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’m sorry to hear that, too. I was going to pick you up for breakfast.”


“No! I mean, thank you, but I wouldn’t be good company. And I don’t have a hangover.”


“I…I hurt my hand when I fell out of bed.” If I told him about my indigestion, he was going to think I was always getting sick, and he wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me.


“Wait, you fell out of bed? That must have been a really bad dream. Did you pull the stitches?”


I looked at the bandage on my palm, which was staining red. “No.”


“All right. I’d like to pick you up for lunch, but—”


“I…Look, Hyde, I’m not at my best right now. I’m…I’m going to go back to bed.” I waited, hoping to hear him say, “Well, then, I’ll come and join you,” but he didn’t.


What he did say was, “In that case I’ll see you this evening.”


Not before then? Well, fine. I’d just show him I didn’t need him. For anything. “All right,” I said coolly. And then I said, “Um…I’ll see you at the Manor, then?”


Chapter 73