Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,222

meant Roarke is a good one, too.”

My eyes shift to Victoria who puts her hands up in defense.

“I get the trust thing, I do, but can I ask one question?” Victoria says as Chelsea’s phone dings again just imprinting a wider smile on her mouth.

“What?” I sit up, grabbing my pen and clicking it and unclicking it repeatedly.

“Do you want to get in another relationship? Like would you want to date him if he wasn’t your ex’s divorce attorney?”

I hadn’t really thought about it. I was so hell bent on how much I hated him specifically, that I didn’t really think about it. After the divorce, I didn’t think I’d be celibate until I was six feet under, but marriage wasn’t in the near future for sure.

“I don’t really know. My main focus is RISE right now and, don’t get me wrong, I miss sex. Especially when you consider Todd and I were not exactly burning up our sheets toward the end. But, a relationship? I’m not so sure. I guess I would say no at this point.”

“Then there you go,” Victoria says like that’s all there is to it.

“That’s so sad. I know I was totally anti-anything, but Han, you can’t close yourself off forever. I never imagined it’d be like this with Dean, and I want you to have the same thing. Not to mention I think sex between you two would be off the charts. You could put all that chemistry between you guys to good work.”

I shift my eyes from Chelsea to Victoria, willing her with my expression to tell Chelsea to shut up. Victoria’s hand lands on Chelsea’s forearm.

“These divorcee dating meetings have turned into divorcee dicking meetings now that you two are getting laid on the regular,” I grumble.

“Let’s remember, I tried to tell you the same thing when Dean first came back around,” Victoria reminds her of only months ago when Chelsea was swearing off men.

“I’m not saying completely no, I’m just saying for me to take a chance again, a man would have to be pretty damn convincing.”

“He is the best divorce attorney in the Midwest.” Victoria’s eyes widen. “Convincing people is kinda what he does.”

“Good thing I won’t make it easy on him.” I give her a saccharine smile.

Chelsea chuckles. “I can’t wait to hear what favor number three is.”

Victoria and I just stare at her like she’s missed the entire point of our conversation. As long as I didn’t, that’s fine.

My mission now is to make Roarke Baldwin prove to me that he’s worth me dropping my guard, even a little.

Chapter Eleven

Three o’clock rolls around and myself, Chelsea, and Victoria all step out of a taxi onto the Northerly Island of Chicago.

“This is his connection?” Chelsea asks with amazement in her voice. “I called here when we were looking and they said it was a three-year wait for a weekend date.”

“I went to a wedding here once,” I admit. “They have the most gorgeous white tent with chandeliers inside. The views are amazing. I’m skeptical that I housesat for nothing.”

We’re no sooner through the doors when a woman in a pale pink pants suit approaches us with a tablet in her hands.

“Hannah Crowley from the RISE Foundation?” Her eyes are poised on me like she already knows the answer to her own question.

“Yes.”

Chelsea and Victoria take up the space on either side of me.

The young woman who’s probably in her early twenties, fresh off her college graduation puts out her hand. “My name is Sonya Herrington. I’ll be showing you the area we have available to see if it’s to your liking.”

I shake her hand, inspecting her neatly manicured nails.

“This is Chelsea Walsh and Victoria Clarke,” I introduce my two counterparts. Sonya smiles and exchanges handshakes with each of them.

“Please follow me.” Her heels click on the marble floor as we walk down a long corridor. I fall in line with her while Chelsea and Victoria lag behind us. “I would have preferred you see it at night, but Roar…Mr. Baldwin said he wanted you to see it as soon as possible in case it wouldn’t be a good fit.”

I glance over my shoulder and the girls and I share a look that says we’re not going to be picky at this point.

“I’d be surprised if Mr. Baldwin could find me another venue besides this one.”

Sonya smiles at me like I’m babbling and she doesn’t understand a word of what I’m saying. Before I can pose another question, we step