“Because the success of Harlow Corp. is all on me now.”
“So, losing this money is going to ruin you?”
“No, but my father doesn’t accept mistakes.”
“Your father doesn’t run the company anymore, you do. If your company isn’t in ruin, just let it go. All this stress isn’t good for you.”
His laughter was forced and tired. “Yeah, well, unfortunately, I was born this way.”
I shook my head. “No, you weren’t.”
“How the fuck would you know?”
I flinched at his words. “Because I can feel your soul, and it’s a total contradiction to this.”
“Says you,” he spat.
My hands found my towel-covered hips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I may not be an empath, or whatever the fuck you want to call it, but I know your actions don’t match your feelings.” He stepped closer until his designer shoes grazed my wet toes. “You wear a big fucking facade just like the rest of us.”
I glared up at him. “I do not.”
“Then you won’t feel a thing when I do this.” His hands grasped my face as his lips crashed down onto mine. They were soft, and warm, and oh so alluring that I hadn’t realized I was kissing him back until a moan escaped my lips.
I pushed him back. “Argh. That doesn’t prove anything.”
“No.” He returned to his suitcase with a smug chuckle. “It proves everything.”
13
“There’s something going on between you two, isn’t there?” Josie asked while we were dress shopping the next day.
I flicked through the rack while striving to keep my tone neutral. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I have an eye for these things.” She rocked Harrison back and forth in the stroller. “Just ask your sister.”
My head shot up. “Please don’t mention it to her. Nothing is going on.”
“I mean…she would know…” Josie smirked. “If somethingweregoing on, that is.”
“Then I have nothing to worry about.” Amy knew better than to tell my future. She stopped the moment she saw my husband die years before it happened. “Adam and I are just friends. That’s it.”
“Adam doesn’t have friends. He has colleagues.”
“Then I must fall into the latter category.” My fingers paused on a pale-green dress before shooting to the next option.
“I doubt that. I’ve seen the way he watches you.”
“That’s creepy.”
“No, not in a stalker way!” Josie laughed as she pulled out the dress I’d just passed. “You captivate him. And knowing he can’t have you must be eating him up inside.”
My chest tightened. Perhaps he just liked the chase. With a sigh, I slipped out a navy dress and held it up to my small frame. “What do you think of this one?”
“It’s nice…” Josie tilted her head to inspect. “But I saw you eyeing this one.” She thrust the pale-green material into my arms and grinned.
“Oh, I can’t. I—”