Page 307 of The Billionaires

“Much better now,” I say—and it’s almost true. I’m over the boat ride, but being so close to Jane reawakens certain yearnings in Yoda.

“Want to get away from the water?” she asks.

I want to kiss her for that… or simply just kiss her. “Yes, please.”

She still holds my hand as we rush to the first available cab, but I wince internally when Jane gives the driver her childhood home address. That destination implies she doesn’t want to go back to my place—a place I had hoped she was beginning to see as ours.

Unless, does she think I’ll lose my shit when we get to the Verrazzano Bridge, the way I did on the ferry?

She pushes her glasses up her nose—a gesture that should not be as sexy as it is. “Can you talk now?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m completely fine.”

Lie, that is. Calm, Yoda is not.

“Great,” Jane says and grips my hand again. “I’m sorry that Sydney got a hold of the contract.”

I open my mouth to reply, but she shushes me with a finger—making me wonder how insulting she’d find it if I licked it, or sucked on it, or?—

“I’m also sorry that I ran away when they showed it on the screen,” Jane continues. “It’s just that, when I saw you look at me the way you did, I?—”

“Stop,” I say firmly, and her finger leaves my mouth. “I’m the one who is sorry. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I instantly realized you had nothing to do with that.”

“But I did,” she says. “I used a shitty password, and Sydney got?—”

“No. Not your fault.” I lay my other hand over her small palm. “And it’s moot anyway because I got custody of Piper despite the document.”

She opens her mouth wide, which makes me want to kiss it more. “I didn’t mess things up for you?”

“Sydney didn’t mess things up for me,” I correct. “But yes. No.”

She narrows her eyes. “Then why didn’t you tell me that right away? I’ve been kicking myself all this time.”

“I tried calling you. And texting.”

She pulls out her phone, glances at it, and grimaces. “I’m sorry. If I’d picked up, I would’ve spared you that horrible boat ride and myself some of the grief.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say. “But speaking of forgiveness, I want to apologize for something else.”

Face going pale, Jane draws back. “Who you sleep with isn’t any of my business.”

I frown. “Who I sleep with?” And then it hits me. “I told you that wasn’t what it looked like. Nothing happened between me and Sydney.”

Jane sighs. “You don’t owe me an explanation. Our marriage is fake and?—”

“Nothing happened,” I enunciate the words as firmly as I can. “Somehow, Sydney got into the building outside of the times designated for dropping off Piper. Then she got naked and woke me up in some last-ditch attempt at seduction, but I asked her to leave. Angry words were exchanged. That’s it. I swear.”

“Oh, wow.” Then Jane’s eyes widen. “I think she might’ve used my stupid password then as well.”

“Ah. Right.” I smile to take the sting out of my next words as I add, “Maybe you should use different passwords for things going forward.”

She vigorously nods. “That’s what I was doing on the cab ride to the ferry. Changing all my passwords.”

I scoot over and look into her eyes. “Now that that’s out of the way, what I actually want to apologize for are the things I said after our wedding night.”

Her lips part. “What do you mean?”

I take her hand in mine. “I’ve hated acting like strangers for the last few weeks. I can’t bear knowing that it’s all my fault. I never should have?—”

---