Heart of the Billionaire (Taming The Bad Boy Billionaire 7)

My abrupt silence, more than anything, cued Nick in, and he lowered the binoculars slowly and studied me curiously over the golden rim. “What night?”

I shook my head quickly, trying to brush it off. “It was nothing, just a stupid argument.”

“About what?” The binoculars disappeared, and all at once, I was trapped in the world’s most piercing gaze. “An argument between you and Rob or between that slimy bastard and someone else?”

I was paralyzed, like a helpless gazelle in the sights of a lion. Another shiver ran across my arms, and without thinking, I glanced automatically at James, all the confirmation Nick needed.

A light went out in Nick’s eyes as he turned to Robert with an expression that made my blood run cold. A second later, he was hopping to his feet and crossing over to the coatroom.

“Where the hell are you going? The show’s not over,” James said, catching Nick by the shoulders as they crossed paths. “The second half’s about to start, and—”

“Phone call,” Nick said automatically. “I’ll just be a minute.”

With that, he slipped out into the dark after Robert, and without stopping to think, I raced after him, leaving James standing in an empty box as the lights began to dim.

“Rob!”

I rounded the corner just as Nick caught up with them, two tuxedoed men in the middle of a crowded hall.

Robert turned around with a fake smile on his face, but he seemed to turn to ice when he saw who was talking to him.

Nick had never been one to mince words, so of course he got right to the point. “When James and I went camping the other day, I noticed that he was walking with a bit of a limp. You don’t happen to know anything about that, do you?”

Robert paled but held his ground, glancing nervously at the people milling about, all hurrying to get back to their overpriced seats. “What do you plan to do, Hunter? Hit me?”

Nick stopped his predatory approach, his face lightning with a deceptively charming smile. “What? In front of all these people? Why, that would be assault and battery, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, and if you lay a finger on me—”

“How about five of them, you bastard!” Nick yelled, and in the next second, he pulled back his fist and punched Robert right in the face.

There was a muffled crack before Robert fell to the floor amidst the crowd of shell-shocked people, clutching his bloody nose. He tried to speak, but words failed him, and he could only lie there, humiliated and aching.

Nick stepped over him and gave him one last look of disgust before heading back to our box. “James should have eaten you in the womb.” When he spotted me, just staring at him in disbelief, he offered his arm and a little smile. “Never a dull moment at the opera, huh?”

When we returned to the box, we found James and Abby literally on the edges of their seats, completely absorbed in the music. The lights had dimmed, the opera had started, and the two were completely oblivious to the other drama below them. One glance at the stern look on Nick’s face told me he was resolved to keep it that way.

A tray of champagne sat behind them, and Nick handed a flute to me, winking at me in the process—a silent invitation, paired with a silent promise. I waited a second to accept it, but then we shared a secret smile before settling down in the remaining chairs.

I was worried about the fight that had just taken place. Nick had most likely just broken Robert’s nose in the hall. Before ten full minutes passed, I was fidgeting restlessly in my chair.

A hand reached out of the darkness and came to rest on mine.

I stared into a pair of twinkling eyes.

“Is someone getting bored?”

I shook my head quickly, having recently come to understand full well how much James happened to enjoy the opera. “No, it’s wonderful. Sorry. I was just... Sorry.”

James fought back a smile and squeezed my hand affectionately. “Would you like to check out the rest of the theater?”

I glanced around in surprise. “Can we? Now?”

He was on his feet in an instant, lacing his fingers through mine so the two of us could steal away.

Chapter 11

ON OUR WAY OUT, NICK leaned over, and I heard him whisper to Abby, “See? I told you I’m not the only one who wants to get lucky at the opera.”