Page 49 of Saved By the Billionaire

Of course she didn’t know that. They were basically strangers.

She glanced at her champagne glass, which she’d almost finished in double-quick time. She’d sipped it nervously, and it had gone straight to her head.

But that wasn’t why she felt as though she were on a merry-go-round that had spun out of control. It was the realisation that there was so much she didn’t know about Roman, even when on some level, she felt as though she understood every single cell of his body. She closed her eyes against a rocking feeling, but Tia must have misunderstood, because she took Kate’s glass and refilled it.

“But I wanted to hear about you,” Tia persisted. “You’re from Australia?”

Kate nodded once.

“And what brings you to our little corner of the world?”

She could feel Roman’s gaze on her, wondered if it was some kind of test? But Tia seemed genuine enough in her interest. “Just a desire to travel,” she said with a shrug, not able to meet Roman’s gaze. “It felt about time I got out and saw somewhere new.”

“Do you like it?”

Kate relaxed her pose without meaning to, back into the sofa, and Roman’s arm was right there, a hard edge to the soft cushions, so all of a sudden, his presence was enveloping her completely, even when they weren’t touching. Somehow, she could feel his breathing, feel the vibrations in the air as he exhaled, and it made her body vibrate in an answering rhythm. She swallowed, tried to blot out her awareness of him, without success.

“I think New York is incredible,” she said, finally, trying to salvage the conversation.

Tia was watchful, eyes on Kate. “Where are you from? What state?”

“Have you been to Australia?” Kate deflected easily, sipping her drink.

“A few times.”

“So you know it?”

“A little.”

“And do you like it?”

Tia’s lips quirked, as though she realised Kate was diverting the conversation. It was a skill most people didn’t notice—they liked to speak about themselves, given the opportunity, so Kate created that opportunity. It usually worked, but she had the sense Tia saw right through her.

“I think Australia is incredible,” Tia repeated Kate’s phrasing exactly and Kate was aware of Roman stiffening at her side, his whole body tightening. She sipped her drink.

“Where did you go?”

“Mostly the east. Sydney, Melbourne, Byron.”

“Ah.”

“You don’t approve?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Where are you from, Kate?”

Kate opened her mouth to answer—after all, it was no secret—but then, whether by accident or design, Roman’s fingers were brushing her shoulder, his touch so light that it could have been just because he was shifting position, or it could have been that he needed to feel some sort of contact with her, after the morning they’d shared. It skittled her senses so she had to let out a shuddering breath before she could answer.

“The west of Brisbane.”

Tia tilted her head to the side. “I’ve never been there.”

“No, I’m not surprised. It’s not really on the tourist trail.”

“Should I go?”

Kate thought of the regional hub she’d grown up in, and felt only coldness. An ache in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t the fault of the town, though, so much as her experiences. She could see that objectively, it was a pretty enough place. “If you can stand long, hot, humid summers,” she said. “But there’s not a lot to do.”