Page 102 of Battle with a Billionaire

The bright red sports car still sat outside the door. She ripped the bow from the hood and tossed it aside before she climbed behind the wheel. Her stomach turned over when the engine roared to life. The last time she’d driven, she’d nearly been killed. She took a moment to suck in a calming breath before she shifted into gear and let the car roll forward.

Her nerves settled as she snaked down the driveway. At the end, she stopped and poked in the address, allowing the GPS to guide her as she snaked her way into the city. As the building came into sight, she craned her neck to stare up at it. It looked like an apartment building.

She whipped the sporty car into a parking space on a side street and climbed out, still staring up at the glass and steel building. One apartment number lingered in her mind.

She pushed into the lobby and crossed to the elevators. As the car rose in the air, she struggled to recall who lived here. Was it her? Was this her old apartment?

The doors whooshed open, and she stepped into the hall, navigating down to the appropriate door. She stared down at the keypad lock before she typed in a code and twisted the handle.

The door swung inside on its hinges, and she smiled. Maybe this had been her place before she married Grant.

She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her as she eyed the modern space. Something didn’t seem right about it.

She sucked in a sharp breath as images danced in her mind as she flicked on the light and walked down the hall toward the living room and kitchen. The soft glow and distant sounds of the city insulated her from the storm she found herself in.

You need sleep. Kyle’s voice echoed in her brain.

“I’ll never sleep,” she murmured.

I think you will. Warm hands had guided her to the couch. She reached out, allowing her fingertips to touch the cool, soft leather.

Pain throbbed at her temples as images blurred past. She’d been here before, but it wasn’t her place. It was Kyle’s. Why had she been here?

She circled around the couch and eased onto it as memories flickered on the fringes of her mind. She tried to follow them through to create a full picture.

I’m not taking you back until you’ve slept. Why did she need sleep?

The memory of him tucking a blanket around her flashed through her mind. If you don’t fall asleep, I’ll take you back.

Take her back where, she wondered? What had she said next? “Do you promise?”

He’d grinned at her. Maybe.

The memory swirled through her mind, filling in with vivid color and detail. She twisted to find the blanket he’d draped over her on the back of the couch.

She pulled it down, unfurling it as she kicked off her shoes. She eased onto the pillow propped against the arm and pulled the blanket higher.

The rest of the memory floated through her mind, coming more easily as she closed her eyes. Her sister’s call, her admission she’d not told her about her marriage, and then her relaxing into sleep.

She opened her eyes and studied the room again. She had woken up here. He’d smile at her as he rubbed her calf before he’d made her breakfast. Her eyebrows pinched. Was it morning?

Quarter after six. His voice echoed in her head when the memory of evening lights filled her mind. They’d talked. What about?

He keeps the leash short, doesn’t he?

“It’s complicated,” she whispered.

If everything in your life is this complicated, maybe it’s time to reassess your choices, Julia.

She closed her eyes. Did he have a point? She’d trusted him enough to fall asleep here once. Their conversations seemed easy, perhaps outside of the bitterness he obviously had toward Grant. Was there a reason for that?

She couldn’t answer any of those questions, but that memory had brought a number of strong emotions. Something niggled at her that she’d been upset. But it hadn’t been with Kyle. Why had she needed sleep?

But no matter the reason, she’d trusted him enough to come here. She’d felt comfortable enough to fall asleep. She let that comfort surround her as she let her eyes close and drifted off to sleep.

In the quiet of Kyle’s space, she’d found an undeniable comfort, a respite from the chaos. Yet, beneath the calm, her heart wrestled with a question–was this ease born out of true connection, or merely a fragment of her scattered past?

When she opened her eyes, the morning sky remained dark with only hints of the sun still hiding below the horizon. She sucked in a breath as she blinked her bleary eyes, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. The softness of the bed, the scent of the room, none of it was like hers. Her heart ramped up, thudding hard against her ribs as she sat up.

---