Page 30 of Burning for the Billionaire 8

He gazes up at me, taking in every square inch of my face. I think I see longing in his eyes. “More desperate than stupid,” he says. “You look amazing.”

I wrap my arms wrap around my middle as if to guard myself from his charm. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you. I parked way back there,” he hikes a thumb over his shoulder, “but I couldn’t run fast enough to catch up when I spotted you. Good thing I brought the wheelchair.”

The fact that he came all the way here and chased me down in a wheelchair despite the pain it caused is already wearing me down.Ugh, I’m so weak to him.

Or maybe it’s because I miss him like crazy.

“You could have just set back your healing process, you fool,” I mutter.

Rowan surprises me by laughing. “You’re right. I am a fool. I’m sorry about everything I said. I didn’t really want you to leave.”

“Rowan, stop.” Backing away, I tell him, “I can’t do this again.”

“Grace, wait. Please.”

“No.” I shake my head emphatically. “You’ll apologize, and I’ll come running back just for you to pull the same stunt you’ve always pulled. It won’t be long before you tell me you need space again.”

I’m about to walk away, but he stands and snags my wrist. Slowly turning back around, I glower at him. Maybe it doesn’t have the effect I want, considering I have to crane my neck, but it’s so good to see him back on his feet.

“You’ll hurt yourself,” I remind him.

“I’m fine, but I’m glad you care. Maybe that means you don’t completely hate me.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t.”

“Good.” His eyes are beseeching. “Please, just let me get my apology out.”

I sigh my resignation and nod because I suspect he’ll try to chase me again if I walk away. “Fine.”

“Everything I said to push you away was a lie.”

I lift an eyebrow and snort inwardly. As if I didn’t know that. But it still doesn’t take away the fact that he did it to me again.

“I love you, Grace. I was trying to help you.”

My eyebrows furrow. How could any of the things he saidhelpme?

He sighs. “When I overheard you on the phone saying you weren’t taking the opportunity in New York, I felt bad. I’d never want you to give up on something that makes you happy—because you were happy about the offer, weren’t you?”

I gawk at him. So,thatwas why he flipped his emotional switch? “You’re such an asshole, Rowan!”

His eyes widen. Now people walking by are watching us with curiosity, but I don’t even care.

“You dumped me because you felt bad? Well, I feltworsewhen you told me to get lost.”

He groans and looks skyward. “I didn’t think things through, okay? I was in a bad place...” He shakes his head. “That’s no excuse. I’m sorry. I felt like you were jeopardizing a major part of your future because you felt obligated to stay with me.”

I avert my gaze. “Sure, I hated the thought of leaving you while you were hurt. I mean, you’ve been so good to me, and I wanted to return the favor.”

“I didn’t want you to make any major decision because of some sense of duty,” he says. “But I heard you went to New York, and you hated it.”

I glower. “Mel told you?”

He rubs the back of his neck. “Only after I badgered her for a morsel of information about you when I found you two were still talking. I really missed you. Maybe I didn’t take the best approach in trying to help you. It was misguided. I knew you wouldn’t leave unless...” He blows out a breath. “Unless I resorted to being an idiot.”

“You’re not.” The words are out of my mouth before I can really think about them.

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