Single Dad's Spring Break: A Billionaire's Second Chance Romance

“You are not. You’re worrying. I can tell it in your tone.” I met her eyes daring her to tell me I was wrong. “What’s on your mind, baby?”

“I know you’ve told me not to worry about it, but it’s still bothering me what happened with Brock. It’s like it’s just now all sinking in. It all happened so fast.” Her brows pinched tight as if she was going over everything that had happened.

“So, you’ve been reconsidering me killing him? I could probably get away with it.” God knew I wanted to beat that smarmy prick till my fists bled.

She huffed as if she wanted me to be serious and turned to face me flattening her palm against my chest. “He could make waves for me, make it hard for me to get future jobs, never mind his relationship with Harris.”

I took her hand and kissed it. “You have nothing to worry about, and now that you’re with me you could always walk out. Fuck him. You don’t need him or his lousy connections. Hell, baby, you don’t even have to work, I can take care of you.” I never wanted her to worry about anything, and I could give her anything she needed, more than that, I wanted to. I wanted to be her rock.

Her face fell, and she threw her head back a bit, then met my eyes shaking her head. “You act like my career isn’t important.”

I decided that I better choose my next words carefully. “All I mean is, you don’t really need it unless you want it. But I wouldn’t go back there to put up with that asshat.”

“Of course, I want it! Are you fucking kidding me?” I hadn’t ever heard that language come from her pretty mouth, and I took notice which I’m betting was the point of her using it.

She rolled over and put more than an arm’s length of distance between us as she got up on her side of the bed. “My career is more than a job, and I’ve worked my ass off making it happen. I’m not about to toss out my accomplishments and goals because you make plenty of money and are worried about some guy. Fuck the money part of it. This is about my passion. A passion that was all that I had after you left me! A passion I fought my own father for!”

That horrible wave of guilt crashed down on me again just as it did every time I thought about how I’d left her behind and told her to move on without me. “I get it. I’m just s

aying you have options, and don’t you get loud with me. I’m only trying to help. Considering that I want to march out that door and kill that bastard where he sleeps, I’m showing great restraint.” I wanted to laugh to lighten the mood, but that’s when she gave me the look. The one like I didn’t get it. I knew better than to bring laughter into it.

“It’s not even a solution,” she snapped. Then she waved her hand dismissively. “Just don’t worry about it. I’ll handle him on my own.”

Her dismissive tone rubbed me the wrong way. We were in this together, at least I’d thought and she’d asked. “Well, if this is how your career is going to be— you having to take shit from every fucking pervert who wants to put his hands on you, then maybe you shouldn’t be in it.”

“I’m not letting your jealousy knock me out of a career any more than I’m letting the likes of Brock Reed, or anyone else for that matter ruin what I’ve got going for me. I’ll keep it professional, and it will pass. It’s better than going in guns blazing and making a bad name for myself.”

“Well, it sounds like you’ve got your mind all made up, then.”

“I do.”

“Well, a word to the wise, guys like Brock Reed don’t usually give up so easily and usually keep at it until they get what they want.”

“I know Brock better than you. He’s not going to try anything again, the only thing he’ll do is badmouth me, but in all honesty, he probably was just embarrassed and couldn’t think of anything else to say. As I said before, I left work upset that you’d be upset about the kiss.”

“Wait, what? Are you kidding me now? You’re sitting here crying about him one minute and defending him the next? Really? And you think you can handle him all by yourself? This is exactly why you can’t. You’re too much of a—”

“Of a what?” she sneered.

“Look, I’m not fighting with you about this. You asked me my opinion, and you got it. You can choose to do whatever, but mark my words, he’s not done. And if I see him try a damned thing, you can bet your sweet little ass I’m stepping in.” I started to dress as she fired off her response.

“You are being as ridiculous as my father and just as controlling trying to dictate my life and my next move. I’ve got myself away from that kind of living and was determined to follow my dreams which is what you left me to do in the first place! Now you talk like I should give it up on your whim.” She folded her arms, and my head was pounding from the rush of adrenaline that pumped through my veins.

How dare she compare me to her father. I wasn’t sure when it had all gotten out of hand, but I knew if I didn’t leave I was only going to make things worse with my temper and I didn’t want to ruin everything a second time.

Maybe I could see her point, but I couldn’t help my feelings, and I only wanted to her know I was on her side before she bit my head off.

“I’m going to go before this gets any uglier.”

“Yeah, Duncan, do what you do best, leave! At least this time, you’re man enough to do it in person!”

I turned and met her eyes and saw the regret, the moment she knew she should take those words back. It shone in her eyes.

And as I crossed the room to leave, she hurried after me, but I pulled the bedroom door between us and kept moving, faster than she could follow. As much as I loved her, I needed to get some air. I drove away five minutes later waiting for her to come after me.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - RACHEL

I’d allowed myself the weekend alone to catch up on my housework and to process what had happened between me and Duncan. I had also had time to decide that I needed to talk to Brock and not let what happened slide. I could do plenty to his reputation. After talking to Shauna, who wanted to report Brock’s behavior to Harris immediately, I learned more about where the rich boy got his funding, As it turned out, his rich daddy was not only footing the bill but had begged Harris to help the kid out. Harris had only wanted the deal to work out, because Mr. Reed Sr. was a great connection himself.