Winning the Cowboy Billionaire - Emmy Eugene Page 0,25

looked up a couple of things.” He turned his phone to face her. “I was thinking we should go to this tomorrow night.”

Olli peered at the screen. “A night out in the country.” She looked at Spur. “Country music, Spur? Could you be any more cowboy?”

“I sure hope not,” he said, grinning. “Glen Ricks is playing, and I love him. He’s so good with a guitar. It’s only an hour away. I’ll take you to dinner, and we’ll go to the concert, and you know, there will be a lot of men there. Lots of smelling opportunities.” He grinned at her and put his phone in his back pocket.

She considered him, knowing she was going to say yes but wanting to drag out the moment just so he’d know she wasn’t really a country music fan. “Country music,” she said with a scoff. “It’s like you’re Texan and not from Kentucky.”

He laughed, and Olli joined in with him. “What do you like?” he asked.

“Kentucky bluegrass, of course,” she said.

“Perfect,” he said. “We’ll go to the Monroe Memorial concert next month.”

“You’re kidding,” she said as he stepped into her personal space and wrapped his arms around her. “You can’t get tickets to that, Spur. They’ve been sold out forever.”

“Maybe I already have tickets,” he said. “You’re obviously not the only one who likes bluegrass music in Kentucky.”

Olli simply gazed up at him, wondering what was happening right now. Were they a real couple? Had he been about to kiss her earlier? When he said he liked her, did he mean he was interested in her romantically?

How had this relationship bloomed so quickly?

“You don’t have to use them on me,” she said, coming back to Earth. She stepped delicately out of his arms. “The investor is coming in two weeks. We won’t need to pretend to be together next month.” She turned her back on him, because until whatever was happening between them was defined, she had to treat him as a fake boyfriend.

“Come on, Olli,” he said, a hint of frustration in his voice.

“What?” She didn’t turn to look at him.

“Don’t do that,” he said. “We’re too old for games.”

Olli picked up the pen she’d been using earlier. Her notes looked more like chicken scratch than human writing, but she could read what she’d scrawled down.

“Olli,” he said, taking the pen from her. He used a couple of fingers to gently lift her chin until she was looking at him. “I said I liked you. That’s not pretend.”

Olli didn’t know what to say.

“You said you liked me,” he said. “What did you mean by that?”

She swallowed as he dropped his hand, but she kept her face turned up to his. “What did you mean?”

“I meant that I liked you,” he said. “I meant that I don’t want this to be pretend.”

“What’s this?” she asked.

“You and me,” he said boldly, actually squaring his shoulders and clenching his jaw. “You and me, Olli. I want you and me to be a real couple.”

“Not fake,” she said, trying to put what he’d said into her own words. “Not pretend, for an investor?”

“No,” he said. “I want to hold your hand, and bring you flowers, and take you to dinner. I want to go dancing, and listen to you laugh, and learn everything about you.” He took a deep breath. “I want to kiss you, and I want to find out if I can fall in love again.”

Olli sucked in a breath, and her eyes widened at his last few words. “Spur.”

“Sorry, I said too much,” he said, stepping back. “Don’t freak out. I just…I like you, Olli.”

It had been a while since someone had liked Olli. She studied him for a moment, and then swept into his personal space and hugged him tightly. He sighed and relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her too.

“I like you too, Spur,” she whispered, equal parts fear and excitement racing through her veins. She wasn’t sure she could perpetuate a real relationship for long. What if Spur learned something about her he didn’t like?

Please just let us last until the investor is gone, she thought as she stood in his embrace. After that, if she had to, she could deal with the broken pieces of her heart.

8

Spur set down the tray of cupcakes when he reached the picnic table. His mother had left a spot for them, and he was actually surprised that she hadn’t taped off a section and labeled it desserts.

He loved his mother, but