Page 33 of The Billionaire's Special Relationship

“Never. He said he didn’t do hood. Whatever that meant. We usually hung out at his so-called upscale apartment whenever we were together.”

“What does he do for a living?”

“He owns a small clothing store on Grant Street. That’s probably where that heifer was headed when she ran into my car.”

But Stuart could tell something else was bothering Tabby. Something that concerned, not her ex nor those two thugs, but him. “We’re going to be fine, Tabby.”

When she looked at him, he knew their coupling last night was front and center on her mind as well. And he regretted putting yet another situation in her path for her to deal with. And what he put on her last night was maybe a bigger situation than abreak-in because that kind of emotional connection was longer-lasting. It was not something she was going to soon forget.

But she kept staring at him as if she needed reassurance that he wasn’t some joker out for what he could get from her body and then he would hit the road.

Which was another issue for him. Because of her youth and inexperience, and her vulnerableness at a time like this, he felt an outsized sense of responsibility for her. He had to be there for her, to look out for her, to protect her. He didn’t know why he felt that way, but he felt that way. “You’ve never slept with anyone this soon, have you?”

She shook her head. “Never.”

“Do you feel I took advantage of you?”

“No way.” She said this as if it was ludicrous to even think that. “Nobody takes advantage of me. I was as willing as you were. That’s not it at all.”

If that wasn’t it, then he knew what it was. He knew she wanted to ask the million-dollar question: Where, she wanted to ask, do they go from here? He knew where: he wasn’t giving her back. She was going with him. But because he knew she wasn’t ready for that answer, he didn’t answer her.

And then his phone began ringing.

Stuart had to get out of bed because it was still in the bathroom, but when he grabbed it and saw that it was his daughter calling, he hesitated. Because she sided with her mother abouteverything, they weren’t on good terms at all. But he stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaned against the doorjamb, and answered. “Good morning.”

“Daddy, why aren’t you at the hospital with everybody else?”

Stuart was confused. “The hospital? What are you talking about, Clare?”

When Tabby heard that it was a woman on the other line, she looked over at Stuart. He was full-on naked, and his penis, even at rest, loomed large. She wondered how in the world could she believe that a man that sexy wouldn’t have a line of women waiting for him. This man had a real life before he met up with her. And probably a real girlfriend or even a wife too. She really knew nothing about him!

But she also heard him mention a hospital. The call wasn’t on Speaker, so she couldn’t hear the full conversation.

“Clare, why are you beating around the bush? Stop playing games and tell me what’s going on. Now I mean it!”

“You truly don’t know?” Clare asked her father.

“No, I don’t know. Why would I know? I’m not even in town. Did something happen to your mother?”

“It’s Alan.”

Another hesitation when Stuart heard that name. He was still dealing with the devastation of hisson’s betrayal. Now something else? “What about Alan?”

“Somebody shot him, Daddy, and left him for dead.”

Stuart stood upright in shock. Tabby could see that something was horribly wrong by the sudden look on his face. “Is he okay?” Stuart asked his daughter.

“We don’t know anything yet. He’s still in surgery. I thought your office would have phoned and told you by now.”

Stuart knew that wasn’t going to happen. Everybody at Dellstone felt they had to remain aligned with Alan in order to keep their jobs. Including those who were usually very loyal to Stuart.

“Where are you now?” Clare asked him.

“I’m in Ohio. I’m handling my mother’s affairs.”

“Why?”

Neither one of Stuart’s children had any relationship whatsoever with his mother. “She passed away.”