I would like you to kiss me.
The memory had him biting back a hiss of need. Damn if he didn’t want the same thing. Most people thought he had a thing for tall, leggy blondes because they were his most frequent piece of arm candy. But the truth was, that particular type always left him cold, and it was precisely the reason why his former mistresses all looked like real-life Barbies. He would always be in control with women like them, whereas with voluptuous, dark-haired beauties….
(Women like Tilly Wakefield)
There was every fucking chance Logan might just end up like his father, whose life had been completely ruined by his decision to let his dick rule his supposedly mega-sized brain.
Put a fucking end to this before it’s too late.
That was what his common sense was ordering him to do. She was a potential danger to him, being exactly his type, with her silky dark tresses, innocent eyes, and hourglass curves. Reneging on the contract he signed with Heart’s Match would cost him a fortune, but at least he would be safe from the clutches of obsession. Money, he could easily recoup, but once this woman had her claws buried into him, and she turned out to be just another money-grubbing bitch like his own mother…
Get rid of her.
But instead, his gaze slowly moved up to take hers captive.
He watched her swallow. Saw her chest rise and fall even more quickly than before. And then her tongue was slowly slipping out to wet her lips.
Fuck.
Tilly could barely breathe, much less think. The billionaire was suddenly gazing at her with hungry, dark eyes. Almost like a wolf about to eat its morsel of flesh, and oh, how she wanted to be eaten—
The unexpected sound of nearing footsteps startled both of them, with Tilly straightening self-consciously while the billionaire jerked away as if she was suddenly contagious.
A moment later, one of the security guys working the graveyard shift appeared by the doorway. “Mr. Hardwall!”
“Good morning, Sam.” The billionaire’s tone was calm, almost languid even, that it felt like he was daring the younger man to jump to conclusions.
Which Sam the security guy was obviously struggling not to do, Tilly couldn’t help noticing, with the way his curious glance kept flicking towards her direction.
“Welcome, um, back, sir.”
The billionaire simply inclined his head in acknowledgment, leaving Sam to awkwardly fill the silence.
“I shall get going. Sir. Ms. Wakefield.”
“Tilly please,” she said quickly, but this only had Sam smiling rather uneasily as he backed out of view. She turned back to face the billionaire, her gaze searching his beautiful face for any clue to his thoughts. But it was as if he had this perfectly impenetrable mask on, and it was so convincing that Tilly couldn’t help wondering if she had imagined those last few moments they had been alone with each other.
Because the billionaire looking at her like she was the hottest little thing he had ever seen…
Nah.
That made even lesser sense.
So she had to be imagining it—
“Thank you for the soup. I apologize for not being here when you and your sister arrived. I hope to make her acquaintance soon.”
Especially since the billionaire appeared abruptly and inexplicably hell-bent on getting away from her.
“It’s fine—”
“Perhaps we can talk more tomorrow.”
“I’d like—”
“Good night, Ms. Wakefield.”
“Um…”
But she was already talking to dead air, and Tilly’s voice trailed off as she was left staring blankly as the billionaire practically walked out on her, almost as if he had an urgent need to place as much distance between them…like, well…like she was the one who had suddenly turned wolf instead, and he was her prey?
Chapter 4
Leaves rustled, and trees slightly swayed as a cool, crisp autumn wind blew into the apple orchard and tickled the cherubic cheeks of the one-year-old toddler in Tilly’s arms.
Liam gurgled in laughter, and Tilly couldn’t help cooing, “You are so, so, so cute.”
The one-year-old beamed back at her. “Cute,” he repeated back, and Tilly couldn’t help giving him another hug.
“Isn’t he irresistible, you guys?” she just had to ask her friends.
“Absolutely,” Harry averred.
“If only his uncle could be just as cute,” Charlotte grumbled.
Tilly burst out laughing, and even the angelic Harry was unable to suppress her smile.
“I’m serious, though,” the other woman insisted.
“But surely you can’t mean that,” Tilly exclaimed in feigned confusion. “You might as well have said it’s possible for Mr. Hardwall to look anything but beautiful—”
Harry had trouble keeping a straight face. It just seemed so hilariously wicked and naughty every time she heard Tilly refer to her own husband as Mr. Hardwall.
“And having studied him from every angle—” A grave expression settled over Tilly’s features. “I can only beg to disagree. Logan Hardwall, ladies and gentlemen, is physically flawless.”
And with the look of exaggerated adoration on Tilly’s face, Charlotte appeared fit to throw up at the declaration, and Harry could no longer help doubling over in laughter.