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“So? Why can’t people from different worlds fall in love?”
“Do they? When’s the last time someone from our neighborhood got swept off their feet by a millionaire?” Prince Charming ain’t walking through that door.
“That’s not what you used to tell me.”
“You’re different,” Patience immediately replied. “I raised you to be better than the neighborhood.”
“I know. You always said I was just as good as the next person.”
“You are.”
“Then, aren’t you?”
Closing her eyes, Patience let out a long, slow breath. “This is different.”
“How?”
Because, she wanted to say, the world wasn’t black-and-white. Equality in a human sense didn’t mean equal in the eyes of society. And while Stuart had no right to judge her as a person, there was a huge difference between not judging someone and falling in love with them.
“Trust me, it just is. A guy like Stuart doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life with an ex-stripper.”
Before either sister could keep the argument going, a knock sounded on her hotel door. “Who on earth would be banging on my door this time of morning?” Patience asked, frowning. Housekeeping didn’t start for another hour.
“Patience, are you in there?”
The sound of Stuart’s voice came through the wood, causing her heart to panic. “It’s Stuart,” she whispered. “He’s here.” How had he managed to track her down? The only person who knew her location was...
“You didn’t,” she said with a glare.
“He asked me to contact him as soon as I knew where you were staying. He wants to talk with you.”
“Patience, I know you’re in there. Please open the door.”
She looked over her shoulder before glaring at her laptop where her sister’s face was the picture of apology. “What makes you think I want to talk with him?”
“How about the fact that you look like hell? Give him five minutes. What if he’s sorry?”
“Sorry, not sorry—I told you, it doesn’t make a difference.”
“And I think you should hear him out.”
“I’m going to keep knocking until you answer,” Stuart called from outside.
He would, too. A knot lodged itself at the base of her skull. A ball of tension just waiting to become a headache. Patience squeezed the back of her neck, trying to push the tension away, but the feeling was as stubborn as the man banging on her hotel door.
“Patience?”
“Fine. One minute! I am so going to kill you when you get back to Boston,” she hissed at her sister.
“I love you, too,” Piper replied.
Whatever. Patience slapped the laptop closed. Might as well get this over with. A quick glance at the mirror told her she really did look terrible. She started to comb her fingers through her hair, thought better of it and went to the door.
“What?” she asked, through the chained opening.
Stuart’s blue eyes peered down at her. “May I come in?”
“Anything you need to say, I’m sure you can say from out there.” Where she was safer. The mere sound of his voice had her insides quaking. Goodness knows what standing close to him would do.
“You sure you want me airing our dirty laundry so everyone else in the place can hear us?” he asked.
Damn. He had a point. “Fine. Five minutes.” Sighing, she unlatched the door and let him in. Immediately, she knew it was a mistake. He had on his weekend clothes. Faded jeans and a T-shirt. The look made him appear far more approachable than his suit. She didn’t want him approachable. She wanted to keep her distance.
He jammed his hands into his back pockets. “How are you?” he asked.
“I was doing fine until you got my sister involved,” she replied.
“You don’t look like you’re doing fine.”
“How I look isn’t your business anymore.” Nevertheless, she pulled her sweater tightly around her, feeling exposed in her T-shirt and sleep shorts. “What’s so important that you needed to track me down?”
“You left without saying goodbye.”
“I left a note.”
“For Ana.”
“Maybe Ana’s the only person I wanted to say goodbye to.”
“Ouch.”
If he expected an apology, he was mistaken. “Is that all you came about? To critique how I said goodbye?”
“No. I came to find out why you left.”
He was kidding, right? “Isn’t it obvious?” She started to make the bed, fussing with the sheets the alternative to losing her temper. Did you really think I would stick around so Ana could fire me for lying to her?”
