Page 78 of The Billionaire Who Saved My Cat From The Mafia

Oh, shit.

If there was a boulder nearby, I’d be planting my face on it.Because what the hell did I just let slip out?

Frankie tilts her head, frowning for real now—the smile’s gone.“Ask me anything.”

“You don’t owe me any explanation, Frankie.I already knew.”

“What tipped you off?”

“You’re killin’ me, Boots.”

“No.Tell me.How did you know?”

“Well,” I think about how to say this, then decide to just go for it.“The fact that you’re the most perfectly stunning woman I’ve ever seen in the flesh, head to toe, from every angle.And that you were smokin’-hot-molten-lava-sex poured into those white leather thigh-high boots the day I met you.”

“Oh.They’re just PVC, actually.”

“And the way you own your body, how you understand and welcome what it can do.I see the way you operate.You possess bone-deep confidence, muscle mastery.You’re totally at home in your skin and at peace with your sexuality.”

“Oh.”

“And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with maximizing the gifts you’ve been given.In that way, you and I are a lot alike.”

“Really?You strip?”

I laugh so loud I scare the birds.

“No joke,” she continues.“You could make a very good living with your… attributes.If the ranching and tech stuff don’t pan out, that is.”

“Thanks.I’ll keep that in mind.”

Her tone suddenly turns serious.“I don’t see any judgment in you, Special K.Not a speck.”

“I’m in no position to judge, obviously.We all do our best to get by.”

She’s gone silent.All I hear is the waterfall.

“Why here, Frankie?Of all the places to hide out, why did you come here?”

“Oh.”She looks down at her hands moving in the water.“One of my regulars was an older widower getting ready to move out of town.He came to see me one last time and handed me the deed to the cabin, saying he received it as a gift from his father when he was a young man.My regular didn’t have kids of his own and wanted me to have it.”

I find myself leaning back a bit, surprised by her answer.“This customer of yours, he believed the deed was legit?”

“I think so, yes.There’d be no reason for him to lie about it.He was a good guy, a sad and lonely man.”

I move closer to her.She looks up and starts floating away, already shaking her head.

“Thank you for sharing that with me.I know it wasn’t easy.”

And I know this is where she’ll draw the line.I should be satisfied that she trusted me enough to share at leastsomething.But I’ll kick myself if I don’t at least try to follow up.

“Who are you running from?”

“I can’t.”

“Who threatened you?”

“You can’t save me.”