His to Hold: A Billionaire Romance (His to Have Book 2) by Piper Hayes Page B

Blake, but unless it involves white-collar crime, it’s not really my business.”
    “It’s just strange being here with you,” I say. “Were you and I ever a couple? Looking back on it, I don’t even know, but after you, I stopped taking anyone seriously. Blake changed that. I tried to be uninterested and detached, but it didn’t work. I fell for him, and now I don’t know what to do.”
    “Let’s start with why you’re here,” Ben says.
    “We got in a fight,” I tell him.
    “Because you met with me?” he asks.
    “In part,” I say, “but it was about trust and respect and probably a hundred other things that neither of us mentioned.”
    “Like what?” Ben asks.
    “Where we’re headed as a couple?” I say as if it’s a question. “You know, how serious we are. Everything is so chaotic right now, and it’s kind of thrilling to be so close to danger and chaos and I’m worried that when things settle down we’ll find that we don’t want the same things.”
    “What do you want?” Ben asks. “The Catherine Carlisle I fell for in high school didn’t give a crap about money or what people thought about her. The one I met a few months back certainly did. I guess it was there in some form long ago, but it never seemed like the real you. It seemed like something you put up with, if that makes sense.”
    He gets it , or he gets me. I don’t know. “Why is it so much easier to talk to you about this stuff?” I ask. “Anytime it comes up with Blake we end up fighting.”
    “Because you’re not in love with me. Couples fight all the time,” Ben says. “In part, I assume it’s because you have something worth fighting for.”
    “You seem to be changing your tune about him,” I say. “Is there anything I should know about?”
    Ben takes a long sip of his beer. “I really shouldn’t talk about the case, Cat.”
    “How fucked up is it that my only real friend is trying to put my boyfriend in jail?”
    “That answer is going to require another drink,” Ben says. “And yes, that is my way of avoiding the question. Do you want another?” He gets up and heads into the kitchen. As he rummages through the fridge, he adds, “It’s good to know you think of me as a friend. Do you want to go to this movie thing, or should we just blow it off? I can offer some more armchair psychoanalysis if you want.”
    At this point, my phone starts buzzing. I wasn’t even sure if it was still on. I pull it out and look. Blake’s calling. I know I should take his call, but I’m still mad at him for not listening to me. I’m still mad that he didn’t even try to follow when I walked out. I ignore the call. “You should go out with your friends. I’ll figure something out. I’ve already imposed too much,” I tell him. I see two messages pop up. I wonder if they’re new or if I just didn’t get them before.
    “Nonsense,” he says. “You can stay here for the night. The couch is free, and it will give you a chance to see how the other ninety-nine point nine percent lives.”
    “Not offering me your bed?” I ask. The phone buzzes again, and I reject the call. I turn the phone back off.
    “I thought it would send mixed signals. Besides, the couch is more comfortable,” Ben says. “If you ever want me to make that offer, just let me know. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m heading out of town tomorrow afternoon. If you need a place to stay, you could crash here. Then you’d have your pick of the bed or the couch.”
    “I’ll think about it,” I say. I wonder what I’ve done to deserve his kindness. I know the answer is that I haven’t done anything and that I don’t deserve this at all. I guess there’s the chance he thinks I could help him with the case against Blake, but that doesn’t seem like the reason he’s helping me. Maybe he really does just want to help a friend. “I don’t know how to thank you,” I say.
    “Come along to the movie. We’re getting drinks after. I think