The Billionaire's Christmas Bride (Big Bad Billionaires #3) - L. Steele Page 0,18
you," I snicker.
"Thanks." She tosses her head, "Doesn’t get you off the hook. I’m still leaving." She marches past me, snatches up her handbag from where she’d placed it on the bar counter.
She heads for the door, then pauses, to rifle around in her purse.
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
Wait for—
"You asshole." She turns on me.
"Alphahole." I correct her.
"You took my phone."
I lower Max to the floor and he darts off toward the kitchen. I follow him, shut the door that leads from the living room, then lean against it.
"You did, didn’t you?" she grumbles.
"If you mean that piece of shit technology that went out of date…"
"Hey, don’t insult Hedwig."
"Hedwig?"
“My phone, you idiot."
"Who gives a phone a name? Wait, you named your phone after the owl in Harry Potter?"
"Wow." She swallows, "You placed that?"
She stares at me, her gaze taking on that familiar googly-eyed look.
I hold my hands out in front of me. "Don’t go reading anything into it. And for the record, owl post wouldn’t work, in real life," I mutter.
"What do you mean?"
"It’s a scientifically-proven fact that owls can’t stay in flight while carrying packages."
"Just because it isn’t supported by science, doesn’t mean it doesn’t work."
"What do you mean?" I frown.
"Magic, remember?"
"Which is what you believe in, of course? Stars and unicorns and all that girlie shit."
Her face heats, "You could do with believing in a little of that yourself."
"When you’re kidnapped and starved for days, and tortured to within an inch of your life, you lose faith in all that stupid stuff very quickly," I snap.
Her features scrunch up, "I’m so sorry for what happened to you and the Seven."
"I’m not. If it weren’t for that incident, I’d still be naive—"
"Like me, you mean?"
"You said it." I let my lips curl.
She frowns, "Why am I debating this with you?" She holds out her hand, "Give Hedwig back to me."
"Sorry, I can’t."
"What do you mean?"
“I can’t remember where I put it." I grimace.
"What?"
"If you find it, you can keep it." I raise my shoulders.
"He belonged to me in the first place."
"He..." I shake my head, "It…the phone's mine now."
"No, it's not."
"Alas, poor Hedwig, he’s going to have to spend Christmas without you, I’m afraid."
Her features contort, and I am sure she’s going to stamp her foot and rage, and have a full-on tantrum. This should be interesting. I head to the armchair by the fireplace, drop into it, then pick up my novel.
"The hell are you doing?" she squawks.
"Reading."
She makes a snarling sound at the back of her throat. I hear the thump of her toolkit satchel hitting the floor, then a softer crash—that’s her handbag—followed by the soft sound of her wet clothes hitting the wooden floor. Good. Footsteps approach; the next second she grabs the book from my hand.
"Hey, you only had to ask."
"I did, for my phone. Remember?"
"I mean the book." I lean back in the chair, fold one leg over the other.
She peruses the cover of the book, then blinks. "Harry Potter? You’re reading Harry Potter?"
She glances at me, with…stars in her eyes, once more.
Oh, no, no, damn it. "Why do you think I recognized your reference, which I can tell you, is way too obvious. You need to up your game, Buttercup."
Her features tighten.
Bloody fuck, I shouldn’t have insulted her…but what the hell? I need to live up to my reputation as someone who doesn’t give a damn about anyone else… Besides, that strange gooey expression of hers… It scares the shit out of me. Har, har. Ask me to perform a complicated bypass, I am there. Ask me to try to figure out why I have this strange push-pull reaction to her, and hell, if it doesn’t flummox me. Time to set this right and lay down the rules. We’ll see then, how she copes. Fuck that hint of hopefulness I’ve spotted on her face throughout the evening. It is time to show her what I am actually made of.
"Don’t let the fact that I am reading the Potter fool you."
"God forbid," she mutters.
"It’s only so I can keep up with my older niece."
"How many nieces do you have?"
"Two…and I am not answering any more questions."
"Like I care."
"I think you do, actually. And I have to warn you right now."
"What?"
"Don’t fall in love with me, Buttercup. You’ll only have your heart broken."
7
Amelie
My jaw drops. Again. The arrogance of the man. "I wouldn’t fall for you, if you were the last man on earth.