37

Alex puts down her wineglass. “You turned down a night in a billionaire’s penthouse for me? I’m flattered, but you shouldn’t have.” “Yes, I should,” I say, taking a sip of my wine. “He’s very . . . overwhelming, you know? I mean, doing something like this in the first place is not like me. I can’t let myself get completely sucked in by him, because he’ll just chew me up and spit me out. I also really can’t afford to screw up this job.”

Freya’s brow crinkles. “Then why are you doing it?”

I run my finger around the rim of my glass and let out a sigh. “I’m not sure. I’ve never felt anything like this, you know? I’ve never been . . . swept away by anything or anyone. I’ve always done the smart thing.”

I’ve spent my life achieving one goal after another, but there’s a price for that level of commitment. One I wasn’t sure I’d thought twice about paying until the first night Lirael touched me. He showed me another side to life I’d been missing in my single-minded drive to secure financial fu