Page 59 of The Billionaire

When we reached the lobby, Austin pointed over his shoulder. “I’m going to grab some water for us. Why don’t you grab us a table?”

I was perusing the menu when he finally returned. “That took longer than expected.”

He shrugged. “I got caught up in looking at some souvenirs. I want to pick up a few stuffed animals before we leave tomorrow.”

I smiled. “We can do that.”

We settled on the buffet, and carb loaded for our hike, with a plate of traditional Costa Rican beans and rice. Right before we finished, Austin’s phone buzzed on the table.

“Why did you bring your phone?”

He looked up at me as he picked it up. “How else am I going to take pictures? This place is unbelievable, and I’ll have to show Livie all the animals when we get back.”

“You love her, don’t you?”

He nodded as he read the text, then typed a response. When he put the phone down, he smiled at me. “She’s amazing. I can’t believe anyone would abandon that baby girl. Dominick is fiercely protective of her, and then you add her SEAL Commander daddy in, and that girl will never be mistreated again. Not to mention her three uncles. The boys better fucking watch their step.”

I loved his protective side. “You planning to go on dates with her?”

“No, but Phantom will run every background check he can get his hands on, and Dreamboat will provide surveillance. I’m the crazy ass one who’ll step in and fuck someone up. Just ask them.”

I curled my lips in as I chewed my food, fork in mid-air. He was fucking adorable, all feisty and protective.

“They take her all over the world. They have a home in Italy where Dom’s grandparents are, and they take her to swim with the manatees at a reserve in the Keys. That little girl has the best life with her daddies.”

His adoring tone made me wonder if he wanted kids for himself. Carter and Mary Ellen had both chosen not to have children, but that didn’t surprise me. Austin was different. Always had been.

“Do you want children?” I asked, my heart sinking to my feet. If we were actually getting married, this might be something I needed to know.

“I love kids. Well, I love Livie. But she’s a one-of-a-kind. Did you know she knew how to read before she started kindergarten?”

I chewed another bite and wiped my mouth. “Can’t say I did. Dominick didn’t share much about her the few times we’ve been around one another. I probably see Jesse more than my kicker.”

“Do you want kids?” I knew he was going to ask that.

“I’m fifty-eight. Would it be fair to bring a child into the world at my age? I might only have twenty years left. Who knows?”

Austin stared at me. “You didn’t answer the question. Do you want kids?”

My heart caught in my throat, and I nodded. “I did when I was younger. I guess we’ll have to see what happens.”

His phone buzzed again, and I was happy for the distraction. I went back to eating, even though I no longer had an appetite. When we got back from our hike, I needed to tell him the rest of the story about my marriage, but not until we were alone in the springs... and before we went back to the house.

Rehydrated and refueled, we hiked down the trail to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the area. Howler monkeys played tag in the trees with one another, while tropical birds flew about, and every giant bug known to man crawled around.

“One word of advice,” I said over my shoulder as we descended the stairs to the floor of the rainforest. “Don’t engage with the monkeys. You can look, but that’s it. They retaliate by flinging a handful of their own poop.”

Austin grinned. “You’ve experienced that, have you?”

“No, but I’ve seen it. I’m a rule follower and a people pleaser. I listen to what the experienced guides suggest.” I glanced up into the canopy to find several following us along in the trees.

We walked along, observing the area for reptiles and giant bugs when the shrieks of holy fuck, and what the hell, came from behind us. I looked over my shoulder at Austin and laughed. “Monkey bombs.”

Warmth from his hand on my shoulder caused me to look back again as he stopped my forward progress to bring his lips to my ear. “Should have fucking listened,” he mused.

It wasn’t long before we reached the bottom and found our destination. Water cascaded over the rock cliff and emptied into a pool of Caribbean-blue water.

We weren’t alone, as a few of the resort’s guests were in the water and standing along the edge of the rocks. The constant rush of the water had smoothed away the rough edges of the lava rock over time, making it safe to stand.

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