Page 27 of Billionaire's Bookworm

“Don’t shoot the messenger,” I said, holding up my hands. “I didn’t write the questions. Oh, wait—I did.”

The crowd laughed, and Wade leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “You’re enjoying this way too much, Michaels.”

“You think so?” I shot back, my lips twitching.

“Oh, definitely. You’ve got that look—like you’re plotting someone’s downfall.”

“Yourdownfall will be a work of art,” I said sweetly, and he laughed, the sound rich and warm and... Gah! Why did his laugh have to be so damn sexy?

That’s when Ryker, apparently not content with just being Wade’s wingman, decided to shake things up. “Let’s make this interesting,” he announced, standing up. “New teams. Wade and Emma as captains.”

“What? No—“ I started, but the crowd was already shuffling around, picking sides like this was some middle school gym class.

“Healthy competition,” Ryker said with a wink as he passed me, and I made a mental note to hide his favorite coffee blend next time he came to the store.

I cleared my throat, trying to maintain some dignity. “Next category: Romance novels!”

The groans from Wade’s team were satisfying, especially when I saw him trying not to look too interested. “In which famous romance novel does the hero tell the heroine ‘I burn for you’ before their first passionate encounter in a library?”

“Ooh, I know this one!” Silvy called out from behind the counter where she was restocking coffee. “The Duke and I!”

“No helping!” I protested, but Wade was already looking entirely too pleased with himself.

“A library, huh?” he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear.

My cheeks warmed slightly as I read the answer—something about Wade’s steady gaze made me unnecessarily conscious of every romance-related question.

“Get a room!” Ryker called out, earning himself an elbow from Meg.

“They have one,” Sandy stage-whispered. “It’s called the rare books section.”

The real chaos though, started when Porky, apparently bored with sitting quietly under my table, decided to liven things up. He developed a particular fondness for snatching Wade’s team’s answer sheets, delivering them straight to my feet with a proud tail wag.

“Traitor,” Wade called out, though he seemed more amused than annoyed.

I scratched Porky’s ears, trying not to smile. “Good boy,” I whispered. He gave me his most innocent look, hind end wiggling furiously, his big brown eyes full of mischief. Clearly, he knew he was causing a scene, and he was loving every minute of it.

* * *

By the timethe first trivia round had ended, Wade had settled into a rhythm that was, frankly, infuriating. I didn’t want to admit it, but he was actually... blending in. Like, suspiciouslywell.

He didn’t seem like a billionaire playing tourist or some out-of-touch suit who thought “Trivia Night” meant a catered event with champagne flutes. No, he sat there like he belonged, laughing along with the locals, making jokes about his pitiful knowledge of 19th-century poets, and—of course—managing to charm literally everyone except me.

And then there was Ryker and Meg. They were practically glowing with their newly engaged bliss, and their dynamic was so relaxed and natural, it was hard not to smile at them. But of course, Ryker being Ryker, he couldn’t resist stirring the pot.

“So, Emma,” Ryker called out during the break as he wandered over to the counter, Meg trailing behind him with a playful grin. “How’s it feel to be hosting trivia nightandtaming the beast over here?” He jerked his thumb in Wade’s direction, who was busy entertaining an older couple by completely butchering a Shakespeare quote.

“I’m not taming anything,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “In fact, I’m actively discouraging him.”

“Really?” Ryker crossed his arms, giving me that signature grin that always made me feel like I was being teased by an older brother. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like he’s having the time of his life.”

Meg chimed in, her voice warm and full of laughter. “And from whereI’mstanding, you don’t seem nearly as annoyed as you pretend to be.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m plenty annoyed,” I shot back, though my face was probably betraying me. “And second, what’s he doing here anyway? Don’t you two have billionaire stuff to do? Like... I don’t know, hotel shopping or buying small islands?”

Meg snorted. “Oh yeah, totally. We had a whole island-buying spree planned for tonight, but we decided trivia night was more our speed.”

Ryker grinned. “What can I say? When Wade mentioned it, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see you outwit him in public.”

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