Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,255

was mine. If I decided to stay with Todd, he would respect my choice, but he didn’t have to be cordial to him. The funny thing is that I almost felt relieved that I could end the marriage and not be seen as an ungrateful brat who didn’t know how good she had it. I hated all the dinners at nine at night when he was just getting home, and always being interrupted by his co-workers or his beeper. I hated the way I was expected to not have an opinion on anything of importance. By the end of our marriage, he was already sleeping in another room, using the excuse of his schedule. I didn’t want to be married to Todd, but I felt trapped in that life.”

“I hate myself for representing that prick,” Roarke grinds out then takes the champagne bottle from me and tilts it to his lips.

“That’s the reason I had to start a foundation where girls learn to know that they have a voice. They can speak their minds and have their own thoughts and beliefs they can own and no one should be trying to silence them.” I shrug. “I see so many of my friends whose happiness lies in the mood of their husband. I might never have a daughter, but I don’t want any girl to live a life like that. You’d think the world was over gender bias, but it’s not.”

“Just when I think I couldn’t be more attracted to you.” His hand lands on my cheek and he turns me to face him. “I want to promise you something because I know trusting me is hard for you. I told you I don’t break promises. Ever. I promise to never speak for you. I’ll never order for you at a restaurant. Your opinion is always welcome even if we don’t see eye-to-eye, which let’s be honest, is going to happen. I promise to value you as an equal, always. If we walk in this relationship together, it’s going to be side-by-side—not with me leading and you following.”

A tear wells in my eye, because he’s the first man I opened up to after my divorce and his response couldn’t be more perfect.

I give him a soft smile. “I never knew such a soft teddy bear was hidden under the grizzly bear facade.”

He leans in closer. “You never wanted to find out. But I’m glad you did.” He presses his lips to mine and his tongue slides along the seam of my mouth. I don’t just give him access to my mouth, I open the entire vault and let him into my life, consequences be damned.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“You’re glowing again,” Victoria mumbles passing me by in the hallway as she runs to answer an early morning phone call.

“Am not.”

“Are too.” We bicker like two siblings telling our mom the other spilled the Coke all over the carpet. “Good morning, RISE,” she answers. “Oh, hi.”

“What’s new?” I peek my head into Chelsea’s office.

She’s pale and has a sheen of sweat over her face. “Not a good morning. Ask me at lunch.”

I laugh and step away giving her some space. Pregnancy seems downright awful to me and I’m not even privy to how scared her and Dean must be about the health of their baby since she has a rare condition that decreases her odds of a successful pregnancy.

“It’s your dad,” Victoria whispers to me, covering the receiver. “Uh-huh. A handicap of thirteen? That’s great. You must really be in the zone these days.”

I smile at her failed attempt to talk golf with my dad.

“Oh yes, ‘course, sorry. I’ll just pass you over to Hannah… Anytime, I’m sure he’d love to. Hold on one second,” she says.

My line rings on my office phone and I pick up. “Are you that desperate to talk to someone you choose to torment my assistant with your golf handicap and try to lure her boyfriend out?”

He chuckles, that deep in his throat one I’m used to. The one that means too many cigars the night before. Must have been guy’s night out.

“You should come and join me or find a real man who plays. Should’ve known Todd was a loser from the moment I played with him. Didn’t know how to angle his approach.”

I pick up my pen, teetering it back and forth in my fingers. “Good thing you don’t need to worry about that now.”

“Yes, thankfully. I need you to organize your mother’s birthday party. I’d do it,