Page 7 of The Billionaire's Most Unexpected Triplets

“That means a lot coming from you,” I say honestly. Even though I don’t plan on selling to him, there’s a lot to admire about the man. He single-handedly built his empire, and if anyone knows what consumers want, it’s him.

He takes a sip of his wine and leans back in his chair, studying me. “So tell me. What’s next for you? What are your plans for the app?”

“Aren’t you hoping I’ll say to hand it over to you?”

He chuckles. “Humor me.”

“Well, we’re always looking to expand and improve the user experience. We’re also planning on adding a feature that will allow users to leave reviews and ratings for the restaurants they visit through the app.”

“That sounds promising,” he replies, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “And what about you? Do you have any personal goals you’re working towards?”

I hesitate for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about Jack’s gaze is disarming, and I find myself opening up to him more than I had planned.

“I want to travel more,” I admit, taking another sip of wine. “I’ve always been passionate about food and culture, and I want to experience more of it firsthand.”

Jack nods, his eyes never leaving mine. “I can relate to that. There’s something special about immersing yourself in a new place, isn’t there?”

“Yes, exactly. And I want to use those experiences to improve my app even further.”

The waiter hovers in the doorway. Jack holds up a finger to ask him to wait, and he basically melts back into the shadows.

“My company can take GourmetGlobal there,” Jack says. “Under my guidance, it can achieve more than you ever dreamed of for it.”

I suck in my bottom lip. I’m sure that he means that, but I’m also sure that we both have different ideas of achievement.

“I’m sorry,” I say, “but you and I are very different. I’m sure you’ve looked me up, and I’ve looked you up too—”

“Oh, have you?” He grins, and heat flashes through me.

Is he flirting?

Never mind. I need to get my head back in the game. I can’t afford to be distracted.

“With all due respect,” I say, “I don’t want my app to be absorbed into a large conglomerate. I like how personal it is.”

He tents his fingers. “Do you also enjoy having to sell shares of it?”

This time, my skin warms up for an entirely different reason.

“I can offer you a great sum for your company.” His gaze is unyielding. “Enough that you could hit the ground running with another startup, with cash to spare. Or you could never work again should you choose.”

My heart races. This is a huge opportunity, and part of me is tempted.

But I know how I would feel were I to give up GourmetGlobal. Sooner or later, I would know I’d made a mistake.

“I appreciate the offer,” I say. “But GourmetGlobal is my baby. It’s not just about money.”

Putting my napkin on the table, I stand. “I want to be transparent in that I came here intending to say no yet again, and I’m sticking with no. I don’t want to waste any more of your time, so I’ll be leaving now.”

“Wait.” He touches my wrist, and I freeze.

His touch sends shivers down my spine, the power of his presence passing through his fingers and into my skin.

“I understand your loyalty to your app,” he says, his voice low and smooth. “But I hope you know that I wasn’t just offering you money. I was offering you a chance to grow your app in ways that you can’t even imagine. Ways that you will find satisfying.”

I highly doubt that, but I also don’t think I could make him understand my values. He has a reputation for being ruthless, and it seems we’re just cut from different cloths.

I pull my wrist away from him gently. “I appreciate that, and again thank you. But I have my own vision for GourmetGlobal, and I want to see it through.”

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