Page 56 of Falling for the Wrong Billionaire

We move in easy rhythm, her dress brushing softly against my legs as I guide her across the floor.

I lower my voice so only she can hear. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

Her gaze darts up to mine, surprised. “Why would you say that?”

“Because you are,” I murmur simply.

She looks away, her cheeks pink.

I grin, leaning just a little closer. “What are you thinking about?”

She lets out a breath, her lips quirking up in a faint smile. “That I probably stepped on your toes at least five times already.”

I laugh at that, and she laughs too — soft, genuine, and it feels like the whole room fades away.

We keep swaying, and I find myself murmuring little things just to keep her smiling.

We talk about the pets back at the clinic — Pip and Nibbs’ latest antics, Buddy’s habit of stealing socks, Boomer’s refusal to walk on wet grass.

She laughs at every story, her eyes lighting up, and I can’t help but drink it all in.

Her.

Here.

With me.

I catch myself thinking, maybe this could be it.

Maybe this could be the start of forever.

The thought settles deep in my chest, warm and heavy, and I don’t try to push it away.

Not this time.

Not when she’s looking at me like this — like she’s just as surprised as I am to find herself here.

The song slows to its end, but I don’t let her go right away.

I just hold her there, in the middle of the floor, her head resting lightly against my chest, and I close my eyes.

For the first time in years, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Chapter twenty

Lucy

The next day, the morning sun is already high when I reach the lighthouse.

It’s quiet here, the kind of quiet that seeps into your skin and forces you to breathe slower, softer. The ocean stretches out in front of me, endless and glimmering under the pale light, and for a moment I just stand there, letting the salty air wrap around me.

I’ve always loved this spot. The cliffs here feel like the edge of the world, like a place you could stay and forget everything else.

Which is exactly what I’m trying to do.

I spread my little blanket on the grass a few feet from the lighthouse and sit, pulling my notebook and pen from my bag. Pip and Nibbs immediately curl up on either side of me, warm and comforting in their usual way.

I glance at them, smiling faintly as they settle in, then turn my eyes back to the water.