Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 144628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 579(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 723(@200wpm)___ 579(@250wpm)___ 482(@300wpm)
“You don’t have to. You can relax and let me take care of you.” His whispered words caressed her skin and warmed her.
She wanted to have the strength to tell him no, but she wanted this warmth he was offering so badly. It had been a truly horrible day, and she didn’t have the will to refuse him twice.
“I thought I had some time,” she admitted. “When I lost the first court case and they told me the appeal would take a while, I thought at least the press would let up on me. I changed my appearance and lived quietly, and yet here I am.”
His cheek rubbed against hers. “People like scandal. Perceived scandal. I live a lot of my life in what most would call an alternative lifestyle. I can’t know exactly what you’ve gone through, but I do know that what some people don’t understand, they attack.”
“Well, they really didn’t understand my marriage.”
“It was outside the norm.”
To say the least, but in a lot of ways she disagreed. “I loved him. Isn’t that the norm for marriage? He was one of the best men I’ve ever met in my life. I probably shouldn’t have married him though. I should have stayed with him and not rocked the boat, but he was so sure of what he wanted.”
She felt Michael stiffen behind her and worried she shouldn’t have said anything.
“What he wanted was you. Of course,” Michael said.
Well, naturally he thought it was all about an old man wanting sex. It had been about more. She moved out of his arms. Maybe they needed to have this conversation. It could change his mind about things, and she’d promised to be open and honest with him. “He wanted comfort and companionship, but mostly he wanted someone who was willing to mourn Lara with him.”
Even in the low light, she could see his stare. “Lara?”
“His daughter. She was my director on a couple of the last films I did. She was brilliant and talented and had the biggest heart. By that point, George had stepped back and let Junior take over the business. He’d actually separated his personal wealth from the company, but Junior was angry that he was financing her films. He thought it was a waste of money.”
“But it wasn’t his money.”
“In George Jr.’s mind, it’s all his.” It was precisely why she was in the situation she was in. He wanted every dime his father had. He’d even fought the charities his father had wanted to give to. “He didn’t like his sister getting anything. He thought she should have worked for the corporation and been content with that. I even think he would have been okay if she’d been nothing more than a debutant with a credit card. He would have paid for her designer wear until she found a wealthy husband, but he hated that the money was going to a bunch of art house films.”
“What happened to her?” Michael asked. “I don’t remember reading anything about a daughter.”
Her heart ached when she thought about Lara. “She had problems with drugs. She’d struggled with them off and on her whole life, and it caught up with her one day. We were working on her last film and I was staying with her in this little house outside of Paris. I had gone to bed early, but she’d stayed up with some of the crew. I woke up and I found her on the floor. She’d overdosed, and there was nothing to do. She was gone. I had to tell her dad. I’d gotten close to him. I liked him. He was funny and nice, and he actually listened to me. He said he’d learned that the most important thing to do in life was listen to other people.”
She was getting teary again thinking about him.
“I’m sure that was devastating for both of you.” He moved over to the big leather sofa and sat down. “But liking the man is a long way from marriage.”
“Is it?” She sat on the opposite end of the couch. “I was adrift at the time, and he was safe harbor. It didn’t matter that he was older. Way older. In some ways, it helped. I trusted him in a way I didn’t trust anyone. I’d had some deeply disappointing relationships by then. George was the first man who made me feel good about myself. I don’t regret spending the time I did with him. I don’t regret it at all, and the last six months were some of the most beautiful of my life.”
She’d felt necessary. He’d been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and he’d chosen not to fight it. He’d wanted to see his favorite places one last time, and she’d gone with him. She’d listened to his stories and soaked in a life well lived.