Page 124 of The Billionaire's Demand

What if it wasn’t?

What if Libby’s vision for their family could be a reality? What if he’d been wrong about everything?

‘I was informed it’s your favourite,’ Raul said, holding up a bag of take-out from the Chinese restaurant a few blocks away.

Libby eyed it suspiciously. ‘Informed by whom?’

‘That would be me.’ Her nurse, Veronica, smiled as she pulled her handbag over one shoulder. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Libby frowned. ‘You’re leaving?’

‘Call if you need anything,’ Veronica said with a nod and wave, disappearing into the lift. Libby watched her go, perplexed.

‘Raul, what’s going on?’

The smell of the Chinese was wafting towards Libby and her tummy groaned with hunger. She ignored it.

‘Can we have dinner? We should talk.’

Libby stared at him, her gut rolling, tightening, confusion making her insides hurt. ‘I—’ She stared at him, wanting to tell him no. But hadn’t she promised that she would love him always? That she would be there for him? While her self-defence mechanism was to push him away now, before he could push her any further, that wasn’t right. She needed to show him that she loved him, no matter what, not just say it.

‘Okay.’ She tried to keep her voice neutral. ‘Dinner,’ she added, as a midway point to looking after herself too.

His eyes showed relief and one corner of his lip lifted in a tight half-smile. ‘Thank you.’

His gratitude was unexpected.

Libby busied herself removing plates and water glasses from the kitchen and laying out the table, while Raul removed the lids from the meals and set them up between their two seats. He’d ordered her favourites—she had to credit Veronica for that intel too.

‘So,’ Libby said, taking a seat opposite Raul, hands folded neatly in her lap, ‘what do we need to talk about?’

‘The other day...’ he said, eyes meeting hers then glancing away.

She frowned. ‘What other day?’

‘Here, in the kitchen. The conversation we had.’

‘That was weeks ago,’ she muttered, colouring.

‘I’m aware of that.’

‘It’s just, when you said “the other day” I thought you meant a few days ago, not...’ Her voice trailed off.

How could she tell him that a few weeks ago felt like an eternity to her because she’d missed him so damned much? He must know she felt that way, but Libby didn’t need to bang him over the head with the truth of that.

‘Anyway,’ she finished unevenly, ‘what do you want to discuss?’

‘I think I made a mistake.’

Libby’s gut churned; she refused to let hope into the cracks of her heart. Carefully, staying very still, she said, ‘Oh?’

Raul’s Adam’s apple shifted beneath his stubble. His features bore their trademark mask of arrogant control but Libby saw through it. Regardless of her best intentions, hope burst through her.

‘Raul,’ she murmured. ‘What are you trying to say?’

‘I don’t want to live apart from you.’ His brow furrowed, as he concentrated harder. ‘I want to live with you.’

For her own sake, Libby had to take this slowly, and also be very specific about what he was saying. This was not a time to rush to conclusions because she wanted him to want the same things she did.

---