Page 28 of Hidden With You

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I want to marry you. I just—”

“What? You just want to prove that you’re young and beautiful and can seduce anyone?” He felt his temper flaring and knew he should tamp it down. But the woman was so damned infuriating. “Well, guess what, you can. I’m right here, and I want you. Seduction achieved. But I’m going to do right by you. You’re my client. I’m too old for you. And whatever this is, it isn’t going anywhere.”

“Fine. Whatever. Fine.”

He stifled a curse and rubbed his temples. “Fine?” he repeated.

She leaned her head back and sighed. When she looked at him again, she seemed even younger. “Look, I know I’m a mess. I just—I just want the connection. And don’t flatter yourself. It’s not just you. I mean, I’m attracted to you, yeah. But…” She trailed off with a shrug.

“I get it. You’re lonely.”

“That sounds so pathetic, but it’s kind of true. I never connected with anyone in college. I was too young to even drink, and it was all about frat parties and keggers.”

“You’re out of college now.”

“Sure. And I tried to meet people. Other recent grads. I was nineteen and was already a working writer, and my fantasy life was going strong. I thought I’d find someone and we’d fall in love and it would be like a fairytale. Like I was Rapunzel and he’d rescue me from the witch and the haunted castle.”

“Didn’t work out as planned?”

“Nope.” She stretched out again, raising her eyebrows in question and putting her feet in his lap.

He nodded consent, and she continued with her story. “I didn’t have a clue what a good relationship looked like, and I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted—I wanted a connection. But everyone I met was fresh out of school, and they were focused on their career. And most of them thought I was a freak. And if it did get to the point where I brought them home, they’d either start lusting for my money or they’d freak out by what they considered some weird responsibility.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, realizing that he’d been rubbing her feet without even thinking about it. “Growing up is never easy, but you had it worse. You jumped straight over childhood.”

She blinked, and he was surprised to see her eyes glisten with tears. “Do you know, other than Evelyn, no one has ever understood that?” Her smile was watery. “Maybe that’s why I’m attracted to you. That and the fact that you’re really, really hot.”

He laughed.

“Honestly, I think you’re just a unicorn.”

“You’re going to have to explain that one.”

“You’re older. You’re smart. You’re not competitive. And you don’t want to get serious any more than I do.”

“I don’t even want—”

“I know, I know,” she said. “I mean in general. The hypothetical partner. Someone to make you—me—feel wanted.” She shrugged. “God, this is pathetic. I feel like I’m on a shrink’s couch. But all I want is to feel. To forget. This threat, even my life. I just want to be swept away.”

“That’s not my job,” he said, although he couldn’t deny that he wanted it to be.

“I know. You’ve made that perfectly clear. I’m just talking. I don’t even know why, except that you’re listening. You are listening, aren’t you?”

“I’m listening,” he said. Right then, he felt like he could listen to her all night. She fascinated him, and even though he knew there was danger lurking there, he couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

“But that’s what it was at the party, you know. With you, I mean. I saw you at the party, and it was like being hit. And honestly, I was a little drunk—okay, a lot drunk—at that party, and when I saw you, it was just like, wow. And then in the atrium, when I realized you were attracted to me, too, I just thought it was going to happen. And then you shut it down. And now it’s like someone took my cheesecake away.”

He shook his head. “Oh no. You’re not allowed to try to get me to empathize by comparing sex to cheesecake.”

“But you want cheesecake. You know you do.”

“And I just told you that I don’t have cheesecake because it’s not good for me. I can’t be in good shape with cheesecake. I can’t do my job as well with cheesecake.”

“Fair enough. And I’m sorry if I sound like an overly chatty brat. I really do want to get to know you better. And I really do appreciate that you’re protecting me.”

“Thanks for that. And the truth is I want to get to know you better too. And I promise I will protect you. And just so you know, the men you’ve met sound like giant assholes.”

“Pretty much.”