Page 96 of Forking the Billionaire

“I wanted to be clear. I think she was being clear, too. And I’ve slept on the beach, though sleep is a strong word for it.”

That sucked. He deserved a real sleep. “You think Jules is being clear that she’s claiming the room? Or that if you won’t bang her, she’ll find someone who will?”

“Both.”

“Do you think she was trying to make you jealous?”

He half-shrugged, his fingers once more flexing into my hip. Maybe he didn’t realize he was doing it.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said.

“But even though you put her stuff in the hall, she could still come back. She has a keycard, right?”

“I had them change the cards at the desk. She’s not allowed back in the room and her key won’t work.”

More good news. “Do you think she’ll stay with Chester?”

“I don’t want to talk about Jules anymore,” he said, nuzzling my neck.

That surprise contact made me completely forget what I was saying anyway. His scruff scratched and the soft contact of his lips eased the burn. It was sweet with a bite, like chipotle chocolate.

I leaned my head back, allowing him better access. He slid his hand up from my hip, his fingers spreading over my stomach.

The doors opened, and I jolted upright with a gasp.

Jasper completely disengaged from me.

Everywhere he’d been, my neck, my stomach, turned cold.

No one was standing in the open doorway, but they could have been.Gabrielcould have been.

We shared a look, then stepped a few feet apart. We remained that way for the rest of the way down and for the entire walk out of the building. When we reached the path, I snatched my skateboard from the grass where I’d left it and hopped on, leaving Jasper to walk beside me.

We were quiet all the way to the ruins, and this time, Jasper pulled a small set of wire cutters out of his pocket. He snipped a couple of wires to widen the hole he’d gone through before.

“Where did you get those?” I asked, not that I wasn’t thankful. I appreciated his forethought.

“Same place I bought the clothes on my back,” he said with a grin. “The resort shop.”

“It’s funny how everything you’re wearing looks like something you should be wearing. It’s almost like it’s the same stuff you’d pack in your suitcase.”

“I guess this place suits me,” he said. “But I like the ruins better than the resort.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Why?”

“Because it’s so full of potential.”

“It’s a wreck. It’s calledthe ruins.”

“That’s what’s so great about it. I wonder who owns it. I could put in an offer.”

“Uh, I didn’t see any for sale signs.”

“Everything’s for sale if you have enough money. Plus, it doesn’t seem like they’re doing anything with it. In my experience, owners consider it a blessing to get an offer on real estate in this condition. It takes trouble off their hands.”

I snorted. “So what, you consider yourself the landlord messiah?”

“No. I’m just a lover of overlooked gems searching for his next project. And this old girl has all the makings of something extraordinary.”

---