Page 58 of The Renegade Billionaire

Closing my eyes, I wish upon a star—I wish for happiness.

The inky nightsky begins to glow, announcing the sun’s imminent arrival. The air is frosty, but luckily, I run hot, and Madison’s burrowed into me, soaking up my body heat. I glance down at her and smile. She’s left a small patch of drool on my shirt, but the beauty of her relaxed face is worth it and the backache I’m sure to have later.

I should’ve woken her up. Driven us home.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I chose to hold her all night long, watching the stars and conceding that she was right. There is nothing in the world that can compare to her Georgia nightscape.

A soft groan has the corners of my lips twitching. She wasn’t that drunk last night, but having seen her in action for the last few weeks, I know she doesn’t drink all that often. How will she feel today?

Her open palm slaps against the bed of the truck to my left, then my right.

“What in the heavens?” She cracks one eye open, then squeezes them both shut. A moment later, her hands lift to my shoulders, then my face, patting as she goes as if she’s reading my body with her fingertips. “Oh, God.”

I chuckle. “How do you feel, sunshine?”

“Not like sunshine, I can tell you that. Why am I passed out on your chest?”

“Take a deep breath. All we did was talk last night. Well, you did kiss me, and I’m pretty sure you got me drunk off the fumes of that kiss, but that’s all.”

Her head lolls side to side against my chest, and then she begins to sit up. “I’m such an idiot.”

I grip her hips and press her body back into mine until she gasps adorably. I love all her sounds.

“Explain.” I don’t intend to be a demanding prick, but there’s something about her talking down to herself that irritates the hell out of me.

“Seriously?” she grumbles. Her head pops up and her chin digs into my chest. It’s not painful, just a pressure point that tells me she’s real.

“Seriously. Please explain how you’re an idiot because maybe I am too, but I had a great time last night.”

Her brows furrow, and even in the early morning darkness, I can tell she’s blushing.

This time when she struggles to sit up, I let her go. She slips to the side and rests on her knees facing me, then raises one finger into the air.

“One, I passed out on top of you. Two,” she lifts another finger. “I have a sneaking suspicion that not only did I kiss you, but you kissed me back. Three.” My grin grows wider as she thrusts three fingers toward my face. “I said some really embarrassing crap that I don’t talk about ever, with anyone. Four?—”

I snatch her hand before she can continue and hold it to my chest. “Four,” I say, “I’m thankful for every conversation we had last night because I can’t tell most people about the shitty people I grew up with. Well, I could, I suppose, but who the hell wants to hear that? Five, I can’t dance to save my life, but I’d cut off my own hand if it meant I got to dance with you again. Six?—”

“Braxton,” she whispers.

“Six, I’ve never dated, but if I were to describe my perfect date, last night would’ve been it, so please don’t say you regret it.” The thought of that burns. “Please.”

“You’ve never been on a date?”

“I spill all my secrets, and that’s what you focus on?”

“But…” She frowns. Does she not believe me? “But how is that possible?”

“It didn’t take me long to figure out that most people were more interested in what my family could do for them than they were in me. Never knowing if people want you for you or for what they think they can get from you, that motivates you to put up walls pretty quickly.”

She huffs and mutters something that sounds like “assholes,’ but I’m not sure I’ve heard Madison swear before.

“Madison.” I wait until she lifts her gaze to meet mine. “My family is…”

She lunges forward and covers my mouth with her hand.

“I don’t give a crap about your family, Braxton. In fact, I’m sorry to say this, but I already know more than I need to. I have no desire to know anything about your family unless they do anything else to hurt you in the future.”