Never to Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

works with kids who live in a group home in Indianapolis. She approached him with a business plan for a center to help homeless youth get back on their feet and make something of themselves. Grant funding is scarce these days and they needed help.”
    “So, she’s after his money and yours by proxy?”
    “It isn’t like that. She’s Madison’s friend. They worked together around the time Madison and Sawyer got together.”
    Knowing exactly what kind of work Madison did to get by when she was first given temporary guardianship of her niece, Peyton, and trying to finish nursing school, I couldn’t hold back my groan. Thank God it was short-lived. The last thing I needed was for Marina’s sister-in-law to have the world’s oldest profession.
    “Please tell me Thomas didn’t meet this ‘friend’ by paying her for ‘services rendered.’” As a general rule, I detest air-quotes, but that sentence didn’t give me a choice.
    Marina’s silence confirmed my fear. “I can’t support you getting into bed with a prostitute, literally or figuratively. It was bad enough your brother did. Thank God that never hit the press.”
    “Madison never hooked and you know it, and Alissa seems to be a wonderful person. It’s not like ‘sex worker’ is on her resume. Do you think the State would let her work with kids if they knew?”
    “The paps can dig up anything. The second your name shows up on the same page as hers, her face will be on the cover of every rag in the checkout line, right next to yours and Tate’s, by the way. Within a week, there will be a rumor that the two of you paid her for a three-way.” My friend sat quietly, processing what I said. “Please tell me you didn’t hire her for a three-way.”
    A decorative pillow smacking me in the head answered my ridiculous question.
    “Who’s to say she’ll even want her name publicly tied to the center? You can discuss the risks with her, and she can make her own decision. As far as Tate and I are concerned, we have the best publicist in the world, and I know she can put a positive spin on anything that comes up. I also know she’d help Alissa if her name happened to be dragged through the mud.”
    Damned ego stroking again. I needed to figure out how to become less awesome, or at least become less aware of it.
    “Fine. I’ll meet with the asshole and his little girlfriend.”
    “Be a good girl. Thomas may be a dick, but Madison says Alissa is a sweetheart.” Looking at me, my friend smirked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”
    “Ha! Good one.”
    “So you’re saying I won’t see any relief when I tell you they aren’t involved in any way, she only works fully dressed these days, and she has what appears to be a serious boyfriend?”
    The tension in my shoulders lessened slightly and Marina’s smirk grew. “Don’t get all cocky,” I said. “It’s a relief because it’ll make defending her in the press easier.”
    “Whatever you say.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    Thomas
    “How does next Wednesday sound?” I asked after putting the call on speakerphone, leaning back in my leather chair, and kicking my feet up on the desk. The rustling of papers that had filled my office from the caller on the other end of the line came to an abrupt halt.
    “Really? I expected to wait at least a month or two before hearing back from you.” She sounded genuinely taken aback, which made me wonder how often she had been someone’s priority. Even if her boyfriend kisses the ground she walks on—he’d be stupid not to—that kind of reaction was the result of years of programming and wouldn’t be erased quickly.
    Even though all of our “relations” had been less than legal, Lisa—Alissa—was special to me. In the years since my rules emerged from the rubble of Natalie’s destruction, Alissa was the only woman I’d broken them with. Although, one could argue the spirit of the rules hadn’t been violated due to the professional nature of