Page 62 of The Billion Heirs Boxed Set

“Which is thirty shades of illegal,” I say. “Based on the interaction with your dad yesterday, I’d say he’s a man with respect for the law.”

“He is. But where I’m concerned, the line between law and chaos gets a little blurry.”

I cup her cheek. “God, you feel like silk.” I sigh. “I get it. He doesn’t want to lose you again.”

“No, he doesn’t. I understand that. But I need to stand on my own two feet, and he has to understand that.” She places her hand over mine and then slides it off her cheek. “However this ends up, I don’t regret last night, Austin. I’ll never regret last night.”

“Wait… What do you mean, however this ends up? I told you I’m all in, Carly. I meant it.”

“I know you did.” She gives a weak smile. “But you deserve better than a woman who’s broken.” She brushes past me and out the door.

What the fuck?

I grab her arm and yank her back into my bedroom. “Don’t you dare,” I say. “Don’t you dare tell me this is over. Not after you commandeered my bed last night. Not after—”

The whites of her eyes glisten, but no tears fall. “I’m still healing.”

“I know that, Carly. Damn!” I rub at my jawline, my heart doing backflips. “None of that matters to me. Only you. You matter. And maybe we haven’t known each other that long, but I already know you’re not the kind of woman who uses a guy for sex.”

“I didn’t used to be.”

“You still aren’t,” I practically snap. “You aren’t.”

Maybe if I say it enough, she’ll begin to believe it. Because I believe it. Carly is a beautiful woman, inside and out. A good soul. She wouldn’t have gone to bed with me just to practice.

And God help me if she did.

Because damn… Fucking God damn…

She whisks past me again, and this time I let her go.

I sure as hell am following her, though. We’re in this together, whether she likes it or not. One night wasn’t enough. Hell, I’m not sure if one lifetime will be.

18

CARLY

My heart is racing, but not out of fear.

I know fear. I lived fear for three years.

This isn’t that. This is just me trying to figure out how to best handle this situation without harming Austin or his brothers.

Last night was amazing. I’m a little sore from it because Austin is big. He was also rough, which was what I wanted. I never wanted rose petals and soft music. No, he got me so mindless I pretty much forgot my own name. Just as he said I would.

I was everything a woman was supposed to be when with a man. Aroused, uninhibited, passionate. Needy. Achy. Desperate.

I want more from him, but it’s not simple. My father came here looking for me. Here!

Where else did he go? How much time has he spent trying to find me?

I walk calmly—as calmly as I can—through the hallway, past the kitchen, and into the large front room. Austin doesn’t leave my side because I feel his presence, and his hand at the small of my back.

As soon as we enter—

“Carly!” Dad races toward me and grabs me into a hug. “Thank God.”

I feel the worry dissipating from him, the way he holds me tight. The way he exhales.