Ashton Scott

should invite her to stay.”

“I’m not sure that’s the best thing for you right now.”

“Why?”

“You need routine and space to recover. Having Lorelei around may hamper that.”

“No, having her around may help give me that space I need.” He sits forward again, resting his elbows on the table. “You’re here trying like fuck to make sure I don’t do something crazy, and while I appreciate that, having you in my face 24/7 will drive me crazy. I know I need you around, but if Lorelei’s here, she’ll help fill your time, meaning you won’t be all over me.”

I know he’s right, but I’m still hesitant to agree. And as much as I want nothing more than to see Lorelei, I don’t want anything to get in the way of Jack’s recovery.

“I’ll think about it.” I’m not sure I will, though.

“Please do.” He smiles. It’s the first one I’ve seen since I arrived. “Besides, I like hanging out with her. She’ll probably help me just as much as you will.” He then throws the rest of his drink down his throat and stands.

Watching him walk away, I call out, “What was in that mug, Jack?”

Glancing back at me, he says, “Whisky.”

It’s in the lift of his brows as he says this that I know it wasn’t whisky. It’s also the first inkling that we’ve got a good shot at getting him better, because it signals the return of his humour.

62

Lorelei

It’s only Wednesday and I’m already over this week. The situation with my tenant has escalated to the point where I’m sure we’ll need to go to court to settle our dispute. And I’ve discovered I don’t like Ryan Shandwick quite as much as I thought I did. We’ve been emailing back and forth about something I’m not completely happy with, and he’s growing increasingly more condescending towards me. I arrived at the office just after eight this morning, and in the hour since then, his replies have come through thick and fast. And rude. However, he hasn’t replied to my latest email, so something must have come up, dragging him from his computer. I’m relieved for the reprieve and decide to take a break.

I leave the office and head outside to grab a coffee. I’ve just taken my first sip when Ashton FaceTimes me.

“Hey you,” I say, happy to hear from him. I’ve decided being separated from him is the worst thing. I miss him so damn much.

“We need to discuss something, and I want you to hear me out before you say anything.” No greeting, no small talk. Whatever he wants to discuss sounds serious. The expression on his face confirms this.

“Okay, but you’re making me a little nervous here. Is everything all right?”

The expression on his face doesn’t change, but something flares in his eyes. It’s hard to know what it is through the phone, but he looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I received a call today, alerting me to the fact the Herald will be running a story about government corruption tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I say, confused as to where he’s going with this.

“The story was going to focus on Ryan Shandwick’s development and the government officials he’s bribed.” He pauses for a moment. “Lorelei, they were zeroing in on your involvement because Shandwick was using your grandmother’s name and reputation to get approvals through. The paper was going to ruin your name.”

Things start to fall into place as I listen to him, and suddenly it makes sense why Ryan pursued me for this deal. God, I’ve been an idiot, blind to his motives.

“When you say ‘was,’ what do you mean?”

“I pulled some strings to get your name removed from the article. I also called Shandwick and told him you’re no longer part of his bullshit.”

I frown. “What does that mean?”

His nostrils flare as he says forcefully, “It means that development is going ahead without you. Your name will no longer be attached to it.”

And my reputation is safe. That’s the part he doesn’t mention. It’s also the thing he’s worked hard to ensure.

Before I can thank him, he continues, “I’ve also spoken to Marc Brentley to let him know you’re coming on board with the development I’m working with him on. You can invest the money you would have invested with Shandwick. If you agree, you’ll be my partner in this. He’ll make the announcement later this week. If you don’t want—”

I cut him off. “I love you.”

I know exactly why he’s done this, and I love him even more for it. Ashton has effectively made sure my name is attached to something that will propel my business forward, because anyone that Marc Brentley gets in bed with is someone everyone else wants to be in bed with. Any whiff of bad publicity I may still receive from the Shandwick deal will be overshadowed by this one.