Page 22 of Battle with a Billionaire

“That was not a promise he made, no.”

“No, I didn’t think so.”

Julia stared into the reflective surface of her drink for a second. “You should know he’s seen the news, too.”

“I bet he couldn’t wait to text you an ‘I told you so’.”

“He wasn’t forgiving about it, but he did say he’s willing to move forward if you are.”

Grant offered a disgusted sigh as he let his glass clatter onto the desk. “Are you kidding? He’s willing to move forward. He’s the trouble here.”

“He doesn’t see it that way.”

“No, he wouldn’t.” Grant shook his head again before his gaze landed on her. “I’m sorry. He’s just…so maddening. And you just keep getting caught in the middle.”

“I really think you two need some time apart before you do anything else.”

“I’m not sure there’s enough time and space to fix the problems between us.”

She sucked in a breath. He may have a point, but right now, with the pressures of his campaign, everything seemed to weigh more heavily on him. “Maybe not, but you won’t know unless you try. However, I think you’d be better off waiting until things settle with the campaign. It’s stressing you out.”

He glanced at the floor as though he didn’t agree before his head finally bobbed up and down once. “As long as he isn’t bothering you, I’ll focus on the campaign. But I still don’t like him lurking around every corner.”

“That’s why I talked to him this morning. There’s no better way to ensure he’s lurking than ignoring him.”

“Good point. Keep your enemies close. Though I still don’t like it.”

“How did you know he showed up this morning, by the way?”

Grant raised his gaze to her, offering a slight shrug. “After everything that’s gone on over the past year, I asked the security team to keep an eye on you.”

Julia let the words sink in. “So, someone’s following me.”

“No,” Grant said, his tone measured, “someone’s keeping an eye on you. There’s a difference.”

Julia knitted her brows as she considered the semantics of the statement.

“Hey,” Grant said, reaching for her hand, “there’s one other thing I wanted to discuss with you before dinner.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask after this day.”

“It’s nothing bad. Or worse. It’s nothing new. I just…” He hesitated as his features pinched with mixed emotions. His eyes flickered with traces of worry and regret, a rare vulnerability she’d rarely seen on him. “Thank you for doing yet another public show of support. I’m not that man anymore. And I wanted you to know that.”

She squeezed his hand, encouraged by the words, though still cautious. “It certainly isn’t the image I have of you.”

His lips curved into a smile. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Because I have changed. As ridiculous as that sounds to say after the fact.”

Julia matched his expression. “I would be surprised if you hadn’t. We all change.”

He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand, his eyes lingering on her. For a moment, she wondered if he wanted to say something more, though the clicking of a pair of heels interrupted the moment.

Lydia appeared in the doorway a moment later, her hands on her hips. “Oh, good, Daisy Do-Gooder is home. Maybe now we can eat before we all starve to death.”

Julia’s shoulders slumped as she shot Grant a glance.

He heaved a sigh as she rose. “You know, you could eat any time you wanted if you had your own place.”

“Where’s the fun in that? I’m starting to enjoy these family gatherings.”

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