Page 57 of Starting Over with Her Billionaire Boss

“I mean us. Together.” He smiled, placing a hand on hers before picking up their glasses of wine. “Let’s go to the balcony. We’ll get a beautiful sunset view.”

But the moment they stepped out into the cool evening air, Daegan excused himself. Kinsley stood, sipping her wine, leaning against the sturdy railing. The sunset was a mix of oranges and purples on the backdrop of a blue sky. A gentle breeze rustled Kinsley’s hair, carrying with it the faint scent of lilies from Daegan’s garden below. Despite the beauty surrounding her, a chill settled deep in her chest, born not of the air but of the storm brewing in her thoughts.

“I was a little early to that dinner meeting on Sunday,” he said, approaching her with a hand behind his back. “It was next to a little antique store, so I stopped in. I saw something you might like.” He smiled as he pulling out a small, wrapped gift from behind his back.

The wrapping paper was uneven, taped a few extra times in a couple spots. It was reminiscent of someone’s first attempt at wrapping a present. Kinsley’s heart warmed at the realization that, unlike their dinner, he had likely done this himself. She gazed up at him and found only a proud look in his eyes. She smiled back and began unwrapping it.

From within the box, she pulled out a delicate vintage teacup. “You remembered,” she laughed as she gently pulled it from the tight packaging.

“Of course,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

The porcelain was a soft pink color with a dark red rose pattern around it. The handle and edges were gilded, reflecting gold in the evening sun. The saucer was a perfect match.

“Thank you, Daegan. It’s beautiful. I’ll need to make room with the rest at home.” She let out a small chuckle.

“I’m glad you like it. I saw another that looked pretty interesting, but it turned out to be for reading tea leaves.” He shot a glance at her. “And we don’t need Aunt Tilly teaching you how to do that.”

“Would it really be so bad if I could predict things accurately?” She laughed.

“I guess it all depends if it’s good or bad. Sometimes it is better to be unaware about misfortune if it’s around the corner,” he said. But something about his words twisted an uneasiness within her.

Kinsley put the teacup back into the box and Daegan took it back inside. After he came back, they stood watching the sunset, sipping their wine. Warm embrace snug around her waist, he planted a kiss on her cheek. Would tonight end the same as their last time alone together? She ached at the thought, all the while wondering if his longing mirrored her own.

Perhaps Daeganwasfeeling the same. After all, his thoughtful gift should prove that she meantsomethingto him. But what if it was all a ploy?

“Do you feel the same thing I do?” she finally asked, playing with his fingers as they wrapped around her waist. A gentle breeze jostled her light-brown hair, and she was almost glad she wasn’t facing him.

After a moment, he replied, “I guess it all depends on what that is.” He pulled her in for a kiss, though his answer wasn’t reassuring. For a man who was so consistently a straight-shooter, Daegan kept dodging this question.

Love,her heart answered her, though the word didn’t follow. “A desire to be together,” she explained, wrestling each word from her own self-doubts. “A connection like our souls are intertwined. That desire to just…” Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the courage to justsay it, “to just spend a lifetime together.” Her eyes flicked up to him, capturing his gaze for just a moment. “Is that what you want with me?” she asked, her voice cracking around each syllable.

His hand squeezed hers as he turned back to the sunset. “I think you and I both know what we have by now. As for you… I want you more than you realize.” He let go of her hand to wrap his arms around her. Fingers digging into her hips, he tugged her closer. “You know I’m a hardworking man. I do whatever it takes to get whatever I want,” he said, his voice carrying a calm confidence, almost as if he were closing a business deal, not defining a relationship.

“Whatever it takes,” she repeated. The words twisted in her mind like a storm. He’d said he wanted her—but did he mean her heart, or her house?

“Whatever it takes,” he confirmed back to her, oblivious to where her mind had actually gone.

Kinsley forced a smile. Surely, he was trying to play it off that he meant to get her. But what had he told her the last time she had entered this house?Business has no place for emotions.It was a part of him she couldn’t easily forget.

He wanted her house, too.

That was his bottom line. His end goal. What he had wanted before he’d even known she existed. He had sent Grannyseveralletters offering to buy (she’d found them while cleaning out the craft room). He’d asked Kinsley and wouldn’t seem to take “no” for an answer. And when she’d finally made it clear what she wanted, plainly and without a drink in her hand or her clothes on the floor, he still refused to give her a clear answer. Was thiswhat he was hiding? He wanted the house first and—if it was even true—Kinsley second.

The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the balcony. The light that had warmed her just moments before slipped away, leaving a chill in its place. Despite his touch, she felt cold, and her heart continued to sink. Straightforward Westerhouse, a man without pretense, who still wouldn’t tell her how he felt. Perhaps because he didn’t feel anything at all. Why would he fall for the last pawn standing between him and owning her entire block?

“I should head home,” she said after the sun had set and the wine glasses were empty.

Daegan checked his watch. “It is pretty late, isn’t it? Let me walk you to your car.”

He walked her to her car, pausing before opening the driver’s side door. “Kins,” he paused, seeming to search for the right words to say. “I’d love to do this again.” His arms pulled her closer into a tight embrace, though her feelings felt loose. His lips, passionately pressed up against hers, began to feel hollow.

Was it all in her mind? Or was she just waking up to the truth?

“Yeah,” she murmured, “it was nice.”

His brow furrowed. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Kinsley lied. “I’m just getting tired. That’s all.”

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