Page 13 of My Cruel Billionaire

“You’ve become… housebroken. Domesticated. No longer a wild animal.”

“Oh, I’m still plenty hungry,” he said with a laugh. “I know exactly where you’re coming from, Michael. I used to be there myself, dwelling on the same old thought patterns.”

“And then what happened?” I asked.

“I met Amanda, that’s what happened.”

I groaned.

“You’re proving my point. You’re domesticated now buddy.”

“Am I?” he laughed. “If that’s the case, I like the way domestication feels.”

I hadn’t expected him to just shrug that off.

“Amanda changed my world.” He said that utterly without irony, without pretense. Like he really meant it. I realized then that’s because he did. He really did believe it. It wasn’t hype or the usual ‘of course I love my wife’ schtick that most guys give you when they get snagged by a woman who wants a ring on her finger.

“I’m happy, Michael,” he continued. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. Believe it or not, there are some things more important than making money.”

I gasped and pounded my chest comically, as if I were having a heart attack.

“I’m going to die of shock.”

“Stop being dramatic. It’s true. There are a lot of things more important than making money. Besides, I already have a lot of money. And after this merger goes through, I’ll have even more.”

“If,” I said cautiously. "the person you want to delegate your leadership role to isn’t incompetent.”

“Oh, my candidate is most competent,” he said with utter confidence. I actually wished I could feel that way, as strange as it may sound. I thought that it must have been nice to actually rely on someone. I couldn’t fathom it, but it must have been nice. “You know, if you had a wife at home, you might feel the same way that I do.”

“Not going to happen.”

“You never know, maybe someone you already know will end updomesticatingyou.”

I frowned, but this line of conversation was taking me back to the other night at the restaurant.

I had locked gazes with a gorgeous woman, and I had even come to her rescue to save her from some rube. And yet, she hadnotfallen all over herself with gratitude. She didn't fall at all. I’m used to getting what I want out of women, and when she had run off without barely saying a word I had been left utterly flabbergasted.

Worse, that woman had seemed so familiar for some reason, and I couldn’t get her out of my head. I’d even dreamed of her the night after our encounter in the restaurant. I was worried that maybe she was an old hookup. I’d had so many it was impossible to keep track.

“Anyway,” Evan said, bringing my mind back to reality. “My decision is final. I’m going to delegate this merger on my end to the person I have in mind.”

“And who is this wonderful man?” I asked mockingly. “Is he out there on the Hudson, walking on water?”

A rap on the door drew his attention.

“Come in,” he said, then turned to look at me with a grin. “I don't believe I said anything about a man.”

“Oh come on,” I said with an exasperated sigh. “Don’t tell me you’re turning this over to your wife…”

My voice trailed off as the door opened and a woman in a smart business suit walked in. Not his wife, who I had met several times. No, it was not his wife. But I did know her.

It was, of course, the same woman I had met at the restaurant the other night.

Now, seeing her in business attire, I recognized her. I remembered where I knew her from.

“Hello, Jenna,” I said dryly. “I’d say long time no see, but we just saw each other last night, didn’t we?”

Evan looked between the two of us.

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