Page 33 of Falling for Mr. Grump, the Big City Billionaire

My heart skips a beat, memories of our shared meal and walk back to the inn flashing through my mind.

For a split second, I'm back on that moonlit street, our hands brushing, that spark of connection I couldn't deny.

But reality crashes back in.What is he doing here?

My eyes narrow as suspicion creeps in. What is he here for? Did he come to spy on us? To laugh at our little rebellion? Or... could he actually care?

I force myself to keep smiling, shaking hands, and nodding at the folks crowding around me, but my mind's racing a mile a minute.

Either way, his presence here complicates things. And I've got a feeling our next conversation is going to be... interesting, to say the least.

Get it together, Skye. This issonot the time for schoolgirl crush nonsense.

I make my way through the crowd, aiming for Troy like a heat-seeking missile.

He watches me approach, face unreadable. Good grief, why does he have to look so good in that suit? It's honestly unfair.

"Well, hello," I say, crossing my arms. "Didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Big City. Come to scope out the local color?"

Troy raises an eyebrow. "Impressive speech, Skye. You've got quite the way with words."

"Thanks," I reply, caught off guard by the compliment. "But you didn't answer my question. What brings you to our humble gathering?"

He shrugs, all nonchalant coolness. "Maybe I wanted to see what all the fuss is about. You've got to admit, it's an... interesting situation."

"Interesting?" I repeat, feeling my temper flare. "Is that what you call it when people's livelihoods are at stake?"

"Now, I didn't say that," Troy starts, but I'm on a roll now.

"No, you just implied it. Do you corporate types ever think about anything besides profit margins?"

Troy's eyes flash. "That's not fair, and you know it. There's more to this than-"

"Than what?" I challenge, stepping closer. "Than turning our home into another soulless tourist trap?"

We're toe to toe now, the tension crackling between us like live wire. I'm so mad I could spit, but there's something else too – a heat that has nothing to do with anger.

Troy's voice drops low, a rumble that I swear I can feel in my chest. "You don't know everything, Skye. Maybe if you'd listen for once instead of jumping to conclusions-"

"Oh, that's rich coming from you!" I laugh, but it comes out breathless, almost a gasp.

When did he get so close?

The world narrows down to just us, the background noise fading away. I can feel the heat radiating off his body, smell his cologne – that woodsy fragrance that makes my head spin.

His eyes, those deep pools that I could drown in, flick to my lips. The air between us feels electric, charged with something I can't name but desperately want to explore.

My heart's pounding so hard I'm sure he can hear it.

I find myself caught in his gaze, my eyes darting from his right eye to his left, then down to his lips – oh, those lips – before snapping back up.

There's hunger in his eyes now, raw and unguarded. It sends a shiver down my spine.

Troy lets out a low groan, barely audible, and sways closer. We're breathing the same air now, his exhales warm against my skin. I'm frozen in place, torn between the urge to close that last inch of space and the instinct to run far, far away.

For one electrifying moment, I think he might actually kiss me. Part of me – a bigger part than I want to admit – is screaming for him to do it. The other part is reminding me of all the reasons this is a terrible idea, but that voice is getting fainter by the second.

Troy's whole body seems to vibrate with tension. He leans in, achingly slowly, and I find myself tilting my face up to meet him, pulse racing, every nerve ending on high alert-

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