Page 74 of Battle with a Billionaire

Kyle licked his lips before he shook his head. “No, it was after.”

Julia groaned, her shoulders slumping.

“Julia, please don’t get upset.”

She flicked a glassy gaze to him. “Are we having an affair?”

He heaved a sigh. “No. It’s really complicated.”

“How complicated can this be? For what reason were we kissing outside of a romantic one after I was already married?”

“It is very complicated,” he repeated, his gaze suggesting a deeper, unspoken truth lingering just below the surface that matched the sadness in his tone. “Trust me. But if it makes you feel any better…I kissed you.”

“Why?” she asked.

He heaved a sigh. “Julia, you need some rest.”

“I’ve been sleeping for days. Why did you kiss me?”

“I…this will make a lot more sense after you’ve had a talk with Grant about your marriage. But that kiss…it wasn’t just a fleeting moment. I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I wanted you to know how strong my feelings were for you.”

Her mind reeled as she stared at him. “Am I in love with you?”

Kyle swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around hers. “I don’t know how you feel. We didn’t discuss that. We were…interrupted.”

She let her forehead rest in her palm with a moan. Things were growing more complicated by the second. What kind of life was she leading?

The door opened, and Grant stepped back into the room, his presence immediately changing the dynamic. A pang of something unidentifiable–guilt, confusion, or a sense of betrayal–swirled inside her. She glanced between both men, her heart caught in a web of complex emotions and unspoken truths. One man was her husband, and one had just confessed strong feelings. But one question loomed in her mind. Which man did she love?

CHAPTER 17

GRANT

Grant studied his wife’s features, his mind a tumultuous mix of worry and wonder. Her amnesia complicated things. And with Kyle’s threat looming, it certainly didn’t make anything easier.

But Julia, despite not remembering him, still acted like the Julia he knew. She still worried about everyone else. Her heartache over not remembering Sierra was easy to spot, along with her heartache over not remembering him.

When he had to tell her their marriage was nothing more than a contract, how would she react? He dreaded the moment, but at least he had postponed it until she was home. Somehow, the safety of Harrington House made the unbearable task slightly more bearable, though not by much.

Kyle had disagreed but finally relented when he’d pointed out that if she panicked in a hospital full of people, it could go very badly for all of them.

In the private moments they’d spent since she had awoken, she’d asked him if she’d broken up his marriage. The question made him smile, but his grin quickly faded as he faced the reality of owning up to his past…again.

Kyle would undoubtedly be certain she knew she was his fifth wife.

The ringing of his cell phone pulled him from his ruminations. He glanced at the screen finding Kathryn’s name. His features pinched. He should speak with his campaign manager, especially given the latest set of events.

“If you need to take that, don’t worry about me. I’m just going to try to fall asleep.”

Typical Julia. Always supportive even when she needed support. It was amazing how much she was the same despite the distance he sensed between them. “I always worry about you, Juls. But if you don’t mind, I’m going to grab this.”

She offered him a reassuring smile and a nod as he pressed the phone to his ear and stepped into the hall.

“Kathryn, I don’t have long. Julia’s awake.”

“Oh, that’s great. How is she?”

“Not great,” he answered with a shake of his head as he paced down the hall.

---