The Bachelor Towers Box Set by Cardello Ruth

Author:Cardello, Ruth [Cardello, Ruth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781951888077
Amazon: B08FBDPLGH
Goodreads: 54831523
Publisher: Ruth Cardello
Published: 2020-08-04T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Later that night I claim exhaustion and head back to my apartment alone. I stop at Penny and Dalton’s door and glance at my phone. Ten o’clock. They’re either asleep or frolicking naked. Either way, I shouldn’t bother them.

I knock on the door anyway.

Dalton answers the door a moment later in a pair of lounge pants. He runs his hand through his hair. “Hey, Kylie. Everything okay?”

This is about as far outside my comfort zone as I get. “Is Penny awake?”

“Sure. Sure. Come in.” He opens the door wider.

I walk in. Penny rushes over in a robe. “Sorry. We were . . . I was . . .”

I close my eyes briefly. I’d love to blame my behavior on the shots from earlier but they were hours ago. I meet Penny’s worried gaze. “I’m sorry. This can wait until tomorrow.”

Or never. Maybe never is best.

“No. No.” Penny takes me by the arm and leads me to the couch. “If you need to talk, let’s talk. Are you okay with Dalton hearing?”

I throw my hands up, frustrated with myself, not Penny. “Sure. Why not.”

Dalton takes a seat on the arm of the couch, next to Penny.

I sit forward, cover my face with my hands, and say, “I think I have serious feelings for Ben.”

“That’s great,” Penny exclaims.

I turn and shake my head. “No, it isn’t. This is exactly what I didn’t want. None of this was in my plans.”

Penny smiles sympathetically. “Love doesn’t follow anyone’s plans. It just kind of happens.”

“You can say that again,” Dalton chimes in.

Penny glances at him over her shoulder. “But we’re better off because of it.”

He kisses her on the forehead. “Absolutely.”

She turns back to me. “Ben is a great guy who seems to genuinely care about you. You should be happy.”

“I’m not happy. I can’t concentrate at work. I’m not getting enough sleep. I’m—”

“Scared. That’s normal.” Penny scoots closer to me and puts a hand on my knee. “It means you’re human.”

“Dalton, I’m going to say something, but I don’t want to offend you. I love you, and I love you with my sister.”

He shrugs. “Understood. I’m a big boy, Kylie. Just say it.”

I turn back to Penny. “Men are kryptonite for successful women. You saw what happened to Mom. What if I’m heading down the same road? Sure, it feels good to have someone in my life—but is it worth what could potentially follow? My business is doing well. I’m happy—well, relatively happy—with how my life is turning out. Is any man worth risking that?”

Penny purses her lips.

Dalton slides onto the couch beside Penny and leans forward. “I’ve got this one, Penny.”

She glances at him. “You sure?”

He nods, puts an arm around her, and meets my gaze. “I felt exactly the same way when I first met Penny. She scared the shit out of me because I focused on what being with her would take from me.”

Penny rolls her eyes skyward, but she’s indulgently amused. “All those nameless women.”

He frowns. “Yes. No. Not just that freedom.

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