Page 13 of Heart Breaker

“My house is big and private,” he goes on, like he’s laying out a plan he’s already walked through a dozen times. “It’s right off the water, and there’s more than enough space for both of us without it ever feeling like we’re on top of each other.”

My head is spinning. “Wes⁠—"

“There’s a full gym, a pool, a big yard and no neighbours. A housekeeper. It’s quiet and you’d have it all. You’d have your own space. I’d want you to be comfortable, to make yourself at home.”

My head spins. I stare at Wes as he rambles on, trying to process what’s happening.

“I’m not around half the time anyway,” he says, like he’s afraid I might shut this down if he gives me a chance to speak. “Most weeks I’m flying, so you’d have the place to yourself more often than not. Anything you need. I don’t want this to be about you having to make sacrifices. It’s about making things easier. For you. For your family.”

“And in return, we just need to make it look real,” he says finally, leaning back in his seat and watching me like he’s trying to gauge my reaction.

For a second, I’m speechless. This isn’t hypothetical anymore. It’s not just some ridiculous headline or a misunderstanding I can walk away from. It’s a house I’ve never stepped foot in but can already picture. A life that feels so far removed from mine it shouldn’t even be an option. And my dad’s medical bills—gone, just like that.

My mind is trying to catch up. Things like this don’t happen to people like me. Not in a small coffee shop in the middle of the day. Not ever.

It feels unreal. And yet, I can also feel the relief of taking everything off my family’s shoulders in one breath.

“You’ve really thought this through,” I say quietly.

“I have,” he says, gray eyes steady on mine. “So, what do you say?”

FIVE

Wes

We finish our coffees in a silence that isn’t exactly uncomfortable, but isn’t easy either.

Brew House is busy. Lottie and I are surrounded by the murmur of conversations, the steady hum of the espresso machine, the sound of chairs scraping against the floor, but it all feels distant, like it’s happening miles away. Like we’re the only people here.

Lottie hasn’t said much since I laid it all out. She’s quiet, staring into her cup like she might find the answer sitting in the bottom of it if she just gives it enough time. I’d give just about anything to know what’s going on in her head right now. Is she actually considering it, or is she about to stand up and walk out?

My gaze drifts over her slowly, taking in details I’ve noticed before, but never this closely. Her eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, are lowered, but I know better than to mistake that for anything fragile. There’s nothing fragile about Lottie. She has always been a little wild.

Her lips press together slightly, like she’s holding something back. I should drag my attention away from them before she looks up and notices. My eyes catch on the line of her neck instead, the way it curves as she tilts her head just slightly, like she’s still turning it all over in her mind. There’s something about the way she effortlessly carries herself that makes it hard not to stare. Harder still not to imagine what it would feel like if I ran my tongue along that curve.

I shift in my chair due to my hardening cock, but it doesn’t help much. The truth is, I wasn’t prepared for how I’d feel sitting across from her just the two of us. When she walked into the coffee shop, I thought I had this handled, that I could keep it about the arrangement and nothing else. Sitting across from her now, I’m not sure how to do that.

She’s stunning, wearing fitted jeans with a soft blue cropped sweater that shows a sliver of her stomach and the swell of her tits—two perfect handfuls that I imagine my cock pressed between, fucking them slowly. It’s an image I shouldn’t be thinking about, but it’s one I like a lot.

Her hair falls around her shoulders in loose waves, just long enough for me to wonder what it would feel like between my fingers. My hands flex under the table, dying to know if she’d let me gather it all into my fist and pull on it while I make her come.

I could have fun with her. Easily. I could, but I won’t.

Hookups have never really been my thing. Neither have relationships. There have been plenty of opportunities, but I’ve just never been very interested. I know the reputation I have around Deep Cove—the pilot with a different woman every weekend in my bed. I’ve heard the whispers. The truth is that people are going to believe whatever fits the story they’ve already written about you. I stopped trying to correct them a long time ago.

After everything I’ve been through, trust isn’t something that comes easily to me. It hasn’t in a long time. I have learned the hard way how quickly people can disappear when things get complicated–or worse, how they can turn on you when you need them most. So, I stopped expecting anything from anyone. I stopped needing anything. There have been a few women over the years, nights that came with no expectations. But every time I hooked up with a woman, it felt the same. Temporary. Surface level. Like I was just passing time with someone I was never going to get close to.

Eventually, I stopped feeling anything at all. When that happened, it all just seemed pointless and after a while, I stopped thinking about relationships altogether.

I like my life the way it is. My place is quiet, and I’ve grown to appreciate the silence—no chaos, no interruptions, no one asking anything of me I don’t want to give. I’ve got my brothers, my friends, and my dog Scout, who loves me unconditionally. That usually feels like enough, and when it doesn’t—I fly.

That’s where I really feel at home. My thoughts don’t follow me up there. There’s no past, no expectations. It’s just me, the controls, and open sky in every direction. I can breathe in a way I can’t on the ground.

I force my attention back to here and now. We need to figure out the details of Lottie moving in, the logistics, how we can make this look real. But first, she has to say yes.

“Tell me what you’re thinking, Lottie,” I say. “If you have questions, ask them. I’ll answer.”

“I do.”