Page 12 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

And nearly jolted where I stood. That was some static shock. Or else the daggers shooting from her eyes had taken physical form as she let her gaze travel down my body much as I’d done to her in the doorway.

“Doesn’t seem to be your size.”

“Thanks for noticing. I have no idea who these belong to.” My voice was full of righteous indignation. I had no clue why. I didn’t owe this woman an explanation.

I just didn’t want her to think she’d been right about me. So far, I was batting precisely zero.

“Maybe one of these fine ladies?” She opened the swan lamp’s beak and removed the papers, flapping the stacks against the back of her hand.

I wasn’t even sure how she’d zeroed in on them so easily. Most likely, my choice of storage spot had caught her attention, though the stack of paper was innocuous enough.

Probably Mom Eyes. They had to be adept at seeing things in a moment that others missed entirely.

“Hey, where’s Berry?” I asked suddenly, impressed her name had materialized in my head without help. “I told TJ you could bring her.” Or maybe I’d just meant to. I shrugged. “I think I did anyway. In case you didn’t have a babysitter. She can’t stay alone yet, I’m assuming.”

“She’s eight. TJ must’ve told you her name,” she prompted.

“I can’t confirm or deny.” Now that she mentioned it, I didn’t think I’d remembered it on my own.

But it had been months, man. Toss me a fricking bone.

“Yeah, she told you.” She put the swan down with a snap and stuck the stack of numbers back in its beak. “Let me guess, this lamp was love at first sight too?”

I shrugged. “It’s kitschy.”

“One word for it.” She closed her eyes and threw back her shoulders again as she took a deep breath. Then she held out a hand. “Can we start over?”

I read vague panic in her oak brown eyes. I didn’t know where it originated and if I’d somehow had something to do with it. But I didn’t like it one bit. “I liked our first start. But sure, why not?” I shook her offered hand and wasn’t at all surprised that our palms seemed to sizzle.

Could be just on my end. My dry spell had been quite long, and Shelby Wilde was damn pretty. Especially with fire in her eyes.

Which I immensely preferred to that brief—and thankfully, gone—look of banked fear.

“My daughter likes you,” she said, finally releasing my hand after I couldn’t let her go.

I wanted to shake my hand to try to restore regular feeling but I didn’t want to seem…well, lame. Even if I felt that way while I waited for my pulse to level out.

“She does?”

“Yeah. I don’t get it either.” That look came back and disappeared just as fast. “I mean, she barely knows you. But she was excited to hear I was meeting with you today.”

“See, you should’ve brought her.”

What the hell was I saying? I didn’t have a clue what to do with kids. Maybe she’d like my Snoopy collection in my game room. God knows my father thought it was ridiculous.

And I was officially done with giving a shit about his design choices or much else. The man was hardly an example I wanted to follow in literally any way.

Shelby looked up at me as if I’d shown myself to be an alien life form. “Why?”

I jerked a shoulder. “She seemed fun. She should meet Bob. He loves kids and God knows I don’t know any he can play with. Well, Bishop’s in a year or two, I guess. It’s not even born yet.”

“No? Oh, poor April. They must be having sex hourly to move it along.” As if she’d just realized what she’d said, she flushed deep pink and rushed across the room. “Where is Bob anyway?”

I was already trailing after her and not to pursue that line of inquiry more fully.

Not entirely.

No, Bob’s current location was now my biggest concern. He normally came at any mention of his name, in case there might be treats involved.

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