The Billionaire's Island Bride (South Shore Billionaires 3)

He respected that. Even admired it. It wasn’t his life, and he wasn’t sure he’d be good at that much simplicity. But how would he know? He’d never had the choice.

He held the yarn in his hands, the soft weight of it foreign and pleasant. “Well, I admire you. And I’m kind of jealous. I graduated and went right into business with my dad. A few years later he died, leaving me everything. I was kind of thrust into the role.”

She took the yarn away from him and put it down on a table. “That sounds like a lot.”

He nodded. “I was younger than you, and a sudden billionaire with a dozen companies to oversee. And I’d lost my father, so I didn’t have him for advice or as a mentor.”

He wasn’t sure why he’d told her all that. It wasn’t as if it was a secret; his dad’s death had made the business pages and the news of his stepping into the CEO position had followed. But that last part...it made him feel a little bit vulnerable. He wasn’t sure anyone understood what an adjustment it had been. How scared he still was of failing.

And how his dad had shared his business acumen but hadn’t really taught Cole what it was like to be a man. Numbers and figures had been his way of communicating, but never anything personally meaningful. Anything he’d learned in that regard, he’d learned from his best friends.

“But you did it. And are a tremendous success,” she reminded him quietly.

“I had the support of the directors, which helped.” At least with the numbers and figures. Not so much with the loneliness.

“Until you crashed.”

“Until I crashed.”

She was very close to him now, close enough he could touch her if he wanted. And he wanted. It wasn’t the smart thing but he was kind of tired of always feeling pressure to do the smart thing. Or the most fiscally responsible thing. He wanted a chance to be human. Mess up. Get his hands dirty.

“Cole,” she said softly, and he realized he’d been staring at her lips like a fool.

“You are definitely not what I expected,” he murmured, shifting his gaze from her mouth to her eyes. “Not at all.”

“Nor are you,” she replied, and her words were a little breathless. “But this isn’t a good idea.”

“I know. I’m not sure how much I care, though.”

They’d drifted closer together until they were nearly touching. Cole held his breath as his heart pounded. And then he decided to abandon all caution and just do what he wanted to do—kiss her.

He curled a hand around the nape of her neck and leaned in, touching his lips to hers. They were soft and warm and opened a little in surprise, and she let out a small breath as he fit his mouth over hers more securely. She lifted her hand and let it rest on his arm, holding on and yet still holding back, just a little. She tasted like tea and cinnamon and vanilla, an intoxicating blend that made him think of home—or at least the home he hadn’t had but always imagined.

All too soon he shifted back, not wanting to press his case, or go too fast. There was something fragile about her he couldn’t put his finger on. Oh, she wouldn’t break. She was a strong, stubborn woman. But there was something else, a vulnerability, that he sensed in her sweetness and hesitation.

“Oh, my,” she said softly and bit down on her lower lip. It was so sexy he nearly groaned.

“I should probably get back. Everyone is leaving tomorrow, and Raelynn is cooking a farewell dinner tonight. Lobster’s on the menu.”

“Sounds lovely.” She took a step back, then frowned a bit. “Listen, Cole...this probably isn’t a good idea. I mean, you want to buy my house. Something between us muddies those waters. And I don’t plan to sell, which means we’ll be neighbors. Also awkward. So as much as I’m flattered...”

“No more kissing?” He was profoundly disappointed. He’d enjoyed kissing her very much. She was a thorn in his side, but he was starting to like her a lot. She was, as Tori liked to say, “good people.”

“No more kissing,” she confirmed. She shoved her hands into her sweatshirt pockets, a telling bit of body language h

e was curious about. Withdrawing and also protective...she didn’t have to be afraid of him, though. He would never hurt her.

“I won’t lie. I’m disappointed. But if that’s what you want...”

“It is, yes. But it might be nice if we stayed on friendly terms. It does make living on the island together easier.”

“Because you’re not going to sell.” He nearly smiled, but tried not to.

But she did, a sweet little uptick of the corners of her mouth as her eyes sparkled at him. “Because I’m not going to sell.”

He nodded, then felt compelled to add, “You know that what I am willing to pay would set you up in a house and leave capital left over to run your business properly.”

“But it isn’t home. And right now...this is home.”