head against my shoulder. “I actually think it’s very cute,” she admitted.
In it, I looked like I’m about to make passionate love to Beck’s face. It must have been snapped just before we almost kissed—we’d been so wrapped up in the moment, it would have taken a lot for us to be distracted.
Heat flared across my body as I was wrenched back to that moment in time. Because I’d been on the other end of Beck’s expression—had born witness to the carnal hunger in his eyes. Although his fingers in my hair had been utterly tender.
It was the kindness in the way he’d stroked my hair that felt especially persistent in the face of the awkward interaction we’d had. There was a glow in my heart that was starting to feel like Beck. And if my parents had taught me anything, it was to trust that glow, that nudge from the universe insisting that you’d found something beautiful.
This extravagance will never come for me—not in this lifetime, not in any others.
I had never used to care about things like mansions and infinity pools and personal security. But becoming a billionaire had literally expanded all of the areas in my life. It was only natural to grow into them. And I’d resented his insinuation I should be ashamed—men had been allowed to flaunt their excessive wealth since the dawn of time. I felt proud to take up that space, to exert the power of my hard work and success.
I still felt off though.
“Did you see the caption?” Emily asked. “I can always talk to Derek, see if he can get it removed.”
I shook my head, preoccupied. It read: Disgraced CEO Luna da Rosa seen here canoodling with the Executive Director of Lucky Dog, the nonprofit she has been publicly supporting since news broke of the animal cruelty scandal. Beck Mason’s parents are Georgie and Rip Mason, notorious for their violent club fights, extortion, and racketeering activities out of the Miami Devils MC.
“This is a… complication,” I said lamely, echoing my fears from the beginning. Emily’s head was near my own, fingers landing on the complication in question.
“I have to say, as your best friend, this looks like a very fun complication, Moon,” she said. I touched my lips, remembered the pressure of Beck’s thumb there. The joy of reaching forward, wrapping my arms around Sunshine. Knowing she was going to get that second chance, would find love and happiness.
“I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching since the Ferris Mark news,” I admitted to her. “I’m not even sure I actually see this as a complication anymore, even though I know it is from a business standpoint.”
The devil on my shoulder stirred and I shushed it.
“What’s going to happen with the Fischer meeting?” she asked, tucking her legs underneath her.
“They’re skittish because of the cost of pulling all of those damaged products. And the cost of Wild Heart’s damaged reputation. There’s another cosmetics line that’s cruelty-free and scandal-free and it’s looking like they’re going to drop us in favor of them.”
“Assholes,” she said. “Although you know its only business. It’s awful being on the end of it, but all of us know what that’s like. I hate Fischer for doing this to you, Moon, but I fully believe it’s not personal for them. And that you’ll find an even better storefront partner. I mean, you’re Luna da Rosa. You always find a way.”
“It feels personal though,” I said quietly. “Maybe that’s the ultimate downfall of making myself the face of Wild Heart. All of that personal branding. I made a massive professional mistake that I’m working to fix but the public is taking it out on me personally.”
Emily squeezed my hand. “You know I went through something similar. At the end of the day, you have to go with what feels right, which is terrifying. Because you can lose everything.”
“No kidding,” I said.
She tapped the photo. “This seems pretty right, don’t you think?”
I thought about that little girl in the photo now taped to my computer. What would she do?
“It really does,” I said.
And I owe Beck an apology, I realized.
A brightly-colored parrot flew through the room, taking advantage of the back patio doors I’d left wide open. He flapped his rainbow wings once before settling on the top of the couch.
I cooed, running my finger down his feathers. “A visit from Frank? If this isn’t a sign from the universe, I don’t know what is.” Frank was a free-range parrot who’d