Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

She doesn’t listen to me. Her wet dress clings to her as she marches away like a woman on a mission. A mission I don’t understand.

She’d get fucking sick if we continue this ill-timed walk. I grab her arm and tug her back. Daisy loses her balance but I’m here to catch her.

My hands stay on her waist, and I take a moment to calm the loud thumping in my heart. “Why are you so upset?”

When she looks up at me, there’s fire in her eyes.

“Daisy, what am I missing here?” I ask her in my softest voice.

She’s not one to flip without reason—that’s me.

“Because I was one of those kids not many years ago.”

What? My mouth dries in the middle of the rain.

“I don’t understand.”

“My dad and mom adopted me, Charles. I’m not their biological kid. I was just a homeless girl who made her way to their place on a rainy night like this.” Her hands grip the lapels of my jacket, and the fire fades from her eyes.

“Fuck, butterfly. I…I didn’t know.”

“It doesn’t freaking matter.” Her words come out in a staccato rhythm due to her teeth chattering in the cold. “Just so you know, as much as those kids need someone to remind them about their tough life ahead, what they really crave is love.” She pushes her wet hair away from her face and her slowly turning-blue lips.

“Daisy, I—”

“No. You don’t get to say anything, Charles, because you don’t know, but I do. I know I’m not going to change their life by ‘smiling and humoring them for thirty minutes.’” She makes air quotes, repeating my words, filling me with more regret. “But what I also know is that in these thirty minutes, I’ve given them a reminder that not everyone in this world is waiting for them to fail. There are good people out there, like my mom and dad. People who believe in them. People who think these kids deserve fun as much as any other kid. And when random assholes try to knock these angels down, they can look back to these thirty minutes, and maybe it’ll give them strength and hope.”

Every word from her mouth, every tear from her eye mixing with the rain, hits straight into my heart.

“I’m sorry for making a scene, but when I said I couldn’t sit in the car with your words hanging in the air and reminding me of every crappy comment I’ve ever heard in my life, I really couldn’t.”

Daisy doesn’t wait for my response or an apology, marching back to the car, while I stay stunned at my spot.

How did I not know this about her?

30

HEART OR A JERK-OFF

DAISY

I swipe my key card and stride into Charles’ house, making a beeline for the left wing and the guest bedroom. I don’t stop until I’ve reached the bathroom.

Struggling with the soaked dress, I wrestle with the zipper until it finally gives way, and I peel it off. I’m shivering and my teeth chatter nonstop as I get inside the shower. Even when I hate admitting it, Charles was right about one thing tonight—there’s a high chance I’ll be sick tomorrow. Adjusting the water to a slightly too-hot temperature, I let it cascade over me, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

Why does my heart ache as though someone has ripped out a part of it?

Since we got married, every time the topic of babies and families came up, Charles made it perfectly clear—both in words and actions—that he wants no part of it.

So why does it hurt so much?

Perhaps because you foolishly hoped these past weeks might change his mind.

My inner voice chooses the worst moment to chime in.

“No, I didn’t.”

My job was never to change Charles, only to ensure he gets the CEO position he deserves. And as always, I’ve done my job.