Page 13 of Billion Dollar Revenge

We return to silence, my stomach dancing now that I’m giving it some sugar, but I’m still not completely at ease. There’s still a strange fire burning in my body. Distracting myself, I sip more of my drink. When I feel satisfied, I sink down into my chair,totally forgetting about his legs. But this time, instead of moving my knees, I leave them be. The connection between us feels less uncomfortable now.

I pick up the chicken pesto sandwich and take a bite. “This is amazing!” I mumble around a bite full of food.

He nods but doesn’t speak.

“Now I see why there’s a line,” I babble, even when I should shut up because he’s not replying.

I keep eating until I’m satisfied; Evan watches me between bites of his own food until his is all gone.

I stop eating to take another sip of Coke.

“Are you feeling better?” he asks.

“Much.” I rub my stomach and begin to fold the rest up to have with the girls in the park.

He leans forward so his head is closer to mine, our eyes level, and my breath hitches when his mouth moves to my ear. I stay frozen, my pulse rising as his low voice says, “It’s nice seeing you again. Next time I see you, make sure you’re well fed.”

When he pulls back, giving me a smug expression, I can’t help but give him a smart response. “Yes, sir.”

The fire that blazes in his eyes makes me swallow hard.

“I need to head to work. Where can I take you?” He’s clearly changing the subject, which I’m glad about.

My lips twitch. “Right. CEO of The New York Press, right?”

“Yeah,” he confirms, rising to his feet.

Resentment flares in my chest as I watch him straighten his expensive suit. How many nights had Bobby stayed late?missing dinner, missing me?just to impress this guy? The thought makes my stomach churn. It snaps something in me.

I stand. “I can walk back on my own. I need to take lunch to Summer and Nova.”

He grabs the dirty tray, which looks ridiculous with his designer suit. But before I can protest, he speaks, “I’ll walk youback. My brother will kill me otherwise.” Then he turns and disposes of the trash before rejoining me.

That’s right, Nova’s fiancé.

“Whatever,” I say, picking up their food and exiting the shop.

We walk side by side down the street, the thickness and silence between us overwhelming me. I can’t wait to get back to Summer and Nova so I can catch my breath. Being around Evan confuses me; he gives me that hot-and-cold feeling.

When we close in on Nova and Summer, their lips twitch into a satisfied smile. “Hey,” they greet us. “We were about to send a search party.”

“Look who I bumped into at the sandwich shop,” I say, gesturing to Evan, who’s standing beside me.

He nods before speaking. “I’m heading back to work.”

I turn toward Evan, giving him a genuine smile. “Thanks for lunch.”

With another clipped nod, he strides away. I mindlessly watch him, and when he’s out of my sight, I settle into the chair beside them and hand over their food.

Summer clears her throat. “Um, excuse me. Care to tell me how lunch went?”

I shrug and shift on the chair to face them. “It was alright. We barely spoke, to be honest.”

Summer scrunches up her face, puzzled. “Really?”

“I’m sure he thinks I’m a blubbering mess,” I reply, wondering why he made me so skittish?

Nova giggles. “It’s okay, that’s Evan.”

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