Page 44 of Reticent

“Jay-Z and Beyoncé. You should know this.”

“My mistake. How could I possibly not know who the Carters are?”

“I mean, they’re old. You’re oldish.”

“Burn,” he says with a laugh, hooking his arm around my neck as we walk through the parking lot.

I lift my arm, bending it at the elbow to link our fingers. “Is that true that they’re billionaires?”

“I think so.”

“That’s crazy. I’ve never met billionaires.”

“How would you know? It’s not like they wear a sign.”

“Well, no, smart-ass. But it’s—” I come to a halt when I spot Hunter’s Porsche in the parking lot. I unhook his arm from around me, moving to stand in front of him. “I thought you were going to take an Uber here so I could give you back the Bentley.”

“You know you want to keep it.”

“I’m serious,” I warn. “It’s your car.”

Hunter rests his hands on my shoulders. I tip my head back to look up at him. “But I don’t want it.”

“Neither do I.” It’s a lie, but my pride won’t let me admit the truth.

“Are we back here again?”

“I know you mean well. It’s just …” I chew on my bottom lip. “I’m not used to this.” I put my hands on top of his, brushing my thumbs along his knuckles.

“I already bought another one, so I don’t need two.”

“You what?”

He sighs, pretending to be exasperated with me. “Guess you’re stuck with it.”

“Just how rich are you?” I know I’m getting personal. But with the excessive amount of child support he’s offered to give me, the trust fund set up for Liam, two restaurants, a cookbook, his seven-figure apartment, a luxury houseboat, a Porsche, and now two Bentleys, he has long money. Longer than I thought. Should I be concerned about his spending habits?

“You really want to know? I know how uncomfortable it makes you.”

“A little. It just takes some time getting used to.”

His eyes soften. “I know. But this lifestyle doesn’t just belong to me. Having my baby sets you up for life.”

My stomach drops at the responsibility of his words. “That much?”

“I’m not a billionaire, but I do okay with a little over four hundred million dollars.”

“Holyfuckingshit!”

He laughs. “It didn’t start out at that amount. Not with inheritances from both sides of the family being divided between four sons. But I’ve made smart investments over the years and only live off what I earn from my businesses.”

“It’s nice to know you’re okay—more than okay, I guess.”

“Now will you keep the Bentley?”

“Fine. Happy now?” I smirk.

He tucks a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. “Ecstatic.”