat properly. At the mention of her stepfather, her world greyed further.

Stephen Willoughby was the last person she wanted to talk about. Hell, talking was the last thing she wanted to do, period. Retreating into the numb cocoon she’d been in this afternoon was a much more attractive prospect.

“Leia!”

“Do we have to do this right now?”

“Yes. The quicker I have all the information I need, the better the PI will be able to work.”

Right, he expected her to conduct a rational conversation when she was mentally gutting herself for wishing his ex out of existence. “You’re forcing me down a road I really don’t want to go, Noah.”

His mouth curved in a parody of a smile. “It’s a good thing I know you’re made of much tougher stuff than a quick trip downmemory lane. Just give me the bare facts, and you’ll be free to go.”

She cleared her throat and wished she hadn’t finished her coffee so quickly. Her haze hadn’t cleared, but she was sobering up enough to feel the sharp knife of loss every time she looked at him. To remember that the previous times she’d discussed her father’s death, her mother’s suicide… her rape, he’d held her, comforted her. He’d made her feel like she wasn’t alone, that those strong arms and broad shoulders would be hers to lean on whenever the monsters threatened to suck her under.

Now, he wanted her to relive the tormenting memories while he stared coldly at her from across the table. Her heart wrenched and she shook her head. “I can’t,” she whispered.

“Leia.”

Trembling, she leaned forward, her every sense straining for the warmth she’d walked away from. The warmth she would give anything for now. “Please, Noah, the memories are too painful.”

The coldness dissipated, and the man she yearned for appeared. “He needs to be caught. You know that, don’t you?”

She nodded. “Yes, Noah.”

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