Page 47 of Billionaire's Bookworm

Emma and I slipped away from the merriment, wandering down to where the waves gently kissed the shore. Porky frolicked ahead, bow tie discarded, utterly blissful in his sandy splendor.

“So,” she mused, leaning into me, her gaze fixed on the horizon, “was this your plan all along? Escape corporate drudgery by moving to a small beach town, only to have your perfectly ordered world disrupted by a woman in pajama shorts?”

I chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Ah yes, my master plan. Step one: become a reclusive hermit. Step two: have an overexcited dog obliterate my garden. Step three: make a complete ass of myself in front of his captivating owner.”

“Don’t forget step four: accidentally become the town’s favorite children’s storyteller.”

“Naturally.” I nodded sagely. “Couldn’t have orchestrated it better myself.”

She tilted her head up, the soft glow of the moon reflecting in her eyes. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were the most infuriating man I’d ever encountered. And way too damn hot for your own good.”

I gave her a wolfish grin. “Understandable. I knew you thought I was hot.”

She smacked me playfully. “But somewhere along the way...” She trailed off, a gentle smile playing on her lips. “You proved me wrong. You were still hot. Just a lot less… insufferable.”

We stood in comfortable silence, the rhythmic sound of the waves providing a soothing backdrop. Down the beach, the faint sounds of laughter and music drifted on the breeze.

“Did you ever think,” I began, tracing circles on the back of her hand, “that we’d end up here?”

“Honestly? Not in my wildest dreams.” She sighed contentedly. “But I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Porky chose that moment to shake off the excess water, sending a spray of droplets our way.

I laughed, shielding my face. “Some things never change.”

“He’s consistent, I’ll give him that.”

I pulled her closer, the scent of sea air and the faint hint of her floral shampoo enveloping me. “I love you,” I murmured into her hair. “Even if you did let your dog destroy my very expensive flowers.”

She looked up, a mischievous glint in her eye. “I love you too. Even if you did accuse me of being a gold-digging seductress in my pajamas.”

I groaned dramatically. “Am I ever going to live that down?”

“Not a chance.” She stood on her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “But you have a lifetime to make up for it.”

“Fair enough.”

She leaned back against me, her gaze drifting back to the ocean. “So, any thoughts on where we should live? Your place has the garden, but mine has the ocean view. Plus, Porky seems to prefer my back deck for his strategic planning sessions.”

“You mean his squirrel surveillance operations?”

“Those are very important military maneuvers, I’ll have you know. He takes his squirrel-watching duties very seriously. Vital to national security, I’m told.”

I chuckled. “Well, we’d have to do something about your book situation. I don’t think my shelves can handle your ‘to be read’ pile.”

“Says the man who converted his home office into a rare book room.”

“Touché.”

She twisted the ring on her finger thoughtfully. “You know, we could always combine the properties. Your garden, my view. Create one big community space. Maybe add a little free library?”

The idea settled into my chest like it had always been there, waiting to be discovered. Like everything else about this unexpected life we’d built.

“Mrs. Peabody would love that,” I agreed. “Though she’d probably insist on curating the romance section.”

“Bold of you to assume she hasn’t already snuck some titles into your rare book collection.”

I feigned shock. “So that’s where ‘The Duke’s Secret’ came from.”

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