Billion Dollar Bad Boy (Big City Billionaires)(38)

Silver was quiet for so long that I gave in and glanced at him. He was facing the road, focused—thoughtful. “No,” he said, stretching the word out. “I'm not.”

Shifting, I faced him fully. “Then what is all this? Calling me your pet and stuff.”

The centers of his dark eyes flicked at me, then away. “It's just how I feel.”

Pursing my lips, I willed him to explain further. He didn't. “You feel like I'm your pet? That makes no sense.”

His smile was absent. “I guess so.”

“That's all you have to say?”

“What more is there?”

Sinking into my seat, I breathed in sharply. “Any kind of explanation would do.”

He went quiet again. Tapping my knee in frustration, I opened my mouth, but he spoke first. “I don't think it's possible to explain how I feel. Some things don't work like that. If they did—” It was like he caught himself, his teeth cutting together to end his thoughts.

I'd been so fixated on him that I didn't notice our surroundings. Not until he started to slow down around a curve. We'd pulled into a wide open field. I could see everything for miles, so the planes were easy to spot.

“This is...” Blinking, I swung around to press my hands on my window. “An airport?”

“A private airfield.”

His car rolled to a halt in the middle of the concrete. In front of us waited a small jet, the wings shining gold and red in spite of the cloud cover. He turned the engine off, and I felt him staring at me.

I said, “That's yours, isn't it?”

“Of course.”

Sitting back, I looked over my shoulder at him. His expression was neutral. “Silver, why are we here?”

He didn't smile, but I kept expecting him too. “I need some sun, and there's no better place for sun in February than LA.”

My mouth fell open. “You want to fly to Los Angeles?” My brain tickled with understanding. “You want both of us to go, don't you?”

“It'd be good to get away, just for the weekend.”

My eyes spun back to the jet in wonder. “I thought you said we were going to spend the afternoon together?”

“You don't want to go?” His voice was full of that soft, velvet quality unique to him.

I couldn't stop staring at the jet. It was as foreign to me as a damn unicorn. It had been years since I'd flown.

Since I'd left this city.

I whispered, “I always wanted to visit LA.”

“Why didn't you?”

There was a level of seriousness in how he asked that. I was tempted to tell him the truth; that I'd been f*cked up by a traumatic event that had thrown my whole life out of orbit.

I didn't have the heart to ruin the moment.

Flicking my fingers, I erased his question. “Things just got in the way.” What's in the way now?

“What are you doing?” he asked, seeing me pull out my phone.

My thumb moved over the keys. I was acting fast, trying to keep ahead of my nerves so they wouldn't stop me in my tracks. “I'm letting my mom know I'll be in LA for the weekend. Where are we going to be staying?”

He grinned slyly. “You're telling your mom where you'll be? Are you worried I'll do something to you out there?”

Sending the text, I gave him a pointed look. “Exactly. The address, please.”

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. My mother was calling me. We both watched as I ended the call before it came through.

He said, “I thought you were telling her our plans.”

“Texting is one thing, but this...”

“You don't want to talk to her over the phone?”

“Do you want to explain to her what the hell we're doing?” What are we doing? What am I doing? “Because I'd rather not get into that conversation.”

My phone buzzed again.

I groaned, palming my face. “Maybe I shouldn't have told her, now she won't leave me alone.”

He plucked the phone from my fingers before I could react. “Hello?” he asked. The smirk he sent me went ear to ear.

Clutching at my chest, I sputtered. “W—you—oh f*ck. Oh f*ck oh f*ck, hang up the phone.”

“Yes, Alexis is here,” he said, leaning back in his seat. “But she had to run to the restroom.” He was relaxed, his voice thick and gentle. “Who am I? I'm her boyfriend, Silver.”

My tongue felt like it was shrinking.

“It is a strange name, I know.” He winked at me, then went quiet as he listened. “Oh, we've been dating some time. I'm sure she had her reasons for not telling you.”

Shiiiiiit.

He sat up, and I could hear the rising tone of my mom. I thought she had to be angry, and I was working on how to back out of this whole mess.

“Yes,” he chuckled. “I'll be sure to tell her that when she gets back. Our waiter is coming with the check, here he is, I have to go. Yes, sorry. You have a good night too, Miss Willow.” He hung up, tossing me my phone.

I didn't catch it; it just bounced off my knee and hit the floor. “What did she say?”

“You look like you're going to be sick.” Leaning my way, he brushed my neck. “I can feel your pulse going wild.”