Reining In The Billionaire

Funny the things you could block out to protect your mind in a precarious state, she thought.

“Wow. This is incredible,” Jeremy was saying as his dress shoes clicked on the concrete floor.

“The open space runs under this half of the house,” EvaMarie explained, relaxing a little in the face of his enthusiasm. “Since the house was built into the hill, they finished this portion for the square footage. But with only the three of us, there wasn’t any need for it.”

As Mason’s expression darkened, she decided it was time to keep her mouth shut again. The men explored, brainstorming all the cool things they would do down here, sparing no expense on Mexican tile and glass block room dividers and yes, a place for pinball machines. Her input was no longer needed. Not wanting to get in the way, EvaMarie wandered back the other way to the one room on the other side of the stairway. A large open entryway framed the room beyond like a picture.

The long-mirrored wall reflected the ballet bar attached at a child’s level. She could also see her elaborate doll house closed up in the corner. The few stuffed animals she’d kept were resting safely in the wooden toy chest. This had been her own space when she was a little girl—a safe haven from her father’s unreasonably high expectations and her mother’s silent pressure to conform.