Page 21 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
“Maybe,” she said, biting her tongue to keep from adding someday. The possibility stoked a fire in her belly, quickly spreading within her, unsettling her core.
He stared at her with a fiery intensity that had the power of softening her insides. She swallowed. For so long, never had been such a definite word in her romantic life. And now, she’d open herself to a maybe.
“I’ll take maybe.”
She chewed the inside of her cheek. Why did a part of her insist he didn’t talk about anal sex? “Tell me about your parents,” she said, sobering up, desperate to cling to reality like a sinking person to life vests.
He shot her a mocking glance, almost as if her random question didn’t fool him for one second. This would go a lot smoother if he weren’t so smart and perceptive. If he didn’t read her so well.
“Mom’s good. She hasn’t been healthy. Her caretaker always keeps me posted. I haven’t talked to my father in a long time.”
“Why not?”
“Because when we grew up, I didn’t know I had a half sister, or about the self-absorbed creep he was. When I found out, he showed me his true colors.”
“Was he a good dad until then?”
“Nah. I didn’t know any better, though.”
“Does that experience make you feel wary of having kids of your own?”
“No, because I know what not to do.”
“You’re brave. Going into the unknown to rewrite history and make things different.”
“What’s the other option, if not moving forward?”
“Moving forward can mean many things.” In her case, it meant moving from place to place and changing her zip code and name to become a new person. Bile rose up her throat. New person, old problems. Would she find everything she wanted by retiring from the auctions and moving to Spain? Helping women who had been battered by men would give her a purpose in life. What if I need more?
