I nod, not liking her train of thought but also knowing better than to clarify or push it at this point.She’s almost there in accepting the idea of staying here.“Exactly.”
“Okay, I’ll stay.I’m going to take a bath.”
I should be satisfied but I’m plagued with thoughts of only an hour ago when she arrived.A rush of heat blasts through my body at the memory of our kiss.
Our fake kiss.
Only for show.
I’m full of shit.
I’m attracted to Paige Hayes, but I know better than to mix business and pleasure.I’ve got to keep my attraction in check.This deal with Paige is strictly business and having her live here will only make it easier to convince Nan how serious I am about settling down.Even still, I’m confused.I got what I wanted and yet I hardly feel victorious.
16
Paige
By the time ten rolls around, Zach is still holed up behind closed doors.He’s been working in his home office for most of the evening.Reluctantly, I pass the room I slept in the night before, wishing I could do the same again but knowing I can’t with Morgan here.Exhausted, I fall into bed, and less than ten minutes later, Zach comes in.
“You awake?”he asks in the dark.
“Uh-huh.”
“I meant to join you after dinner, but I lost track of time.Everything okay?”
“Yes.”
“JP says you didn’t eat a lot.”The faint halo of light from the closet is enough to reveal Zach removing his shirt and then pants.A lean, defined silhouette.
“Not hungry.”
“Okay.Just so you know, you can ask for whatever you want.If you didn’t like what JP suggested, you could have asked for something else.”
“It was good.Thanks.”
Standing there in his boxer briefs, he has an impressively fit physique given his high-demand office job.He spends hours upon hours behind a desk and yet it’s obvious he finds the time to be active.His membership at the Rock Club is certainly paying off.
He’s now in the bathroom and the running water and other familiar noises stream into the darkened room.Minutes later, he’s slides into bed.
With a full pillow of space between us, I lie facing him and he is flat on his back.His profile holds my attention for longer than it should—a tangle of dark wayward waves and the sharp, firm angular lines of his face.As I get to know him more, he’s a wickedly sinful mixture of pretty-boy perfect and ruthlessly handsome.
It’s peculiar how far we’ve come in only a few days.Here I am in bed with Zachary Rothwell—a billionaire and one of Canada’s most eligible bachelors.While it sounds sexier and more promising than it really is, it’s still extraordinary.
Under the cover of darkness, I’m bolder than usual with someone who is virtually a stranger and reach with my hand to lightly graze his bicep, warm and firm, and he shivers, turning to face me.This man has gone above and beyond our agreement to help me.While I’m humbled by and grateful for his generosity, I’m also curious.I didn’t get a reasonable answer as to what he stands to gain by our arrangement.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way.”I pause to mull over how best to broach what’s been on my mind for a while.
“That’s always a good start to a conversation.”He laughs.
“True.Just hear me out.How does a fake relationship help you with a new business venture?”
He sighs, briefly closing his eyes.“I need the money in my trust fund.”His voice is low and in the dark, it sounds almost like defeat.
“Your trust fund?But you’re filthy rich.What—you don’t have enough money?You need your trust fund to keep you warm at night?”
“Funny.”My comment garners a rueful grin.“I’m entitled to my trust.”He frowns, shaking his head.“I sound like an arrogant, self-important ass.”
“You said it.”Now it’s my turn to smile.“Fine, it’s your trust but it isn’t like you need it and you’ll eventually have it.”
