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Andrew chuckled and gestured with his head. “This way.”
“You’re not going to try to stop me?”
He gave me a confused look. “You’re a free woman. We brought you here in good faith, and we’ll take you home the same.”
“Good.”
“You didn’t think we were, like, kidnapping you,” Andrew asked. “Did you?”
“No. Not really.”
“We would never hold you against your will,” Andrew said. “Mr. Benning only kidnaps brunettes.”
I missed a step, stumbling in surprise.
“That was a joke,” Andrew said, continuing to lead me down a hallway.
“All of this is a joke,” I muttered. “A weird, cruel joke.”
“I’m sorry you see it that way.”
The wind whipped my hair around as we walked out onto the helipad. I hurried into the open door of the helicopter as if I expected it to leave without me at any minute. Andrew followed, climbed inside, and closed the door.
“So,” Andrew said when the helicopter was airborne. “Why’d you turn down the offer?”
“Because I won’t have sex for money,” I said, as if it were obvious. Hell it should have been obvious.
“That explains why you turned down the second contract,” Andrew pointed out. “But not the first.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t owe you any explanation.”
“No, you don’t,” he agreed with a shrug and a smile. Once again, I found myself liking him… and then immediately becoming suspicious of that feeling.
A long silence stretched as the helicopter wheeled around, then headed north. Andrew didn’t push me for an answer. But my heart was still pounding, and I wanted to vent to someone.
“I just got fired from a job,” I explained. “I guess you guys already know that. Tristan seemed to know everything about me. But I was working with two wealthy guys to start this marketing company from scratch. The focus of the company was digital avenues, like social media. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter. Lots of viral strategies. It was the perfect job for me.”
“Sounds like it,” Andrew said.
“Until,” I said, “just before my contract was about to vest, they fired me. I lost out on all the company equity I was supposed to earn.”
Andrew tilted his head. “You didn’t build in a clause to account for the possibility that they would fire you to prevent your shares from vesting.” It was a statement, not a question. But he said it gently.
“I was dumb,” I admitted.
“So now you’re afraid of contracts? That’s why you said no? Because I can assure you, you’ll have to sign one no matter who you choose to be a surrogate for.”
“It’s not the contract,” I replied. “It’s him. Pierce Benning. He reminds me of the fucking Bobs.”
“The Bobs?”
“The two partners I was working with. They’re both named Bob. They’re rich, and confident, and act like everything belongs to them.”
Andrew frowned slightly. “Mr. Benning was nothing but pleasant and polite to you.”
“Exactly! The Bobs were the same way. Acting like they’re friendly and reasonable, but I can tell it’s just for show. It always is.”
“I can assure you,” Andrew said, dark eyes gleaming as a beam of sunlight hit them through the window, “it’s not the case here. Mr. Benning is a good man. A great man.”
