Page 75 of The Reluctant Billionaire

‘Free school lunches…’ I frown, trying to get it straight in my head.

Aide grins at me. I’m sure he’s thinking I’m a rich, clueless princess, but he doesn’t say it. ‘Some families get free school lunches because they’ve been means-tested and shown not to be able to afford them. So we know they’re the families in each school who are struggling the most financially. Chances are, their kids aren’t going to be doing piano and tap-dancing after school.’

I nod. ‘Thank you,’ I say quietly. ‘It’s a really cool idea.’ I mean it. It is. I can’t imagine how much work it is going into God knows how many schools. Managing the logistics and red tape. Dealing with the admin side of schools who are totally overwhelmed already. It makes me tired just thinking about it.

Does Aide ever get tired?

Not of this stuff, I decide. This guy has a fire so powerful lit under his arse it’s like jet fuel. He’s on a mission to save every kid in Britain from his own fate, it seems.

The thought makes my heart hurt.

No wonder he has an OBE.

I reach over and cup his face with my free hand. ‘You are a very, very good guy, Aidan Duffy,’ I tell him, looking deeply into those blue eyes that once seemed icy cold and are now anything but.

He wriggles his shoulders like the compliment makes him uncomfortable. ‘I’m really not. I got a lucky break—I want to give back and make sure more children get the chances I got.’

I raise my eyebrows sceptically. ‘You did notgeta lucky break. You made your own luck, from everything I’ve heard. You’ve worked your arse off to be here, but I’m glad you’ve found something you find rewarding.’

He gives me a tight smile. ‘It’s by far the best thing about having money. Getting to put it to work. The plan is to give it all away before I pop my clogs. Don’t think I’ll rest till I do.’

This man. Be still my beating heart.

‘What about you?’ He strokes his thumb over my skin and looks down at our conjoined hands. ‘You must be dying to get back to normality.’

Ugh. The mere reminder that I won’t be spending my days with Aide makes my scrambled eggs curdle in my stomach. We were born out of a totally unexpected, and initially unwanted, proximity, but the heat between us is undeniable.

Not just the heat. Last night felt like a step forward for us in terms of getting to know each other better. Getting to understand each other. But I have no fucking clue what happens from here.

And I’m no longer so convinced that mynormalityis quite so normal.

I hold his gaze as the car progresses down the narrow lanes. ‘I’ll miss the view,’ I say lightly. I let my eyes drop to his insane pecs below their—currently pristine—white vest and back up.

‘I’ll miss the view, too,’ he says, his eyes dropping to my boobs in their tight, cropped t-shirt before he leans in to kiss me lightly on the lips.

Good, I think.

‘Do none of your co-workers get their boobs out for you in your day job?’

He drops me a panty-melting grin. ‘Thankfully, no. There’s only one pair I want to see, anyway.’

I give my shoulders a happy little shimmy.

‘I cannotbelieveI told you to put them away that first day,’ he says, dragging his free hand over his face. ‘You were right. That would have been a lawsuit waiting to happen.’

I grimace. ‘I really hope you don’t say things like that to your employees. Nobody likes a sex-pest boss.’

‘No fucking way,’ he says. ‘Seriously. Not in a million years would I ever. I think I must have gone temporarily insane—it’s the only explanation.’

‘I’m glad they’re capable of driving good men to the brink of sanity,’ I say. ‘Always useful to be aware of one’s powers.’

His grin drops away, and he chews on his lower lip before replying. ‘I want to keep on seeing you.’ His voice drops to a whisper, and he leans in to my ear. ‘In case my complete inability to keep my cock out of your body hasn’t made it clear, it’s insane between us. I want to get to know you a lot better.’

I swivel my head so my lips are level with his. His beard brushes my chin. There’s no way I can be this close to him and not kiss him. Not feel his mouth on mine.

‘Glad to hear it,’ I tell him, and I take his full lower lip between my teeth.

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