“You haven’t been at the shelter.”
She pursed her lips. “No doubt you had your minions checking every crevice of the city for me. I’m
a lot more resourceful than you give me credit for.”
His brow softened as though her words wounded him. “Did you expect me not to look for you? I
told you I’d find you.”
“I expected nothing less. Luckily, your search can stop now that I’ve come to you.”
He stepped forward and she moved back. “Don’t.” Her hand shot out in warning. Regrettably, her
request didn’t come out as confident as she would’ve liked.
The hand reaching for her stilled and detoured to fork through his hair, tension clear on his face. He
looked ragged, but still devastatingly handsome. The shadow on his tanned jaw should have looked
sloppy, but only added another layer of sexy to his distinguished presence. His blue dress shirt had a
white collar. Paired with the paisley red tie and black suit vest, he looked quite the tycoon.
“How long are you planning on keeping your distance, Evelyn? You’re killing me. I’ve been going
crazy since you ran off. I can’t continue like this.”
“And whose fault is that, Lucian?” she snapped, instantly regretting the show of emotion. Keep it
together, Keats.
“I can’t fix it if you refuse to let me—”
“There is no fixing it, Lucian! You used me and betrayed me.”
“Bullshit!” he snapped. “I love you.” His feet swiftly carried him across the office, incidentally
boxing her into a corner. “I fucking love you, Evelyn. He had me at his mercy. He set the conditions.”
He, being Parker, her once-dear friend turned Judas. Scout’s understanding of their agreement was
still foggy. Lucian had apparently been looking for her during a blizzard last winter and ran into
Parker. After begging Parker to tell him where she was hiding, Lucian agreed to give her away for a
month, with Parker driving some kind of bargain. Nope, still didn’t compute. They were both guilty.
“And you agreed to his terms,” she hissed. Fury at the injustice she’d been the victim of bloomed inside her, fresh and scorching. “I’m not here to talk about that. I don’t care about your pitiful
excuses. What’s done is done. Either we discuss what I came here to discuss or I leave.”
His gaze searched her face, likely hunting for some validation that she wasn’t bluffing. Eyes that
read opponents and colleagues with ease homed in on every visible strength and weakness she allowed
him to see. Her jaw locked in determination.
“Go ahead and try to push me, Lucian. I’ll be out that door so fast your head will spin.”
He stepped back. Good. “What did you want to talk about?”
She glanced at the leather chair across from his desk. “May we sit?”
His dark eyes followed her gaze and he waved his hand in theatrical invitation. Irritation was
evident in the set of his mouth and narrowed stare. Probably because Lucian was a man who didn’t
easily relinquish control. “By all means.”
She sidestepped him, careful not to get too close and he slowly returned to the seat behind his desk,
his assessing gaze never leaving her. Her slight form sunk into the smooth leather chair. Her shoulders ached with the effort to remain stiff as she settled deeper into the soft seat. Exhaustion beat at her, threatening her resolve not to appear weak in front of him but indignation and bruised pride stiffened
her spine.
“What did you want to discuss?” he asked again.
This was it. Her entire life had been about survival, and now she wanted to survive in a more
desirable way. She didn’t need a billionaire to do that. She did, however, need a foundation to find her footing. Lucian could provide that foundation. While he may look at a woman like her and see
someone vulnerable and in need of coddling, he was wrong. She didn’t need someone to hold her hand.
She simply needed a push, and then she’d manage on her own.
Taking a breath of courage, she said, “I want a loan.”
His brow arched, telling her he hadn’t expected such a request. “You’re aware there’s an account
with over two hundred thousand dollars in your name? What could you possibly need that your bank
account won’t cover?”
That money had never been hers. Her dignity forbade her to touch it. Above all, Scout was practical.
Lucian had more money than Midas and could afford to loan her what she was after. However, she was
wise enough to know loans came with penalties and interest. Those were necessary stipulations to
protect her pride. Unfortunately, Lucian’s pride would likely face off with hers, and they were both
incredibly stubborn.
“I don’t want that money. I won’t touch money earned on my back. I’m talking about an actual loan
with interest and penalties and—”
He winced, then rolled his eyes. “Watch it, Evelyn. Tell me what you need. I’ll give it to you.
There’s no need for this formal bullshit.”
“I need my dignity back,” she said succinctly, causing him to come up short. The “bullshit” that