Page 81 of BillionHeir
“I will explain when we get back to the room.”
Chapter 28
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Chloe
“Maxwell, what on earth has gotten into you?”
He has me by the hand, pulling me through the lobby of the hotel at an alarming speed considering the heels I am wearing tonight. He turns to look at me and only then realizes what the issue is.
“I am sorry, I didn’t consider your shoes.” He slows down enough that I can catch up to him, then scoops me up and carries the restof the way.
“If you didn’t want an audience, I don’t think this is the right way to handle things.”
“I don’t give a damn about anyone else but you.”
Damn. That might be the sexiest thing I have ever heard a guy say.
“Honestly, Maxwell,” I say, giggling too much to sound serious.
He reaches the lifts and presses the call button with me still in his arms. I have got to hand it to him. He hasn’t even broken a sweat.
One of the lifts dings, and when the doors open, he carefully maneuvers us inside. He balances me carefully as he pulls a room key out of his pocket and swipes it across the sensor to allow access to the top floor. When the doors close again, we are all alone together. He levels me with a stare that is both serious and steaming hot all at once. I have never seen a man look more attractive than he does right now.
“It is Max,” he grunts out before giving me a fiery kiss to drive his point home. He pulls away just as the lift arrives at the penthouse. “I am done sharing you with everyone else. I want you all to myself.”
He steps out of the lift with me still in his arms and gently lowers my feet down to the floor. I almost pout when he releases me and walks toward the well-stocked bar across the room.
He starts pulling out bottles to make drinks with his brow furrowed, clearly deep in thought. When he is done, he lifts up two cut glass tumblers.
“Shall we sit?”
I still don’t know what the hell is going on, but I am willing to give Max the time he needs to share whatever it is he is working up to. So I nod and meet him in one of the sitting areas, taking a seat on one of two dark green velvet chairs with a pedestal accent table in between.
Max immediately walks to the bar and grabs one of the bottles, pouring its contents into two glasses and adding a few more ingredients that I can’t quite make out. He walks over to me, his eyes connecting with mine and wordlessly offering me one of the glasses which I readily accept. I have no idea what he is about to say right now, but whatever it is, he clearly thinks I could use a drink to take the edge off. I almost don’t even want to know.
We tap our glasses together and each take a sip. I savor the taste of whiskey and cherries from the old fashioned, enjoying the slight burn down my throat almost as much as the flavor.
“That is delicious,” I say as I set my glass down on the table.
“Thank you,” he says, keeping his glass in his hand.
I can see that he is nervous about something from the way he rubs his thumb back and forth across the glass. He staresdown into his drink a few moments before looking back up at me and clearing his throat.
“You asked me if I meant what I said when I was talking to the photographers. I did, but I should have talked to you before I spoke. The truth is that you have owned me since the moment you walked into my room at Sanctuary Springs. But it scared me. Since my parents passed away, I have always managed to get by on my own or with a little help from my friends. Women came into my life often, but I didn’t want a single one of them to stay. It sounds terrible to say it aloud, but they were expendable. I certainly never met one I couldn’t live without.
“Before my accident, I thought I was happy. I was at the top of my career leading an international company that has far exceeded the growth that anyone thought possible, turning me into one of the richest men in the world. Any man would be happy to be in my place.
“But then you walked into my room after the helicopter accident with your proper accent and a sweetness that nothing, not even my surliest attitude, could hinder. I have never met anyone quite like you, and I am certain that if I searched for the rest of my life, no one would ever come close. I tried pushing you away, but I hated every minute of it. I didn’t deserve your forgiveness, and yet, you gave it. I am in no way worthy of your love, and yet, I am so desperately in love with you that I pray one day you can learn to love me back.”
Did he really just say he loves me?
My mind goes blank as I struggle to absorb everything he just said.
While I admit that I have been feeling the same way, to hear it come from him first is frankly shocking.
“You do?” I say, feeling stupid as soon as the words leave my mouth.
