Page 8 of The Billionaire Who Hated Me (Until He Loved Me)

“Because I heard you say that you did.”

“Do you make a habit of listening in on private phone calls?”

I start to chuckle but realize that maybe her sense of humor isn’t as finely crafted as her thighs.I stifle the laugh.“No, ma’am,” I say.“In my defense, you were quite loud.Plus, the airpark is public property.”

Well, maybe not.After securing the StellaR Tech contract with Naval Intelligence last year, my brothers and I bought the airpark from the county.We handle the maintenance and carry the insurance, but leave it open for public use.

“Hmm,” she says, arms still tight under her breasts.But then she does the damnedest thing—she lets the tip of her little pink tongue slide along her bottom lip, leaving a wet streak on that plump flesh.

And just like that, I wonder if maybe I’m in over my head.I want to grab her and kiss her, though I’m too much a gentleman for something like that.But my dick has a mind of its own, and I force myself to think of our next round of contract negotiations to get it to behave.

I've never seen a woman quite like her.Sure, there are plenty of beautiful and brilliant women in the Navy, and I admit I enjoyed the sight of a shapely officer in her dress blues as much as the next man.I dated a few of them over the years, in fact.Maybe even had a relationship or two along the way.And I’ve certainly met women in business who were beautiful and sharp.

But there's something about this woman that I've never encountered before.I'm not quite sure what it is.Maybe it’s that expensive hard shell that can’t hide the hint of sweet softness underneath.It makes itself known with all that gorgeous red hair—all natural, I can now see—those green eyes, and that delicate, feminine face.And that body…

Contract negotiations!

“I’ll take you where you want to go today, and maybe from there you can find another driver for the duration of your stay.”

She sighs, irritated.“But the older lady said—"

“Elsie?”

“I think that’s her name.You know her?”

“Of course.”

“Well, she told me that the only driver she has—”

“Clem.”

“Right.”She rolls her eyes.“Anyway, she says Clem’s wife is in labor and she has no idea—”

“Angel’s in labor?That’s wonderful news.It’s their first.”

The woman blinks, like she’s struggling to be polite.“So I was asking my assistant to see about getting a rental car delivered here from Carson City, and that’s when you snuck up behind me and nearly gave me a heart attack.”

She’s a drama queen.Of course she is.

“Well, I am leaving now.I have a vehicle, right there in the lot.”

She pulls her lips tight.

“Scout’s honor, I'll stay on my side of the car and give you your space.”I offer her a polite smile.I don’t blame her for being cautious.Every woman should be.She has no way of knowing this, but I’m the kind who keeps people from harm, not the other way around.Turning my back on a stranded traveler isn’t even an option.“I’ll carry your bags.”I glance at the three giant suitcases and wonder if she’s moving to Sweetbriar.“If I can lift them.”

She sighs.She’s got to know I’m joking.No one would look at me and think I was a wimp.I'm six-foot-four and a solid 230 pounds.

She surveys the parking lot, peering at the beater Ford Super Duty pickup.The beast belongs to Winslow, who runs the airpark office.She frowns.“It’s not like I have a lot of options, so I guess this will have to do.”

She heads off to the truck and I follow behind, one hard-sided, Volkswagen-sized suitcase under an arm and the others rolling behind me.I get a nice view of her ass as she navigates the uneven gravel, and I feel like a real jerk for not correcting her as she pulls open the passenger door of the pickup, rusted hinges squeaking.

I walk past the truck toward my Jeep.

“Hey!Where are you going?”

I pull the key fob from my pocket and open the back of my shiny new Jeep Rubicon, then shove her suitcases inside.I hear the gravel crunch behind me.

“What was that—a test?You wanted to see if I’m a snob?Just for assuming a cowboy like you would drive a truck like that?”