Page 34 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 3

A Whirlwind of Color - Chapter 14

Friday

I listened to our story from his point of view. The good, the bad, and the in-between. But it was mostly good as far as I could tell. I laughed at his retelling of the first time he met my parents. And I was entranced by how strong I seemed to be when our affair blew up in our faces. I understood why we left Newark. All of it made sense if we loved each other as much as he said. And how could I not believe him when he stared at me with such intensity? I was like putty in his hands.

“You thought I was unhappy because I wanted to have a career? It doesn’t sound like that had anything to do with you not being enough for me. It sounds like I wanted to…I don’t know…” I let my voice trail off. “You’ve given me the whole world. I probably felt like I didn’t deserve it.”

A smile spread across his face. “You always say that.”

“I do?”

“You do.” He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. This time he ran his thumb along my palm.

I thought him running his thumb along the back of my hand was calming. But this? I closed my eyes. It was like he could take away all my stress with one touch.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I opened my eyes. “Yes, I just…” I stifled a sigh and glanced down at our hands. “I really like when you do that.”

“I know.”

I felt the color rise to my cheeks. What else did he know about my likes and dislikes? I looked back up at him. The heat in his gaze was palpable. I had this all-consuming feeling that he knew every single thing that I liked. Probably better than I knew myself. I swallowed hard. “I think it sounds like I was still madly in love with you.”

“I hope you’re right.”

I hope so too.I was surprised by my own thought. For the first time, I found myself wanting to fit into this life. I wanted him to exist. I wanted someone to truly love me as much as he seemed to.

“If you want, we can go home and I can give you a copy of the book you wrote. You can read all about your version of us.”

I shook my head. “I kind of like your version.”

He smiled. “I wanted to shelter you from the bad so that you had a chance to remember the good instead. But it was better that you heard about everything.”

“I get it. My amnesia is basically a fresh start for us.”

“But I was wrong, we don’t need a fresh start. I wouldn’t change a thing about our past because it brought us here.” He pressedhis lips together. “I mean…I’d rather this hadn’t happened to us. I’d prefer if you knew me.”

He was older than me. Richer than me. Certainly more charming than me. I knew he was trying to make me fall for him all over again. I had overheard his plan to do just that. But it was still working. I didn’t have the urge to run. At least, not as strong of an urge. There were still things he hadn’t told me, though. I wasn’t sure how many times I had asked what happened to me, and he always skirted around the question. I was about to ask him again, but he started talking before I opened my mouth.

“You’ve barely touched your food,” he said.

Instead of focusing on the delicious meal that was placed in front of me, I had been listening to his stories. The meal was good, but I wasn’t really hungry. “I’m officially on a diet,” I said and pushed the plate aside. “Besides, I may have eaten quite a bit of ice cream earlier today.”

“You were upset?”

It was unnerving how he knew me so well. “I woke up to your brother in my bed. I tried to leave the apartment and was stopped by two security guards. And Rob wouldn’t tell me anything that was going on. I wasn’t just upset, I was frustrated and scared and…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Where were you?”

“As much as I wish it could, my life can’t just stop because you forgot who you are. I have a lot of obligations. Trust me, I wish I could have woken up next to you.”

I looked at the dark circles under his eyes. “Did you even sleep?”

“I haven’t been sleeping well since you’ve been in the hospital.”

“But I’m back now.”