Page 16 of Enticing My Off Limits Billionaire

But as soon as I think that, I catch Gavin's eye, and I can see something flicker there. It's not anger, exactly, but there's a hint of something that feels like...recognition. I can't quite place it, but it's enough to make me feel uneasy.

"So, how's the project going?" Kylie asks, jumping in quickly to change the subject.

"It's going really well," Madison says, looking relieved to have the attention off of her for a moment. "It's required a lot of extra research, and I'm learning a lot; it's really letting me flex my muscles when it comes to exploring new design methods."

"That's great to hear," Gavin says, still watching me carefully. "What made you think of her for the job?"

"Like I said, she mentioned at the wedding that she's been looking for work," I murmur.

"And Quinn and I have been talking on and off for a few weeks," Madison says.

I seal my lips shut, looking between Madison, Gavin, and Kylie. It feels like there's something else going on here...something I don't necessarily want any part in.

"You didn't mention that," Gavin says.

"I didn't think it was necessary."

"You don't control who I'm friends with, Dad," Madison says coolly.

Someone clears their throat to my right, and I whip my head toward them to find one of the club's sommeliers, Trip. He gives us a friendly smile. "I wanted to make sure you didn't need anything," he says. "You look like you could use a drink, Mr. Young."

"I really could," I mutter. "Dirty martini, please."

"Madison's favorite," Gavin says, cocking an eyebrow.

Madison opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "So, Kylie, how was the honeymoon?"

Kylie gives me a grateful smile. "It was fantastic!" she says. "I've never been overseas before, and we had the best time. We hopped all over Europe—but we spent most of our time on the Mediterranean."

"My parents live in Monaco," I tell her. "It's a beautiful part of the world."

Kylie's face lights up. "We actually went to Monaco! It was amazing; the views were breathtaking."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I say with a smile. "Did you have any trouble with the language barrier?"

"No, not really," Kylie says. "I speak a little bit of French from taking the classes through high school and college, and most everyone there speaks English. Plus, we kind of went our own way and did our own thing...rented a house by the beach, spent most nights cooking."

A waitress brings our drinks over, and I take my dirty martini, holding onto it like a lifeline. I really didn't know things were this tense between Madison and her dad. If I had, I would have hesitated to accept an invitation.

...if I'd even known she would be here.

"I'm glad you had a good time," I say, taking a sip of my martini. "Did you bring back any souvenirs?"

Kylie nods. "We actually brought back a lot of artwork. I told Gavin his apartment needs a little more color."

"And I gave her permission to do whatever she wants with it," he chuckles.

"I've been trying to convince him of that for ages," I laugh. "I guess he just needed the right person; he always told me his taste was 'classy.'"

"And yours is cluttered," Gavin shoots back with a friendly grin. "You can't deny that."

"It happens when you have too many interests and too many art supplies," I shrug. "What can I say?"

Madison chuckles at our banter, but I can't help but feel like she's still uneasy. I want to put her at ease, but I'm not sure how. Instead, I ask her about the project we're working on together, hoping to steer the conversation away from her and Gavin's tense dynamic.

"So, Madison," I say, turning to her. "How's the research going?"

"It's going well," she says, taking a sip of her own martini. "I've been digging deep into the history of theatre design—the philosophy behind stage versus black box, the location of the audience, that kind of thing."

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