Chapter 22
I take a deep breath. I have to be strong enough to withstand his charms, so that when he’s looking at Ashbury in the rearview mirror, he won’t take my heart with him. We lead different lives now, two very different lives, and I have Riley to think of, too. I can’t get caught up in a temporary fling with a “big name rock star,” even if we were together once upon a time. I can’t afford to throw away what I’ve created here for myself, for my daughter.
Derek’s chair creaks as he leans forward, then his hand covers mine. “Jamie…”
I shake him off. “We have a lot of paperwork to get through,” I tell him, ignoring the way my name sounds in his soft, plaintive voice, “and I have another client coming in at ten, so we better get started.”
“Is this really all you want to talk about?” he asks.