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I nodded. “And let’s just say it ended badly. They split up and she even lost her job, and it financially and emotionally devastated her. I know my mother was in the wrong, as well, but the whole situation was such bullshit. She’s bounced back and is now a successful interior designer, but it was a dark time for her.”
“Uh…was this affair before you were born?”
He looked shaken, and it took me a moment to figure out why.
“Oh my God, don’t even think that! We’re definitely not related.” I couldn’t help laughing, and that served to ease the tension as Hayden relaxed.
“Thank God.” He exhaled a deep breath. “That would have resulted in years of therapy.”
“I was a kid when this happened,” I told him. “It was after my dad had died. Some of that stuff I said before about helping people was drawn from my own experiences. Losing her high-paying job working for your dad caused us to struggle for about a year. That’s why I know about school lunch debt and not being able to buy new shoes. There was even a time when my mom had to choose between food and rent. We nearly lost our home before she was able to pull herself out of her deep depression and get herself out of the whole she found herself in.”
“I’m sorry that happened,” he said, his compassion real. “But I still don’t really understand what the problem is in terms ofus. My father was a grade-A, self-centered asshole who only cared about himself, and from what I know, he had multiple affairs. But none of what happened to your mother has anything to do with me.”
It was a truly complicated situation, made even more so because of my attraction to him, but I tried to explain. “My mom has been married to my stepdad Trevor for a decade now, and they’re completely happy, but she still carries a lot of resentment for the whole Reid family over what happened. And pretty much anyone else that’s rich. She feels that the amount of money you guys have corrupts, makes you cold, heartless and selfish.”
“No offense taken,” he muttered looking, well, offended.
I gave him a small, apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, but it’s what she believes and whether it’s right or wrong, her resentment is toward the entire Reid family. She was left heartbroken, jobless, and near destitute with a five year old daughter. Her feelings have some merit. Hell, they’re why she doesn’t approve of my job. It’s bad enough that I abandoned ballet, but serving the wealthy on private planes everyday isn’t a worthwhile profession in her eyes.”
I swallowed hard, hating that I felt so torn, but the bottom line was, I loved my mother and would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. “If I get involved with you, it’ll open me up to a world of problems with my mother, and all those bad memories. Especially since you’re a Reid. It’s not worth it.”
Hayden took a step closer, until only inches separated us, and I didn’t bother moving away. His fingers skimmed up my arm, and I shivered. Gently cupping my cheek, he brought his face close to mine, his blue eyes fierce, but caring, too.
A tremor of need skipped down my spine as I sucked in a sharp breath.
“I think it is worth it,” he refuted in a deep, husky tone. “And so do you.”
“N-no, I don’t,” I insisted, but my voice lacked conviction.
Those warm fingers brushed down the side of my neck, eliciting another shiver from me. “Your body is saying something entirely different.”
“I’m not a risk-taker, remember?” I said, feeling like I was walking a tight rope of right and wrong. “I don’t do adventure, and I have a feeling that’s what it would be like with you.”
A slow, sensual smile curved his mouth. “Then I’ll teach you.”
I bit my bottom lip. Oh, God. The seductive, erotic things he could probably teach me…
It was too much to resist, and I found my resolve crumbling, wanting him more than was wise. Despite everything his father had done to my mother, I’d learned enough about Hayden to know that he didn’t deserve to be lumped into the same category as his selfish, narcissistic father.
“What happens on the island, stays on the island,” I said, not sure that I even meant it. He was already under my skin, and I wasn’t sure I could keep this an island fling. Or if I really wanted to.
But there would be consequences for taking this leap with Hayden, that much I knew. And major issues with my mother if she should ever find out about the two of us.
“I can work with that.” Hayden’s grin was pure sin as he bent to sweep me up into his arms. I let out a surprised yelp and clung to his shoulders as he took off for the house.
CHAPTERTEN
Hayden
I headed straight for my bedroom. My cock was throbbing between my legs and the soft, warm way Rylee’s lips were trailing down my neck just made the ache worse.
She nipped at the skin of my shoulder, and I groaned.
Now that she’d come clean about what was holding her back and decided to put those concerns aside for now, she was an insatiable vixen. Her desire matched my own, and I couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman so badly.
Stepping into the bedroom, I kicked the door shut before tumbling onto the bed with her. My hands were everywhere. I wanted to touch every inch of her skin, and the way she responded was intoxicating. Her gasps and shuddering told me everything I needed to know about what she liked.
I stripped her out of her clothing, until she was left in just a pair of white lace panties. Her skin was smooth and the curves of her body were made to be worshiped with my tongue. She was beneath me on the bed, her hands tangled in my hair as she pulled me in close until we were kissing passionately. We devoured each other, our lips sliding and tongues tangling.
