Page 6 of Falling for Mr. Billionaire

His lips twitch. “Would you like a drink? I’m about to crack open another beer.”

I stare at him, bewildered. This is the last thing I need right now. “You’re seriously offering me a drink after practically stealing my suitcase and invading my personal space?”

He shrugs. “You look like you could use one.”

I don’t even know why I’m still standing here. The guy is impossible. And something about him—his confidence, his smugness—irks me more than I care to admit.

“I’m good,” I bite out. “But thank you for the… offer.”

He raises his hands in mock surrender. “Your loss.”

I can’t keep staring at him like this. He’s ridiculously good-looking in that effortlessly rugged way, and I hate it. I really do. My eyes scan the room, looking for an escape from his irritating presence.

But then my gaze falls on the view beyond the glass doors. The beach. The ocean. The storm clouds hanging low in the distance, far off but still ominous. The peacefulness of the whole scene somehow makes the tension in my body slip just a little.

I should focus on that. Focus on the reason I’m here: to get away.

I take a breath, trying to pull myself together. “You know, I could really use some alone time right now. Maybe you should head out to the bar or… anywhere that’s not here.”

His eyes narrow, and for a moment, I think he’s going to argue again. But then something shifts in his expression. It’s subtle but there, like a flicker of understanding. Or maybe annoyance.

“Fine. I’ll let you have your space.” He grabs his beer from the table and walks toward the door.

I exhale slowly, relieved that he’s leaving. He stops just before stepping outside, turning his head to glance back at me over his shoulder. “I’m Carter, by the way. In case you didn’t catch that earlier.”

Of course his name is Carter. It suits him. Handsome, arrogant, infuriating Carter.

“Ivy,” I reply, barely sparing him another glance as I turn back to the ocean view.

“Nice to meet you, Ivy,” he says, his voice carrying an edge I can’t quite place.

He disappears outside, leaving me with nothing but the sound of the waves crashing in the distance. And just like that, I realize that this vacation, my much-needed break, has already taken a turn for the worse.

As much as I don’t want to bother Ness—or, even worse, give her a reason to say “I told you so”—I need to vent, and who better to call than my best friend?

I grab my phone and dial her number. She answers immediately.

“You won’t believe it, but they freaking double-booked this room! Ugh! What the hell am I going to do? This is insane!” I blurt out the moment Ness answers the phone, my voice rising in panic.

I pace around the room, feeling my frustration build with each step.

“You were right, Ness,” I mutter, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. “I should’ve just stayed home. I should’ve listened to you. You’re always right! What the hell did I get myself into?”

I can practically hear her deep, calming breath on the other end of the line. “Okay, first of all, take a deep breath. Calm down. What happened? They double-booked your room?”

I nod, even though she can’t see me. My fingers grip the phone tighter, as if that will somehow help me get control of the situation. “Girl, yes! I walked into my room, and he was there!”

“Wait, who?” Her voice is full of disbelief, clearly struggling to make sense of this.

“That’s a story for another day, Ness, Focus!” I exhale sharply, trying to collect my thoughts. “So, I walk into this beautiful bungalow, right? All set up with flowers, a cozy little kitchen, and the whole thing is just perfect. But then I hear this noise. I thought it was the luggage guy delivering my bags, so I just keep walking around, totally oblivious. But then I realized… the sound was coming from inside the unit. I turned around, and there he was—a guy I met at the airport. Apparently, he’s booked into the same room as me, and there are no vacancies. I swear, I’ve hit some kind of bad-luck jackpot.”

“Wait… a guy from the airport?” She sounds confused now. “Hold up—could this guy be stalking you?”

For a split second, the thought crossed my mind. “I wondered that, too, Ness. I won’t lie. But nope, he’s too rude to want my attention, trust me. It turns out the room was the last one available, and we both booked it around the same time. Somehow, the system double-booked it. And now I’m stuck here, sharing a room with a total stranger.”

I feel overwhelmed by the situation as I sit back against the bedpost, my eyes threatening to fill with tears. “Ugh, how do I keep getting myself into these messes?”

“Listen to me.” Ness’s voice is soft but firm. “First of all, it’s not your fault. And second, it might not seem like it now, but it’s really not that bad. I mean, with Airbnb and all these shared housing platforms, people share spaces all the time, right?”

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