Page 45 of Falling for the Wrong Billionaire
“Mostly fiction. Anything with adventure or mystery. I loved getting lost in other worlds. It made everything feel a little more… manageable.” I pause, realizing I’ve said more than I meant to.
But Liam doesn’t push. He just smiles, nodding, letting the silence linger comfortably.
I feel my shoulders relax a little. This is easy. Talking to him is easy.
For a few minutes, we fall into a comfortable rhythm, talking about random things — childhood memories, favorite movies, and what we think about the world. The conversation flows, and I find myself laughing more than I have in a long time.
But even as I’m smiling, even as I’m starting to feel at ease, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m on the edge of something I’m not ready for.
Every time he looks at me, it feels like he’s looking straight through me. I can feel him noticing the little things — the way I laugh, the way I tilt my head when I listen. He’s taking note of everything.
And I’m not sure if I can keep pretending that I’m not feeling what I’m feeling.
“Do you ever think about the future?” he asks suddenly, his voice breaking into my thoughts.
I freeze, my fork halfway to my mouth. The question hits me like a ton of bricks, and I can feel my chest tighten as I try to answer.
“I… I don’t know,” I say carefully, my voice softer than usual. “I’ve never really been one to think too far ahead. I’ve always just taken things one step at a time.”
Liam watches me, his eyes soft, but there’s a flicker of something there an intensity that makes my heart race. “That must have been interesting,”
I nod slowly, my gaze dropping to my plate. The weight of his words feels heavier than I expected.
“I’ve never been great at planning for the future,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I’ve never been sure where I’m going.”
He reaches across the table, his hand resting just near mine, his fingers brushing against the back of my hand. It’s gentle, the lightest touch, but it sends a shock of heat through me.
“Maybe that’s okay,” he says softly. “Maybe you don’t have to have it all figured out.”
The words sink in, and I can’t help but feel a surge of gratitude for the comfort he’s offering. But at the same time, it only makes the distance I’ve been keeping between us feel more real.
“Maybe,” I say quietly.
We eat in silence for a while, the quiet intimacy between us palpable, but then Liam does something that shifts everything. He picks up an oyster from his plate and holds it up to me, his eyes glinting with playful intent.
I glance at him, surprised. “What are you doing?”
He grins. “Just trust me.”
Before I can protest, he places the oyster against my lips, and I feel a sudden rush of heat flood my face.
I open my mouth slightly, and he gently feeds me the oyster, his eyes never leaving mine.
The sensation is unexpected — the salty, briny taste of the oyster mingling with the warmth of his gaze. It’s intimate, and it’s unexpected, and it’s just too much.
My breath catches in my throat, and I can’t stop the blush that spreads across my face.
Liam smiles, his voice low and teasing. “How’s that? Wasn’t so bad, right?”
I’m speechless for a moment, trying to recover from the overwhelming sensation of him looking at me like that, touching me like that.
“Not bad,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
He chuckles, clearly pleased. But there’s something more in his eyes now — a deeper intensity that makes my heart race even faster.
The night goes on, but everything between us shifts, and I know it’s happening — the distance between us is closing.
But then, just as I’m starting to let myself relax, Liam asks the question that makes everything freeze.
