Page 26 of The Billionaire Boss and the Barista

Emma sank into the warm seat, feeling unaccountably tired. The purring kitten in her arms did nothing to keep her alert.

“This is a nice car,” she observed, wondering where all the potholes downtown had gone. “It must have a great suspension.”

“It does,” Garrett confirmed before turning the conversation to health insurance of all things.

He talked about it the entire ride. Emma was too tired to ask if that was one of his businesses. It was rude not to listen, but the cozy interior and smoothness of the ride were more effective than a glass of warm milk.

She managed to stay awake, refusing his aid when he tried to help her out of the car and again when he offered to carry her up because he was a psycho.

It was only after she was standing alone in front of Pedro’s building with a box full of cat that she realized she hadn’t told Garrett Chapman where she lived.

And she was still wearing his coat.

Chapter Eleven

GARRETT

He dropped the extra-large bag of cat litter a second time, regretting taking the stairs up to Emma’s apartment instead of waiting for the elevator.

The small Asian woman who’d been checking her mailbox in the lobby caught up with him. “Do you need help with that?” she asked.

Grateful for the assistance, he lifted the smaller bag containing the cat food and toys he hadn’t dropped. “Could you take this one?”

He tossed her a self-deprecating smile. “I’m afraid I overdid it at the pet store.”

“I can see that,” she said, taking the lighter bag from him. She moved the feather-tipped toy so it wouldn’t tickle her face. “I take it you just got a cat.”

“My friend did,” he said, glad that Emma appeared to have friendly neighbors.

There was a private elevator to the penthouse level of his building, which meant the only neighbors he ever saw were his friend Rainer and George, his girlfriend.

Garrett didn’t mind that, of course. After making the Forbes list, he had learned to treasure his privacy. But for a normal person like Emma, friendly neighbors could only be a good thing.

This was San Diego, where people smiled and meant it, unlike New York, where he’d briefly lived after business school. There, your neighbors would only concern themselves with your well-being when the stench of your decomposing body became unbearable.

Of course, that wouldn’t happen to Emma, he reminded himself when an unwarranted surge of panic made him miss a step.

Emma lived with her cousin, a gainfully employed computer programmer four years older than her. According to his PI, the man didn’t appear to have much of a social life, but at least that meant he was home on those nights when Emma wasn’t feeling well.

Like last night. She’d been so feisty sparring with him outside the coffee kiosk. It had felt so familiar and right, despite his repeated attempts to cram his boot in his mouth.

But then her energy level had drained so quickly in the car. It had been like watching a balloon deflate before his eyes.

That sudden wave of exhaustion had given him an advantage, letting him bundle her into his vehicle so he could talk to her about his plan to provide her with premium health insurance. Not that she’d paid much attention.

Maybe that was for the best. He could try and convince her that she’d agreed to it during the car ride.

“This is very kind of you,” he told his companion when they finally reached Emma’s apartment. “If I’d known it was on the fifth floor, I would have waited for the elevator. And I definitely wouldn’t have gotten so many cat toys.”

Nine was excessive. Especially for such a small cat. Yeah, he should cancel the extra-large cat tree. Judging from how close these doors were to each other, the apartments were on the small side.

“Think nothing of it,” the woman muttered.

He wasn’t paying close attention to the stranger but something in her tone made him swing his gaze to her.

The woman’s features hardened. He didn’t understand why until the door of the apartment swung open, revealing a full-blown hoarder’s den.

Emma had calledin sick to work and put herself to bed after recognizing the signs of a swiftly approaching migraine. But she hadn’t quite succeeded in sleeping it off when the shouting woke her.

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