51

I sucked in a mouthful of air. “Do you think that would happen if he found out about us? That he would … fire you?”

He chuckled. “You’re kidding, right?” He was looking at me like I was an alien. “Jo, do you not understand how this works? You don’t fuck your client’s daughter, especially when she’s only twenty-two years old and still in college. I make decisions regarding your father’s business, his investments, his wealth. I have access to his confidential records, things only he and I know. If he found out what I did—what we did—the trust would be gone.”

“I’ll make this right—”

“You can’t. It’s not even an option. You’re just going to report to his LA office as planned and never tell him what happened between us, and we’re just going to move on as though nothing ever did.”

My hand returned to the bed. “That’s it?” My stomach flipped, threatening to empty. “That’s the end of us? You’re just going to cut things off like I never mattered?”

“That’s not fair.”

“Neither is this.” Tears we