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I thought back. The only thing I could recall was how shocked I was the first time Hale made me come. But I couldn’t say that. That wasn’t even the moment. But it seemed all I could think of now that I knew it was the wrong answer. Where the fuck were all the right answers? It was like my memories just vanished. Poof! Gone. Voila! Nada.
“Um…”
Now, not only was Frankie staring at me expectantly, Hale seemed curious as well. Then he appeared concerned. And then hurt. How could I literally think of nothing?
“Flip-flops!” I finally blurted.
“Flip-flops?”
I nodded. “I was coordinating a birthday party on the yacht for Hale’s sister and he brought me flip-flops.”
“Rayne doesn’t like wearing heels,” Hale explained. “I also seduced her with ice cream.”
Frankie laughed. “So would you say you’re the aggressor in the relationship?”
“Definitely.”
“As a Davenport, I assume you’re used to getting what you want.”
“For the most part, but not because I’m a Davenport. I get what I want because once I make the decision that I want something, I become relentlessly focused on the outcome.”
Frankie grinned. “And you wanted Rayne.”
“Very much.”
She turned to me with a grin. “How does it feel to know that you were the central focus of a man as powerful and desirable as Hale Davenport.”
It feels wrong, I thought. Accidental. Make believe. Like the other shoe could fall at any second and my entire world would crumble and burst into flames.
Thank God I kept my mouth shut long enough to think of a better answer than the first ones that came to mind. “It feels flattering.”
She looked at Hale. “Do you find it challenging to manage so many business endeavors and a new relationship?”
“Rayne’s the center of my world.”
Did he have a cheat sheet or something? How did he always know the right thing to say?
“And how does that work with the other lady in your life?”
My head snapped back to Frankie. What other lady? She couldn’t possibly know about Jasmine, could she? Or was she referring to someone else? Because I’d cut a bitch.
“I’m referring to your daughter, Elara,” she finished and I instantly relaxed. Of course, she was talking about Elara. Duh.
“Rayne was with me the night my daughter was born and she’s been a part of her life ever since.” He took my hand and squeezed affectionately. “I’m very grateful that my daughter has such a kind and loving role model in her life. Elara and Rayne have an excellent relationship.”
“Do you think of yourself as Elara’s mother, Rayne?”
This woman had no qualms about getting personal. “I love Elara as if she were my own.”
“And how does her biological mother play into your arrangement?”
Her question was met with dead silence. Hale’s PR people knew what topics were permitted and which ones were off-limits. No way this woman wasn’t provided a list before the interview.
Everyone knew Hale didn’t have a baby alone. But no one suspected he wasn’t Elara’s birth father. Dropping any mention of Jasmine into conversation would forever be the equivalent of a church fart. Something everyone knew was there but most were too polite to discuss or acknowledge.
Frankie, however, just stopped the sermon to play a game of Smelt It Dealt It.
Hale wore a serene expression of professional indifference. But he was not unaffected by the mention of his ex. That impenetrable mask was harder than armor and only appeared when he was about to go to war.
