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.To yank her right over the console and onto his lap to show her that stopping had been just as hard on him as it had been on her --his cock bucked in protest-- maybe even harder.But when she pushed open the door, he let her."I'm going to at least walk you up," he said, reaching for his own handle.It wasn’t the best neighborhood and the apartment building had a creepy vibe."There’s a doorman, I’ll be fine.And honestly?” She pursed her lips and leveled him with a solemn stare.“I'd really rather be alone right now."Shit.He’d hurt her feelings, and that hadn’t been his intention at all.He’d stopped because he didn’t want to hurt her.What a class A fuck up he was sometimes."Well, we're going to need to set up a time to talk.Go over some strategies, work on our cover story.” He couldn’t stop the next words from tumbling out, in spite of knowing no good could come of them.“I’ll take you to dinner.”She nodded and smiled, but it felt forced.“Give me a call and we’ll work something out.”What a fucking heel.Ironic that he’d made her feel bad when he wanted nothing more than to make her feel good.She stepped out of the car and slammed the door behind her.He waited until she entered the building, and then a few minutes longer, wondering if he should text and make sure she got upstairs all right.She was a grown woman and had clearly done a fine job managing herself up until now, so why did he feel the urge to make sure she was taken care of?The question answered itself as he stared at the decrepit building.Whatever front she was trying to convey, she wasn’t on the grift so she could live the high life and roll around in her bags of money.From what he could tell, there was no sign that she spent any of it on herself at all, a fact that fascinated him.Yes, if he could help Sadie while still getting what he wanted from this Hannigan situation, there was no reason why he shouldn’t.And if, in the meantime, he was able to uncover more of her secrets?More the better.Chapter Eight“That’s the third text you’ve gotten from him since you walked in, and you blush every time.So you’ve got a boyfriend then.That’s what you’re telling me?” Clarissa leaned over the side of the hospital bed and shook Sadie’s shoulders, a wide grin stretched across her pale lips.“Sadie’s got a boy-oy-friend,” she said in a singsong voice.“It’s about time.”Sadie winced, pressing her forefingers to her temples as the throbbing ramped up to double time.“First, stop shaking me.My head feels like it’s about to explode.Second, two dates does not a boyfriend make, so don’t get crazy.” When she had told Clarissa she was having dinner with Jake later, her sister had assumed he was the guy she’d attended the gala with.She wasn’t about to correct her, but she didn’t want her to get her hopes up, either.“In fact, it’s not even really a date…”So what was it, then? It wasn’t just a business meeting.She could fool herself into pretending otherwise, but that didn’t explain why, when Jake had called that morning, she’d spent two hours poring over the contents of her sad little closet like a teenager heading out to her first dance.Or why, when he’d texted to ask her restaurant preferences, she’d gotten flustered and jittery.It definitely wasn’t a date, though.People didn’t go on dates to talk about how best to rig a card game or determine the best escape route in the event of trouble.But what about the kiss…She shoved the memory aside and tried to will away the sudden heating of her cheeks.“It’s a get together.A hang out, is all.God, can’t a girl just hang out with a guy like friends or whatever?”Clarissa sat back on her pillow, the smug smile still wreathing her face.“You ‘hung out’ at the gala, too.I hate to tell you, but if you wear a dress like the one you wore that night, it’s a date.”If that were true, it was the weirdest date ever.She couldn’t help the small and selfish part of her that wished she could tell Clarissa the truth about her life and her nighttime activities.She would have cried laughing at the story of her big sister pretending to be a Countess and taking a dive out a balcony, or getting caught with the jewels and then kicking Jake in his jewels.But after the laughs, Clarissa would blame herself for the life Sadie led, and that was the last thing she wanted.No one had forced her into anything.She’d made her choices and sure, they were tough sometimes, but she’d make every one of them again if she had to.Until they were sure Clarissa was cancer free for good --God willing, that would be this time-- she’d continue the charade, letting her sister believe that everything was normal.“Okay, so maybe it was a date.But I don’t think it’s going anywhere serious.He’s got some baggage.” At least that much was true.Clarissa snorted and reached for the glass of water beside her on the rolling tray.“Don’t we all? And who’s to say that every relationship has to go somewhere, anyway?” She shook her head and took a long sip from the glass before setting it down with a decisive clink.“When I’m healthy again, I’m not living for the future.I’m going to do what feels good in the now, because tomorrow might never come for any of us.Find me a hot guy to take me to a gala and make me blush like that, and I am so down.” Her blue eyes locked with Sadie’s and she lifted her chin in challenge.“And, frankly, I kinda think you’re a chicken-shit if you’re not.”Sadie held her sister’s gaze, sadness rushing over her like a wave.“I’m so sorry-” Clarissa shushed her with a talk-to-the-hand.“Don’t you dare apologize for being healthy.The one thing I thank God for every day is that it’s me in this bed instead of you.” Her voice cracked and Sadie’s heart cracked right along with it
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