Stranded with a Billionaire (Billionaire Boys Club #1)(39)

Bront? looked up at him, chewing her lip as she thought. She shook her head. “How do I know that’s not a line you tell all the girls?”

He flipped out his phone and offered it to her. “Call my assistant. She’ll tell you how many women I’ve dated in the last year. And then ask her how many women I asked to see again. The answer is none.”

She wavered. “How would she know about your dating life?”

“She schedules my reservations,” he said with a hint of a smile curving his mouth. “She knows my personal business because it’s her job to.”

Bront? stared down at the phone for a minute, then back up at him. “Why me? You can have anyone you want. Why waste your time with a waitress from Kansas City?”

“Because you treat me like a regular guy,” he told her. This time, when he leaned in to stroke her cheek, she didn’t pull away. “Because you make me smile. Because you light up when you find a perfect quote for the situation, and I love to see that. Because you’re smart and funny and down-to-earth, and that’s a rare combination in a pretty woman. Because you thought I was no one, and you still took your top off to swim nak*d with me.”

A hot blush stained her cheeks. “I was trying to have an island fling, thank you very much.”

“But now we’re off the island,” he told her. “And I’m still interested in flinging with you.”

“Logan, I don’t know. You’re not the guy I thought you were. I wasn’t intimidated when I thought you were some guy with a hundred grand a year salary. Now you’re some guy with two hundred million dollars in businesses.”

“Actually, it’s more like two billion.”

She looked sick.

“Technically.”

“And you bought this diner just to meet with me again?” Her voice rose a squeaky octave.

“Do you want this place? It’s yours.”

She threw her hands up, shaking her head quickly. “No, absolutely not. I don’t want it. I don’t want my friends to lose their jobs just because you want me to date you, though.”

“Your friends are safe. I don’t plan on interfering with business. Improving it, yes. Shutting it down, no. I wouldn’t hurt you like that.”

She sighed with evident relief. “Thank you.”

For some reason, that irked him. It was as if she didn’t believe him when he said that her turning him down wouldn’t affect her job. “Don’t thank me. It has nothing to do with your decision. I’m not a monster.”

“So if I told you that I never wanted to see you again, you wouldn’t close the diner out of revenge?”

“I would not. Even I can take a hint, Bront?.”

She challenged him with a look. “You haven’t been very good at it so far.”

Time to be direct, then. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, kissing the knuckles gently. “I liked what we had before. I liked waking up with you beside me. I liked wrapping my arms around you.” His mouth twitched with amusement. “I liked watching you play nak*d on the beach.”

“Boy, you sure are focused on the nak*d—”

“I also liked just talking with you, and laughing with you. Just being normal Logan with normal Bront?, having a dinner of M&M’s and scavenged crackers.”

This time, her mouth curved into a smile. Her gaze went to his lips, and he continued to hold her hand close, ready to kiss the back of it.

“Will you give me another chance, Bront?? A chance to get to know you better?”

She nodded slowly. “But I want things to be normal between us. No more buying companies just to get close to me.”

He grinned down at her and kissed her knuckles again, then flipped over her hand to graze her palm with his lips. “No more buying companies. Got it.”

She leaned in, and he felt a surge of triumph when he saw her tilt her head back as if waiting for a kiss. Lust surged through him, and he leaned in and claimed her mouth, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in tight against him. His mouth conquered hers, their tongues slicking together and when they parted, she was breathless as she gazed up at him.

“Logan, I—”

He leaned in to kiss away any sort of protest she was about to make. When they parted again, she looked up at him, dazed.

“I missed you,” she blurted, and then blushed. “Wow, that just sounded stupid.”

“Not to me.” He found himself grinning down at her. “Was that Plato?”

She rolled her eyes, but was unable to stop the beaming smile that spread across her face. “You think everything is Plato.” She smoothed a hand over her hair and gave him an awkward little smile. “So, um, do you live in Kansas City, too? I thought the articles said you live in New York City.”

“I do.”

Confusion swept over her face. “Then how are we going to see each other?”

“I thought you’d come back with me,” he told her. “Stay with me for a few weeks. See if we still click.”

Her mouth worked in silent protest.

He moved in, wrapping her tight in his arms. His mouth descended on hers once more, taking her in a hard, relentless kiss that promised so many things. By the time he released her, she staggered and had to cling to him for support.“Say you’ll come with me.”