Shaking my head at Bethany, I turned back to my mother. "Don't worry about her." I handed my mom a fresh tissue and kept her focused on me. "The doctors will tell us as soon as anything changes.""You're ignoring me?" Bethany asked, putting her hands on her hips. I could see her from the periphery of my vision but I wasn't going to play her game. My dad could be dying and my mom was an emotional mess. I didn't need Bethany trying to stir up trouble, too. As if money could mean anything at a time like this. She was prancing around, talking about how she stole our fortune. We were worried about my father's life and she wanted to talk about money?I shook my head again and kept comforting my mother. "How long have they been working on him?" I asked. "I don't know. Too long, it seems like," my mother whispered. "Do you guys even care? The Richardson fortune now belongs to me!" Bethany taunted, pointing to herself and puffing up her chest. "Bethany, now is not the t

I asked Bennett to meet me at a cafe in town. Ellis was reluctant to leave me alone with him but I assured Ellis I would be fine. I even told him he could pick up Ken. He was excited about that chance and almost left me eagerly. Chuckling to myself, I went into the cafe and ordered a coffee. I sat at a corner table with a good window view and waited for Bennett. Bennett arrived right on time, as usual. He came up to the table first. I stood and he kissed my cheek. "It is good to see you, Olivia. Thank you for asking to meet," he said. "I know I've been a little distant, and that hasn't been fair to you. Did you want to get a drink?" I motioned to the barista. "I'm fine," Bennett said, waving at the barista dismissively. We sat across from each other. "For you." He held out a dozen roses. My cheeks warmed and I took the bouquet, smelling the sweet, delicious roses. "These are beautiful," I murmured. A pit formed in my stomach. He was acting like any good boyfriend o

"What are you doing, Mommy?" Ken asked when I pulled his suitcase out of his closet. "Pick out some of your favorite toys. We are going away for a few days," I told him. I put the suitcase on the bed and started folding his clean clothes into it. "I don't want to leave. I don't want to lose my new toys," Ken whined, rubbing his eyes with his fist. "You're not going to lose your toys, I promise," I assured. Regardless of whether Ellis chose to be with Nancy or not, Ken wouldn't lose his toys. I'd make sure of that. I didn't need to tell him that he might not get to come back here to play with his toys. Ken mumbled to himself as he started picking out some of his absolute favorites. I got them into his suitcase and then hurried to Ellis' room. He wasn't inside, which I was grateful for at the moment. He was probably catching up with Nancy. Shaking my head, I grabbed my unpacked suitcase. In all the craziness, I hadn't even had a chance to 'move in' to his bedroom.

Ellis ran his tongue from the base of my neck to my earlobe. He sucked the lobe into his mouth and nibbled. I gasped and tilted my head back, arching off the mattress. He ran his hands under my shirt, pushing it up my torso. Ellis knelt back and pulled my shirt off completely. I averted my eyes from Ellis' hungry gaze, feeling too vulnerable and exposed. He chuckled and leaned over me again, kissing my shoulder. He slipped his hands around my back and with two fingers, unhooked my bra. His teeth grabbed my bra strap and started pulling it down my arm; slowly, tantalizingly. A shiver ran through me and I clenched my thighs. I started to unbutton his shirt. Pop. pop. pop. As each button released, I brushed my fingers down his chest. Ellis grunted and pulled my bra off completely. He sat back on his knees and licked his lips. His hair was mussed and his shirt open, the edges flapping from side to side. He looked so mouthwatering as he gazed down at me. His

**Olivia POVAfter hearing Ellis' conversation with Nancy, I felt so much lighter and happier. It finally felt like Ellis and I were connecting and on the same page. It didn't even bother me anymore that she was staying in the mansion until her sister came to get her. I was in the kitchen fixing breakfast for Ken when Nancy joined me. She came up next to me and peered at what I was doing. "Lucky Charms?" she asked. "Ken's favorite," I said, smiling warmly. "Are you sure he should be having so much sugar in the mornings?" she asked. I pursed my lips. "Was there something you wanted?""I was hoping we could talk, woman to woman," she said. She hopped up on the counter and sat on the edge, almost like a child. "Sure," I shrugged. "Here's the problem. Ellis is in love with me. I'm in love with him. The only problem is you," Nancy said. I arched an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean that I'm the problem?""Ellis is a man of honor. He sees Ken as his son an