That thought was a dash of cold water.
“No,” I ground out, fisting my hands in the blanket. Hot tears stung my eyes. “No, I’m not. That was different.”
Mom believed every man. Their lies, their promises. I made a point of never wanting anything more than fun from a guy. Even when we ‘dated,’ I kept things breezy.
So why are you keeping Nico away?
If it was only his body that he promised, why not treat it like every other relationship and take the good while avoiding the bad?
“Because, he’s different,” I muttered, dashing the fabric at my eyes.
It wasn’t the money, although that was part of the issue. Rich men were far more manipulative in my estimation. It was the way he looked at me.
Nico saw me.
And that scared the crap out of me.
“That’s probably why it feels so right to be with him,” I muttered.
Letting out a growl of frustration, I scored my nails through my hair. I had to get a grip on the situation.
“I want him. He wants me. We can’t possibly be together, so what’s the harm in a littlecasualfun?” I breathed, refusing to let my head talk my body out of what I wanted desperately to go do.
My heart stayed silent, never a valid opinion in these matters.
With the war of mind over matter raging in my skull, I flicked off the light, curled up in the bed, and laid down. Laid down on his shirt.
“Screw it.” I jumped out of bed, tripped into my holey jeans, and tugged on a sweatshirt. Tossing my hair back into a loose pony, I scrambled to the door.
Where I found my uncle, fist raised and ready to knock.
“Magnolia, what is all the commotion?” he snapped.
I blanched. Thankfully, he held a flashlight pointed at the ground. Otherwise he would have seen my flaming hot cheeks.
“I just need to get some fresh air,” I gasped. “I was trying to work out, since I can’t sleep.”
My uncle grumbled. “We have an early morning tomorrow, nipote. You should be sleeping.”
The smart thing to do would have been to go back to bed and scream into a pillow. Instead, my stupid mouth ran away with me.
“Yeah, and I will, but I have to go for a jog or something.” I was dancing with fright at this point.
“Yes, I see. You’re the energy bunny,” he grumped. “It’s wet outside, though.”
“Oh, I don’t mind a little rain.” I tried to laugh, but it came out all squeaky.
Uncle Theo set a heavy hand on my shoulder. “If you catch a cold, Mrs. Sanderson will still expect you to show up for work. You know that, right?”
I bristled. “I know.”
“I try with her, but she’s taken a severe disliking to you.” My uncle shook his head and dropped his hand. “I don’t understand it. Of the three maids, you work the hardest. Your efforts speak for themselves.”
What a compliment! The organ in my chest pattered to life, beating with a soft warmth that made me feel fuzzy.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Now get out of here, so we can get some sleep,” he barked. “It’s a mercy you didn’t wake Franky.”
