Restrained: Cavendish Billionaires Book One (Cavendish Billionaires Club 1) by Lenore Ashwood

Author:Lenore Ashwood [Ashwood, Lenore]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lenore Ashwood
Published: 2021-09-26T16:00:00+00:00

17

Claire parked the cart but had to peel her hands from the steering wheel.

She’d been lying in bed, torn between acting like it was just another day and knocking on his door just to look at Eli’s body again. His text had made the decision.

It was business as usual.

And it should be. They’d talked about no strings and no broody looks or mixing work and pleasure.

No, she’d had a taste, and that would have to be enough.

She climbed out of the cart and got into the waiting elevator, punching the only button for the main floor of the testing facility.

Just as she stepped off, her personal phone buzzed. She took it out of her small shoulder bag, seeing a text from Maddy.

“Shit,” she murmured, checking the time. She had ten minutes before her test, and she walked out the front door to deal with what she’d been putting off for a while.

She opened her Messages app, scrolling past the thread with her brother, who’d checked up on her business opportunity and whether she’d taken it, as well as the one from Brittany. She’d been bombarding her with wedding theme pics and ideas from the millions of bachelorette and bridal parties she was planning.

There, like a ticking time bomb, was Maddy’s thread.

Maddy: What the fuck is going on, Claire? It’s not like you to ignore me for this long.

Claire bit her lip, trying to think of a reply that wouldn’t give anything away. Then she decided to go with the truth. The one thing she still hadn’t told anyone in her family.

Claire: Sorry, my life has been upside down. I lost my job and moved and started a new job all in the past few weeks.

She pressed Send.

Just as the next thought entered her head, about whether Maddy would be apologetic or consoling, Maddy replied.

Maddy: I know something else is going on, Claire. I trusted you with everything in college, all my secrets. Why won’t you tell me—

Claire didn’t need to read the rest; she knew where Maddy was going. She always lashed out first, then calmed down and became the friend Claire knew her to be.

She navigated to Maddy’s phone number and tapped it.

“Christ, Claire, what the fuck?” Maddy complained from the other end of the line.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner, but I’ve been swamped,” she explained, her hand shaking.

Maddy had been her best friend in college. They confessed everything to each other, from shitty parents and crushing on guys who used you and never called again, to hot professors and dieting versus binge eating.

It wasn’t right that she’d cut Maddy off like she had, but when she signed the NDA, she knew legally she didn’t have a choice.

“You’ve been swamped? I’ve been swamped, too,” Maddy continued, although the shrill tone had left her voice. “I’ve got things going on in my life, and I really needed to talk to you about them.”

“Sorry. I’m at work, and I really can’t talk,” Claire said, softening her voice. “Maybe we can

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