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With different last names and no family photos in our apartment, there wasn't a thing that would've tied his identity to her. Looking back on it now, that was a blessing in disguise.
His gaze roams over the sea of people. Lowering his voice, he says, "She's my daughter, much to her dismay. She got pissed at me before she left for college and changed her name to her mom's maiden name. It killed me when she did that."
"Doesn't surprise me. Natalie is so rebellious sometimes."
He grins a little at that, his eyes beaming like a true, proud parent. "Tell me about it. I would never do anything to hurt her, but should you consider my offer, she’ll never know about us. No one has to know. It’s between us."
My breathing slowly deepens, and I roll my lips between my teeth. The decision would be so easy. If it weren’t for my damn job. If we were any other two people, I’d take him in a heartbeat. I’d take him without the money. But any temptation I might have had before this night would now have to be buried for good.
"I can't, James." My response is soft, and it hurts my heart for reasons I don't want to acknowledge. "I can't believe you're Natalie's father. If things were different, you wouldn't even have to make an offer, but I can't do that to her, I just can't."
His wild eyes shift back and forth between mine. "I should've fucked you when I had the chance. You never would've walked away."
"James," I say in a desperate whisper, feeling those words hit deep in my bones. We both know it would've been too good, too addicting.
Natalie makes her way back to us at that moment, and I send up a silent prayer thanking God for being on my side for once.
"Natalie, I was just telling your friend that I would donate to her nonprofit when she's ready to start it up," James says, still looking at me with pure desire in his eyes.
My spine tingles. Oh, he's good. He's really good.
Natalie's blue eyes widen and a small smile spreads across her face. "That's very generous of you." She looks toward me. "How awesome is that, Aub? Dad picks two charities a year and goes ham on them. Now maybe you don't have to go to boring law school after all."
I sip my cognac stiffly. "Very generous indeed. I was just as surprised as you when he told me."
My phone vibrates in my purse and I set my drink down to take it out.
"Is it him again?" Nat asks, and I can feel James looming over me trying to read the text message.
"Him who?" James asks a tad too harshly.
"Daniel. Her lame doctor boyfriend." Natalie rolls her eyes and I can see she’s a little more laid back with her father now that the liquor is streaming through her body.
I nod. "Yeah, he wants to see me."
"You should go."
I snap my gaze to her, surprised she would even suggest that when she’d begged me come tonight in the first place. I promised her I would be here, and I’d planned to stay, even with my dark secret standing three feet away from me. But if she's offering me a way out of my personal hell without realizing what she’s doing for me, I'm taking it.
"You sure?"
She nods, and a thankful smile spreads across my face.
"I'll walk you out," James says. "Natalie, you can find your mother and I'll make sure Aubrey gets a car."
She reaches over and gives me a hug. Whispering in my ear, she says, "Thank you for being here, now go give Danny boy the ride of his life."
I chuckle through my discomfort and hug her back. "You're so bad. Love you, chica."
Natalie walks away and I turn to James, glaring at him. "I don't need my hand held to get a cab. Real slick, though."
"I'm very well aware that you're capable of holding your own."
My cheeks bloom under his wandering gaze.
I sip the rest of my drink, my eyes trained on him, then place the crystal down, anxious to get out of here. I don't like the way he's looking at me because it's making me feel all tingly and pretty and sexy, and I haven't felt that way since the last time we were together.
Swallowing hard, I say, "I can't say it's been a pleasure, James."
