I throw my hands up. “You must be used to calling the shots because I haven’t been given the choice you keep taking. You’re right. No woman likes an absent man, but the right woman can understand and even be supportive. But you wouldn’t know if I could handle it because you keep reeling me in and then pushing me away. Hell, I don’t even know if I can handle it, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t be able to.”
The lines on his face are hard. “There’s the investment I was talking about. If I invest my time, what happens when you walk away when you realize it’s too much?”
I suck in a breath at the sucker punch. “Wow, Nathan. Thanks for the vote of confidence. Clearly, we’re on two different levels.”
“You have to understand where I’m coming from.”
“Actually, I do. Or at least I think so.” My shoulders slump. “I really like you, the you I’ve gotten to know. Not the rich guy who owns some luxury hotels. But Nathan.” His name pulls a smile to my face. “The guy who can wear a suit or jeans and cause my heart to flutter. The guy who hates pickles, lets me win at bowling, who likes to laugh, and has incredibly sexy eyes. That’s the guy I like.”
He’s silent as he studies me.
“I’m not mad…” I bounce my head from shoulder to shoulder. “Okay. Maybe I am. Hurt would be a better word. You think that low of me that you couldn’t have just told me? Or even tried? I can understand why you’re guarded, but I never thought I came off as someone who would take advantage of you. I’m genuinely interested in you. I thought you knew that. Thought you could feel it. How long were you going to keep this up? Until I had fallen in love with you?”
He shakes his head slightly.
“I gave you so many chances,” I grit out, fighting back tears. “I don’t deserve the pain, the damn heartache you keep giving me. Let me give you a piece of advice for the future. The longer you let a woman see Nathan while falsifying everything else before introducing her to Nathan Bennett, the worse it hurts. You led me to believe you really liked me and were trying to fit me into your busy lifestyle when instead you’re shrouded in deceit.”
“Brooklyn.” He steps forward and I take one opposite of him.
“It’s time for me to leave.”
I brace for a refute, for him to grab my arm and stop me, but instead, he lets me leave and I’m grateful for it. As I step into the elevator, the tears I held back spill over.
TWELVE
Between trying to focus on the properties in development and their designs and still stewing over Brooklyn, this week has been brutal. I’m a grumpy bastard and this day can kiss my ass. I pour myself a glass of whiskey, something strong to ease my mind, and drop like a ton of bricks on my sofa looking over the heart of Dallas.
I can’t help but wonder what Brooklyn is doing. Is she reading in the lounger she’s told me about? Or is she seeking solace from her friends? Everything she said to me the night she found out who I was, every crack of her voice, every blink to fight the tears have been on constant replay. I hate that I hurt her. I didn’t mean to, but I didn’t put any thought into how it would look from her side. Only mine to protect me.
The last serious relationship I had ended before I became successful. Even then the absence drove her away. I was busy focusing on what I needed to do instead of her. She had every right to leave and I let her. I was in love with my business, not her. Since then, the rest of the women only want to exploit my money and wring me out to dry. The sex I’ve gotten has only been one-night stands when I needed to find my release and even then I use a pseudonym—Timothy. What a shit name.
A knock on my door has me groaning under my breath.
Cody’s grinning from ear to ear and holds up a case of beer and a grocery bag. “Chips and salsa,” he announces. “You know you can’t deny them.”
I push the door open farther. “What brings you by?”
He strides into the kitchen, places the bag on the counter, takes a beer from the case, and shoves the rest into the fridge. He pops it open and takes a long swallow before he lifts a shoulder. “Nothing else better to do.”
Dubious, I tilt my head. “Sure.”
He takes a seat on the opposite end of the sofa and glances out the window. “All this beauty and success without someone to share it with.”
Rage grips my throat. “What the fuck, Cody?” I snap. “Since you’ve been playing cupid my entire life feels off balance. Brooklyn has walked away from me twice, and I spend most days pissed off because I can’t focus.” I glower. “Why are you so hell bound to pry? Surely all this isn’t because you adore my damn smile,” I grit.
He leans up, setting his beer on the glass table. “You remember a few months ago at that fundraiser in New York. You remember what you said to me that night?”
Thinking back to the night, I can’t remember a damn thing.
“We watched some blonde splash water in Johnson’s face and storm out.”
Oh, yeah. I remember that. She was pissed.
“You said you wish you could find a woman who would walk away from you. That way you knew it wasn’t for the money,” he finishes.
Brett Johnson is one of the wealthiest men in the world. In his forties, he’s handsome and can have any woman he wants, but the blonde was everything to him. Cody and I used to joke about how she was only there for the money. Hell, she was at least twenty years his junior—his soon to be trophy wife. What else could anyone think of those two? He was old enough to be her father. But the moment I saw her leave him, I knew she wasn’t there for his money. All the hurt was evident on her face, the pain pouring from her eyes. Rumors were his mistress was there. Others said he said a few things he shouldn’t have. Gossip has never been my thing and I’ve never followed it. Either way, I know she left him for good that night. It was splattered all over the gossip magazines. She didn’t ask for a dime and the money he placed in her bank account, she gave back.
She was in it for love and love only.
“What are you getting at?”
“Brooklyn’s left you and you’re the one having to tuck tail and reel her back in. If that’s not proof enough, you’re too fucking stupid to have a woman like her.”
I swallow a sip of my whiskey. “I’m too fucking busy for her, Cody. She’ll end up being lonely.”
“You’re only busy because it’s what you’ve conditioned yourself to be. You don’t have to attend to every miniscule thing. You micromanage, and I understand why, but you should have faith in the people you’ve hired.”
Shit. Here comes the sucker punches.
“Do you like her?” he asks flat out.
“A lot,” I admit.
“Then let her in. Quit shutting her out.”
I dig my fingers into my forehead. “You missed your calling as a therapist.”
He chuckles. “The only reason I can offer your dumbass advice is because we’re practically brothers. We’ve been through a lot of shit together, man. Now I’m only going to tell you this once, bury the gentleman act and show her the real you. The charming shit-talking guy.” He grabs his beer and tosses it back. “Third times a charm, but man you’re going to have to fucking work for it.”