Her Collateral Bride: A Lesbian Age Gap Romance

keenly aware of her eyes on her back, watching while she

learned, while she played. Watching her every move. In the car

now, the exotic scent of her expensive perfume was utterly

intoxicating.

“I can practically hear your thoughts like you’re shouting

them,” Claire complained. “But don’t spit them out. Just don’t

think them at all. Overthinking only gets you into trouble.”

“I was thinking about you,” Haley blurted. “About us.”

“No. No, no, no. There is no us.”

“Claire…”

“No.” She shook her head so fiercely that a strand of hair

detached from the pins holding the waterfall of blonde back

into a tight twist. She was dressed, as usual, in black, but she’d

picked a tastefully tight, knee-length black dress and a black

blazer. It wasn’t a power suit of any kind, but Claire rocked it

like it was. “No,” she repeated, tucking the strand back in

place. “I made it pretty clear that yesterday was a one off.

Believe me when I say it’s not going to happen again.”

“So you just had a massive lapse in judgement? Give me a

break. You enjoyed it.”

“What I felt about it is irrelevant. What you felt is

irrelevant. There aren’t feelings. There are only facts. Facts

and agreements and contracts.”

Haley clenched her hands between her knees until they

ached. “How’s this for a fact? That is total bullshit!”

“I’m not giving you a list of reasons,” Claire snapped.

Beside them, in the passing lane, a car zoomed by going even

faster than they were, although that didn’t seem possible

without defying the laws of gravity or breaking the sound

barrier.