Page 13 of Misdeeds of a Billionaire

What could I say? I loved abs on a man. And those biceps.Jesus. I studied that tattoo that intrigued me for some reason. You didn’t see too many people with chemical elements tattooed on their bodies.

God’s gift to women, except I was certain this guy was even hotter than God himself. His five-o’clock shadow didn’t take away from his face. If anything, it gave him more appeal. Those full lips that I was certain did many sinful things. I wanted to seduce him, have him do sinful things to my body.

Glancing down at myself, I frowned. Now I wished I had spent a bit more time getting dressed. I went for comfort and casual, not hot and demure. It’d never crossed my mind that I’d see him again.

“Nice to see you out of scrubs,” he said, his voice raspy. Something about that growly tone sent a fresh flurry of tingles down my chest. My nipples hardened just from the way he looked at me, and suddenly, I knew. I had to sleep with this man. It’d be an out-of-this-world experience, that I was sure of.

I took two steps closer to their table, Billie right next to me.

“Mr. Ashford,” I greeted him, offering a smile as I smoothed a hand down my short dress. “I’m surprised to see you in a place like this. Stalking me?”

I heard the words come out of my mouth, low and breathy, and had to give myself credit. It had been a while, but I could still flirt. Our gazes met and something in his blue depths hit me right in the chest.Loneliness.

He leaned over, putting his elbow on the table, his tone dark and decadent as he said, “Do you want me to stalk you?”

I licked my lips, my heart fluttering like the wings of a captured butterfly. His gaze locked on my mouth, burning with something hot. Promising.

I caught the hint of vulnerability in his eyes that I was certain he hid from the world. I didn’t know how I knew it, but I felt it as if it were my own. Byron Ashford wore a mask, but underneath it all, I had a feeling there was more to this man than met the eye.

“I’m not much for stalkers,” I commented nonchalantly. “But I might make an exception.” I gave a playful lift of my shoulder as my gaze darted to the other two men at his table. Geez, talk about gorgeous friends. Nodding at them, I added, “Just this once.”

Ménage à trois, here I come!

“But only if you introduce us to your friends,” Billie chimed in, her eyes locking on the one with a scruffy beard and slightly bored expression on his face. But his other friend… ooh la la.

My eyes returned to Byron, something about him pulling me.

“This is my sister,” I introduced her. “Billie.”

His eyebrow arched, barely acknowledging her. It wasn’t that I wanted him to ignore her, but the fact he seemed more focused on me had my insides jittery.

“This is my brother, Winston.” He tilted his head to the man directly to his right, and now that I studied his features, I could see the resemblance. Same eyes. Same chin. Dark hair. “And this is my friend River.”

I sighed dreamily. River had every woman’s dream hair. I never cared for longer hair on men, but something about the way he wore it. Clean. Off his face. So damn sexy. The wavy locks that fell just below his chin. Just enough to run my fingers through.

Although he isn’t as sexy as my Mr. Ashford,I thought silently.

I nodded my head in acknowledgement. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” River answered, smiling and revealing a set of perfect teeth. “What brings you to France?”

“We live here,” my sister answered before I had a chance to even open my mouth. “Well, I do. Maddy is usually back in the States, attending college for her medical degree.”

I noted Byron’s brows scrunch, likely at Billie calling me Maddy when he knew me only as Odette. Only close friends called me Maddy. It was short for Madeline, which was my middle name.

“And you?” I asked curiously. “You couldn’t have come just for the sun and the sea,” I jabbed mildly.

The joke was missed on River and Winston, but Byron’s lips curved into a smile. Butterflies took off again. Why had I never felt these butterflies before?

“Work,” Byron answered vaguely.

I raised my eyebrow. “And what is work?” I questioned. “Something boring, I presume.”

River chuckled. “You can say that again.”

Byron never answered.

Chapter4