Page 54 of The Thing About My Secret Billionaire

Not that it was only lust that sparked the incident on the stairs. No. There is definitely something else that happens when she looks at me. Something more than a crotch stirring.

It also stirs things in my brain, like some cells in there have been lying dormant my whole life, just waiting for her to wake them up.

And then there’s the thing in my chest, like unscrewing a cap from a carbonated drink that’s been given a good shake.

If I were all woo-woo, I’d say it’s the feeling you’d get if you looked at someone you’d met in a previous life.

But I am not.

So I’d never say anything of the sort.

And it’s not like there could ever be any future in something with Frankie anyway.

How could there ever be any future in it when I’m living a lie?

But…

No buts, Miller. There are no buts.

Fuck, what a fucking mess. And every bit of it has been made by me.

All this nonsense needs to get itself right out of my head before I lose sight of the one and only reason I’m here—Skinner and what he started seventeen years ago when he ruined everything for my family.

And I need to not forget that I have my actual job of running my fucking business to do.

“I mean exactly what I said,” Brooke replies. “You were supposed to have a video conference with a guy from the city about the building permit for the Seaport project. He wasn’t happy with the sprinkler plans, remember?”

“Shit. Yes. The sprinkler meeting. Of course.” I turn away from the view of the back door to the house that Frankie just closed behind her and pace across the loft. “I forgot it was today.”

Getting that guy to shut up about the sprinklers, which are totally compliant with all laws, regulations, and codes, is crucial to getting a building permit in time to start construction on schedule. And I have a lot of money on the line with this building. Alot.

“Okay, let’s first deal with how panicked you sound,” Brooke says, like she’s using me as practice for how to calmly deal with a toddler tantrum.

I’m more baffled by my own behavior than panicked.

I’ve never forgotten about a meeting in my life. Never had anything business-related just fall completely out of my head.

Maybe my tunnel vision about getting Skinner back has clouded my judgment and distracted me too much.

Or maybe it has nothing to do with Skinner and everything to do with the woman I was just kissing and about to…Christ, whatwasI about to do?

I push my hand into my hair. “I’m not apanicker, Brooke.”

And I’m not. I pride myself on always keeping the coolest head in any negotiation. That’s how you get the best deals. But fuck me, I was already rattled enough by the unexpected feelings Frankie’s stirred up inside me. Layer on the realization that those feelings are making me lose my business focus, and my nerves are now in uncharacteristic freefall.

“I know you’re not,” Brooke says. “That’s why I’m worried about you letting this Skinner thing get out of hand.”

There’s a pause while she takes a sip of drink.

“Anyway,” she continues, “I apologized profusely and told the city guy that you’d been called out of town on an emergency. I didn’t mention donkeys.” Another pause while she lets out a small, quiet burp. “Excuse me. Then I said I’d send him some new plans with the tweaks he’d requested. Therearenew plans with tweaks, right?”

“No. I refused to make any changes because the sprinkler locations are perfectly fucking fine as they are and the guy is just being a pen-pushing ass.”

“Okay, well there’s going to have to be some tiny change somewhere now that I’ve said that. I’ll talk to the architect and get him to do something that justifies me claiming there are tweaks but is so barely noticeable that you’ll be happy with it.”

“I’m so sorry I’ve wasted everyone’s time.” I twist my fingers into my hair and let out a long sigh.

“It’ll be fine,” Brooke says, sounding more maternal by the second. “Because I begged and groveled and basically refused to get off the phone until he agreed to reschedule the meeting for next week. It’s now on Wednesday. It’s in your calendar, and I’ve set every notification, bell and whistle to go off half an hour before. So, as long as yourphone hasn’t been flushed down a toilet, you shouldn’t miss it.”