Page 53 of How To Tempt The Off-Limits Billionaire

“What? No explanation?” Digby demanded.

“I’m not sure what you need me to explain,” Muzi carefully replied.

“Well, according to Bay and Brinley, my sister is currently sleeping at St. Urban because you kicked her out of your place. And your bed, and your life.”

True. He didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that Radd and Digby’s women were not impressed with him.

“I should take you outside and pummel the hell out of you,” Digby muttered.

That was okay with Muzi, he needed an outlet for his stress and he couldn’t possibly feel worse than he already did.

“Why did you kick her out? Especially after she was ambushed by the truth of her adoption?” Keane asked him, ignoring Digby.

Hell, did everyone now know who Ro was, her real connection to Radd and Digby? She was going to eviscerate him when she found out. With a blunt teaspoon. He threw up his hands and scowled at Digby, who winced.

“I told Keane,” Digby admitted. “Pasco worked it out for himself.”

“If either of you tells anyone, I will break you,” Muzi told Keane and Pasco. They wouldn’t but a strong warning was warranted.

Muzi shook his head, feeling like he’d stepped into a world where nothing made sense. “I gave her time to be alone, as she asked. When I returned, she was on the phone with her idiot ex.”

“If you are about to tell us that she’s still in love with him, I will deck you,” Digby threatened.

“No, she told him about us...that she’s this close—” Muzi held up his thumb and index finger an inch apart “—to falling in love with me.”

All three faces reflected confusion. “And that’s a problem?” Digby asked.

“Yes! The way we feel about each other is crazy! It’s insane, intense, intimidating!”

“Incredible, irrational... I can’t think of any more words starting with ani,” Pasco drawled.

Muzi had the feeling that Pasco was taking the piss. When he had the energy, he would make him pay for that remark.

Muzi thought he’d try, once again, to explain. He didn’t hold out much hope that they’d get it. “Look, we have the power to hurt each other, badly. I’m not thrilled at being in that position but, worse than that, I couldn’t live with myself ifIhurther.”

Digby lifted his beer bottle to his lips and took a long swallow. “So don’t hurt her, half-wit.”

“Poor Ro, she’s had a tough few days—ambushed by her ex and dumped by the man she’s crazy about,” Pasco mused. “I should go and comfort her.”

“Only if you want to be buried in a shallow grave,” Muzi growled.

“I should kick your ass for sleeping with her and then treating her like crap, man,” Digby told him, and Muzi saw his bunched fists.

“It wasn’t like that... I didn’t...” God, he was a reasonably erudite man, why couldn’t he find any words today? He stood up, reached across the bar, grabbed the whiskey bottle and took a slug. He felt the burn down his throat and, resting the bottle against his forehead, groaned.

“In my defense, it was a crazy day. I thought—assumed—that she was going back to the States. A little earlier she told me that she was going to stick around for another six months, maybe a year, and I was happy, I thought I had time to persuade her to stay forever. But then, hours later, she hits me with the possibility of love and forever and trying for more...and... God... I...”

“Take another belt, Triple M,” Pasco suggested.

Muzi took another sip of whiskey and passed it back to Pasco, who put it under the counter, out of his reach. “She terrifies me. What I feel for her scares the hell out of me,” he finally admitted.

Digby nodded, looking satisfied. “Good, it should scare you. Love is terrifying but that’s no reason to run from it.”

“Yeah,that,” Pasco said, pointing his beer bottle at Muzi.

“Shut up, Kildare, you only have one-night stands and have no idea what you are talking about,” Digby told him.

Digby turned his intense gaze, his eyes the same color as Ro’s, on him. “Falling for someone is a big deal and it should cause your breath to hitch and your heart to stop. Look, you can carry on being a coward or you can face that fear. Step into the unknown and trust that the way you feel for each other, that the love you have for each other, your desire not to mess up and hurt each other, is enough to carry you through.

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