I shake my head. I’m not in charge of anything right this second and that is so not like me. ‘I’d better get back to...’
‘To what?’ He leans a little closer.
I manage to breathe but I get another hit of that soap and I’m brainless again. ‘Making coffee. I make a lot of coffee. But that’s okay. I actually love making coffee.’
He nods. ‘I love my job too.’
Yeah. ‘I bet you’re really good at it.’
‘So I’ve been told,’ he says gravely.
I should step back but he hasn’t released me and I’m completely immobilised. There’s another long moment where we stand too still, too silent, too close. My heart is pounding so hard he must be able to feel it. His mouth moves and he actually smiles. Everything seems awfully intimate but at the same time it’s shockingly easy. I don’t know this feeling. It’s as if I’ve stepped through a portal and now a swirling bubble of heat spreads from a secret source low in my belly. Warmth and light ripple through me, and something silkier—something forbidden. It snakes around me like a ribbon, drawing me closer. Binding me to him. I don’t want it to end.
I hear something like a groan and with a small gasp I realise it came from me.
I’m too busy. I’m too alone. But I need to be. Ava is relying on me. Romy is relying on me. Kiri is relying on me. So is Simone. And I’m relying on me. There’s no one else I can rely on.
‘You really shouldn’t be any later,’ I say firmly.
‘You really care about whether she has a good time?’
‘Yes,’ I growl. ‘I really do. And not because she’s paid for it. She’s a nice person. How people like her treat people like me and you is very telling.’
‘People like her?’
‘Obscenely wealthy.’ Aside from the whole book-the-whole-restaurant-out fact, Simone has the look—the silk clothes and gleaming jewels. Most of the ultra-wealthy people I’ve met are too used to getting whatever they want. At best they take people like me for granted and at worst, treat me like dirt. Either way I know very well I don’t fit in their world. ‘But she’s a good one.’
His expression tightens. ‘To people like you and me?’
‘Service industry survivors.’ I half smile. Bracketing myself with him feels good. ‘She deserves a good night,’ I say softly. ‘Don’t make her wait any longer.’
‘Okay,’ he agrees equally softly but he doesn’t release me. ‘I won’t make her wait...’
I’m struck by the craziest thought that he’s about to kiss me. The even crazier thing is that I’m about to let him.
‘Talia?’ Kiri’s voice pierces through the door. ‘Any luck?’
I flinch, returning to reality with a jump. He steps back. Cold air ripples over the space on my back where his arm rested. I brace to stop myself stumbling after him.
Kiri’s question slowly sinks in. I’ve completely forgotten why I came in here and I have no idea how long I’ve been standing here just—
‘Glasses,’ I remember dazedly. ‘I need to find glasses.’
‘That’s why you needed to get so close just now?’ A low laugh escapes him. ‘So you could see me properly?’
‘See your tie. Yes.’ But I can only stare at him again—his smile steals everything.
‘Sorry, sweetness. No luck tonight.’ He leans forward and kisses me on the cheekbone. It’s such a soft, swift brush of his lips that I wonder if I imagine it.
I don’t answer. I can’t. My brain is mush.
Copyright © 2024 by Natalie Anderson
Love Harlequin romance?
DISCOVER.
Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!
EXPLORE.
Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at
CONNECT.
Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!
Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection
ISBN-13: 9780369745460
Her Billion-Dollar Bump
Copyright © 2024 by Dani Collins
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at CustomerService@Harlequin.com.
TM and ® are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises ULC.
