Page 31 of At First Flight
I glance back at the article, the headline blurring slightly in my vision.World’s Sexiest Billionaire Heir.The words keep repeating in my mind like a mantra.
My chest tightens.
I roll my eyes, trying to push away the thoughts.Stop it. This isn’t what matters.
Yet, as I scroll back up to the picture of him, my heart does that strange thing it always does when I see his face. That little flutter of recognition. Thathe’s the onefeeling. He's more than just a man with money. He’s someone who makes me feel like I’m worthy, like I belong. But what if this whole other world of his is something I’m not equipped to handle? Something so different from the life I’ve just escaped from?
I shove the phone back at Ashvi, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands. There’s a heaviness in my chest now, a contradiction that I don’t want to deal with.
“Oh, it’s very true. Not only does he have a trust fund worth more than most first world countries, but he’s invested in dozens of companies that are all Fortune 500 now.”
“So? Who cares that he has money?”
“Ugh…because he’s gorgeous and you should absolutely hit that.”
Throwing a sweatshirt at her head, I laugh as she eats a mouthful of cotton as I set her phone on the bed.
“He’s my boss now. You know how strict my mom is about that sort of stuff. And those kids need my help. So does Dean if everything about those kids is true.”
“I thought you were going to try to find a job doing research, at least until you can get a new grant.”
“I am, and I will, but they need me right now.”
Warm arms wrap around my shoulders from behind, and I lean into my best friend. “Maybe you need them, too. All jokes aside, I want you to be careful.”
“I’m not worried about Prescott,” I fib.
“I’m not talking about your ex, Lila. I’m talking about your heart.”
Unlike Ashvi, I’m not worried about falling for Dean. He has enough on his plate, as do I. It may take all my willpower, but my heart won’t be the issue. It will be the desire to spend the night in his bed.
Thankfully, as I hear the patter of little feet down the hall, I know I have the best blockers on the planet. Kids are a very good deterrent.
The knot in my stomach tightens as Ashvi's words hang in the air. "Well, if you're not going to give the Dean train a go, can I climb aboard?"
I tell myself to stay cool, to laugh it off, but the flutter in my stomach tells me it’s not that simple. I try to mask the little spark of something, but it’s there, undeniable. I’ve spent the last couple of hours trying to ignore how much Ifeelwhen it comes to Dean, but here’s Ashvi, my best friend, throwing out the possibility of her own interest in him, and suddenly, everything I thought I could ignore rushes to the surface.
I bite the inside of my cheek, keeping my gaze steady as I respond, pretending I don’t feel that sharp sting of irritation.
“What happened to the Navy guy?” I ask, trying to shift the focus away from Dean and onto something, anything, that feels safer.
But Ashvi doesn’t seem to catch on, or maybe she does and just doesn’t care. Either way, I can feel her attention still lingering on the idea of Dean. I should be happy for her. Hell, she’s my best friend. If she wants to go after him, that’s her choice, but why does the thought of her even considering it make my chest tighten with a jealousy I’m not supposed to feel?
Because if I’m being honest, I can’t help butwanthim. I can’t help but want to be the one he notices, the one he cares about.
I close my eyes for a second, the back of my head hitting the pillow as I try to let the anxiety settle. I tell myself it’s nothing. Just a fluke. I don’t have any claim to Dean. He’s a guy who was kind enough to help me out of my mess, and now he’s probably just a guy who doesn’t even remember my name when he’s with someone else. But the thought of Ashvi going after him,of her being the one to get his attention, makes me irrationally annoyed.
Let’s not even mention the fact that he’s myboss.A long-standing rule for my mom’s business that I know shouldn’t be crossed.
I rub my temples, trying to clear the fogginess in my head.Get it together,I tell myself.He’s not your guy.
The kids stand at the doorway watching me unpack and the little sponges are absorbing every word we say. Thankfully, Ashvi just shrugs and helps hang some of my clothes while I shove my underwear into the top dresser drawer as quickly as possible.
Not long later, Dean calls all five of us down for dinner. The kids are having a field day playing in my bedroom with the microscope I brought. Thankfully, I had some samples of foods stored on slides that they could view.
Ashvi and I have already finished off a glass of wine by the time she decides to head home, leaving me alone with Dean. Quietly, I gather all the dishes and nudge Oliver to help me at the sink.
Dean begins to stand, and I glare at him to sit back down and enjoy the beer he opened when he served dinner. Like a typical three-year-old, Evelyn is still pushing around the green beans on her plate.
