I sit up in bed, my heart racing as I stare down at Noah. He’s still fast asleep, his lashes fluttering as though he’s dreaming, and I smile to myself. I didn’t think that I would ever get to experience this with him. Falling asleep together, waking up together. They are simple things, but I want them with him. We ended up talking about my grandfather and my upcoming presentation most of the night, and it was oddly perfect. The sex was amazing, but somehow lying in his arms and telling him about my greatest fears felt just as intimate.
I’m glad I get to have him with me today as I present my products to one of my idols. I can’t believe he made this happen for me. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to escape my grandfather’s influence, yet here I am with the man he doesn’t want me to be with, about to ask Grayson Callahan to invest in me. Grayson is perhaps one of the very few people my grandfather cannot control.
Noah stirs, his eyes opening slowly. He looks around, disoriented, but then his gaze lands on me and he smiles. “Hey, baby.” He pulls me closer and wraps his arms round me, hugging me tightly. “Excited for your presentation?”
I nod against his chest and snuggle closer. “More nervous than excited,” I admit.
Noah threads his hand through my hair and holds me tightly. “You have nothing to be nervous about. You’re going to do amazing. Gray’s going to love your concept.”
“I hope so,” I whisper. “This is my only chance to escape my grandfather’s influence.”
Noah pulls away to look at me, his gaze questioning. “Why is it that you’re so intent on gaining independence? There’s nothing wrong with it, of course. But it seems like it’s about more than you make it out to be.”
I nod and look away, unsure how to explain. I tried to last night, but every time I attempted to bring it up I just ended up in tears. “It is. The world my grandfather has shown you isn’t the one I grew up. Far from it, actually. You might have heard this already, but my father was a poor man. He was a janitor at Astor College when my mother was a student there. That’s how they met. Needless to say, my grandfather didn’t approve. He gave my mother a choice: her family or the man she fell in love with. My mother chose to be with my father, and my grandfather disowned her.”
I bite down on my lip, my heart aching. “It wasn’t the happily ever after they thought they would have. Being disowned meant my mother never got to finish college, and janitors don’t make that much money. They were struggling, and things just got worse when I came along. We were very poor, Noah. That type of poverty can lead to desperation.”
Noah cups my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin soothingly. “I never would have guessed. You are elegance itself. I always assumed that you grew up rich.”
I shake my head. “If only. If my grandfather hadn’t disowned my mother, if she had felt like she could turn to her father for help… then maybe our lives wouldn’t have been in pieces. I don’t really want to go into it, because even now the memories are painful. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want to stand on my own two feet. If my grandfather ever casts me out the way he did my mother, if I ever don’t fall in line the way he expects me to, then I have to be able to take care of myself. I don’t want to live my life at his mercy the way my mother did, the way she still does now. I want more than that. I want to be able to make my own choices, work where I want to work and love whoever I choose.”
Noah looks into my eyes, as though he can hear the words I’m keeping in. I want to be able to love him without repercussions.
“You’re going to do amazing today, baby. Everything you’ve been working for is going to be worth it. You’re going to amaze Grayson. I just know it.”
I nod and pull away from him, suddenly feeling vulnerable. I hate thinking about the past, about my dad. I hate feeling helpless and trapped. I can’t undo the past, and I can’t forgive him for it either.
Noah leans back in bed and watches me as I select an outfit for today. I’ve been looking forward to today for so long, but talk of the past has drained my excitement.
I don’t snap out of my somber mood until Noah leads me to the kitchen, rooting me back in the present. I am at the home of two of my biggest idols. Even if Grayson chooses not to invest in me, this trip still would have been well worth it. In part because I got to spend time with Noah, and in part because I got to meet both Grayson and Nyx.
“Morning,” Aria says as we walk in, her eyes shifting between Noah and me in curiosity. She isn’t like the mysterious, coldhearted Nyx I expected. Instead, she’s warm and welcoming without being intrusive. She’s obviously curious about Noah and me, but all she’s really asked about is my feelings.
“Morning,” I tell her, unable to keep my cheeks from heating. It’s so surreal to me, being here with Grayson and Nyx. Grayson looks at her as though she’s all he can see, and the love between them brings a smile to my face. It’s been a while since I was so surrounded by love. I forgot how infectious happiness is.
“Gray tells me you’ll be giving us a presentation today?” Aria asks as she lifts her mug to her lips. “Why don’t we get that out of the way now so you can relax and actually enjoy your time here?”
“Oh, um… yes, of course.” I turn to rush back to the bedroom and grab the set of toys I prepared. Aria is right. It’s going to be all I can think about otherwise, but I just didn’t expect to be showcasing sex toys over breakfast.
I’m nervous as I walk back out, realization dawning. This one rather informal presentation could make or break my career. All eyes are on me as I place my product case on the dining table. I panic for a moment, and then my eyes meet Noah’s, and I know I’m going to be okay.
