The Billionaire’s Forbidden Desire(21)
She parted her mouth, then shut it. What was there to say?
“Have I embarrassed you, dear? If so, I apologize.” He spread his hands. “But why else would a distant relative—are we even considered relatives?—show up on my doorstep a few months after her father’s death?”
If only the ground would open up and swallow her whole… “Didn’t my mom call?”
“She might have. But I haven’t been answering any calls for the last several days.”
She cringed. Most likely he was just trying to be kind, and her mother as usual had forgotten. Sophia had never been a priority for Betsy. “I’m sorry, but… I need some help getting back on my feet.”
“Help, huh?” Salazar rested his chin on one hand. “Are you here to proposition me?”
The question sucker punched her, leaving her gaping at him. Finally she said, “Excuse me?”
“What? It’s a perfectly reasonable question. A lot of women have tried…” he gave her a gleaming, good-humored smile, “…most of them not as pretty as you.”
She clenched her hands as humiliation coursed through her. She should’ve known better than to listen to her mother’s advice. Hoping Salazar wouldn’t try to force himself on her with his butler in the house, she got up stiffly. “Sorry for wasting both of our time. I’m not at all interested.”
He waved her back into the chair. “Sit down, for christssake. I’m not going to grab you. Jeez. I do have some standards, and I never had anything against your father. He’s not the one who hurt my sister.” He gestured at the chair again. “Please.” He waited until she perched gingerly back on the edge of her seat. “Of course I’ll help. After all, you’re family. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.”
She studied him, looking for any clues of sarcasm or insincerity. The talk of “family” rang hollow when he hadn’t bothered to come to her father’s funeral. On the other hand, he had offered to help. “Thank you.”
“Least I can do. You have a place to stay in the city?”
“No, but—”
“I’ll have Al prepare one of the guest wings for your use.” When she opened her mouth, he raised a hand. “No, you won’t say anything except ‘thank you.’ This house has over twenty bedrooms, and I’m the only one living here. I’m sure we can spare one of them for you. Maybe even two.”
She didn’t want to stay in this house, no matter how many bedrooms it had, after the mention of propositioning. Salazar might still try something. Without Chad, she was in a vulnerable position…just like she’d been with George.
“I have a dog.” She tilted her chin up, watching for Salazar’s response. Chad had always said that being mean to animals was the surest sign a person was a jerk. If Salazar reacted badly to Roco, she’d leave and take her chances at a homeless shelter for the night and figure something out later.
“Is it with you?”
“He. And yes, he’s downstairs. Your butler said he couldn’t come up here with me.” Now that she thought about it, that might have been some kind of sign already.
He shrugged. “As long as he doesn’t bark all night.”
She cleared her throat. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Salazar nodded. “You’re too skinny. How bad is your situation, really? You look like you haven’t seen food in weeks.”
“I’m not…” She pulled her lips in, embarrassed. She hadn’t eaten since she’d fled Seattle, saving her money for Roco. “I haven’t had much appetite lately.”
“Well, that’s understandable. Why don’t we get you fed? One of my sons—Mark? Ring any bells?—owns a couple of restaurants in town. I’m sure he can give us a table, and we can do a quick, early supper.”
“Sure. I’d like that,” she said, her shoulders sagging a bit. She’d noticed Salazar hadn’t said anything about not having a grudge against Betsy, but right at the moment she wasn’t going to bring it up.
One step at a time.
“Afterward, I need to stop by a charity auction. You should come along. It’s Elizabeth’s gig. You know her, right? Elizabeth Pryce-Reed?”
Sophia nodded gamely, although she had a slightly sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Elizabeth was Salazar’s sister’s only daughter. This could get awkward.
“Don’t look so torn. It’s going to be a grand affair. I’m getting old, so I gotta do my good deeds while I can. You know, to be able to sneak my way past the Pearly Gates when it’s my time.” Salazar laughed. “She’s going to hit me up to feed some children somewhere. No matter how much she raises every year, there’re always more hungry people somewhere in the world.” Salazar slapped both palms on his desk and stood up. “Okay! Why don’t you freshen up and change into something a little dressier? If you don’t have anything, Al can find you something acceptable. God knows the boys’ girlfriends have left enough clothes here over the years. And we can discuss how we can help you get back on your feet.”