Page 63 of The Heartbreaker

Brady chuckled. “She was one of the strippers, wasn’t she?”

“And she also happens to be Daisy’s first-grade teacher,” I told them.

Jenner balled his fist and put it up to his mouth. “Fuck.” He paused. “I’m assuming you discovered that after the bachelor party?”

I nodded.

“Are things good?” Brady asked. “Or is that connection making things a bit messy?”

My head dropped, my stare once again falling on the back of my phone case. “A little of both, I guess. The connection doesn’t bother me, but it does her. She’s having a hard time separating the two gigs and where I fit in, and then there’s the whole Daisy layer, and that complicates things even more.”

Jenner pointed at his chest. “We’ve all been there, my man. In some way or another, my brothers and I have rocked every forbidden boat, and in each situation, it’s worked out. Things will work out for you too.”

Was that true?

I picked up my phone, unable to wait a second longer, and read the message Addison had just texted.

Addison

Don’t kill me for saying this, but how about when I finish out my job at the club? The guilt of spending time with you and spending time there—with them—is literally eating me alive, Ridge. I can’t do both. I hope you can understand that.

I put the phone down, squeezing the case in my palm, and said, “I don’t know about that. Things seem to be getting more difficult by the second.”

“Why is she stripping?” Brady asked.

I shook my head. “She hasn’t said. I just know that when she saves the amount she needs, it’ll come to an end, and that’ll make things much easier on us.”

“You’re telling me you’re going to wait that long?” Jenner asked.

“Fuck no,” I replied. “But I can’t force her to see me.”

“You can’t?” Brady tapped his hand on my desk before he stood. “Given that she’s Daisy’s teacher, I’d think you could put yourself in front of her anytime you fucking want.”

Jenner got on his feet, and they walked to the door.

“How much are we talking?” Jenner asked, his hand on the doorknob. “Five grand? Twenty? A hundred?”

“I don’t have that answer either,” I told them.

“Dude, you need to start asking some goddamn questions,” Brady voiced.

Jenner shifted his weight. “You know, the easiest way to fix this problem is with money. You have it. So, fix it.”

Jenner’s idea was something I’d thought of many times and something I wasn’t opposed to. In fact, I’d tried to come up with ways to give the money to her without Addison knowing it wasfrom me. But her pride was the only thing holding me back. She wanted to do this on her own.

Could I be patient enough to let her?

Fuck, I didn’t know.

Instead of explaining that to them, I chuckled and said, “Fellas, I hear you, but I’ve got to take things slow. I know what I’m doing. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Brady looked at Jenner and then smiled at me. “We know.”

They left my office, and I picked up my phone and reread Addison’s last message.

Me

Is the club off-limits too? I was thinking about going there this weekend …