STEPHANIE
“It’s over, Oliver.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the call. “What exactly do you mean by that?” Oliver Norcross asked.
“I mean I don’t want to do it anymore,” Stephanie said, steeling herself. She had known this would be hard. She was ready for it. “I don’t want to work with you on keeping Elijah out of trouble anymore. I’m ending my involvement in that, effective immediately.”
“And what about the discussions we had about adding to your loan?” he said. “You don’t still want the bonus I can offer you? I can make it worth your while to do this for me, Stephanie. You know I can.”
“I know you can.” She drew a breath. “No, I don’t want that anymore.”
“Is it the amount? I can offer more, if that’s the issue.” He chuckled. “I didn’t expect you to be a negotiator this early, I must say."
“It isn’t the money,” she said. “In fact, I don’t want the money anymore. Not any of it. Not even the original loan we agreed on.”
It was the best way—the only way—she could think of to settle her conscience. What she had done to Elijah was a betrayal, but she still had time to erase it. She could refuse to benefit from it, and then it would be as if it had never happened.
“You don’t mean that,” Oliver said.
“No,” Stephanie countered. “I really do mean it. I’m grateful to you for making me the offer, but I just don’t think I’m comfortable with my company succeeding because of something like this. I want to get there on my own merit.”
“I’ve told you that this is the way it works in business,” Oliver said. He sounded exasperated. “I have something you need. You have something I want. We exchange. It’s that simple. You’re making it harder than it has to be with all this waffling around. You held up your end of the bargain. Even if you do want the arrangement to be over, you’re entitled to what we originally agreed on, and I’m not the kind of man to back out of an agreement.”
“I’m sure you’re not,” Stephanie said. “But I’m just not going to accept payment. I’ve made up my mind. I’m finished with the whole thing, and I have every intention of walking away from it right now.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Do you mind telling me what changed?” he asked at last.
“I did,” she told him. It was the best explanation she could offer.
“So I’ve been thinking,” Elijah said.
They were in the car on their way to a jazz club outside of town, a place he had promised her they’d have no chance of being recognized. Stephanie was optimistic about that, but she was also thrilled just to be in the car with him. She hadn’t seen him since the dinner at his house two days ago. The last time they’d been this close to one another, she had been naked in his bed.
It was impossible, sitting here with him, not to imagine this night going the same way. And this time, because she had formally cut ties with his father, she would finally be able to really enjoy it.
No more lies. At last, things between us are exactly what they appear to be.
“What have you been thinking?” she asked him.
“We’ve been out, what, six times now?”
“Or seven.” She grinned at the recurring joke, and he laughed too.
“I would never have thought I would be ready for this so soon,” he said. “But being with you… I don’t want to see anyone else.”
“No,” she said softly. “I don’t either.”
“So I was thinking… well, I was thinking I would just tell you that I plan to be exclusive,” he said. “I’m not asking you for anything. You should do whatever you want. But for me… I’m not going to be seeing anybody else.”
“No, I feel the same way,” she said quickly, not wanting to leave him hanging. He hadn’t asked her, but he must be wondering if there was going to be reciprocity here, and she didn’t want to make him anxious. He had taken a risk for her. “I haven’t been seeing anyone else since I met you—well, since before that, if I’m being totally transparent.” She chuckled. “It’s been a while. But the point is, I have no interest in dating anybody else. You’re the only person I’m seeing, and I’m happy to make that official.” Her heart fluttered at the thought of it. She was his, and he was hers. When all this had started, she would never have dreamed it would lead them here. But now, here they were.
“It’s hard to believe someone as beautiful and charming as you wasn’t getting dates,” he commented, pulling into a parking spot outside the club. “I think you’re underselling it.”
“No, I’m not,” she said, her cheeks warming at the compliments. “But I wasn’t trying to get dates. That was probably a big part of it. I promised myself I wasn’t going to see anybody until my company took off, because it would be too big a distraction.”
“And now?”
She laughed. “I met someone I couldn’t say no to. And believe me, I tried.”
