Tell Me You're Mine (The British Billionaires #1) - J. S. Scott Page 0,47

power weren’t always good for him.

Damian took his responsibilities to heart, and even though he had all that money, I didn’t think he took much time to really enjoy it.

During his unguarded moments, I could tell that he was stressed, exhausted, and worried more about his family and his company than he did about his own self-interests.

It was really hard not to like a guy who put everyone else’s needs before his own.

“I’m starting to like him, too,” Kylie confessed. “But not the same way you do. He seems genuinely interested in getting to know me and Macy. When he asks questions, he actually listens to what we have to say. I can recognize another fixer when I see one, and I think Damian is a fixer. He seems to want to solve everyone’s problems except his own. I think he’s probably an amazing older brother, and a good son. He seems…loyal to everyone he cares about, Nic. Did you know he donated an obscene amount of money to Macy’s animal charity?”

I’d started to rummage through the fridge to find some dip, but I stopped what I was doing, and pulled my head out to gape at Kylie. “That’s weird. He didn’t mention it.”

“See. That’s what’s confusing,” she said as her brow furrowed. “I don’t think he wants to talk about any of the nice things he does. He slipped Macy a check earlier. One with a hell of a lot of zeros. He was discreet, but I saw it. I don’t think he wants the recognition for helping.”

“I wonder if he does a lot of charity stuff in England,” I mused. “We could use some charity events to our advantage.”

She nodded. “I can guarantee that he gives generously, but probably doesn’t make a big deal about it. I wouldn’t put it past him to somehow donate anonymously if he can. The guy seems to have a huge sense of duty, and I’m willing to bet he sees it as his responsibility to right everything that’s wrong in the world.”

“Believe it or not, I can see that,” I agreed.

There were times when I got the feeling that Damian carried the weight of the world on his very broad shoulders.

“Do you think that you can at least consider that he might not be the man you assume he is?” Kylie asked me. “I have great spidey-senses, and he’s not alarming a single one of them. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I don’t think Damian is the type who sleeps around with every woman he sees. I think he’s completely enamored with you, and has no idea what to do about it.”

My heart skittered. “He’s the kind of man who could hurt me, Kylie.”

“Or give you multiple orgasms,” she added. “He’s scorching hot. I admit it. And it would be easy to blow him off as a womanizer because of one mistake. I don’t want to see you get hurt, but I also don’t want to see you miss an opportunity with a man who really seems to see…you. And loves everything he sees. Aren’t you the least bit tempted to throw caution to the wind and see what it’s like to drown in his adoration?”

“Very tempted,” I admitted, dropping all sense of pretense with my best friend. “But what happens if I can’t handle a simple affair?”

I felt panicked at the thought of getting that close to a man like Damian, and making myself vulnerable.

“It’s definitely a risk,” Kylie said. “And only you can decide if he’s worth it.”

I brushed a tear from my cheek. “I’m scared, Kylie.”

She ran a soothing hand over my back. “I know. I get that. Believe me. Being that attracted to someone is hard. You’re afraid that your infatuation will blind you to the truth. And God knows we have reason to doubt Damian Lancaster. Follow your instincts, Nic. If I’d followed mine before and during my marriage, I could have avoided a whole lot of heartache.”

I pulled my best friend into a big hug. I could hear the pain still vibrating through her voice when she talked about one of the most painful parts of her past.

We held on to each other silently for a few moments. When I finally pulled back, I asked her in shaky whisper, “Did you know, Kylie?”

She pointed at her temple. “I knew it here.” She moved her finger to her heart. “I just didn’t want to believe it here. I wish I’d listened to that little nagging