and an uncle, but that’s about it.”
“You said your father was a musician.”
“I don’t remember too much about him. He died when I was four.”
“I’m sorry.” He tightened his hold on her hand.
“Don’t be. He had problems. My parents were young when they had me. He struggled with alcohol and drugs. He played guitar in a band.” Coda remembered Jenna saying Spencer’s dad played for the New York Philharmonic. Their dads couldn’t have been more different. “He got mixed up with the wrong people. He overdosed.”
“That must have been difficult for your mother.”
“Yeah, it’s always been the two of us. She worked hard to support us. She helped me get through college, but I had to take out some loans. My mom’s been sick. Before we got a solid diagnosis as to what was actually wrong with her, we hit some tough times but it isn’t anything we’re not used to. She had to have a lot of tests.”
“Would you like to sit here?” He pointed at the large brick fireplace in an out cove by the lake. “Doesn’t look like anyone else has claimed it.”
Alone could be good.
“It looks cozy.” She sat down on the bench in front of the hearth. “I love the smell of burning wood, especially in the fall. I’d love to have a fireplace someday.”
“I have two in the penthouse, but neither is wood burning. I debated whether I should buy a house out in the suburbs away from the city.”
“Would you like that?”
“I think I would, but I need to be close to the agency. Emergencies come up all the time and I can’t be forty minutes away.”
“You need to have your own life.” She reached for his hand. “You can’t be the CEO all the time.”
“Is your mother okay?” He sat close enough to her that their thighs touched. She shivered from the contact. Without missing a beat, he pulled his jacket off. “Put this on.”
“No, you’ll be cold.”
“I’m fine.” He draped the jacket over her shoulders. “I want you to be comfortable.”
She tilted her head to the side and breathed in his scent he’d wrapped her in. “Thank you.”
“Better?”
“Much.”
“About your mom...”
“Right. She has MS. It took some time to diagnosis her, and finding the right treatment course has been challenging. It makes it hard for her to waitress. She hates not being able to work. She worries all the time about the rent and the other bills, but I told her I’d take care of things. She just needs to focus on feeling better.”
“You’re a good daughter.”
“What else can I do? You have to take care of your own.”
“You’re pretty special.”
“I haven’t done anything with my life yet.”
“You will.” When he stroked her cheek her stomach fluttered. “You’ve had a rough start. Listening to you makes me realize how much of my life I take for granted.”
“I didn’t tell you those things about my life to make you feel bad. I’m going through some hard times right now, but I know things will get better. Thanks to your proposition, we won’t get evicted, I can pay off my loans and I’ll be able to help my mother.” She wanted him to understand why she had accepted his offer. “You came to me at a vulnerable time.”
“When I saw you in the kitchen the other night, I heard the stress in your voice. I know what I did was unconventional but I have no regrets.”
“You don’t?” She leaned into his face.
“I’m glad you’re here with me.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “You got it cut.”
“Huh?” She was still stuck on the fact that he was glad she was there with him.
“Your hair, it looks pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re a gorgeous woman. I can’t seem to get you out of my head. I had a horrible golf game today.” He brushed his lips along her jaw, stopping at the corner of her mouth. “Do you know why?”
Her nipples hardened when the warmth of her arousal flooded her panties. No one had ever made her feel this way.
“You said your father was a musician.”
“I don’t remember too much about him. He died when I was four.”
“I’m sorry.” He tightened his hold on her hand.
“Don’t be. He had problems. My parents were young when they had me. He struggled with alcohol and drugs. He played guitar in a band.” Coda remembered Jenna saying Spencer’s dad played for the New York Philharmonic. Their dads couldn’t have been more different. “He got mixed up with the wrong people. He overdosed.”
“That must have been difficult for your mother.”
“Yeah, it’s always been the two of us. She worked hard to support us. She helped me get through college, but I had to take out some loans. My mom’s been sick. Before we got a solid diagnosis as to what was actually wrong with her, we hit some tough times but it isn’t anything we’re not used to. She had to have a lot of tests.”
“Would you like to sit here?” He pointed at the large brick fireplace in an out cove by the lake. “Doesn’t look like anyone else has claimed it.”
Alone could be good.
“It looks cozy.” She sat down on the bench in front of the hearth. “I love the smell of burning wood, especially in the fall. I’d love to have a fireplace someday.”
“I have two in the penthouse, but neither is wood burning. I debated whether I should buy a house out in the suburbs away from the city.”
“Would you like that?”
“I think I would, but I need to be close to the agency. Emergencies come up all the time and I can’t be forty minutes away.”
“You need to have your own life.” She reached for his hand. “You can’t be the CEO all the time.”
“Is your mother okay?” He sat close enough to her that their thighs touched. She shivered from the contact. Without missing a beat, he pulled his jacket off. “Put this on.”
“No, you’ll be cold.”
“I’m fine.” He draped the jacket over her shoulders. “I want you to be comfortable.”
She tilted her head to the side and breathed in his scent he’d wrapped her in. “Thank you.”
“Better?”
“Much.”
“About your mom...”
“Right. She has MS. It took some time to diagnosis her, and finding the right treatment course has been challenging. It makes it hard for her to waitress. She hates not being able to work. She worries all the time about the rent and the other bills, but I told her I’d take care of things. She just needs to focus on feeling better.”
“You’re a good daughter.”
“What else can I do? You have to take care of your own.”
“You’re pretty special.”
“I haven’t done anything with my life yet.”
“You will.” When he stroked her cheek her stomach fluttered. “You’ve had a rough start. Listening to you makes me realize how much of my life I take for granted.”
“I didn’t tell you those things about my life to make you feel bad. I’m going through some hard times right now, but I know things will get better. Thanks to your proposition, we won’t get evicted, I can pay off my loans and I’ll be able to help my mother.” She wanted him to understand why she had accepted his offer. “You came to me at a vulnerable time.”
“When I saw you in the kitchen the other night, I heard the stress in your voice. I know what I did was unconventional but I have no regrets.”
“You don’t?” She leaned into his face.
“I’m glad you’re here with me.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “You got it cut.”
“Huh?” She was still stuck on the fact that he was glad she was there with him.
“Your hair, it looks pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re a gorgeous woman. I can’t seem to get you out of my head. I had a horrible golf game today.” He brushed his lips along her jaw, stopping at the corner of her mouth. “Do you know why?”
Her nipples hardened when the warmth of her arousal flooded her panties. No one had ever made her feel this way.
Similar Books
