A Redo (Sterling Shore 6)

I wince just hearing that. And I’m shocked that she told me.

“I’m only telling you because it’d take very little to find it out on your own, and lying to you isn’t a habit I want.”

I almost wonder if she just read my mind or if I said that aloud.

“You don’t have to lie, Allie. That’s shitty of them. It makes me even more pissed for not being there when you had no one else.”

We manage to keep our voices low as Ray continues to wow everyone else. Well, Kade seems to be more interested in doing something with his tongue on Raya’s neck than listening to his soon-to-be father-in-law.

Allie sighs hard, her head angled in a slant as she studies me. “You mean that, don’t you?”

Unsure what she means, I shrug. “Of course. And we need to talk about some other stuff, too. Like financial stuff. But not here.”

She motions to the house, and I stand, offering my hand to help her up. She eyes it for a second before accepting it. It’s amazing how perfectly her hand fits with mine, as though mine was meant to shield hers.

Wrong frame of mind.

She hesitates to release my hold, and I fight not to protest when she does. What the hell is wrong with me?

Get control, Wren.

The second we’re tucked away inside, she turns to me, stopping too abruptly for me to react in kind. She laughs when I’m forced to stumble to a stop. Unfortunately, I stumble right into her, knocking her against the back of the sofa until I’m essentially straddling her. Her laughter fades quickly when I’m suddenly pushed up against her.

My breaths grow heavy, and everything on me tightens. Including my fucking pants when part of me that shouldn’t be involved grows to be painfully hard, protesting the restriction it finds in my jeans. It wouldn’t take but a few inches, and I could be licking, kissing, and exploring the mouth I wish I could remember.

Allie’s hands slide up my arms, and our eyes lock for a dangerously intense moment where nothing else seems to exist. My grip tightens on her hips as I hold her in place, keeping her trapped between my body and the sofa.

My eyes fall to her lips just as they part, allowing her breaths to grow harsher, more labored. Her lips are naturally pink, tempting, and so damn perfect. For every second that ticks by, another piece of my control is chipped away. I’m not that irrational guy that just takes what he wants. I’m the guy who weighs consequences.

So why the hell can’t I pull away?

It takes a lot of willpower, but I manage to finally push back before I do something stupid. Like kiss her until we’re both panting for air. That’s just one of the ludicrous thoughts in my mind right now. Turning her around and bending her over that sofa and… Hell no. I have to stop thinking.

Groaning inwardly when my cock strains against my pants more, I shift uncomfortably.

“Sorry,” she says, grinning up at me. “I don’t come with brake lights.”

I smile and shrug, praying I don’t break out into a sweat. “So, we can talk?” I ask lamely, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

“Wren, I have to admit, this day has been… enlightening, but not everything has changed. I don’t want your money. It’ll feel like that’s why I found you instead of the right reasons that I did. I did this because Angel was asking questions… and she deserved answers. I didn’t do this to get money. So no—no financial help. I won’t bend on that.”

So fucking stubborn.

“Believe me, I realize you don’t want my money, but Angel could use it. You could buy more things the two of you have circled in your magazines. Plan a day at an amusement park. Or a spa weekend; she mentioned a spa weekend. And there are nice private schools in the area that would help her get into a good college one day.”

The smile that breaks across her face is enough to fuck up my footing, and I lean into the sofa to keep from displaying the effect she has on me.

“College? You really are thinking ahead. I hadn’t thought of private school. Maybe you could pay for that, but that’s your choice, and you give the school your check. Not me. The magazines are just for fun. Amusement parks are within my budget, and we go to one at least twice a year. Spa weekends aren’t in the budget, but we can live without them.”

I’m trying to hide the bulge in my pants while talking, and I know I look like an awkward prick instead of a confident multi-millionaire right now. She screws with my head even though she’s not trying to. Maybe this was a really bad idea—coming in here alone.