Page 40 of The Bossy Billionaire

“No, apparently, she is safe. Her family all know where she is. But she never talked to Huxley. She left one day and just never came back, and her family has asked on her behalf for him not to look for her. Apparently, she needed to go and find herself.” My body freezes. She left him and never told him? Does he still love her? I shake my head a little to dislodge the thought. Huxley and I are… I don’t know what we are, but even though my feelings for him are growing, I need to contain them because this is just one week. After this break, he will go back to New York, and I will go back to Bloomers.

I look out the window again and see Huxley smiling and talking with his dad as they both look over the stunning property and Huxley's large house farther along the fields. I have a mix of emotions when I look at him. Like he can sense me watching, he turns and glances at the window, giving me a relaxed smile. He seems happy.

“Well, that’s enough about the past. Huxley tells me you own a bookstore,” Susan prompts, and I turn to see her watching me.

“Yes. Bloomer Books. My family started it a few decades ago. It is a bit of an institution in Baltimore,” I tell her, trying to keep my hands busy with cleaning.

“Oh, I love reading,” she says, smiling. I didn’t miss her overflowing bookcase that is positioned down the hall, so I had a feeling she loved books too.

“What do you enjoy reading?” I ask, intrigued.

“Romance, mainly. My husband just scoffs at me, but there is something about getting lost in the fictional lives of others that just seems to make the whole world better for a little while.” Her smile is contagious.

“That’s why I love books too. The escapism. The chance to live in another person’s shoes for a little while.” I’m glad we have something in common.

“We should go, it’s getting late.” Huxley’s voice vibrates through the kitchen, settling on my chest. I look up quickly, startled, because I just saw him outside. But he leans against the entry to the kitchen, his eyes on me intently.

“Of course. Lucy, leave those dishes. Doug and I will finish them up,” Susan says, watching me, her eyes sparkling just like her son’s do.

Huxley and I say our goodbyes, and as I step outside, I see he wasn’t wrong. The sun has now almost set, a faint orange glow our only light as we slowly walk back down the road to his house.

Huxley takes my hand, and we walk in silence as I take in deep breaths. The air is so clean and crisp, and I feel it inflate my lungs. I am imagining all the city pollution leaving with every breath I take. I stretch my leg a little as I walk, this small amount of movement and the last remaining heat from the sun seemingly doing wonders for my thigh pain, which is barely noticeable now.

“This field is for the horses,” Huxley states, pointing out the area on the left. “Over there is the main cattle area, although at the moment, we don’t have many.” I look across to the right to take in a few cows farther away.

“It’s all so pretty, Huxley. I feel like I am in a totally different world,” I tell him softly, astonished that I have been here merely half a day and already feel less stressed and in less pain than I have in a long time.

His thumb caresses my hand as we walk slowly. “Your mom told me the story about the snake,” I tell him, biting my lower lip so I don’t laugh.

“Hmmmm. She loves that story,” he murmurs, chuckling.

“It sounds like, between you and your brother, you kept her on her toes?” I ask, looking up at him, seeing the happiness dance throughout his expression.

“Two young boys in a small town. There is only one thing they will ever find and that is trouble. I am surprised we both turned out as good as we did. What else did my mother tell you?” he asks, looking at me like he already knows.

“She just said that you haven’t brought a girl here since Amy,” I say, my voice nearly a whisper as my heart thumps in my chest, not sure if I should bring up his past or how raw it is for him.

“Thought she might. Past is in the past now, though,” he says with finality as he stops and faces me, confirming that Amy is no longer in his life. He takes my other hand in his and watches me as we both stand toe to toe, almost at his place.

“It’s beautiful here.” I swallow roughly, his blue eyes intense. He let me sleep all afternoon, only waking me as promised before dinner. We haven’t had a lot of alone time yet to figure out what is going on between us.

“You’re beautiful,” he says, leaning down and touching his lips to mine. Like so often happens, my mind and body are swept up into the Huxley Hamilton whirlwind as he pulls me closer, his hands now moving to my waist, pressing me to his body. I circle my hands around his neck.

This kiss is soft, slow, and deliberate. We take our time with each other, discovering, enjoying, just being, before we break away slightly and catch our breath.

“What’s happening?” I ask him, my body heat rising and my stomach flipping on itself.

“What do you want to happen?” He answers my question with a question. He is usually telling me what to do, so the fact that he is asking me makes me feel like he really wants to hear me say it.

“I just want you,” I say quietly as I swallow again, needing moisture in my throat. I haven’t put myself out there like this in years. I can’t even remember the last guy I liked enough to put my feelings on the line. He remains quiet for a beat, and I feel that deep remorse start to sink into my bones. My cheeks heat as I wait for the humiliation of his rejection. I am about to step back when he speaks.

“I want you more than anything,” he says in a rush as he cups my face and pulls my lips back to his, our kiss now feverish. I grip on to his shirt so I don’t fall over, and he bends, scooping me up bridal style and walking us quickly back to his house. And I thank God the sun went down and his mother can’t see because I have a feeling she would have been standing at her kitchen window, watching us the whole way.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE - HUXLEY

She wants me. That is all I needed to hear before I lost control. I know I should go easy with her. She has just had a major scare, her leg and her head both still healing, but the minute she said that she wanted me, my brain short-circuited. I guess that’s what happens when you finally meet a woman you’re attracted to, inside and out, and she wants you back just as much.

“Huxley!” Lucy laughs as I carry her into my house, her giggle enough to have a smile plastered on my face, which I know is going to be very hard to remove. Moving quickly, I slam the large front door closed with a kick and race straight up the stairs.

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