Page 24 of Billionaire Daddies Next Door

My stomach sank even as a new flock of butterflies started fluttering their wings.

CHAPTER 18

Smith

I stopped by Joanie’s house the next morning, feeling as eager as I’d ever felt. She owed me a date and I planned on cashing in. I already had a picnic waiting off the trail and I was going to pull out every trick to convince her she’d actually won by losing our bet.

When she opened the door in leggings and a loose T-shirt, I had to stop myself from reaching for her. Spending time with her in the kitchen had been an exercise of small, teasing touches, and without the restrictions of the kitchen in place, I wasn’t sure I could trust myself not to take it too far, too fast.

Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail and her eyes looked bright as she smiled at me. The marks Chase and Bear left on her neck had faded and I found myself smiling at the idea of leaving one of my own. I didn’t know what it was about Joanie, but I wanted her bad. I wanted her to want me just as bad, though.

“You’re staring.” She rolled her eyes and automatically reached down to pet Mack. “Hey, buddy. Who’s a handsome boy? Huh? Who’s the handsomest boy ever? You are! Yeah! You are, boy!”

I watched as Mack lost his shit and turned into a ball of excited energy. He jumped up faster than I could react and pinned Joanie to her door. I rushed to get him off of her, but she was just giggling and petting him like he hadn’t knocked the breath out of her lungs. “Mack! Down!”

Joanie cut her eyes at me. “Be nice to him. He was just excited.”

“I am nice to him. So nice that I let him come on our date even though I knew he’d steal all the attention.” I frowned as I realized I really was cranky about that. Embarrassed, I tried to clear my throat and move past it. “Anyway, he—”

Joanie stretched up on her tip toes and ran her fingers through my hair. She smiled as she rubbed my head. “You’re a handsome boy, too, Smith. Is that better?”

“A kiss would really help.”

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to my cheek. Her sweet smell filled my senses and I gripped her sides to keep her close. Her breath was warm on my skin as she lightly chuckled. “Take me on our walk, Smith.”

I had to force myself to step back and let her go. “Yep. Come on. It’s a bit of a hike.”

“You look like a lumberjack. Should I change into something different?” She nodded at my cargo pants and backpack. “I wasn’t even going to bring my phone. I never did the Scouts thing. Do I need to be prepared for this?”

I grinned. “I’ll take care of you, Joanie.”

Her cheeks pinkened. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t do the Scouts thing, either.” I pointed to the pasture between our houses and then up at the mountain in the distance. “I learned how to survive in nature in my early twenties, while doing photoshoots for high-end brands, oddly enough. I’d hike through a jungle with a few thousand Dollars’ worth of camera equipment to shoot a model in tens of thousands of Dollars’ worth of luxury items. After a crazy shoot in South America, I got distracted by a villager on the hike back to our ride. Instead of joining everyone else back at our hotel miles away later that night, I found myself alone in the forest. It was sink or swim.”

Joanie took long strides, her long legs matching my pace easily. “You’re a photographer? Do you still shoot models? If so, why are you here?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I imagine not many men would give up a life of influence like that for a little town in the middle of nowhere. I’m sure you had access to as many models and village beauties as your heart could stand.” She glanced over at me and saw I was frowning back at her. “What? I know men. I’ve existed around enough of them to know that a life like that would rank pretty high.”

It wasn’t the conversation I wanted to have with her, but it didn’t seem like there would be any getting around it. “Sure, there were parts of my life when I appreciated that lifestyle, but I’m not a kid anymore. I was already slowing down with fashion photography and getting into photojournalism when I had to get out of the business entirely.”

Mack ran ahead but when I whistled, he came right back to my side. Joanie reached down and patted him before looking back up at me. “Why’d you have to get out?”

I laughed easily. “You’re nosy, huh?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Especially with men who are trying to take me out on dates.”

“Trying?” I raised my eyebrows. “I believe we’re past trying.”

“Just spill your secrets, Smith.”

“I captured photos and videos someone didn’t want me to have. There were some rumblings about there being a price on my head so my backers pulled out. I could’ve self-financed but…” I stared up at the mountain and sighed. “I’ve had a full life of exploring. Things on the home front haven’t exactly been explored, though. I figured it was time I grew up.”

“Wow.” Joanie stopped walking and stared at me with narrowed eyes. “Is this part of your game to get laid? Dangerous men chasing after you and a commitment to settling down? Do women typically spontaneously orgasm when you tell them that?”

I couldn’t help laughing. “You asked. Most people don’t. So, no, I don’t use that as some kind of line. Having men want to cut off my head isn’t exactly sexy.”

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