Page 29

“No,” I said. Jay only had a limited number of days to spend with his dad, and I didn’t want him spending any of it in the car. “I’ll manage here. I promise.”

“Well, the sex gods have dropped a hot, rich billionaire in your backyard, which means it wasn’t meant to be a one-night stand.”

“Yes, it was.”

“No!” He glanced at the plate of cookies. “The sex gods are never wrong.”

“Fine.” I sighed. “What should I wear when I deliver the cookies?”

I strolled along the path that bordered the lake and through the woods to the new house that construction crews had been working on for months. I had peeked through the trees a few times to see the progress they made on the absurdly large house and wondered who owned the place.

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined it would be the man I ended up breaking my no-sex streak with. I guess if I had done my research, I would have found out that it was Huxley James. But again, I didn’t know Silver was the man buying up all the property around me.

If I had, I’d still be celibate. I think… I couldn’t pretend he wasn’t hot, irresistible, and extremely fuckable. But we were supposed to be a one-off. The age gap alone was a reason we shouldn’t be involved. Then there was the little issue of him wanting to buy my house so he could demolish it and add it to the collection of high-end bed-and-breakfasts he planned to profit from.

But even after all of that, here I was bringing the man cookies.

When I emerged from the woods, I lost my breath as the cold wind slammed into my face. It wasn’t just the wind that stunned me. This house was… Wow. It looked like something out of a magazine for the rich and famous.

Why did one man need all of this? Unless… Is that why he wanted one night with no strings? Is he married? Did I sleep with a married man? Maybe that was why his attorney gave me the evil eye. Nah, she’s just a mean girl.

I set the cookies down on the porch and took my phone out of my jacket pocket. Why hadn’t I thought to research him before I even went to that benefit? If I had, I would have known that Huxley and Silver were one and the same.

A quick search told me my fears were unfounded. There was more than one article featuring him as New York City’s most eligible bachelor. According to the headlines, he was a ruthless businessman who donated to several charities, sat on the boards of libraries and museums, and once considered a run for mayor. There were various pictures of him holding puppies and encouraging people to adopt shelter animals.

No one is this perfect.

As I vanished into all the information of him online, I didn’t realize he had opened the door and stared at me from the foyer until it was too late.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and looked into his unwavering gaze and lost my senses. He’d ditched the suit I’d seen him in earlier in favor of faded blue jeans and a tight, navy t-shirt that left none of his chest and stomach muscles to the imagination.

Not that I needed to use my imagination, considering I had seen every glorious inch of him last night. Muscles, tattoos, hot skin on mine, his skilled tongue inside my mouth, and his impressive… My throat went dry as that pleasuring pulse between my thighs preoccupied me.

“Why are you single?” I blurted out. Oh my God!

His gorgeous lips twitched upward as he took in the perfect outfit Jay had assembled for me. Faux black leather jacket I bought on clearance last summer, matching black leggings, and the cutest white hat with a fuzzy ball on top.

“I, ah… I brought you cookies.” I bent down and scooped the plate off the porch, trying not to make an even bigger idiot of myself than I already had. “I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

“That’s very polite of you.” He held out his hand for the plate. “Would you like to come in?”

“Um…” I gave him the cookies. “I don’t want to impose. You’re probably busy.”

“I’m always busy.” He widened the door. “But I could use the distraction.”

“How come?”

Stepping into the radiant foyer, I paused to take in the grand staircase. Its sweeping wraparound balcony framed the open space below, while two hallways branched out on either side, stretching outward without seeming to end.

“Your house is beautiful.”

“Thank you.” He shut the door. “I’m settling in.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said.

“Which one?” He set the cookies down on the foyer table by the entrance. “Why do I need a distraction or why am I single?”

“Oh.” I giggled. “I didn’t mean to say the second part out loud.”