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I don t care that you only want me for my money. I have more than enough of it. If you stay with me,
I ll continue to pay your bills as long as you continue to provide companionship . . . at all levels.
The hope in her eyes withered and died. Now she simply looked angry.  You said you loved me
just a few days ago.
 What I feel for you has no bearing on a business arrangement. I want your body. I want what we
had before. Name your price.
Gretchen shook her head at him, incredulous.  You re killing me, Hunter.
 One million.
Her breath caught.  Fuck you. You can t buy me like that.
 No? His mouth twisted into a bitter smile.  You don t approve of the direct route? Very well,
then. I ll speak with Preston Stewart and see about contracting another on-site project for you. I m
sure we can arrange something.
Her eyes brimmed with tears.  I ache for you, Hunter, she said in a quiet voice.  That you think
such awful things of me, and that you re so lonely that you re still willing to have someone at your
side despite thinking they loathe you. That they re turned off by your face. You deserve to have
someone who loves you. A tear slipped down Gretchen s cheek.  I wish you nothing but the best. I
really do.
She moved to go past him and he stepped in front again.
 Two million.
She shook her head.  Someday you re going to learn that money can t buy everything, Hunter. You
can t manipulate people just because you have a bigger wallet. It s going to make you very, very
lonely.
 Three million, he said quietly.
 Good-bye, Hunter.
She left the room, leaving him a little surprised and feeling a bit more alone than ever. He d
thought she d wanted his money. But he d offered three million dollars for her to give him exactly
what they d already had. Did she want more money? Was this another game just to fleece him out of
his wealth?
Or could it be that she truly didn t want his money? Just him?
He touched the scars on his face.
Scarface. Quasimodo.
Impossible.
***
The office phone rang.
Without letting it go to a second ring the assistant in her couldn t stand to leave someone waiting
 Audrey picked up the phone and gave her cheeriest, most efficient greeting.  Logan Hawkings s
office, Audrey speaking.
 Hey, it s me. The soft, sweet voice of Brontë Dawson, Logan s fiancée, was impossible to
mistake.  I need to talk to Logan, but I m glad I got you first.
 Oh?
 I wanted to see how things were going with your sister, Brontë asked.  How is she doing?
Her sister. Audrey s mind immediately filled with mental flashes of sickly, wasted Daphne,
sprawled facedown on her floor. Daphne, who was on the cover of the latest tabloid, staggering out
of a club at four a.m. with coke-ringed nostrils. Daphne, who kept promising her twin over and over
again that she was going to change. That this time, she meant it.
 She s a mess, Audrey said in a flat voice.  Nothing new about that.
 Oh, no. Poor Gretchen. She must be taking this breakup so hard.
For a moment, Audrey didn t follow Brontë s comment.  Gretchen?
 Yes. Your sister?
 Oh. A hot flush crept up her face. That was right. She had two sisters. It was just that she
normally didn t have to worry about Gretchen nearly as much as she did Daphne. Gretchen was
impulsive and headstrong, but she knew how to take care of herself. Daphne was a mess.  Gretchen s
having a tough time, Audrey said.  She lost her apartment so she s staying with me.
 Does she need money?
 Money s not a problem. Daph has money. Gretchen could ask me for money. She wouldn t take it,
though. And money seems to be the least of her problems. Audrey sighed, trying to hide her
annoyance.  She just sits on my couch and cries all day long.
 Cries? Gretchen? Really? She seems so . . . strong.
 Well, not when she s dumped, Audrey said briskly, pulling out the stack of mail on her desk and
beginning to quickly sort it.  She hasn t moved from my sofa in two days. She just keeps watching
bad movies and reading my books and weeping. I came home yesterday to find her sobbing her brains
out at Phantom of the Opera. She kept going on and on about how Christine was a bitch because the
Phantom needed her love and support.
 Oh, jeez. That s awkward.
 You re telling me.
 You know, I never thought Hunter would hook up with Gretchen. He just seems so . . . remote.
Brontë sounded distressed.  I wish I could help her.
 I can send her to your place for a few days.
Brontë laughed.  Somehow I don t think Logan wants to watch Phantom.
Yeah, well, neither did Audrey. She had enough trouble on her hands with Daphne. Gretchen s
misery just compounded things and made her feel even more helpless. If there was one thing Audrey
didn t like, it was feeling helpless. Give her a problem she could tackle any day of the week.
Emotional stuff? She was not good with that.  I m not quite sure what to do with her.
 Well, it s obvious! We have to get the two of them back together. Hunter s so lonely and
Gretchen s so bold and clever. I think she s good for him. Logan said that he d never seen Hunter
happier than when they were together.
Audrey tried to picture the grim-faced billionaire as happy. She couldn t. Still, it was obvious that
their breakup had devastated her normally easy-going sister.  I m not good with match-making,
Brontë. Fair warning.
 Me either. But we ll ask Logan to intercede. Hunter will listen to him.
 What s this  we stuff? Audrey said drily.  You re his fiancée. I m merely the hired help.
Brontë laughed again.  Okay then, I ll handle it. Put me through to him.
 Just get her off my couch, Audrey said with a smile, and then patched the call through.
Having one troubled sister was plenty for Audrey. The last thing she needed were two miserable
sisters living with her. If Brontë and Logan could fix the situation with Gretchen, so much the better.
Audrey loved her sister, but she was helpless when it came to relationships.
Her twin was proof of that.
Chapter 13
Even a week later, Hunter still craved her.
He d fucked up somehow; he d offended her with his offer and instead of going back to his bed and
resuming their stable relationship full of lies, she d left him.
He felt more alone than ever before.
There was Eldon, of course, but Eldon was hired to assist him with tasks, not to offer [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]