Page 44 of Billionaire's Coastal Haven

“Why?”

“Helping my dad keeps me busy.” She says the words like I can’t possibly understand the importance of her position or the enormity of the stress she’s under.

“That’s an excuse. You care about the house, and it’s driving you crazy that you won’t let yourself climb those ridiculous stairs to visit the estate every day.”

“You don’t know anything about me.” She puts her face in the water and swims away from me.

I won’t let her get off that easily. I catch up with her, my longer arms and powerful legs giving me an advantage against her diminutive size. “Whose fault is it that I don’t know you?”

“Go away.” She maintains her stroke.

“Not until you talk to me.”

“If you’re swimming correctly, your face is in the water. Not talking.” She regains her form, kicking hard to outpace me.

I tug on her leg. “Come on, Comet. You can’t ignore me forever.”

“You won’t be here forever. You’re not staying the whole two years it takes to build everything. I’m sure you have other business that will call you away sooner or later. I can ignore you until then.”

“But why would you want to?”

“Please, Landon, just leave me alone.” The pleading in her voice makes my heart lurch. It’s like talking to me is physically painful for her. That doesn’t make sense.

It was a kiss. Well, several kisses that spanned at least fifteen, twenty minutes.

Filled with fire and want.

Not pain.

I didn’t hurt her.

I would never hurt her.

“We’re having this conversation. You kissed me. That means something, and I can’t pretend it doesn’t.” Before she can respond, I swim in the other direction.

I don’t check behind me to see if she resumed her swim, but by the time I get to the buoy, she has almost reached the other end of her makeshift swim lane. My toes are almost numb, but I spend another ten minutes swimming past her just to be close.

She needs to know I’m serious about spending time with her and talking through our issues, even as I subject myself to the first stages of hypothermia.

She’s worth it.

She’s still swimming laps when I make my way to the beach, peel out of my wetsuit, and wrap myself in warm clothes.

I could drink the coffee to speed the process, but I wait for her. She swims another three laps before she glides toward shore. When she hits the breakers, she stands and removes her swim cap. Her hair cascades over her shoulders, and my mouth goes dry.

Definitely hypnotic.

As our eyes meet, I try for a friendly smile, but she stops walking. With a little shake of her head, her fists ball at her sides, and she closes the distance between us.

I hold up the thermos. “Breakfast.”

“I asked you to leave me alone.”

“I did.”

“Do you want an apology? Is that what you’re after?”

“What do you have to apologize for? I haven’t been so turned on in years.”