Page 56 of Escorting the CEO
“Don’t read anything into it,” I snapped.
“Of course not. Because we already talked about this.”
“That’s right, we did.” I yanked at my collar, remembering his warnings.Don’t get in over your head with this girl. This is a business transaction. The stakes are incredibly high.
“So I’m not sure why you’re wasting my time by being redundant. I have to go.” I hung up, then leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling.
I am not happy to be getting married.I am happy that theplanis working. Those were two completely different things. I repeated this several times. It helped, slightly.
I turned back to my laptop. The cursor blinked at me from the center of an otherwise empty document—the draft remarks I was supposed to be writing for the board meeting. Fifteen minutes had passed since I’d opened it. The document remained empty.
All I’d been doing was thinking about Rory. Her big eyes. Her creamy skin. How she’d called me ‘Sir.’ How she’d tasted, and how she’d unraveled beneath my touch…
Alan’s call weighed on my mind.Look like a man who’s genuinely happy to be getting married,he’d said.Just don’t actually mean it.
Thanks a fucking lot, Alan.
It wasn’t any of his business whether I was happy or not. My relationship with my contract bride was private, as were the things we’d done together in my bed. Alan could mind his own business. I’d look happy at the wedding, and whether it was genuine or not, it meant that I would win.
The issue of Rory’s mother getting served was also inconvenient.If the mother was unstable—and based on what little I knew, she absolutely was—it was entirely reasonable to offer her money to go away. It would protect Rory until the situation stabilized. And keep things calm until the wedding was behind us, the board was satisfied, and Luke’s custody was secured.
It was reasonable.
Rhodes Barrington was always reasonable.
I turned the decision over in my mind, inspecting it. The mother had a criminal record, a history of erratic behavior, and a valid basis for making trouble: the guardianship petition. Being served with legal documents that stripped her of her parental rights was the kind of thing that turned erratic people explosive.
Having Alan’s team keep an eye on her and possibly bribing her into submission wasn’t punitive. It was precautionary. Rory would understand that.
Except that I wasn’t going to tell her.
I sat with that for a moment, which was a mistake. Because it was an acknowledgment of sorts. I knew I was saving Rory from pain. I was dealing with it for her, on her behalf. That was protective and caring.
This motivation was concerning as well. And it had everything to do with the fact that I’d gotten naked with her, and now I could not get her out of my head.
I was wise enough to know that I was close to losing it. To spinning out of control.
But Rhodes Barrington didn’t lose control.
At least, that’s what I told myself.
SHH
RORY
I should have known betterthan to be alone in the library.
It was such a beautiful room. Floor-to-ceiling shelves, a rolling ladder, and light pouring through the tall windows. I’d started sneaking in whenever I had a few minutes to myself. I wasn’t even reading, not really. I’d just been running my fingers along the spines of the books, feeling the worn leather, taking refuge from my own thoughts.
Which was, of course, exactly when Miranda found me.
“There you are.” She closed the door behind her.
Oh boy. Now I couldn’t run. “Oh. Hey, Miranda.” My hand dropped from the bookshelf. “I was just?—”
“I know what you were doing.” She moved into the room with unhurried ease, a cat toying with its canary. She wore dove grey today, a silk blouse tucked into another pair of wide-leg trousers, her hair swept up. Everything about her was immaculate, cool, and untouchable. I couldn’t imagine Mirandadoinganything—like playing tennis or gardening, although she must’ve existed outside of her blouses, perfect makeup, and chignons.
Right?
