Page 262 of The Billionaires

My face is so hot it must be a shade of pink only bees can see. “Sometimes I dress up that way just as a pick-me-up.”

His eyes grow hooded. “Once you move in tomorrow, you’re welcome to promenade around my apartment in cosplay any time you want. In fact, I’ll pay you an extra million dollars if you do so.”

“Oh, God. I completely forgot about the move.”

He waves his hand dismissively. “I hired the best movers money can buy. They’ll take care of everything. You don’t need to worry.”

Yeah, no. The logistics of moving aren’t what I’m worried about. It’s living with the proverbial sex on a stick.

Miss Miller will henceforth forgo eating anything on sticks ever again, including but not limited to: ice cream, kebabs, and—just in case—a sandwich if it’s held together by a toothpick.

“I think you’re trying to trick me,” I say as a way to change the topic to something less blush-worthy. “I told you my embarrassing secret. You have to tell me yours.”

“Right,” he says. “But before I do, I have to remind you about the NDA.”

I bite my lip. “You make it sound juicy.”

He takes in a big breath, then blurts out, “I can’t swim.”

I wait for some sort of punchline, but it never comes. “You don’t know how to swim?”

“I know how. I just can’t.”

“That makes no sense.” I gulp my drink, but that only makes the whole issue murkier.

Miss Miller does not think getting foxed on champagne will improve a lady’s skills at conversation.

Adrian shrugs. “Cats can instinctively swim, but few like to get wet.”

“But you have a pool room in your place,” I say. “Or was that a joke?”

“Oh, I have a pool,” he says. “But ever since the thing with my parents, I won’t get into pools, or any other body of water bigger than a bathtub. Relatedly, I don’t go onto pool floats, boats, cruise ships, ferries, giant ducks—or anything else that goes over the surface of water.”

I was just about to tease him about this mercilessly, but if it has to do with his parents’ deaths, I won’t even smile.

“The pool is now a ball pit,” he continues. “But the name of the room kind of stuck.”

Now I grin. “You have a pool-sized ball pit?”

“It’s actually very fun, and I’m sure Piper will appreciate it when she’s older.”

I feel that pull toward him again. I think it’s the way his eyes lit up when he mentioned his daughter’s name. He must feel it too because his eyes flare and darken, and he leans toward me.

Heavens. Our lips are close. So close I feel the heat coming from his.

And then the damned music turns on again.

Adrian snaps out of whatever spell came over us and straightens. “Seems like the pledging is done. Would you like to dance?”

I would, but I shouldn’t. This already feels too much like a date. If we dance any longer, my heart is going to get even more confused.

I shift away from him on the couch. “I’d better go home so I can get good sleep tonight. Before the move and all.”

“Ah. Of course. I’ll take you now.”

Should I be flattered by how disappointed he looks and sounds?

“Have the limo take me,” I say, feeling like a coward. “There’s no reason for you to personally shlep to Staten Island and back.”

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