Page 23 of Boss with Benefits

“Why is that?” he asked.

“You didn’t make me feel exploited or like you would try to get in my pants if we were left alone for five minutes. Some of the others were like that.” She cringed. “Most of the ones I worked with were like that. They tried to get me to take off clothes even if the pictures weren’t supposed to be racy, and one guy kept touching me with the excuse ofposingme, just enough so I knew what he wanted. I made sure I wasneveralone with him.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes; then he said something that blew her mind.

“Your mother made a pass at me.”

Her eyes grew wide in shock.

Then she groaned. “I am so sorry you had to deal with her. She believed infreelove, and she slept with anyone who took her fancy. A lot of men came and went. I mean, alotof men. I learned at a very young age to always knock before entering a room. She slept with some for financial gain and others because we needed somewhere to crash. Until I started getting regular paychecks for modeling, we were pretty much homeless.”

Brady’s hand froze with a chip halfway to his mouth. “I had no idea. Were you homeless when we met?”

“Kind of. I was starting to make a bit of money, so we’d moved into a motel. At least we weren’t living in the car anymore.”

“If I had known...”

She glared at him. “And there it is. The reason I don’t tell people the truth about my past. That look on your face. I don’t want pity or—”

“I don’t remember much about your mother. She was loud and dressed too retro for my taste. I just remember her making a pass at me and getting mad when I turned her down.”

Jessica wanted to get him off that particular track. The last thing she wanted to hear was her mother had put the moves on the man she’d been crushing on half her life. She most definitely didn’t want details. “My mother hated it she wasn’t born in the 60s. She was a self-proclaimed flower child and believed in free love and only eating things she could grow herself.”

“Makes sense.”

Jessica made a rude noise, and some chip pieces sprayed out of her mouth. Embarrassed, she quickly covered her lips with one hand while laughing. “Sorry.”

He ignored the unladylike mishap.

“What happened to you mom?” he asked. “I haven’t seen her visit or heard you talk to her on the phone. I don’t think you’ve mentioned her since we became partners.”

“Difference of opinion.” Jessica shrugged. “Modeling was her idea. She pushed me into it when I was thirteen, and it took me years to figure out she didn’t care if I was happy as long as I was raking in the money.”

He nodded in understanding. “She was your agent, so she got a cut.”

“When I turned eighteen, I told her I wanted to go to college and have a career outside of modeling.”

“Let me guess. She didn’t want to give up her ten percent as your agent.”

“Fifty.”

He choked on a chip. “Fifty? Highway robbery. You could sue her for that money now if you wanted. I’ll let you use my law team for that, too.”

She shook her head with a fierce expression. “I have more than enough money for me and Axl both to live on for a long time. Plus, I have a steady paycheck from this place.”

“Why would you let her take half?”

Jessica made a face. “My mother pointed out she had to take care of me financially from the day I was born and said I owed her my life. It was easier to let her have the money than fight about it. But you’re right about her not wanting to give up her meal ticket. She got so mad she kicked me out of the house and told me not to return if I was giving up modeling.”

“Wow,” he said. “I’m sorry. Guess I’m not the only one who had crappy parents.”

“My mother hasn’t spoken to me in years. I tried to reach out a few times, but she made it clear she’s done with me. After Axl was born, I sent her a note, thinking she might be happy tohear she has a grandson. She sent me a brief note back. It was your basic kiss-off. She didn’t care about Axl and doesn’t want to hear from me again. End of story.”

Brady placed a hand on her knee. “I’m sorry your mom hurt you.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Jessica said. “She wasn’t the worst mother in the world. When she was struggling with drugs, it put a terrible strain on our relationship, but there were some good times. Things would get really bad for a while. Then she would sober up and apologize and swear she’d never touch the stuff again. Those were good days. She would be attentive, listening to my problems and offering help if I needed it. I even called her by her first name, because she wanted to be my friend. Not my parent. We’d treat ourselves to manicures and go shopping when our budget allowed. Life was good… until it wasn’t. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stay sober for more than a few months.”

His eyes narrowed. “She didn’t try to get you to take drugs, did she?”

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