Page 47 of Stuck with the Billionaire Celebrity

I’m in trouble. Big trouble.

After the shopping spree, during which I discreetly pay the store manager enough to ensure the entire evening is forgotten, we head to dinner.

I’ve arranged for the restaurant to be closed, too, just for us. It’s over the top, but I don’t care. I need to know she’s safe.

And this alone time with her, in these different settings, is worth it.

When we arrive, the staff is ready, and the place eerily empty except for us. Grace looks around, amused.

"You really do go all out, don’t you?"

I shrug, leading her to the table in the middle of the room. "I’m not taking any chances with your safety."

She doesn’t argue, though I can see the glimmer of appreciation in her eyes as we sit down. The tension between us is palpable now, hanging in the air with every shared glance, every quiet moment where we both seem to realize just how alone we are.

The waiter pours us each a glass of wine, and I watch as Grace takes a sip. Everything she does tonight feels like it’s charged with something I can’t ignore.

Something I don’t want to ignore.

The dinner is perfect, of course. The best food and wine are all tailored to make this night flawless. But it’s not the food I’m thinking about. It’s Grace.

The way her eyes catch the candlelight, and her laughter fills the empty space around us.

"You’re quiet tonight," she says, tilting her head slightly as she watches me.

I blink, shaking myself from the thoughts swirling in my head. "Just… thinking."

"About?"

I hesitate, unsure if I should say what’s really on my mind. But then I remember how she looked at me in the boutique, howshe smiled when I told her she was stunning, and I decide that maybe it’s time to stop holding back.

"You," I say, my voice low, serious.

Her eyes widen slightly, but she doesn’t look away. "Me?"

I nod, leaning forward, my elbows resting on the table. "I can’t stop thinking about you, Grace. About us."

She swallows, her lips parting slightly as her gaze drops to my mouth for just a second before she quickly looks away. "Theo…"

"I know things are complicated right now," I continue, my voice soft but firm. "But I can’t pretend I don’t feel something for you. And I don’t think you can, either."

There it is. The truth. Out in the open, hanging between us like a live wire.

She looks down at her wine glass, her fingers tracing the rim. "You’re right," she whispers, so quietly I almost don’t hear it. "I can’t pretend, either."

11

GRACE

Theo’s hand is warm in mine as we walk toward the car. The night air is cool and crisp, carrying the scent of rain on the horizon. After his words, my heart is pounding from the rush of adrenaline. Being this close to him feels right. He has an easy way of calming my nerves.

“Today has been amazing. I feel like Pretty Woman without the prostitute part,” I giggle.

He laughs. “You deserve to be pampered like that.”

“But I can do that for myself.”

“Why would you need to if I can do it for you?”

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