Page 24 of The Billionaire in Her Bed

His stomach roiled at the half-truth, but it would have to do. For now.

“Figures.” She rolled her eyes.

“Right. Numbers.” He shucked off the covers and slid on his boxers then his jeans.

“No, I mean it figures you’re a financial guy. I had you pegged from the minute you walked into Flotsam and Jetsam.”

“Really?” He slipped his shirt over his head and stuck his arms through the sleeves. “I didn’t realize I was that transparent. What gave me away?”

“I think it was the designer duds. Or maybe the top-shelf scotch.” She crossed her arms over her ample chest and squinted at him. “Which begs the question. What’s a high-rent guy like you doing in a low-rent place like this?”

“Would you believe me if I said I like things low-rent?”

“No.” She stared him down.

He was saved from further interrogation by the alarm on his cell phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and swiped the screen to silence it.

“Let me guess.” She bent to pick up his shoes and handed them to him. “Time for you to wow Wall Street?”

“If you mean my status conference, then yes.” He sat to slide on his sneakers, a beat-up pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars Ginny had dug out from the back of his closet. Nothing high-rent about them.

“Well, it’s been fun.” Brooke flipped her hair back, trying too hard to seem casual. “I’ll see you around, I guess.”

He stood and took her by the shoulders. “Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Pretending this thing between us is over.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No.” Not by a long shot. He wasn’t giving up the best thing that had happened to him since he made his first million. And that paled in comparison to the feelings Brooke stirred in him, feelings he couldn’t quite put into words. His alarm chimed again, and he silenced it. “It isn’t.”

He kissed her hard and fast to prove his point, like an exclamation mark on his declaration. “Are you working tonight?”

She blinked up at him. “No. I’m off until Thursday.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at seven. Dress casual.”

He kissed her again, only slightly gentler than the last time. Then, without another word, he crossed the room and strode out the door, knowing he’d left her in the same condition he was in. Hot, bothered, and wanting more.