Page 86 of Billion Dollar Mistake

“Do you think you're gonna beat me at poker?” he asks, lifting a brow.

I straighten my spine. “Yep, I've got this.”

A dazzling smile takes over his face. “Let's go then. I can't wait to see you try.”

I control my mouth to stop a smile from forming. “Is that a challenge, Mr. Lincoln?”

“Miss Lee. It's a given.”

He stretches out his hand and I take it.

His fingers tighten around mine and we walk back to the car. Inside we stay quiet. The only noise I hear is the pounding of my heart thumping loudly in my ears.

Terry is waiting beside the car.

“Was he here the whole time?”

“Yes.”

“I sure hope you pay him well.” I shake my head in disbelief. Not that Terry looks upset. It just seems absurd to me for him to wait the whole time. What does he do?

“I look after everybody that works for me.”

I don't doubt it, and after seeing the roses in the car, it reminds me.

“How did you know that red roses are my favorite?”

“They are?”

“Yes,” I reply.

He kisses the side of my face, lingering close where his scent hits me.

“I didn't. Lucky guess.”

“Lucky indeed,” I say to myself.

“Well, that's a nice piece of information. So your favorite flowers are red roses?” he hums.

“Yes. I buy them every week for my mom and I.”

He tilts his head. “You buy your mom flowers every week?”

“Yes.”

He doesn't say anything else. We climb into the car. He refuses to let go of my hand, which makes it difficult to get inside. I try to buckle myself in, but he takes over, dropping my hand to fasten my seat belt and his.

I suck in a quick breath when his fingers touch my thighs. It's funny how much my body hums whenever he touches me. He places a kiss to my temple and then eases back into the car. We fall into easy silence, so he pulls out his phone and begins typing away madly on it. I turn to watch the city pass until we arrive back at his place.

Chapter 22

Nova

We exit the car and enter his house. He's holding my hand again, like he’s unable to let it go and I honestly love it. I love holding his hand and feeling the closeness. It’s something I haven't felt in a very long time.

I feel like a teenager all over again.

Jeremy takes me downstairs to his den. I hadn't seen it before. I take it all in. A large TV mounted on the wall, a cream sofa and a big round dark brown table with ten chairs surrounding it. The same relaxed yet moody feel is down here. It’s totally a guy’s zone.

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