“I have this handled,” he says.
“So she is.” I shake my head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“This isn’t as simple as you think.”
“Of course it’s as simple as I think. Make her stop, legally if you have to. I don’t appreciate being spied on.”
“Do you think for a minute that I don’t have more tails on her than she has on me?”
My mouth drops open.
“I’ve told you before that I have her watched. Why does this surprise you?”
“What’s up with the cat and mouse game, then? Why are you letting her do this?”
He draws in a deep breath. “There are things you don’t know.”
“Only because you won’t tell me.”
Have I gone too far? At the moment, I don’t rightfully care. I just got through a stressful meeting with the business acumen of Braden Black. I love him, but I don’t need him.
And I deserve an answer, damn it.
“Have you considered that I may not be able to tell you?”
I widen my eyes. “What?”
He paces away from me for a moment and stares out the window in the living area. Manhattan is gray, as usual. Why do people live here? Boston is so much more beautiful.
He can’t tell me?
How is that even remotely possible?
Unless…
“Braden, does she have something on you?”
He turns toward me but doesn’t meet my gaze. Very un-Braden-like.
Damn. I don’t want to be right. I really don’t want to be right.
If I’m right, that means…
Jesus. Why didn’t I listen to Apple? If I had, I’d know right now. I’d know this big secret that Braden is keeping.
“Why are you protecting her?” I ask. “What am I supposed to think? You won’t tell me. I can only deduce that she has something on you.”
“She doesn’t. At least not in the way you’re thinking.”
“How can you possibly know what I’m thinking?”
“I know you, Skye. You think what Betsy told you is true. You think I did something to Addison that I shouldn’t have done. You’re wrong.”
“Prove it to me. Prove to me I’m wrong, then.”
“I shouldn’t have to prove anything to you. If you will never trust me, how can you still be in this relationship?”
I open my mouth, but find I have no words.
Because he’s right.
If I don’t trust him, I have no business being in a relationship with him.
I made a promise to myself. To him. That I’d give him time to tell me. And now I’m welching?
“I’m sorry,” I finally say. “I promised I wouldn’t push. I do trust you, Braden. I know you’re a good man. I couldn’t be with you if I didn’t believe that.”
He strides toward me and pulls me to his chest. “I know you trust me, Skye. You’ve proved that many times over. You have to trust me with this as well.”
“I do.” I nod into his shoulder.
He pushes me away slightly and meets my gaze. “I will tell you what you want to know, but I need your promise that it goes no further than you.”
“I tell Tessa everything.”
“Not this. I can make you sign an NDA like you did for the club.”
“That’s not necessary. I won’t tell Tessa about the club, and I won’t tell her anything you don’t want me to.”
“Good. And it’s not just Tessa. You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you. Especially not Addie or that friend of hers.”
“Who?”
“The one who owns the dog supply store.”
“Betsy? She and Addie aren’t really friends.”
“Maybe not, but she knows some of this. You can’t tell her anything more. Got it?”
I look into those beautiful blue eyes. They’re laced with a tad bit of sadness. Just a touch, but I can see it. He’s sorry he has to do this, but he’s willing to do this. For me.
“Of course, Braden. You can trust me. With anything.”
Chapter Forty-Six
I listen.
Simply listen, letting Braden’s words morph into pictures in my mind.
…
She was beautiful, if you like blondes. Braden had always favored darker hair.
“They’re both on the prowl,” Ben said to him. “And they’ve got their eyes on us. Might be a lucky night for the Black bros. We can get some high-class pussy.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Braden said.
“What’s up your ass?”
“Nothing. I’m just not in the mood.”
“Not in the mood for sex?” Ben laughed. “Fine. Have a drink. Have five drinks. I’m going to get me some of that.” He walks toward the Ames sisters.
Identical twins, both blond and beautiful. Ben began working his magic on the one with longer hair. Soon they disappeared.
The other one, though.
She was… Braden couldn’t put his finger on it. She was staring at him, trying to get his attention all night, but something was off with her.
Still…he hadn’t had sex in a while. When you worked construction six days a week in the hot sun, you were dirty as a pig and fucking exhausted the rest of the time. What little free time he had he spent researching. He had an idea—an idea that could be big. He just had to figure out how to get it off the ground. With so little time and even less money, it didn’t seem likely. Still, it was his dream, and he spent his off time working on it. No time to get dressed up and cruise for chicks. How could he find women who liked what he liked, anyway? Not all girls let a guy tie them up. At twenty-four, he was getting too old for casual sex. Ben was barely twenty-one and still liked flashing his ID at bars.