Gorgeous: Book One (Gorgeous #1) - Lisa Shelby Page 0,51

have the love of your parents and that they missed out on the joy that a child should bring into their lives." My hand is gliding through his hair, and I hope it is soothing him as much as it is me. "I'm glad to hear you had Ava and your uncle, but I know it's not the same as the love of your parents."

"Ava really was a godsend. I'm closer to her than anyone else in my family. My parents let her go once I went away to boarding school. After Ava was gone, I just stayed on campus and didn't come home on breaks until I was able to drive. Even though they hated me, they had to keep up appearances so, of course, I had a kick-ass car and everything a young man could ever want. I just made sure I wasn't home much and spent a lot of time with my friends. As long as I attended all of my parents’ business dinners, charity galas, and whatever else they put on my calendar, they didn't care if they saw much of me when I was home."

He sits up in bed, and we both settle against the headboard, and he takes my hand in his and continues talking.

"Ava and I are actually co-owners of Eclipse. I wanted to make sure that if anything ever happened to me, she would still have the gallery. She took care of me, and I want to be sure she's taken care of too. She gets why I need to keep this private. She lived in the McKinley house, she knows the dynamic. I'm glad I've had her to share it with, but I have to admit, it feels even better to share it with you."

I crawl onto his lap and let the sheet fall to my waist. Being bold and brazen is something new and owed completely to this man who has so much, but has gone without even more his entire life.

Leaning forward, I place my lips over his heart. "It means a lot to me that you would share this part of your life with me." I take his hand in mine and interlace our fingers together while he takes his free hand and with one finger traces the curves of my breasts. "I'd say you turned out okay, if you ask me."

"Olivia?"

"Yes," I whisper as my head falls back and I enjoy the feeling of his touch on my skin. As simple as it is, feeling his hands on me isn't something I can fathom ever getting used to.

"You overwhelm me."

His words bring my head forward again, and I find his handsome face, and he’s looking solemnly at me. He looks like he may be in pain.

"What?" I ask, not sure if I heard him correctly.

"You do, you overwhelm me. I know we're just getting to know each other, and I know I'm your boss but you have overwhelmed me since the first moment I saw you. First, it was your beauty and the fact that you were the most gorgeous creature I had ever seen and honestly, I was incredibly impressed with your work."

I'm not sure why but I feel the need to pull the sheet back over my body. His words have brought back the feeling of vulnerability and have me a bit emotional. I think it's because his face doesn't reflect his words. He doesn't let me hide, though. He gently pulls the sheet off me and then rolls me onto my back while he leans on his forearms and moves my hair off my face and continues with his painful declaration.

"But when you turned down my first job offer I was more than intrigued. When we met on the boat, and you called me out and told he how you thought, less was more, that was it. Your conviction. Your sass. You weren't intimidated by me, and you weren't just going to sit and look pretty. Your work and your credibility matter to you. You know your worth, and you aren't going to jeopardize it for anything. Not for wealth and certainly not for a man."

He kisses my speechless mouth, leaving me breathless. How can I feel so much for him this quickly? Why do I feel like I belong to him?

"If you hadn't come to work for me, I would have found another way to have you in my life. After that night on the boat, there was no going back for me.