The Billionaire's Princess - Ava Ryan Page 0,48

any possible response to that pronouncement, but a merciful new interruption saves me.

“Is that Damon?” Michele calls from the living room.

“It is,” I say.

Damon’s brows go up. “You didn’t tell me you had company.”

“You haven’t given me much of a chance, have you?” I say, taking his hand and steering him through the foyer and into the living room, where Michele stands to greet him. “You’d better brace yourself and be on your best behavior. It’s my best friend, Michele.”

“Hello, best friend Michele,” he says with an easy grin as he extends his hand. The effect is dazzling, and that smile isn’t even directed at me. “Pleasure.”

Michele blinks. I know her well enough to see her private battle with a surge of hormones as she tries to decide whether to swoon outright, but, to her credit, she recovers quickly.

“Damon Black,” she says with her usual glimmer of mischief. “You’re just in time. I was just researching you. It’s my responsibility, since I ride or die with Carly. Obviously, you get demerits for being wildly unattractive.”

Damon smothers a startled laugh. “So I’m off to a bad start.”

“Very bad.” Michele flaps a hand at her phone. “I also see that you’ve got bad credit—”

Damon and I burst into laughter.

“—and women seem to like you a little too much. So I’m not sure that I can recommend you to Carly,” she concludes gravely.

“How can I dig myself out of this hole?” he responds with equal gravity.

“Well, you’ve got a firm handshake. Plus, you brought flowers and food. So points for being thoughtful,” she says brightly.

“And there’s enough food for you,” Damon points out, making himself comfortable on the sofa.

“More points. But I’m going to leave you two lovebirds alone while I go home to read your criminal background check and work on your dossier. Also, I’m going to say a little prayer for you, because I kind of like you and hope you stick around. But Carly doesn’t like overbearing men. She gets enough of that with her father. Word to the wise.”

“Got it,” Damon says with a vague frown and a puzzled look in my direction that Michele doesn’t seem to notice. “Hope to see you again.”

“You too.” Michele turns to me for a quick hug. “Love you.”

“Love you too. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

With that, she lets herself out, leaving me alone with Damon and a sudden awkward silence as I join him on the sofa and try to gather my thoughts.

14

Carly

He takes off his jacket and tie and lays them across the nearest chair before rolling up his shirt sleeves, small domestic gestures that provoke a powerful response inside me. It’s almost like he’s home with me. Well, he is home with me, clearly, but it feels like his home is with me.

“Everything okay?” he asks quietly.

“Course,” I say in my best impression of carefree nonchalance. My thoughts aren’t completely together, and I’d rather not get into it with him until they are. I can’t decide whether I should ask him about the women or the networking first, or whether I should mention any of it at all. The one thing I’m determined not to do? Tell him about the lump of jealousy that’s sitting heavy in my chest right now.

“Good,” he says before resting his ankle on his knee, folding his hands in his lap and watching me, waiting.

I shift uncomfortably. Flip my hair off my shoulders because it seems to be getting hot in here. Struggle with my words. Come up with nothing.

“Because if it’s about the women I’ve dated…”

“Yes, and what a rich and varied assortment of them you’ve had,” I snap before I can stop myself. “You’ve applied yourself with gusto, haven’t you?”

One corner of his mouth twitches with unmistakable amusement, the bastard. “Not that you’re jealous.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Good. I’m sure you recognize that those women are in my past, so it would be a waste of your time and energy to be jealous.”

I try to be satisfied with that reassurance, but the silence and his steady gaze unnerve me. As does the primitive power of my jealousy. Which is, I admit, something I’ve never felt before.

“Only there did seem to be such a large number of them. A simple calculation based on your age and the number of pictures I saw would seem to indicate that you hook up with a new woman approximately every 2.4 days. I’m sure my clock is already running down.”

He laughs. Laughs.

“What’s so bloody funny?” I snarl.

“Where should I start?”