Page 41 of Quarantined with the Billionaire

But when I opened the cover and turned the first couple of pages, I saw that the book appeared to be signed on the inner title page. And there was a card tucked in the book after that.

I couldn’t resist, cracking it open.

Happy birthday, Maddox. What do you get the man who has everything? After all this time, I still don’t know, but I hope this will do. With all my love, Kate

Who was Kate?

She had good instincts. If I had to buy Maddox a gift, a signed copy of a book with a bit of mystery might fit the bill.

“Turned out to be a beautiful day, didn’t it?”

Maddox’s voice booming through the space without warning startled me and I dropped the book on the table.

Should I even ask him who’d given him the book?

As I nodded, he said, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to make you jump.”

“I didn’t hear you coming.”

“They don’t call ‘em sneakers for nothing.”

Looking up at him, I could see tiny beads of perspiration on his skin that I hadn’t noticed when I’d been in the gym. The way his hair matted against his forehead made my imagination go wild.

I had no words, though, or jokes about what he was saying. Thinking about a woman named Kate distracted me from all else.

Maybe he’d offered a solution, though.

“I think I will work out.”

“Book not doing it for you?”

“I haven’t started yet.”

“I couldn’t get into it. Anyway, have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“No.”

“It goes without saying…just help yourself to whatever while you’re here. If you want to eat together, I can wait till you’re done with your workout.”

I nodded, picking up the book and my mug, and we walked through the kitchen together toward the stairs. He mentioned needing to shower—which made me wonder why he’d come to the breakfast nook anyway. It was a bit out of the way.

Maybe he’d remembered what I’d find in that book.

Or maybe he was coming to see me.

Both silly notions. But, as my feet pounded out several miles on the treadmill, I found I couldn’t get any of that shit out of my head.

Being in Maddox Steel’s overwhelming home didn’t help.

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