Tapping Her (Bad Boy Billionaires #1.5)(32)

“I’m not sure yet either,” I told Walter. “Maybe you’ll know once you lick yourself in a few rooms.”

He meowed in agreement, a huge step in the right direction, and then leaned his head toward me so I could hook the thin leash to his collar.

I hopped out first and helped him to the ground so he wouldn’t hurt his paws. The picture of us together was ridiculous—confirmed by the Realtor’s face on the first day. Kline Brooks, the eccentric billionaire who goes nowhere without his cat.

Far from the truth, but luckily, all I’d had to say was “my wife loves this cat” for the sweet, middle-aged woman to understand.

“Mr. Brooks,” she greeted us as Walter and I climbed the small hill of the driveway.

“Hey, Helen,” I replied, watching with never-ending fascination as she got down on her knees and greeted Walter with strokes and kisses.

“Hello, Walter,” she cooed in his little kitty ear. I swear, this cat was catnip for women. But I guess most of them did love a good *.

Holding out a hand, I helped Helen to her feet, and we made our way toward the front door. A huge front porch lined the entire front of the house, and a swing hung in the far right corner. Soft tan siding covered the guts, and tasteful black-and-white accents made up the trim, shutters, and door. So far, so good.

“From what you’ve told me, I think this one is really going to hit on all of Georgia’s tastes. Simple, updated, but with a ton of character in the moldings and fixtures,” Helen explained as she worked the lockbox to retrieve the key. “It’s just gone on the market, and I think it’s priced pretty fair, so there’s a good chance it’s going to move fast.”

“And how much property?” I asked as I glanced down at Walter.

“Just over four acres. The backyard is large and well-maintained, but we’ll get to that. I think it’s got a lot of possibility if you’re thinking about more pets.” She smirked and shrugged. “Or maybe some kids?”

I just laughed, not about to discuss my family’s future plans with Helen before discussing it with my wife, but I appreciated the woman’s sentiment. She could tell I wanted to make a home for Georgie that had room for all the possibilities.

Nothing made me happier than making Benny happy, and Walter on a f*cking leash beside me made that really f*cking apparent.

“And you told the seller about the quick close?”

“Yes. They’re completely on board. If you’re interested and pay a premium,” she said, cocking her head and smiling. Almost everyone got motivated when you paid extra. “They’ll happily close by the end of this week. But, that does mean we really have to make a quick decision.”

I hummed my agreement. I’d know by the end of the tour. Georgie had been laying down plenty of information about what she preferred and what she didn’t while she helped me with my parents’ Hamptons house, and I’d been storing it all up like a f*cking library.

As we stepped through the front door, Walter took off and pulled the leash right out of my hand. Straight through the large, open space, he immediately settled in front of the wall-to-wall glass windows at the back and started licking himself. I took that to mean he liked it.

“Isn’t that adorable?” Helen commented, putting a hand to her chest and sighing. Apparently, Walter knew how to lay on the swoon. I, personally, didn’t f*cking see it, but what did I know?

“So it’s five bedrooms, open floor plan, as you can see. The kitchen is huge, maybe a little overdone for the rest of the house, but it’s beautiful. Antique white cabinets and fresh quartz counters.”

She spoke, and I listened as I walked, scanning the space and immediately picturing us living there. Everything reeked of Georgie, from the dark wood floors, to the serene blue-gray on the walls, and when the kitchen came into view, it hit me. She and me and little blue-eyed babies carefully perched on the edge of the counter. I could see spilled milk and lazy Sundays and more goddamn happiness than my chest could contain.

“The floor is—”

“This is it,” I cut in, knowing I’d spend some of the best years of my life here.

“Don’t you want to see the bedrooms? And the basement? And the backyard?” Helen asked rapid-fire.

“Sure,” I said, because I knew I shouldn’t buy a house I hadn’t even seen in its entirety, but this was it. I knew it on a cellular level.

This. This was the home my wife would love and had never once asked for. All the things I’d ever hoped to find in a woman lived in her. When she looked at me, she didn’t see anything other than love and her one true match—and maybe a big dick.

“Why don’t you go ahead and call the seller while we walk the rest?”

“But what if you see something you don’t like?” Helen asked.

With a gentle hand at her elbow, I tried to convey just how sure I was. “Helen, the only thing that’s gonna stop me from buying this house is a body in the basement. And even then, I might overlook it if they can give me a good reason.”




“Okay, Walt. You have to stay in the car for this one.”

A hiss and swipe of his claw.

“I get it. I know you know where we are. I’m not really sure how you know because you’re a cat, but I know you know.”