Page 36 of Baby for My Enemy Billionaire

This will probably make things worse for us in the long run. I should stop this now.

And I can’t.

I pull up outside the bookstore, and Jade starts to get out.

“Thanks for the ride, Finn. I’ll be fine now.”

“Do you want me to come up?”

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Jade stops her hand on the handle, staring at me in bewilderment.

“What?”

“I mean…” I clear my throat. “Just to make sure that this Alex guy isn’t hanging around.”

I can see her weighing up her options, and I hope she doesn’t refuse me. I’m going to feel like a fool if she does.

“Okay. You can come up. Not for too long, though. I’m sure you’ve got to get back to Katie.”

“My mom’s looking after her tonight. She and Kenny wanted me to go out and have some time to myself.”

“Your mom?” Jade arches an eyebrow. “Does she help you a lot with looking after Katie?”

I shift in my seat before I reply.

“Well, ever since her mom passed away ten years ago. She had cancer.” I swallow back the lump in my throat. “It’s just been Katie and I for ten years.”

“Oh.” Jade bites her lip. “Right. I’m sorry. I didn't mean to…”

“It’s fine. It’s not something we’re going to bring up in early conversations, is it?” I open my door. “Anyway, shall we go up?”

The sooner we get away from talking about Marsha, the better. It’s embarrassing that, even after all this time, I still falter about my late wife when talking about her to anyone except my family. I don’t want this to be a blip right now.

I want to focus on Jade. That’s not happened before with other women, so I want to explore this feeling while I can.

If she’ll let me.

I wait as Jade unlocks the downstairs down and then leads me up the stairs towards the apartment above the store. Shutting the door behind me, I follow her, trying hard not to look at her backside swaying in that flowy skirt. And those legs…

I really need to be careful. It’s challenging to walk when I have an erection.

Jade stops at the top of the stairs, digging into her back.

“Do you want to stay for some coffee?” she asks. “I should have some. I’m more of a tea girl.” She glances back at me. “I just keep it for my friend. Maddison drinks coffee like water.”

“Sounds like she’s the female version of me.” I lean against the wall. “I love coffee as well.”

“Have as much as you want.”

The words hang in the air, and I feel like something is shifting between us. Jade seems to realize what she said because she avoids my gaze and fumbles with the lock. She can’t seem to get her hands to work properly. I step in close and ease her fingers away, turning the key and opening the door.

“There. Better?”

I’m so close to her now. If she moves back half a step, she’ll bump into me and find how much I desire her right now. For a moment, neither of us moves, and I hold my breath.

Slowly, Jade turns around. She looks up at me, her eyes fixed on my face.

“You don’t want coffee, do you?” she asks.

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