Kipp Llewellyn, the proverbial poor little rich boy, can have whatever he wants, except the one thing he wants most: his father’s love. When the opportunity arises to obtain it, Kipp jumps at the chance, even though it means breaking a date with “Ham,” the man he’s sure he’s falling in love with. However, the opportunity turns out to be an arranged marriage with his father’s biggest competitor. Even worse, Kipp discovers his proposed groom is Hyde Wyndham, the man of his dreams. Having lived in a gilded cage his entire twenty-one years, Kipp refuses to settle for anything less than love and walks away from both his father and his future husband. Hyde didn’t achieve his position in the financial world by taking no for an answer, however, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make Kipp realize he’s wanted for himself, including wooing the young man he intends to marry, prenuptial agreements be damned. He’s certain he’s succeeded, until Kipp learns something that puts an insurmountable barrier between them. Will Hyde be able to overcome Kipp’s doubts, and will Kipp realize that some things are worth the sacrifice?

Two Lips, Indifferent Red

“I have a suite of rooms at the Saratoga Trunk.”


Recalling how Hyde had told me the manager of the Alden Arms had betrayed him and his lover, I didn’t ask why not that hotel. As a matter of fact, if it had been me, I’d simply have remarked that if my money hadn’t been good enough for that place once, I’d be damned if I let them have a penny of it now.


“Good choice,” I said, taking another spoon of my Frosted Flakes. They were getting soggy, but there was enough sweetness to the cereal that I didn’t really care. “The Alden Arms has been going downhill for the last four years.”


“Oh, yes. The junior prom was a disaster. The bathrooms backed up, security overlooked the bottles of alcohol that were sneaked in, one girl wound up having to get married and two others transferred to another high school out of state. The principal of Martin High forbid all future classes from having their proms there.”


Chapter 42