Hers to Keep (Irresistibly Bound 3)

There was another knock on the door, more insistent this time. Lindsey sighed and got up. Her muscles protested, but whoever this was wasn’t going away.

Lindsey reached the front door and opened it wide. She froze.

It was Camilla.

Lindsey stared at her. She looked so different. This wasn’t the warm, bright-eyed Camilla who had told Lindsey she loved her. It was the Camilla who had looked at her, stone-faced, that night Lindsey had sneaked into her rooms so long ago.

But this was so much worse.

Seconds passed, and neither of them said a word. Lindsey smoothed down her hair, self-conscious under Camilla’s sharp gaze. Barefoot and in her sweats, Lindsey was sure she looked like a mess. Suddenly, she was grateful that Faith had made her take a shower.

Finally, Camilla held out an envelope. “Take it.”

Lindsey stared at the envelope. It had already been opened, and it looked familiar. It was the check. The check that June had given her.

The check that Lindsey had left behind, sitting on the dresser in her old room, along with all the clothes and fancy things Camilla had bought her.

Camilla thrust the envelope at Lindsey. “Take it.”

“I’m not taking it,” Lindsey said.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want it.”

“This was the agreement.” Camilla’s voice was hard. “I’m just holding up my end of it.”

“Our agreement?” Lindsey shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

“This is what you wanted, wasn’t it? The money? That was the whole point of this.”

“Well, yes, at first. But that obviously changed when I fell in love with you.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t lie to me.”

“It’s not a lie,” Lindsey said. “I love you, Mistress.”

“Lindsey, stop. I know the truth. I heard you talking on the phone. You were never interested in women. You’ve been lying to me from the start. Why would you pretend you were in love with me if not for the money?”

Lindsey flinched. “All this time, that’s what you thought? That I lied about being in love with you?” She thought back to her conversation with Faith. It would have been easy for Camilla to come to that conclusion if she’d overheard only part of it from the other side of a door. “That’s why you kicked me out?”

“It’s the truth,” Camilla said.

“No, it’s not. You need to let me explain. Just come in, so we can talk about this.”

Camilla pressed her lips together. “There’s nothing to talk about. Just take the damn check.”

“You know what? Fine. I’ll take it.” Lindsey took the envelope from Camilla’s hand. She pulled out the check and tore it in half.

Camilla gaped at her. “What are you doing?”

Lindsey tore the check in half again, and again, over and over until it was in a billion tiny pieces which she sprinkled on the floor at Camilla’s feet.

“Why did you do that?”

“Why do you think?” Lindsey said. “I told you I don’t care about the money. It’s you that I want. Just hear me out. Give me five minutes to explain myself.”

“Fine,” Camilla said sharply. “Five minutes.”