Page 6 of My Boss is a Billionaire

Soon she starts to relax, reclining into the plush leather, becoming more animated as she works to sell me on the town. She’s an intelligent woman.

But I’m an intelligent man. And we both know this is a dangerous game.

I didn’t walk into today’s meeting intending to spend time alone with her. After all, this isn’t my first hostile takeover, nor will it be my last.

It is, however, the first time I came ready for war, and after one glance, I changed my strategy. This time, I’m determined to sleep with the enemy.

She spoke out against me, and now she’s dying to jump into bed with me. I can feel the heat coming off her in waves while she’s trying to hide her attraction. But I catch the sneak peeks, the side looks. The way she crosses and uncrosses her legs, her skirt hiking up a little more each time. Is she even aware she’s doing it?

I had instructed my driver to take us on a town tour before we headed to my hotel. Because I wanted alone time with her. We’ve been to every corner of Springdale over the last hour. Harper has pointed out every highlight of the town and talked about the people, the educational system, and the community spirit.

Long past the time the tour ended, with Harper the most comfortable I’ve seen since she walked into the conference room, the driver pulls up to the hotel I’m staying at. The only hotel in town.

“So,” I say, breaking the silence. “Here we are.”

“Yes. Here we are.” She takes a deep breath but doesn’t remove her eyes from where they’ve been locked in a silent battle with mine. “You still owe me a drink, and your excuse for what you plan to do to Springdale.”

“I do. How about we have that drink while we have dinner?”

I can see the wheels turning in her head, the internal struggle of whether or not to trust me. I’m sure she knows the power dynamics at play: she’s here with a stranger, in a car, her new boss, a man with more money than she’ll earn in a lifetime.

But she’s curious. I can tell. She wants answers. She wants to find the beast she thinks she’s uncovered.

“I don’t know,” she says. “The food here is good. The best Italian in town.” She chuckles. “The only Italian in town.”

I give her a slow, easy smile. “I picked a great place to stay then.”

We step out of the car. I take her hand in mine, and she looks up at me, her eyes wide.

“Come on,” I say, pulling her forward. “Trust me. Let’s go get something to eat. And I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

She laughs out loud, and it has an exquisite quality—deep, sexy, rusty like I imagine she’d sound after spending an entire night in my arms. “I don’t trust you at all, Mr. Jacobs.”

“Liam.”

“You’re my new boss, as you pointed out earlier. I should call you Mr. Jacobs.”

“Do you refer to Marty as Mr. Regent?”

“Well, no.”

“Then Liam it is.”

She sighs.

The restaurant is warm and inviting, and the smells of garlic and tomatoes fill the air. We’re seated and given a complementary breadbasket. I order a bottle of one of their better wines. I can tell she’s surprised by the gesture, but takes it in stride.

She waits until the waiter has poured the wine and we’ve each had a slice of the warm bread. “Okay, tell me, what don’t I know about you?”

“Business or personal?” I tease, but not really. I’m prepared to appease her curiosity.

“Business.”

Ah, so she’s trying to stay away from getting too comfortable. Okay. I’ll appease her… for now.

I wait to begin until after we’ve placed our dinner order. When the waiter leaves the table, I sip my wine and find the words she wants to hear.

“You’ve accused me of many things, Harper.”

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