Page 62 of The Sexy Billionaire

“Perfect timing,” Callie says with a grin.

“I’ll get it.” Smith sighs, placing his beer on the table.

“I’ll help,” Savannah adds as she follows him out the door.

“I’m going to grab the cutlery and stuff,” Callie says, leaving us alone again.

“We seem to keep clearing the room,” I joke.

“I love my friends, but they are weird.” She smiles.

“Are you okay?” I ask her in all seriousness.

She nods. “I will be. I’ve taken a protective order out against him. Smith helped with an emergency one. I’m hoping that will be enough for him to stop.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Because the face I saw last night didn’t indicate that he gave a fuck.

“I don’t know,” she says quietly.

Silence falls between us, neither one of us knowing what to say.

17

PAIGE

“Thank you all for such a great night,” Giorgio says.

“It’s been great catching up. Don’t be a stranger,” Smith adds.

It took Smith a little while to warm up to him as he didn’t trust his intentions, but once Giorgio told him about his own breakup and what happened, and I explained that we had reached out to each other during a really hard time and have been chatting about what we were both going through, Smith dialed down his overprotectiveness which led to us all having a great night.

“Paige will walk you down,” Callie says, urging me forward.

Giorgio smiles as I follow him out the door. “Thanks for such a great night. It’s been a long time since I’ve had laughs like that.” He chuckles as we walk toward the elevator.

“They are a great bunch, crazy, but they’re mine.”

“I’m sorry for surprising you like I did. I needed to know if you were okay,” he confesses.

“I’m fine, see,” I say, doing a twirl for him.

“I see,” he says, his voice dropping an octave, which gives me goosebumps.

No.

This isn’t happening. No old feelings resurfacing, get back down into that box that is buried in the depths of my soul.

He rubs the back of his neck, which turns my attention to the thick, tensing muscles. They are nice biceps, really nice, thick biceps. And he smelled so good all night; I couldn’t stop sniffing him. He was dressed casually, yet elegant at the same time, with his designer jeans and navy polo shirt. He had a little bit of a five o’clock shadow across his square jaw and his dark hair was messily tamed.

“I was surprised to see you again,” I tell him.

He nods in understanding. “I hesitated about coming tonight. Didn’t know if it was better if I stayed in the phone or not,” he says.

Oh.

When he was an ocean away it was easier, but having dinner with him tonight, with everyone else around was nice. I think it would have been different, if it was just the two of us.

The elevator dings, the doors open, and we step inside. The room suddenly feels small with his looming presence.

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