Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,221

finger. “What?”

“That’s a disturbing image,” Victoria says.

“Maybe Dean and I may have been watching too much ID television. But he could still be a wacko.” Her eyes widen like she’s ready to bet on how crazy he is.

“I don’t think so.” I shake my head.

“Huh,” Chelsea says, unwrapping the cupcake and taking a big bite, frosting ending up on the tip of her nose.

Victoria leans forward and hands her a tissue.

“You’re into him,” Chelsea accuses once she’s done chewing.

“I’m not actually, but I will admit that there might be a side to him that’s new to me.”

Chelsea laughs and elbows Victoria in the chair next to her.

“I spent the entire weekend without him. He wasn’t even there.”

“He really is brilliant,” Chelsea says. “He gave you a tunnel vision into the man he is without having to even be present or verbally persuade you. He gave you two whole days to do whatever you wanted in his most personal space with zero pressure from him.”

“I didn’t snoop.” I raise my chin, proud of the fact that I didn’t go through every drawer in his place. Sure, I may have started looking for a pen in not the most obvious places, say his en suite’s drawers, but I was still technically looking for a pen.

Victoria tilts her head and leans back in her chair. “It really is a damn good plan on his part. Shows how smart he is.”

“Don’t start siding with the enemy,” I say.

“I’m not siding, I’m just giving him some props because you didn’t spend one minute with him and you’re already softening to his advances.”

“That’s not true,” I insist.

Victoria and Chelsea sit up straighter like scolded children in class.

“When I woke up on Sunday he was making breakfast. I guess whatever he was dealing with, ended early.”

Once again, I ignore the part of me that wonders who the woman that called his name was.

Both girls side glance one another.

“Like I said—brilliant,” Chelsea says.

“No, no. I really don’t think it was planned.” Why am I defending this man?

Chelsea raises her eyebrows, folding the cupcake wrapper inside the Kleenex she used as a napkin.

“If you say so.” She shrugs.

It’s clear she doesn’t believe me. After a few seconds, I let a long sigh loose and decide to lose the tough girl act. “Do you want to know the truth?”

“Yes,” they say in unison.

“I’ve never been treated the way he treated me last weekend.”

“That bad?” Victoria asks and cringes a bit.

“That good,” I say. “I show up and the doorman knows I’m coming. Tells me the dog walker is already scheduled and paid for and that I’m not to tip any of the doormen because Mr. Baldwin took care of it. He had the entire condo cleaned before I arrived. He had the fridge and cabinets stocked with food so I never had to go out. Then on Sunday, yes, I was going to leave first thing, but regardless, he made me a huge breakfast and then made an opening argument pertaining to the two of us.”

“Oh I like it.” Chelsea leans forward and rests her elbow on her knee and her chin in her palm. “I love it that he’s a lawyer and then did that. So cute.”

“He said all this stuff about how much he does know about me, but that I don’t really know him and in the end, I’ll see that he’s a good guy.”

“Aw.” Chelsea leans back, waving a hand in front of her face as though to dry the tears ready to spill. “I’m verklempt.”

Victoria turns and looks at Chelsea with a scrunched up face. “Verklempt? Really?”

“What? It’s a word.”

“I know it’s a word. I just didn’t realize you were Yiddish.” Victoria shakes her head and returns her attention to me. “That is definitely a pro-star move.” Victoria pulls out another tissue and hands it to Chelsea. “So, what’s the problem then?” she asks.

“I can’t give him a chance.” My lips tip down despite myself.

“Just because of the whole Todd thing?” Victoria is the one to ask because Chelsea’s pulled out her phone to text someone.

“I don’t know.” I put my head in my hands and then plop it all down on my desk. “I just can’t trust him,” I mumble into my arms.

“Sorry, I had to text Dean and tell him how much I love him. Stories like that, they just make me realize I got a good one.”

I raise my head and give her a look of death through my eyelashes.

“I think Chelsea