Page 55 of The Billionaire's Rival (Bad Boy Billionaires)

Jay was scowling at me when I ended the call. “You’re not going after these people yourself,” he said.

“You don’t get to make that decision.”

The intensity in his eyes as he held my gaze made me shiver. “I will tie you up and keep you here. You’re not going to risk yourself again, not for me, not for Miles, not for the ownership of a warehouse.”

My breath caught. I was angry, but also turned on as hell. “I’m the one who’s protecting you.”

“Somebody has to protect you from being foolish. When you ran out of the care center today….”

“I knew what I was doing.”

“They could have shot you.”

“I calculated the risks.”

He held my gaze “Did you?”

“Yes.” I hadn’t. I just knew I needed to stop those men. I wasn’t going to let them hurt Jay or his Gran.

I turned back to the stove and dropped the pasta in the now furiously boiling water. “Carter is coming over to talk strategy soon. We should eat once this is done.”

Jay moved so close I swore I could feel the heat of him. “Or—”

“No. You’re not distracting me from cooking again.”

“Could I help then?” I looked over my shoulder. Jay was grinning. He loved that he’d surprised me. “I can cook pasta.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

He used my pasta scoop to stir the noodles and keep them from sticking while I tasted the sauce once more and decided it was done. I let Jay watch over the pasta while I got plates and a bottle of wine.

“I would think you were trying to seduce me with all this, but we both know how unnecessary that is, especially after your performance today.”

“What performance?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know how hot you looked racing out to do battle and bringing that man down like he wasn’t way bigger than you.”

Heat rushed to my face. “I told you I knew how to defend myself.”

“You didn’t warn me how horny it would make me.”

Had he really been turned on by that?

“You’re like a walking example of competence porn.”

“What about you? Undefeated at tennis, the youngest candidate for partner in your firm’s history, literally a self-made man.”

Jay rolled his eyes. “It’s hard fucking work.”

“And you think I don’t know how to work hard?”

“No, not exactly, but you do things so effortlessly. You make it all look so damn easy, all while living like this,” he gestured around the house. “And you’re actually reading the books on the shelf and listening to the records and cooking in your high-end kitchen.”

“And you like that?” I asked. “It’s hot?” If he knew I spent most nights sitting in my antique chairs reading books he’d find pretentious, would he think that was sexy?

Jay’s cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink. “Yeah.”

I smiled as I nudged him out of the way and plated the pasta. “Good to know.”

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