Page 50 of Billionaire’s Game

“Yeah. This place is great. Jude, Lacey, Aidan... Everyone who interviewed me has been amazing. You’re so lucky to be related to such cool peeps. Anyway, I’ll see you. Thanks so much for setting me up with this interview!”

“You’re welcome,” I said as she sashayed out.

I turned away from the door and was about to reach for my mouse when someone cleared their throat. I turned around and it was Magnus.

“Hi,” he said. I tried not to think of how handsome he looked today. He was effortlessly virile and attractive, no matter what he wore… or didn’t wear.

My mind instantly went back to the other night. I thought of how I felt wrapped in his arms.

“Hi,” I said more curtly than I meant, but I didn’t apologize. Instead, I immediately turned away and started returning emails. I hoped he wouldn’t notice my skin flushing in his presence and my hands were shaky as I typed. His presence unsettled me before we’d slept together, but now after our rendezvous, I was a thousand times more unsettled by his nearness.

“Can we talk?” he asked, coming into the office and standing next to me. He dropped his voice so that only I could hear him. “I just want to make sure you’re alright—”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s just that you left so abruptly... I figured you were upset about what happened between us?”

I just wanted him to shut up. I was too embarrassed to deal with my emotions, especially since I wasn’t sure how I felt about anything. Apparently, he didn’t get the hint. I was torn between being upset with him and wanting to hide from embarrassment.

“Nothing happened between us,” I hissed.

He raised a brow and his voice dropped an octave, making it that much sexier. “I wouldn’t say nothing.”

I sighed and turned to face him. “Look. It was a mistake. I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it. I would rather just pretend it never happened. Like I said, it was a mistake. So if you don’t mind, I’m working...” I gestured toward the computer. “If you’d excuse me...” I let my voice trail off and I expected him to say something else, but he didn’t.

He just turned around and walked out without another word.

I instantly felt terrible. He didn’t deserve to be yelled at because of my own insecurities, but I had reacted to his presence like a cornered rabid animal. God, I felt like such a jerk. But then I convinced myself I wasn’t a jerk. I’d just been assertive. That night had been a mistake. And it was a mistake I wasn’t interested in repeating, at least that’s what I was telling myself.

I shook my head. I didn’t know what I wanted. My adventure in Florida was turning out to be more of a misadventure and I didn’t know what to do about it. I looked up from my computer and through the window which faced the parking lot.

I watched as Violet attempted to pull out of the parking lot and almost ran into Magnus who was walking to his car. She apologized profusely, and he shrugged it off, looking distracted. To my surprise, Violet got out of the car and started to flirtatiously dust him off, although he was clearly not dirty or injured in any way.

My eyes narrowed as she chatted with him. She touched his arm every now and then. I found myself leaning forward until my forehead was almost pressed against the window. She laughed at something he said and in response, he smiled a little. And then her cell phone was out and so was his.

“Are they seriously exchanging numbers?” I hissed to myself. They clearly were. I was seething on the inside.

I could see Violet smiling at him and she placed a hand on his sleeve and gave him another flirtatious smile before walking away. He watched her walk away and gave her a small wave before getting into his fancy car and zooming off.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. I was jealous because in my mind Violet was moving in on my territory. And then I reminded myself that I wasn’t interested in some womanizing billionaire.

But if that were true, why did my heart ache at the thought of Magnus seeing the one person that I considered a friend?