the horrific plate of moving food right in front her. Maybe you should go back to thinking about his fancy fingers.
“So, what’s the occasion?” she asked.
“I don’t wish to talk about it.”
She leaned back in her chair. “What do you want to talk about?”
He was silent for a long moment, maybe debating if he wanted to tell her what had happened. “Nothing. Let’s just drink.”
That sounded boring. “Did you know my talking toilet is female? It’s incredibly offensive. I tried to change it to be male, which seems far more appropriate in my opinion, but I don’t think they even offer that setting. Can you believe that?”
Yep, I’m sauced.
He looked at her briefly and then grabbed another wiggly thing. “How about we finish your questionnaire? That seems like a more suitable topic while I eat and get drunk.”
This was her moment. She had to take it. “About that, Bennett, I wanted to talk to you—”
“I realize I wasn’t being very cooperative earlier. My apologies. I’ve got a lot going on right now.” He took another drink, and she noticed how his large, normally rigid broad shoulders seemed to be sagging a bit. He looked tired and somewhat beaten down.
It made her think that whatever happened tonight must’ve been bad. All the more reason to put an end to this ridiculous sham.
“I’m sure you do,” she agreed. “But what I wanted to say was that I can’t go through with this.”
He stopped chewing, set down his chopsticks, and leaned back in his chair, eyeing her cautiously. “If this is about that kiss—”
Taylor held up her hand. “No. It has nothing to do with that.”
“Then what?” Now he looked like he just might reach across the table and throttle her with those large nimble hands. “You want more money, is that it?”
Taylor’s jaw dropped. “What? No! Bennett, how can you say that?”
He reached for the sake, poured himself another mug, and drank it down. “That’s what they all want.”
Taylor bit back her irritation. She wasn’t a gold digger. “I don’t want your goddamned money, Bennett. In fact, I’m giving you back your check, which I haven’t even deposited yet. I just don’t think I can be of service to you.”
He eyed her critically. “Seriously, Ms. Reed. You shock me.”
“Why? Because I’m being honest? I can’t teach you anything you don’t already know.”
“I think you’re afraid.”
Yeah, that you’ll find out the truth about why I came on this trip. Now that she had really, really started to think things through she felt ashamed of herself. She was better than this. Or, at least, she should strive to be. However, none of that meant she had dismissed what Bennett had done. It simply meant she’d handled it the wrong way. “Think whatever you like. I’m going home tomorrow.”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of whether or not your program has merit?” he asked. There was an intimidating timbre to his deep voice that seemed to fill the room.
Don’t let him shrink you, Tay. Stand your ground. “No, Bennett. I’ve already made up my mind.”
His brows furrowed. “I suppose I was wrong about you—doesn’t happen often, but I was.”
She sighed, knowing he was trying to egg her into debate. One she might lose because Bennett knew how to keep his cool and still get his way. “I don’t want to fight with you. I can’t give you what you want.”
“How the hell do you know what I want?” He pierced her with his eyes. “You think you know me?”
This conversation had headed in the wrong direction fast. It hadn’t helped that he was in a pissy mood to begin with and that she’d had too much to drink.
“Nope. I don’t know you,” she replied, looking down at her empty mug, wondering if mixing sake and vodka had been a good choice. Sadka. Not going on my list of faves.
“You think I’m some sleazy billionaire who goes around degrading women. That I manipulate people for my own gain.”
Taylor didn’t know what had gotten into her—sadka—but fine; if he wanted to have this conversation, then they’d have it.
“I don’t think that,” she replied evenly. “Not exactly.”
“Then what exactly?” he sneered.
“I can’t figure you out. I hear this story from Candy about how you helped her, and it makes me think you might be one of the most generous, kind people I’ve ever met. But then I saw how you treated Vera, how you yelled at that woman in the hotel just now, and it makes