“I love you too.”
Chapter Nine
True to his word,Billy didn’t try any funny stuff once we got back to his hotel room. We didn’t have sex, and because I couldn’t sleep after everything that happened, Billy held me while we talked and laughed about stupid stuff. I got to know him some—like the fact he laughs easily, and he’s got a great sense of humor. I found out that he wasn’t kidding at breakfast. He enjoys law and loves working in the intellectual property division of the firm. He learned about me too. I told him about my friends, my stupid degree in linguistics, my old job, and more about my relationship with Gisele. He told me I did nothing wrong, but I know there were certainly times when I antagonized her. I poked the bear, so to speak. She was fun to rile up, but not like last night, not to the point where she drew blood, literally.
We finally fell asleep late into the night. It helped that we watched a classic holiday movie. I heard him chuckling at something “Elf” did as I dozed off. It would have been all sorts of perfect if Gisele weren’t there in spirit.
The next morning, Christmas morning, Billy ordered room service. French toast, coffee, and fresh fruit. It was exactly what I would have ordered, except maybe I’d replace fruit with bacon or sausage, but hey, nobody’s perfect. We sat on top of the bed with the yummy, warm food and ate and talked.
“JoJo,” he said with a smile, “I have an idea.”
Swallowing my big bite of French toast, I nod., “Oh, yeah?”
“Hear me out before you say no.”
Uh-oh. That’s never a good way to start a conversation. “All right.”
“I live in a two-bedroom condo with two full baths….”
Setting my fork down, I give him my full attention. I’m hearing him out.
“What if you stayed with me for a while until you figure out what you want to do.”
I’m not sure what to say, so I say nothing. Instead, I stare at him, blinking every once in a while. As he waits, I decide to say, “It seems fast.”
“It is. I’m not saying we need to live togetherthatway, but I like you. You’re fun and cool and beautiful. I’ve lived alone for a while, and I’m lonely, JoJo.”
He’s giving me puppy dog eyes, and it’s adorable. It makes me laugh.
“You could have your own bedroom and bathroom, and we could see where this thing goes with us.”
I nod, thinking about his words.
“God knows you can’t stay here.”
He’s right. I can’t stay here. My mom will probably never forgive me, so I’m definitely not going to stick around and test that hypothesis. But… “I’m not going to mooch off of you.”
Billy chuckles as he reaches for my hand. When mine is in his, he uses his thumb to rub the top of my hand. It’s soothing. “There are more jobs in linguistics than you think. Interestingly, they often hire people with linguistics degrees to help with difficult cases. I know we’ve hired a few in the past. I could help you find something in another firm.”
Yeah, because working anywhere near my sister would be a terrible idea. Not to mention that I’d need to back to school to get my masters, at least. “Hm.” I scoot closer to him so I can lean my head on his shoulder. “We do get along really well.”
“Considering there’s been nothing but drama from the second we woke up yesterday morning? Yes, we do.”
Sitting back up, I turn myself so I’m facing him. “We’ve barely known each other for twenty-four hours, Billy.”
“Closer to thirty-six hours now.”
I roll my eyes. But he’s right. It’s been longer than twenty-four hours.
He touches my uninjured cheek. “What if we did this? You pack a bag and come back into the city with me tonight. We’ll try it for a week or two. At the very least, I could help you find a job and a place to live in the city. If it doesn’t work, I’ll drive you wherever you want to go.”
A week or two. I’d have to quit my part-time job at the store. They won’t care, though. My dad’s friend owns the store. He hired me as a favor to my dad. Gazing into his pretty blue eyes, I see him. He means everything he’s saying. “I’m not like you.”
“Thank God.” He chuckles. “You’re better. Prettier for sure.”
That’s a nice thing to say, but I’m not sure. “Let me think about it. Please don’t mention this to my parents. If they thought I was leaving to live with you… well, that’s too much all at once.”
“Got it.” He kisses me. “My lips are sealed.” He kisses me again, deeper this time, and I taste cinnamon. Before he pulls away, he kisses the tip of my nose. “For the record, I think you’re perfect.”
