The Billionaire's Masquerade: Betting On You Series: Book Two by Jeannette Winters Page B

his desk and went to stand by her. “I want you there.”
    “Trent. I can’t,” she said softly.
    “Can’t what?” he asked as he touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Can’t go or can’t kiss me right now?”
    “Why did you say that to your father?” She pulled away slightly as she asked.
    He had no idea what she was talking about. From her tone, whatever it was seemed to have hurt her. Quickly retracing their conversations that day, nothing jumped out to him. “Say what exactly?” Dropping his hand to his side, he waited.
    “You told him that . . . I . . . that I don’t mean anything to you. Why did you say that to him?”
    He could see the pain and confusion in her eyes. What he didn’t understand was why she was upset. How was giving her what she wanted causing her to be sad? You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t! “You’re asking me why?”
    “Yes,” she demanded.
    He could feel the frustration build within him. He didn’t want to talk about his father or what he’d said or hadn’t said to him. He wanted to be kissing her, touching her, here and now. Pulling her to him he said, “Because you’ve told me again and again, no one, I repeat, no one can ever know about us. I was only keeping my promise to you. I’m not the one with the issue about sleeping together.” He knew his words were harsh. He regretted them once they were said, but there was no going back once they left his lips. He saw her eyes widen in anger. This was not going to be good.
    “You’re right. This is my issue. Thank you for not saying anything,” she said in a controlled tone.
    “You can thank me by having dinner with me,” he stated, not wanting the evening to end, especially like this.
    “It’s late, and I’m tired.”
    It was true, they both had put in a long day, but that had never stopped them before from enjoying an evening together. She was leaving because she was mad. “I didn’t mean to hurt you with what I said.”
    “You were being truthful and did what I had asked. I have no right to be angry with you for that.”
    He was not being entirely truthful, but didn’t want to mention that now. Hopefully she wouldn’t find out. “Let me take you home.” He pulled her against him and felt her wiggle beneath his fingers. Trent had no intention of letting her leave. Reaching behind her, he slammed the door shut. “Don’t leave.”
    Once again Elaine pulled away from him. “Good night, Trent.”
    Without saying anything further, he watched her walk quietly out of his office. I think she still might still be mad.
    This was why he had never gotten deeply involved with women before. They were confusing. They say one thing, yet get upset if you do exactly that. Shit, I don’t have the energy to deal with this. I don’t like her being angry either.

Chapter Twelve
     
    When she arrived home she was physically tired but mentally wide-awake. She’d spent the afternoon working on plans for the Davis family’s celebration. This only rekindled her desire to find out about her parents—who they were and why they gave her up. She had been a baby, from what records she could find. Were they so poor they couldn’t afford to take care of her? Was her mother alone with no support, no other options? Were they like the Davis family, loving and thoughtful? So many questions and absolutely no answers. She’d been searching for answers since she graduated college nine years earlier. Now at thirty-four, she was no closer than she had been then.
    The search always ended up the same—empty. She might not know who she was, but she was positive she wasn’t an alien. There had to be a record somewhere. Someone had to know who her parents were. Over the years she’d tried Google searches and found nothing. Then she’d tried looking at local census reports from the time she was born, but that have proved difficult because she was not sure what state she’d been born in. There wasn’t much she