Page 12 of Mr. Billionaire's Second Chance

“You can’t possibly be asking me that.” I chuckled, and he smiled, turning to look me directly in the eyes. I felt the close space between us grow hot, and I could’ve sworn a single bead of sweat trickled down the back of my neck because all I wanted to do in that moment was kiss him. It was like I’d forgotten everything he’d put me through, like I wasn’t there to get under his skin or investigate his company for fraud, but to feel that wild intensity again. Snap out of it. Now.

“Well this place has been a shit show lately, so I’d like to know if we’re about to go under. After that story broke, everyone’s going to be waiting on the final verdict. Everyone’s going to want to know if I’m just bleeding my own company dry,” said Preston.

“Are you?” I asked, slyly.

“You may find this hard to believe, but I’m actually not an elitist criminal.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

He chuckled, just as the elevator door opened up to the lobby. We walked out together, and I couldn’t wait to part ways because I knew that if I spent too much time around him I’d fall right back into old habits. Why is it so hard around you?

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Kat,” he said.

“Actually you won’t. I’m not coming in tomorrow. I have to run a few things over with my boss, figure out where we’re at,” I muttered. He looked at me inquisitively, and I smiled.

“You’re in the clear, Clarke. At least for now. Let’s hope you don’t have as many skeletons in your closet as you have women in your bed.”

“You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you?”

“I suppose I am. Good night, Preston.”

“Good night, Katherine.”

I got into a cab, trying to forget how good it felt to be near him, to hear my name roll right off of his tongue with ease. I felt a familiar throbbing between my legs and I tried my best to ignore it. It was getting harder every day to remind myself of the man he really was, the one that never wanted more than a one-night stand with me. I caught glimpses of the man that drew me in, the one that made me believe that I could somehow fit into this lavish world of his. I wasn’t good enough for you, was I, Preston? Is that why you ran?

The apartment was quiet that night when I returned, and right as I set my keys down in the little bowl on the entryway table, out came Poppy drying her hair with a terry cloth towel. She took one look at me, shaking her head like she could already tell I disregarded everything she said earlier.

“What did you do?”

“What? I didn’t do anything. I had a long day at work. That’s all,” I said.

“So what’s with that look on your face? I know that look. It’s trouble.”

She made her way over to the cabinet to grab two wine glasses before deciding which bottle to open next. She slid one at me, and I swished it once before taking a sip, wishing I could completely avoid the rest of this conversation.

“Talk to me.”

“This job isn’t going the way I planned. Jamie is asking a lot of me and I’m not sure what’s going to happen if I don’t succeed. The more I talk to him, the more I’m starting to feel like I won’t have a place at Eland and Ballard if I don’t find whatever my client thinks is there,” I confessed.

“Are you sure that’s all there is?” she asked.

“I guess I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around Preston being capable of this kind of thing. He just doesn’t seem like the type of guy to potentially throw away everything he’s worked so hard for.”

“Kat, you’re forgetting that much like the other rich assholes, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Why do you think so many of them get away with things like this? If that client of yours is sure he’s involved, I have a feeling you might just find something eventually. You’re not just auditing his company - you could make or break his entire life. I say, whatever happens is what he deserves,” she said, taking a large gulp of her white wine.

“It’s not that simple. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about all of it that doesn’t feel right. I understood when Jamie wanted to keep things discreet, but my gut is telling me I need to be careful if I do find something. I can’t shake the feeling that Preston may not be the bad guy here. I mean, how else can you explain the leak? Up until a few weeks ago I had no idea who was really running Kingsman Enterprises and I’m sure not a lot of people did either,” I said.

“It wouldn’t be New York City without a few scandals, Kat. People talk, even when they’re paid not to. The only reason you think Preston is just another innocent man is because you still have feelings for him.”

“What? No. No, I don’t. He hurt me,” I told her.

“And yet you still can’t let go of the way he made you feel.”

I sat there with my wine glass in my hand thinking about what she’d said. I didn’t want to admit that she was right, but I felt it. It didn’t take much for me to pick up on the tension between us every time we were in a room together. Now that Jamie wanted me to get closer to Preston, I realized I didn’t have much of a choice when it came to staying away from him. I’m not sure I even want to. I just don’t want to give him the opportunity to hurt me all over again. This is too much of a mess, but there’s no way out of it until I find something incriminating enough to make this all make sense. What’s going to happen if I don’t?

I ran my fingers through my brunette hair, running a mascara wand over my eyelashes before heading back to Eland and Ballard. I didn’t even want to know what Jamie was expecting from the moment I walked in, and I felt the sudden urge to lie just to get him off my back. I arrived with my to-go coffee in hand, walking straight past his office to my own to buy myself some time, but he called out to me.

“Kat, in here.”

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