Page 83 of Billionaire Bachelor

“Smolder-y?” I echo, amused.

“Shut up.” Rosie whacks me in the chest. “You know what I mean.”

“No, Idon’tknow what you mean,” I insist, pulling her closer. “I’m just being me. I’m the same guy you’ve always known, but now that I get to do filthy-as-fuck things to you, I don’t have to hold back on the parts I used to keep in check.”

She blushes. “See!” Rosie points to her pinkened cheeks. “I’m blushing like a virgin in a strip club!I’m not a virgin, Logan!”

I hold my hands up in a placating gesture. “I’m perfectly aware, Pip, consideringmy dick’s been inside of you many times.”

I fight a grin when her flush deepens. “This is not normal for me!I donoteasily blush! But ever since the cabin, I swear I’ve done it more than I ever have in my entire life combined. It’s all your fault, Logan! You and your goddamn swoon factor! You’ve got that baby cranked up to eleventy thousand, like twenty-four, seven!”

I try not to laugh. I swear I do. But Rosie’s like a feral kitten caught in a hurricane—tiny, fierce, and ready to claw her way out by any means necessary. A whirlwind of flailing limbs and sharp, sassy quips, but fuck if it isn’t the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. The drama, the passion, the chaos, the sheerRosie-nessof it all, wrecks me in the best possible way. This beautifully flustered woman makes me so goddamn happy, my laughter just spills out.

And when it finally dies down, and she’s glaring at me like she’s about to cut off my balls, I only have one thought on my mind.

“God, I love you.”

She gasps.

A heartbeat of silence stretches between us.

Oh, fuck.

Did I say that out loud?

“Youloveme?” Rosie questions.

Yep, I sure did.

Welp, it’s not exactly the way I planned on doing this, but what the hell?

“Yeah, Rosie. I do.” I grin.

“Wait.” Her brows crinkle. “You love me like, in afound familykind of way, or youluuuuurve me?”

“Both, you nut.” I laugh, smacking a kiss on her forehead. “But mostly in a ‘it hurts to breathe whenever I think about never being able to kiss you again’ kind of way.”

“Swoony bastard,” she mumbles under her breath.

I cup a hand over my ear. “What’s that? I didn’t quite hear you.”

She rolls her eyes, but then she smiles the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. “I love you in both ways too, Logan.”

“Yeah?”

Her eyes are glassy as she nods. “Yeah.”

I take her mouth in a slow kiss, but like always, it doesn’t stay that way for long. I could easily lose myself in her all night, but we really need to finish talking first. With a groan, I force myself to pull back and lift her off my lap.

“I really need to talk to Ry.”

“Yeah, you really do.” Rosie sighs. “I’d hate to say this, but maybe you should stay at your place tonight. That way, if Ry’s datedoesend early, you’ll be right there. But if not, you can catch him in the morning before my mom’s party.”

I groan. “That would be the sensible thing to do.”

I really don’t want to leave, but I know she’s right. If I stay at my place, I’ll be there when he gets home. When I bought the building, I converted the top floor into two penthouses. I took the west-facing unit, and Ryan was quick to rent out the east-facing one, a fact Rosie wasted no time giving us shit for, cracking all sorts of codependency jokes.

It’s been hella convenient until recently because we spent so much time together, but not so much when I can’t bring Rosie back to my place without risking an awkward run-in with her brother.