Her Collateral Bride: A Lesbian Age Gap Romance

with her. Her presence filled parts of Claire that she didn’t

think would ever be anything but hollowed out. She reached

up and rubbed at the ache behind her breastbone while still

trying to swallow down the lump that stubbornly remained

wedged in her throat. Was that what it meant to fall?

She should have been shocked, but maybe the real shock

was in that she didn’t feel very shocked at all. She wasn’t

surprised and she wasn’t appalled. She’d had too much time to

think. Too much time to fixate. Too much time to need. She’d

wondered what was wrong with her, and now Jenny had given

voice to it.

“No. No, I’m not falling for her.”

“Then you’ve already fallen. I’m sorry, I used the wrong

tense.”

Claire wanted to throw back her chair and stalk around her

office. She knew any tells would give her away. Jenny was

like a bloodhound with a scent in her nose and she wasn’t

going to give up easily.

“No. That’s not what’s happening. Yes, I did things with her

that I shouldn’t. She’s beautiful and she’s got this allure…”

That was too much. She hadn’t meant to say that. It made her

sound pathetic. “I’ll make it stop. But I can’t send her

anywhere else. That would be giving in to her father and he

would double cross me again. Even if he didn’t, it would make

me look stupid. He’s already made me look more than stupid

on one occasion.” It had ruined her career, that night. All her

dreams were ruined. If her father had been alive at the time, he

would have laughed with glee at her misfortune. He was one

of those grandstanding people who loved to say I told you so.

“Send her to an apartment in the city then. Or go stay there