Page 72 of The Billionaire's Rival (Bad Boy Billionaires)

“Jay, just be yourself. Feel free to be an unrelentingly arrogant asshole. All those are qualities my grandmother has herself, so it won’t come as a shock.”

His eyes widened. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.” If I hadn’t already been sure, I knew at that moment I’d fallen deeply in love with Jay. I needed to find a way to keep him.

When we stepped inside, everything was as large scale and luxurious as I remembered it. All I could think about was how the house must look to Jay. I glanced back at him. He was doing a good job of keeping a neutral face, but I knew he was feeling overwhelmed. I knew how defensive he’d always been about growing up poor. Why the hell had I brought him here if I wanted him to stay with me?

Staying with my grandparents was only going to emphasize what a different world I’d grown up in. Jay might be over the issue of me being a man, as hard as that was to believe, but my world being full of such casual wealth might be even harder for him to dismiss.

Maybe give him more credit.

I couldn’t let that little voice inside my head give me too much hope.

My grandmother opened the door before I could knock. “Hello, Ford. It’s so nice of you to visit us.” Of course she would put it that way when she knew we were there to hide.

I kissed her cheek. “It’s been too long.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce your friend?”

If she’d give me a chance. “Grandmother, this is Jasper Rollins.” I gestured toward Jay. “Jasper, this is my grandmother, Julia Wainwright.”

She held out her hand and they shook. Jasper smiled at her. He was charming, but he held himself stiffly. He was behaving like he had to me at the club before everything changed.

“How do you know my grandson?” she asked.

“We’re on the same tennis team at our club, and we are both attorneys.” His voice was crisper than usual, polite but not warm. I couldn’t believe how much he’d changed in the days we spent together.

“That’s nice, would you like some refreshments?”

“No, thank you,” we both said.

“Grandmother, I’d like to show Jay the grounds once we’ve put our things in our rooms.”

“Don’t worry about your things. I’ll have someone take them up. I think your grandfather is out in his workshop, at least I suppose he is since I’ve not seen him in sometime. Dinner will be at 6:30.”

“We’ll be back and freshened up by then,” I said.

Once we were far enough away from the house that my grandmother wouldn’t hear, I looked at Jay. “So, is this what you expected?”

He shuddered. “She’s terrifying.”

“I told you.”

“I thought you were exaggerating.”

Was there any chance this could work? “She’s obviously a whole lot different than your Gran.”

“Yeah. I can’t even imagine what was it like to grow up here.”

“My grandparents love me. I know that even if they don’t always know how to show it, and obviously I didn’t want for anything.”

“But was she always so…distant?”

“Maybe not at first, not right after I lost my parents, but for the most part, yes. Once you get to know her, you’ll understand when she’s trying to care, but I don’t think anyone ever showed her much affection.”

“Including your grandfather?”

“I think by the time they married she was already so much herself that he didn’t really know how to. He cares for her.” I sighed. “Their relationship is hard to explain.”

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