Page 83 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

Okay, that wasnotwhat I’d intended to say. At all. Ever. On my cold, lonely, distant planet or any other.

His face softened, degree by degree as he lifted his hand to cradle my cheek. “Baby, I will give you a million chances. You don’t even have to ask.”

“You w-will?” Great, now I’d added a stutter to my lameness too. Awesome. “Then why have you been freezing me out?”

“I have not. Iwouldnot. I have been helping to give birth. I’ve been holding the baby who was birthed and talking a good friend through panic attacks that he won’t be a good father. He will legit be the best father ever. And I’ve been getting a new phone after mine was destroyed and having one problem after another transferring my account. Add in the work I was already behind on and that I’ve had three different court appointments in the last two days, and I didn’t even realize that you were trying to get a hold of me.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I should have known. I should have. I’m…spiraling, Shelby. Not the first time. I’m going to have to go on meds to handle my life and I really don’t want to.”

He sat in one of my visitors’ chairs and I crouched beside him instead of sitting in the other chair like a sensible adult. But he seemed wounded, and the other chair just wasn’t close enough.

“There’s a lot to unpack in what you just said,” I began hesitantly.

“The most important thing is that my week was absolutely shit without you and Berry.” The raw honesty in his voice made my belly tremble.

I just wanted to climb into his lap and wrap my arms around him and burrow into his strength—and none of that was normally like me. I wasn’t that sort of woman. Even before David, I hadn’t been, and I definitely was not now.

“I missed you too. I’ve been such a jerk to everyone all week because I mistreated you.”

“You made a valid assumption considering my past. But yeah, it hurt. A lot.”

“I’m sorry. I feel horrible.” I reached up to brush his hair back from his forehead and my heart lurched as he grabbed my hand to kiss my knuckles. “I got to the point I didn’t even care. We weren’t…anything before this weekend and she’s legal, so what business is it of mine?”

“It’s your business just like it’s mine that you can never even download Tinder. Let me see your phone.”

I was so relieved he wasn’t mad that I almost handed it over.

Then he grinned. “Nah. I’ll make you forget those clowns.” He urged me to my feet and had me sit on his lap. Almost immediately, the fingers he’d had tapping against his hip stilled and he smoothed his palm down my legs.

I should’ve declined. We were in my professional office. This wasn’t sending the right message.

Then he drew my legs closer, his touch easing me as I wrapped my arms around his neck. This man was making me mental.

“I missed you,” I said again, not even fighting it when he took my mouth.

“That’s why you practically threatened me via hot-pink Post-it? Sign these papers now or else,” he said between kisses, his lips curving.

“I didn’t say that. I just wanted to get your attention.”

“You did that the first time we met, Sherbet. I gotta say, after watching the miracle of childbirth this week,” he shook his head as he traced the hem of my skirt with his fingers, “I’m convinced all women are rockstars. You should all be given crowns at birth. I couldnotdo that. I couldn’t.”

“Well, no, you couldn’t. You aren’t built for childbirth.” I had to laugh. “I assume we’re talking about April? She let you watch her have her child? I didn’t realize you were that close.”

“There was an issue with the midwife…” He trailed off. “I can’t discuss it. I still haven’t recovered. But yeah. I missed a lot of the nitty gritty, thank God. My brother took the brunt and he’s still talking about having kids with his girlfriend. Love is fucking weird.”

“It is.” I frowned. “I still am trying to process. You were actually in the room for some of it? While she…” I hissed out a breath. “So, let me guess. Now you’re firmly against ever procreating? If you ever even considered it, which you probably did not.”

“For me? No. My longest relationship was like two weeks. Not exactly long enough to consider such things. At least before.”

Before what? Us?

He hurried ahead. “I never went out with anyone in that mindset, either. Probably on purpose. But their baby girl is so incredible. So soft and pink and tiny. She held my finger.” His green eyes held a wondrous glow. “Not right after the delivery, of course, but when I came back in a day or two. April had a real little human and…unreal. Adeline’s so beautiful and perfect and has such perfect fingers and toes—” He broke off as my cell rang in my purse tucked into my top desk drawer.

I hesitated through two rings. I really had no desire to move. Maybe forever.

Not to mention Dex’s obvious wonder about April and Bishop’s newborn was doing funny, inexplicable things to my belly.

He raised his brows. “You should probably get that.”

“Yeah.” I sighed and slid off his lap to snatch my phone out of my bag. “Mom? What’s up?”

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