Page 36 of Starting Over with Her Billionaire Boss

Daegan tried to suppress a grin. “No, someone told me the stubble was sexy.” He saw her lips twitch into a smile, and that glimmer of humor felt like a lifeline. “Thought I’d give it a shot.”

The sun was casting long shadows on the pavement, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the otherwise empty lot.

“So we’re renting a car?” Kinsley asked, tossing her oversized suitcase in the trunk with a loud thump.

“We don’t do much business in Montana, so there isn’t a company car available,” he replied, slamming the trunk shut.

“You’ll drop me off at the hotel, then?” she asked, her voice clipped, her eyes guarded.

Though the cool afternoon breeze flowed between them, it felt still.

“Right?” she asked.

Daegan took a deep breath, feeling the words get caught in his throat. He was trying to navigate the waters between them, trying to find the right balance between holding on and letting go. “Actually…why don’t you join me?” he asked.

“Meet your mother and aunt?” she asked in shock, holding his gaze over the roof of the car. “Isn’t that a little personal?”

‘Personal,’Daegan thought with a laugh,coming from the woman who said she needed me when I had my hand between her thighs.

“A good, home-cooked meal and some fresh air may be what you need—what we both need.” He offered a small smile. “It’s beautiful there—like a postcard. Besides, if my aunt’s parrot starts spilling family secrets, you’ll get a free show,” he joked.

“Like Laurel.”

“Exactly like Laurel.” Daegan stifled a laugh. “So what do you say?”

“And you know how to get there?” Kinsley opened the passenger door, continuing to speak over the top of the car.

“Not a damn clue. That’s what a GPS is for.” He got in and tugged on the seatbelt, fingers tapping on the buckle. Despite the brief conversation, the air still hung heavily between them.

Kinsley checked her hair in the mirror and snapped it shut again as she buckled. “I hope your mother likes me.”

“Of course she will. You’re the—” he cut himself short.The what?

“The lady that her son regrets sleeping with?” Kinsley attempted to finish his thought. This time it wasn’t cute.

“That isn’t it, Kinsley,” Daegan sighed as he typed the address into the GPS. Their battles with relationships may be similar, but certainly not the same.

She raised her voice slightly, “If it isn’t that, then what is it?”

Silence. Daegan wasn’t quite ready for this conversation, despite thinking he was.

“You had regrets and second thoughts about us, didn’t you?” she steamed.

“No, Kinsley.” He paused to look at her. “I know exactly what I wanted. Do you know what that was?”

Kinsley stared, their eyes locking for the first time in what felt like eons. It was not warm and inviting; it was tense. What was once a place of comfort had become a battle neither wanted to be the first to break.

“You, Kinsley. I wantedyou.” His voice heightened, thick with emotion. It wasn’t his proudest moment; frustration was boiling inside him. If she was going to bring it up now, he wasn’t going to hold back. “I wanted to love on you, to feel you against me…all night,” his voice cracked as he fumbled for the right words. “But when I came out of the bathroom, you were turned away from me. I felt guilty—like I’d hurt you or betrayed you. It made me realize I didn’t want sex to happen like that, Kinsley. Not when we both had a few drinks, our minds clouded by alcohol. I didn’t know if you sobered up and regretted everything. I couldn’t bear the thought of you waking up feeling like it was a mistake or like I’d taken advantage of you.”

Kinsley didn’t speak, her silence echoing the weight of Daegan’s words.

“Thatishow it happened, but… But that wasn’t how it should have happened.” His palms grew sweaty, wishing their first time together had happened when they were completely sober, with little room for excuses. “I didn’t want you to think ‘yes’ at the moment and then afterwards realize you were just a little drunk and lonely. I didn’t want you to walk away feeling used. The absolutelastthing I want to do is hurt you, Kins. I didn’t want to take advantage of you, or feel like I could have been.” He wasn’t even sure if what he’d said made sense. Typically, he was one to choose his words carefully, but now he felt tongue-tied. It was his emotions talking—not logic. The elephant in the room wassuddenly much smaller. His voice softened. “I didn’t want it to be like that, but that’s what happened.”

They sat in silence as he put the car into drive and started toward their destination.

He reached over, setting a hand reassuringly on her thigh. “I don’t regret what happened,” he said, fingers brushing over her cotton leggings.

“You don’t?” He could see her gaze through the corner of his eye.

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