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“I mean, can you blame me?”
“You could at least give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“I don’t know anything about you to do so.”
Shrugging, Cassius quickly rattled off a few life facts. “I’m an only child, which is probably why I’m used to getting everything I want. My parents are still together—when they want to be. As far as the public knows, they’re an it couple. Behind closed doors, they live separately when they start getting on each other’s nerves. Usually, when my father picks up his habit of seeing other women and thinking he’s discreet about it.”
“Oh, wow.”
“Yeah.”
“And your mom chooses to stay with him?”
“She claims she knew what she was getting into when she married him. My mom didn’t have the best life growing up, and my dad was a step up. He gives her whatever she wants; she lets him do his thing peacefully. It isn’t a dynamic that would ever work for me, but if they like it, I love it.”
“Because you’re possessive, right?” Aella threw his past words back at him.
“That—and because no matter what my mom says, I see how my dad’s bullshit breaks her down. There’s nothing she wants more in the world than for him to finally choose her and our family. I’d never want to purposely make a woman feel that pain. I try to keep things as transparent as possible with the women I entertain.”
“And how do they feel about your currently being off the market?”
“There is no they. I was dealing with one woman before all this. I won’t lie, though, she didn’t take it well.”
“I bet,” Aella snorted, folding her arms.
“Is that jealousy I hear?” he teased.
“Nope.”
“Sure, Elle.” He chuckled. “You aren’t as hard to read as you think.”
“Says the man who claims he can figure me out.”
“I can’t when you’re not around me. And as easy as it would be to go snooping to find out things about your life, I’d rather you be the one to tell me.”
“Why does that matter to you?”
“Because it means you trust me.” He shrugged, silencing her.
Gnawing on her bottom lip, Aella released a sigh before speaking again. “You’ve met Ilaria, but I have another sister, Braxton. My parents’ relationship was complicated when they first got married, and Brax is a result of that. Our relationship is a roller-coaster, to say the least. I’m cordial with a few co-workers, and my assistant is pretty much my right hand at work, but as I told you before, I mainly stick to myself or my sister. Any of our family who isn’t familiar with our lifestyle tends to steer clear of us because they don’t want to get caught up in the mix. And up until I was summoned into my office and formally met you, my life was fairly normal.”
“There’s nothing normal about our lives, Elle,” Cassius murmured. “You said no one in your building thinks you got your job fairly. Why is that?”
“They assume my father gave the company to me without me having to work for it,” Aella answered bluntly. “What about you? What was your role in all this before you left?”
“I made my family’s problems disappear,” Cassius shrugged, knowing she understood his meaning without him having to explain.
“Oh.” Aella turned her gaze to the window.
“You ready to run yet?”
“No,” the word slipped from her lips before she could catch it.
“Good, because we’re here.”
Parking, Cassius climbed out of the car and popped the trunk, stopping to remove something before opening Aella’s door. As she stepped out, Cassius presented her with a bouquet of yellow roses that left her speechless.
“Cass…”
