Billionaire's Second Chance (Billionaires #16) - Jennifer Hartley Page 0,18

super busy with work.

“I’m going to bed now,” I said as I climbed the staircase. “Goodnight.”

“Night, sis,” Scott called up as he went around to turn off all the downstairs lights before going to bed himself.

After I brushed my teeth, I climbed into my bed and wrapped the blanket tightly around me. I tried to imagine what it felt like to be wrapped up in DeShawn’s arms. It was for the best that he was gone. I needed to stop being so ridiculous and stop getting sidetracked by silly fantasies of things that weren’t going to happen or work out. I had too much stuff to do here to spend any more time thinking about my brother’s best friend. I would wake up early in the morning, and I wouldn’t give him a second thought. Our one-night-stand may have turned into two, but it wasn’t going to be three, and that was for the best.

8

Deshawn

“I don’t care what it costs, just change the meeting,” I said into my phone as I paced the length of my hotel room. “If the client is that temperamental about shifting a meeting back a few days, then that’s not a client I want to have anyway. Yes, yes, I know, but here’s the thing—I don’t care about the small stuff. Just move the client, please.”

When I hung up the phone, I had six more calls just like that one to make. It was worth it, though. A little money lost and a little inconvenience; maybe a few pissed-off and disgruntled clients—none of it was more important than being able to stay in town a little longer. I spent the morning canceling and moving meetings until I had cleared the next few days on my schedule and made sure that no aspects of the company would self-implode in my absence. I still hadn’t even dealt with my parents’ house; there was that still looming on my long list of things to take care of as well.

But the only thing that was at the front of my mind was Clara. I knew that if I could get her alone again, we wouldn’t be able to resist each other. I knew that she wanted me, and for whatever reason, she was just trying to push me away. I still needed to figure out what that reason was, though. I didn’t want her to do it again. I was already dying to have her a third time.

Scott was another thing I’d have to figure out. There was only so long that we could sneak around without him getting suspicious and only so much that I could lie to my best friend without feeling like a complete piece of shit about it. Maybe that was the reason Clara had pushed me away. Maybe she was afraid that Scott would be mad. I didn’t know what to do about that one. I’d have to give it some more thought. But for now, all that I needed to do was to make sure that I could stay in town longer to figure everything out and spend as much time as I could with Clara.

It was more than just the sex. I mean, the sex was amazing, but it was more than that. For as long as I can remember, she was just the person that I wanted to be around. And then, when she got older, I wanted to be around her for even more intense reasons. Instead of that feeling fading when I moved away, it had continued to grow.

“Hey, Scott,” I said when he picked up the phone. “Great news—I’ll be in town for a few more days.”

“Really? That’s great! How come?” he asked. He sounded like he was outside, and I could hear the choking engine of that broken tractor in the background.

I thought up a quick lie that would be relatively believable. Actually, it wasn’t even a complete lie. There was some slight truth to it.

“Estate stuff,” I said. “Still have some things to do with my parents’ house, and the estate attorney isn’t keen on my leaving town until I finish it all.”

“Well, hey, I’m sorry that stuff is being such a pain in the ass for you but glad we’ll be able to spend some more time together before you have to pull out,” Scott said.

The mention of the words “pull out” immediately made me think of taking Clara against the wall of the stables last night. Damn, I needed to get my head on