MR BILLIONAIRE'S CONTRACT WOMAN

m's

managing to look utterly comfortable while pushing back against everything I'd ever taken for granted. I should've let her walk away. That would

orkday without thinking about her. She was stubborn, mouthy

artists. It wasn't my typical scene, but my assistant had left a file I needed here earlier in the day. Or so she claimed. I had a hun

tting by the window, her face illuminated by the soft glow of her laptop

't this in

he door, get my file, and focus on business. But something st

de her table. She looked up, and the flash of annoyanc

down, crossing her arms. "Wha

my tone smooth. "Seems like we

s kind of place all the time," she s

the mismatched furniture, the faint scent of pas

her eyes.

trying to impress me, even compete for my attention. But Emma seemed utterly

her without waiting for an invitation.

narrowe

eyebrow. "And here I thought you we

Look, Liam, I don't know why you think you can just waltz int

in," I replied, leaning back in the chair, my

s if to drive her point home. "You're not here for 'conversation.' You'r

hat you th

," she replied, h

iance. "Then I suppose you think you kno

ainty flashing across her face, but

voice. "Because something tells m

s no mistaking the way her eye

Curious enough to keep talking to me,

ing her arms. "Believe me, it's not

"You keep telling y

hought she might storm off. Instead, she tilted her head, stu

nce you're so interested in conversatio

yebrow, intri

waste my time." She set her coffee mug down with a soft clink. "I don't c

h raw honesty, sent a thrill down my spine. I found myse

e soft but firm. "But I hav

ed her eye

t you don't enjoy th

xpression, something soft and unguarded. For a heartbeat, I thought she mig

ble," she murmure

doesn't change the fact that you're here, talking

e betrayed her. "Fine. One coffee

suppressing a smirk. "Just

r her breath as she raised her mug

lent toast, locking eyes wi

clinked her mug against mine, her smile

a's

ng coffee with Liam Kingston of all people.

yone else. Maybe it was his confidence, or the way he looked at me like I was a challenge h

ith a casual confidence. "Tell me s

an eyebrow, fighting the

y. "Anything. Something tha

g, and part of me wanted to push back. But anothe

place where everyone knows everyone's business, where people don'

hadn't expected me to actually ope

ething bittersweet. "I used to. But reality

houghtful. "Or maybe you just ha

settling over me. "I don't know, Liam

both unnerving and strangely comforting. "Then maybe you need to

my head. "You're really

ied, smirking. "But enoug

quiet places, for the kind of solitude that made me feel alive. I told him about the bo

like I wasn't just talking to fill the silence. I was sharing something re

afe was nearly empty, the soft hum of conversation fading as the last customers tric

standing up, my heart

urse."

ent, we just stood ther

hy I was thanking him, only that

ned, and he no

, a strange warmth lingering in my chest. I didn't know w

crept across my face, and for the first time