Page 25 of Stuck with the Billionaire Celebrity

Shit, Theo. Get those thoughts out of your head. Your eyes are drifting and…

“I don’t have time for this,” I mutter, trying to sidestep her and head to the pool. But she moves, blocking my path.

“Of course you don’t,” she says, her voice quieter now, more serious. “Because God forbid you do anything that doesn’t fit neatly into your perfect little world.”

Why is she poking the bear?

I meet her gaze, my chest tightening. She’s not wrong. I do like control. I need it. But right now, staring at her, feeling the pull of something I can’t quite name, I realize I’m dangerously close to losing it.

And by losing it, I mean grabbing her by her hair and kissing her until she becomes puddy in my hands.

“This isn’t about control.”

“Isn’t it?” she asks, tilting her head. “You want everything exactly the way you like it. No surprises. No disruptions. Well, guess what, Theo? Life doesn’t work that way.”

I clench my fists, trying to rein in the frustration, but it’s no use. “I don’t need a lecture from you.”

“I’m not trying to give you one,” she snaps, folding her arms across her chest. “I’m just saying maybe you should try letting go for once. You might actually enjoy yourself.”

Did she have to cross her arms in front of her chest? Is she purposely doing that so that her tits are even more in my face? She has to know what she’s doing, right?

Focus.

I let out a bitter laugh. “Enjoy myself? With you constantly in my space, making noise, leaving a mess everywhere you go?”

Walking around in a barely there bikini showing off your body and reminding me of what else I lost because of Alexia.

“God, you’re impossible.”

“And you’re...”

I let out a loud groan before I shake my head.

“Look, I get that you hate being here, and believe me, I didn’t exactly sign up for this either.

But we’re stuck in this situation for the time being.”

“You think I don’t know that? I’m trying here, but you’ve made it clear I’m nothing more than a nuisance in your perfect life.”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “Perfect? You think my life is perfect?”

She tilts her head, her gaze narrowing in challenge. “Isn’t it? You’ve got the mansion, the business, the power. What could possibly be missing?”

You.

I can feel the bitterness rising in my throat, a taste I haven’t allowed myself to acknowledge in a long time. I know I should just let it go, brush off her words and keep my walls up.

But something about the way she says it, like she’s got me all figured out, pushes me to the edge.

“You don’t know anything about me,” I say, my voice low and controlled. “You think because I have all of this”—I gesture around the pool—“that I haven’t been through hell?”

She doesn’t back down. She crosses her arms, leaning back in her chair as if daring me to keep going. “Try me.”

There’s a moment where I consider staying quiet, swallowing the anger like I always do. But I can’t focus on anything except for how amazing she would feel against me right now.

“No thanks,” I shrug.

I move past her quickly and dive into the pool before she can say anything else. I only come up for air for a quick breath before I duck right back under and begin my laps.

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