His Desire (Billionaire Blind Date Book 5) by Jacinda Chance Page A

of me that wanted to tell her about my uncle yelled at me that it didn’t have to be that way. I enjoyed her company. She seemed to enjoy mine. The wedding being cancelled didn’t have to matter. There didn’t have to be a reason beyond the way I felt for calling her and sinking into her in my bed. It didn’t have to be an arrangement.
    I could take her to dinner, fuck her, hold her as she slept, without some favor I was willing to do for her hanging over it all.
    My uncle’s voice agreed with the treacherous one inside me, something he’d said to me a number of times over the years. Life isn’t just one, long transaction. Everything isn’t a business deal, Grant. One day, you’ll see that.
    I knew I had to think about all this and not make a snap decision. So I bit back anything that could be dangerous and opted for polite concern. “Cancelling three days before . . . I hope everyone’s all right.”
    “They’re fine,” she said, licking her lips. “There’s no emergency or anything. Cheating.”
    “Ah.” I wasn’t surprised.
    “And . . . they didn’t cancel three days before. I actually found out on Friday.”
    That surprise must have shown on my face, because she barreled ahead. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you Friday, but when we left the restaurant you said you had business, so I thought I’d wait until Saturday and—”
    “This is Wednesday.”
    “Yes, I ended up calling on Monday instead. I’m sorry for that. But I did leave two messages for you to call me.”
    I nodded. “So you did. Neither message said the wedding had been cancelled.” I wasn’t even angry, but something about this bothered me.
    “No. I’m sorry. I guess I should have. It just didn’t seem like something to leave in a message.”
    A laugh bubbled out of me then. I regretted it immediately, but it was too late to change it. Had she expected me to be upset? Had—she expected more gifts? Didn’t want the fun to end because I knew I didn’t have to take her to a wedding?
    “It wasn’t dire news, Sophie. A message would have been fine.”
    You’re being an incredible dick . My voice combined with my uncle’s. Sophie wasn’t like that. So why didn’t she just tell me Friday or Saturday?
    She blinked several times and nodded. “I know. I’m sorry.”
    “It’s all right.” I patted her hand. The part of me that didn’t want this to end tried to muffle the other voice inside me—the one that was my father calling me a little bastard who was going to grow up to be just like his mother.  That voice drowned out the quieter one who didn’t want this, whatever it was, to end, and gained control of my tongue.
    “Well, no need for you to feel obligated now.” I got out of bed, unable to look back at her, and pulled open the drawer where my old, broken-in sweatpants had been folded neatly by one of the housekeepers. It would be easier this way. Clean break. “I’ll go to dinner Friday and tell Hollis that we’ve broken up.”
    Her breath caught, and I still couldn’t turn around to look at her.
    Yes, I was a dick. A dick who wouldn’t see my life ruined because I let feelings break me down.

Two – Sophie
     
    Everything had been so wonderful—Grant hadn’t even reacted badly when I shouted his name, like before. He’d pulled me close to him, called me good girl , and now this. He was out of the bed, ready to tell Hollis we’d broken up. This, us, was just . . . over.
    What did I expect?
    “You . . . you don’t have to do that. I don’t . . . I don’t feel obligated, so much, but I can still go to dinner with you. With Hollis. I mean, Grant, I don’t mind.”
    He waved a hand as he slipped his blue sweatpants on and pulled a T-shirt from another drawer. “That’s all right, there’s no need.”
    No need . I took a few deep breaths. I was not going to cry.
    “I just feel badly, Sophie, everything you did for me . . . and now I can’t repay you by taking you to this wedding. How can I make it