Page 36 of The Billionaire's Pawfect Match

Heat rises in my cheeks. Even though Carol isn’t a psychic looking into my head and reading my fantasy, I still feel slightly embarrassed. “Yes?” I clear my throat.

“You have a visitor.”

“I do?” I glance at the calendar on my computer, but there’s no meeting scheduled.

Wait. Could it be…?

Was I really sitting here for that long, lost in daydreams? Long enough for Emily to make her way across town?

“Let them in,” I tell Carol.

There’s a soft knock at the door, and then it opens before I can respond. Emily enters, wearing a soft smile, her hair in a messy ponytail that might be the sexiest hairdo I’ve ever seen.

Baxter stirs from his slumber, ears perking up before he bounds across the room with puppylike energy. His tail wags furiously as he greets her, and something warm blooms in my chest at the sight of them together. It’s a picture of simple happiness, unburdened by anything else.

“Hi, Isaac,” she says with that easy smile that always seems to reach her eyes.

“You don’t have to say hello to me.” I stuff my hands in my pockets, suddenly unsure of what to do with these things I’ve had my whole life.

“You invited me over here.”

I grin. “Yes. I did. I hope I wasn’t bothering you.”

“I was in the neighborhood and I actually have something for Baxter.” She holds up a small bag of bacon-flavored dog treats.

“Thank you,” I manage, my voice not quite steady. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“I also… wanted to see you.”

She says it so softly that I almost miss it, her gaze now focused intently on Baxter who is frantically tail-wagging in appreciation of the treats she’s giving him one at a time. It’s the words I’ve wanted to hear for so long that they seem unreal.

“You did?” I blink, the taste of surprise bittersweet. It wasn’t long ago that we were two strangers, her swooping in to save me from my dog — or, rather, myself.

“Yeah,” she finally looks up, meeting my gaze squarely. Her eyes are filled with honesty, a kind of pure transparency that leaves no room for doubt. “I missed you.”

She says it like it’s a confession, like she’s giving me a part of her world she’s never shown anyone else. I can do nothing but stand here, wordlessly accepting the gift she offers.

Baxter barks, breaking the silence and somehow lightening the moment. Emily laughs, and the sound echoes through the room.

“That’s because you won’t stop feeding him treats,” I tease her.

“Blame it on me, then,” she answers, tossing another treat at Baxter. “I don’t want to keep you too long…” She glances at my desk, where all the work I don’t want to do waits.

I can tell she means to leave — her body angled toward the door, ready to slip away. But I’m not ready for her to go. Not yet.

“Would you… Could we go for a walk?” I ask, surprising myself with the impulsive invitation.

She blinks, taken aback. “Now? In the middle of your workday?”

“Sure,” I say, more confidently than I feel. Work can wait. This feels important, necessary even.

“Okay,” she agrees, her surprise giving way to a smile that suggests she’s intrigued by my spontaneity. “Let’s go for a walk.”

We take our leave, Baxter trotting happily between us. The bustle of the city envelops us as we step outside, but somehow it all fades into the background. It’s just Emily, Baxter, and me — a trio that a month ago I would have never expected but that now somehow fits perfectly together.

As we walk, I watch her. Really watch her. She’s different from the women I’ve known — the ones drawn to the lure of my last name or the promise of my bank account. With Emily, those things don’t matter. And I realize how refreshing it is to be seen for who I am, not what I possess.

“Thank you for coming,” I say, my words slicing through the hum of the city. “I thought you might be at work and not able to.”

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