If she somehow missed all the signs.
That’s one thing I learned about cheaters—they project their deceit right back on you.
Start accusing you of the shit they’re doing.
Looking for cracks in your story.
Digging for lies.
“Look at your face.” Leighton claps her hands together. “You want to do it. I can tell.”
I shake my head. Part of me does. But the other part is struggling to breathe.
“Let’s make a deal.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
She presses on. “We take another set of pictures. See how Penny reacts.”
“Leigh—”
“I let you set up my entire website.”
I shake my head. “You start accepting clients.”
Her silver fingernails tap the table. “Sure.”
She’s too relaxed. There’s some loophole here. I need to close it.
“You start advertising. Actively looking for clients,” I say.
Her blue-green eyes fill with worry. “I don’t know.”
“You’re good enough.”
“And if I’m not?”
“You are.”
“Not an answer.”
“You offered a deal. I countered. Take it or leave it.”
She stares into my eyes. “Okay. Yes.”
She’s going to actually pursue design.
Fuck, that warms me everywhere.
It opens up my airways.
I suck a deep breath through my teeth. “You’re not gonna find some bullshit loophole?”
“No. I promise.” She offers her hands. “You let me help you. I let you help me.”
“You tell me why you took the job at Inked Hearts?”
She smiles wide. “No way in hell.”