Page 4 of The Billionaire Is Back

“Are you crying?”

“No.”Oh my God, I’m crying.“Shut up.” I unfasten my seat belt and wipe away my tears. I can’t remember ifI put on mascara or not. I look down and see the black smudges on my fingers. Yup. I did.

“Hey.” I feel Grady’s fingers on my chin, pulling my face toward him. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head.

Everything.

Everything is wrong.

“Claire?” he whispers.

I swear it doesn’t sound like a question so much as an invitation.

It’s now or never,I think.

I don’t even look him in the eyes, I just lean in, grab his face, and kiss him on the mouth.

Or at least that’s what I try to do.

Grady grunts and moves his head to the side. My lips graze his earlobe. And then my mouth lands on the collar of his jacket.

I.

Am.

Mortified.

The song is over.

My life is over.

I feel Grady’s hand on my arm yet again, but he’s pushing me away this time. “Claire…” he whispers again. This time it’s a statement. The beginning and end of a sentence that I don’t want to hear.

“Yep.” I back into the passenger door, fumbling around for the handle. “Lost my balance.”

“Claire. I can’t?—”

“I know. Thanks for the ride. Good luck tomorrow and, you know, forever.Have fun making money.”

I finally free myself from the German-made chamber of humiliation, slam the door shut, and run to my house without looking back.

Grady doesn’t follow me.

He won’t text me.

Or message me on Facebook.

Why would he?

I’m not even one of the local girls he didn’t want getting attached to him.

I’m just not what he’s looking for.

Chapter 2

Baby, I Was Bourbon to Run

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