Page 72 of BillionHeir
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Chloe
“So you aretheMaxwell Banks,” Colin says, holding out his hand.
“And you are the cousin. Colin, was it?” Maxwell says with a light-hearted grin on his face.
“That is right, Colin Russell.”
I watch as the two men shake hands and settle down at our table that Liam has now joined as well.
“You two met, I presume?” I ask, gesturing between my cousin and Maxwell’sbest friend.
“We did, indeed. We had plenty of time while you two were snogging out there,” Liam says before taking a sip of his beer.
I feel embarrassment creep up my cheeks, but I try to ignore it as I take my seat across the table from them. Maxwell waits for me to settle into the booth before sliding in next to me and taking my hand once again. I look down at our hands and then back up into his eyes.
“I hope this is okay,” he murmurs quietly as he squeezes my hand.
I nod and give him a shy smile. I am still not sure what is going to happen between us, but at least for tonight, I am tired of trying to fight these intense feelings for him. I might end up getting hurt even worse than before, but that is a risk I am willing to take for one more night with him.
“So tell me about yourself, Maxwell,” Colin says like a protective older brother.
“What do you want to know?” Maxwell asks, not skipping a beat. If Colin is trying to intimidate him, it is not going to work.
A phone vibrates on the table, and everyone pauses to see whose it is. Liam picks up his phone and answers the call.
“Codswallow,” he says laughing at something as he greets the person on the other end of the line. He holds a finger up to us politely, then stands and walks away to continue the call.
He comes back only a few seconds later.
“That was Henry. He wants everyone to know how sorry he is, but he is hung up in the kitchen of his new premier restaurant and isn’t going to be able to make it.”
“That is a shame,” Colin says. “Sounds like we need to have another pint in his honor!”
Maxwell laughs and Liam heads to the bar with Colin for another round. I am not at all surprised that Colin is getting on so well with them. He has always been able to get on with others easily.
Throughout the night, Maxwell never takes his hand off of me. He stays tethered to me in some form or another as though he is afraid I am going to run away. I suppose that isn’t all that improbable after my histrionics earlier.
I still can’t believe that was just today.
So much has happened, and yet, not all that much has changed. Maxwell is still an ultra-rich business mogul. And an American. My mum is still sick here in the UK. And I am just a girl, falling in love with a man in what feels like an impossible situation.
Wait.
Falling in love?
I turn to look at Maxwell. He is deep in conversation with Colin and Liam about some business matter that I have been tuning out during my little revelation. But he pauses a moment to look over at me and smile, soothing his thumb across the backof my hand sweetly before returning to what he was saying, showing me that even though he is not speaking to me, he is still thinking about me.
Could I really be in love?
* * *
“Come back to the hotel with me,” Maxwell proposes, pausing a moment before adding, “Please?” His eyes plead with me to accept.
We are standing on the street outside the pub as our group starts to disburse. It would be easy to say no. It would be easier in the long run if I let Maxwell go and put him solidly in the past.
But right now, every bone in my body is pleading right along with him to give in to his request. It is not like anyone will miss me if I don’t sleep in my hotel room tonight. No one would be the wiser if I gave into this physical chemistry between us and went back to his hotel instead.
