Page 120 of Fake Dating Mr. Prince

I reveled in the touch of her hands against my own. Committing the softness and the feel of her fingers curled around mine to memory. I forced myself to continue and get through everything I needed to tell her. “As strong as my feelings are, as desperately as I desire to be with only you, I can’t ask you to tether yourself to me. You deserve to be with someone who can give you everything you need and treat you like the queen you are. A king. Not a fuckupPrince.”

I squeezed her hands tight, then let them go and stepped back. If I didn’t stop touching her, I might never stop.

“I love you, but I don’t deserve you. But you,” I waved my arm around her amazing shop, “you deserve all of this and more. This business deal isn’t about me. I don’t want you to think it’s conditional on loving me back. It’s not. I know you need to find your way on your own. To stand up on your own two feet just as you’ve done over this past month. If we were together, I’m afraid you’d question that. I don’t want to trap you like Elaine has done your whole life.”

“Dean,” she said with a shaky voice.

“I was wrong to try and get you back through your business. You’re worth so much more than that. You need to letusgo, Ash. That way, you can find that person who deserves your love.” I gestured toward the envelope. “I hope you decide to do business with the Paris branch of Prince Industries. We would be damn lucky for you to say yes.”

I had to get out of there.

I took two steps back before I quickly pivoted and rushed at the door. I cursed the damn thing as I tried to push my way out. Then grabbed the handle and pulled hard. Without looking back, I ran to my car, opened the door, and jumped in. As I sped off, I didn’t look back.

I was afraid if I did, I might turn the car around.

***

ISAT AT THE BAR, THESalty Rose, just off the hotel lobby. It was the perfect place to drown my sorrows in alcohol with Jaxon. He at least liked silence which was good because I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to get shit-faced and then head upstairs to sleep it off until tomorrow.

It had been two days since I saw Ashlyn, and she hadn’t tried to contact me about the deal. I fucking blew it big time. I kept telling myself that was what I wanted. She should be talking to Damien anyway.

Lie.

Ashlyn had been controlled by Elaine her entire life. There was no way I could do the same to her. If I had expected to rekindle our relationship with the merger of our businesses, it would have been reminiscent of all the self-serving shit Elaine had done. My only hope was that maybe someday I could become the man she deserved. If it wasn’t too late by then.

“It’ll be okay. You did the right thing.” Jaxon tried to reassure me.

“Sure. That’s why I feel like shit.” He gave my back an awkward pat. Consoling someone wasn’t Jax’s strength, but he gave it his best shot.

I gulped another sip of my whiskey, earning me a glare from the bartender. It was the most expensive they had, and I knew he was irritated I wasn’t taking my time with it.

Fuck that. I wanted to get drunk and forget about the last two days.

A stack of papers slammed down next to me. “What the fuck?” I jumped at the suddenness of the action and sound.

“Hey, Dean. The guy at the front said I could find you here.” Stella stood next to me with a smug smile. “Grand gesture, my fanny. What’s wrong with you? Anyway, here’s the contract.”

I snatched it from her, quickly flipping the pages until I got to the end. I was starved for even the tiniest piece of Ashlyn. Seeing her signature would at least temporarily make me feel close to her.

“What the hell is this, Stella?”

“What do you mean?” she asked sweetly.

I waved the pages around like a lunatic. “She didn’t sign it. What the hell?”

“Oh darn, did I forget the last page?” she asked.

“What last page? Thisisthe last page,” I growled.

“Oh no, Ash added an addendum.” She laid the paper down in front of me.

I gaped at the page, not fully comprehending what I was seeing. “She wrote me a note?”

“Just read it, dummy,” Stella said, clearly annoyed.

Jaxon snorted.

I scanned the short paragraph once and then a second time. “She wants me to get my shit together before she signs anything. I don’t get it.”