Lucian stood, a tower of authority to her left. “Good afternoon.”
“Lucian Patras, this is Jason Dodd. He’s helping me get my GED”
The expression on Lucian’s face was one of utter surprise. Whatever he’d expected her to say, it
wasn’t that. Jason stood and extended his hand.
“Wow, I’ve heard of you. How do you do?”
It was uncharacteristic, how taken off guard Lucian was. His shock registered in every motion, from
the slow progress of his handshake to the way he glanced back at her and blinked. Strangely, there was
a hint of regret in the now-soft set of his eyes. Perhaps the reminder of how uneducated she truly was
had become too much for him to bear.
“Now you know,” she muttered.
Her eyes went to the primary worksheets and handwriting lessons scattered about. Lucian slowly
approached the table and picked up a sheet. It was a simple vocabulary page that had taken her several
minutes to work through.
Lucian cleared his throat. “Jason, would you mind giving us a minute?”
Her tutor glanced at her then back to Lucian. “Uh, yeah, you know, I think I left a book in my car.”
He found his way down the stairs, and the door quietly shut behind him.
Lucian’s thumb and forefinger rubbed over the thick paper with a childlike illustration on the top
beneath the directions. “You’re getting your diploma?”
Her lips pursed. “Eventually. I heard it takes fifteen hours a week. I’m a little behind, but I know
basic math and once I get a handle on reading, I think I can do it.”
“I have no doubt,” he agreed in a voice laden with emotion. Was it shame? Pride? She couldn’t
guess what was going through his head.
“You probably get why I didn’t want anyone to know.”
His gaze snapped to hers and his eyes narrowed. “Let’s get one thing straight, Evelyn. The only
thing I feel in regards to your initiative to educate yourself is esteem. There’s no question in my mind you’ll achieve your goal.”
She hadn’t realized how afraid of his reaction she was until the tension rushed from her shoulders as
a near sob of relief shook her frame. “Thank you.”
His fingers traced her jaw and tipped her face up. “Hey, you’re one of the strongest women I know.
Not everything is measured in reading, writing, and arithmetic. You will do this. I have no doubt.”
His confidence left her breathless. Yes, he was her friend.
“Can I ask something of you?”
She blinked, not understanding the sheen of tears suddenly blurring her vision. “Yes.”
“I know your first instinct will be to say no, but think about it. Don’t give me your answer for a few
days, until you’ve truly considered my request.”
Emotion was pushed aside for practicality. Who knew what he was about to ask? “Okay.”
“The money, the thirty-five thousand, it’s for your education. Let me pay for it, Evelyn. Let me give
you that one thing, not because you asked, but because I want to be the one person who gave you
something you truly wanted and truly deserve.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.”
He nodded, apparently content with her consideration. “Good enough.” Placing a kiss on her cheek
he asked, “What time is your lesson over?”
“Ten.”
“Will you stay with me tonight?”
At that moment she was so attracted to him—not because he offered her a free and clear education,
but because he accepted her as she was and still desired her all the same—there was no way she could
turn down such an offer. “Yes.”
“I’ll have Dugan pick you up at ten fifteen.”
“Okay.”
He smiled. “You know, sometimes I don’t always do the right thing. I’m sorry my curiosity got the
better of me. A part of me wishes I would’ve waited until you were ready to confide in me, but then a
selfish part of me is glad that I know what’s going on and that I don’t need to beat up this Jason
fellow.”
She chuckled, knowing he was kidding. “Are you really okay with this? I know it’s weird. I’m just
trying to be a normal person—”
“Hey, I am beyond okay. I’m so damn proud of you it’s . . . I don’t know what. I never felt like this
before. Sure, it would’ve been nice if your tutor was a woman so I didn’t have to worry about him
peeking down your shirt, but I’m beyond happy that this is what you’re investing in. You. It’s about
time somebody did.”
Something soft and gushy and entirely girly bloomed inside of her. Without thinking, she propelled
herself at him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and squeezing with all her might. They
were always so controlled around each other until that jolting moment when the sexual tension
became too much. This was different. This was unprecedented. This was the first time in her life she
felt no shame for being exactly who she was, because in his eyes, no matter what, she was beautiful.
***
Evelyn awoke after a long bout of lovemaking and crept through the dark condo to find Lucian