Page 36 of Quarantined with the Billionaire

“Oh.” I continued opening drawers and finally found one that held the plastic wrap.

“If you want, though, we could have just one tonight.”

“No, I don’t want to cheat.”

“It’s not cheating when you’re the one making the rules.”

I looked at him as I tore a big piece of film and set it on the counter. “That is too cheating. It’s moving the goal posts.”

Picking up the box of wrap, he tore off a piece for his own almost completely eaten steak. “You seem a little sensitive about that.”

God, I was going to get myself in deep trouble if I didn’t watch it. “Let’s just say that in the past, I’d have bosses who’d tell me one thing and I’d work my ass off to do what they’d recommended in order to achieve a good review or something—and then, once that was done, they’d change their mind about what was expected. Maybe you haven’t had to deal with fickle bosses in a long time owning your own company, but it’s infuriating.”

“Actually,” he said, picking up my wrapped steak along with his own and walking over to the fridge, “the clients are my bosses now. And if you don’t think that sort of thing happens with them—”

How the hell could I argue that logic? I was beginning to think there was too big a chasm between us for us to ever even attempt anything—even though he was good-looking AF, as Elise would say.

I disappeared somewhat into my own head, but it didn’t escape my notice that he helped me wash dishes—and I said yes when he invited me to play games downstairs. He asked if I wanted to play cards, but we found a racing videogame that turned out to be a blast. And, even though he smoked me most of the time, I improved the longer we played.

“Just one more,” I urged him. “Then bedtime.”

He agreed—and this time I finally won.

“The perfect time for bed. I won’t get any better than that.”

He had a smirk on his face that made me wonder.

“You didn’t let me win, did you?”

His lip lilted up and, for the first time, I noticed the tiniest dimple. God, this man was too gorgeous. I could barely stand to gaze upon his beauty.

“I’ll never tell.”

I resisted the urge to slap his arm again and thought to myself that was a rather immature gesture anyway. Wrapping up the controller, I handed it to him and sighed.

“Want to grab a book from the den before you head to bed?”

“Not tonight. I have a reading app on my phone if I get desperate. I have a couple of books on it I need to finish.”

He shut off the television and fireplace and we walked toward the stairs together. “What genre?”

Resisting the urge to giggle, I forced my voice to remain calm. “One’s chick lit. Another’s romance. And I think I have a thriller I haven’t started yet.”

“I have some thrillers, too, if you run out of reading material.”

As we climbed the stairs, I felt a little relief that he hadn’t poked fun at my choices. “Thanks. I think it all depends on how long I’m here.”

“Bailey, you can borrow books even when you’re not staying here anymore.” He flipped off the lights as we began climbing the second set of stairs to the top floor. “I’d like to think we’ll remain friends once the pandemic’s over.”

Friends? That was a sweet idea. But I didn’t know how realistic that would be.

Especially when I was beginning to suspect I wanted more.

When we got to the top, we walked along the hallway that led to his bedroom door first, but he continued moving with me until we reached my room. Opening the door, I flipped on the light switch before turning to look Maddox in the eyes.

“Do you need anything before bed?”

“No. Thanks, though. I just want to settle in.”

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