Page 30 of The Billionaire's Ride

Drew better be in this box. I pull the paper away, revealing a stack of three Fredrickson sketchpads. “Oh, my God.” My face lights up as excitement and relief rush through me. He found them. Now I can sketch. I hug one of the notebooks close to my chest as if hugging a long-lost friend. I can’t believe he did this. It’s the best thing that could’ve shown up at my door.

Or maybe, second best.

Before I have a chance to wonder where he is, my phone dings.

Drew

Meet me downstairs.

Chapter Thirteen

DREW

Waitingfor Kate at the edge of the lobby, my pulse quickens, and there’s a quivering in my core. Am I nervous?

No. A girl hasn’t made me nervous since I was in eleventh grade. And that’s only because she was a university student—a real woman.

That’s what I like about Kate. She’s real in the best sense of the word. It’s also the number one reason I should turn around right now and never come back. But I won’t. Whatever happens, I’m already caught up in this. Might as well enjoy myself.

The lift doors slide open. A woman dressed in a skin-tight leather skirt and calf-high boots steps out, her heels clacking against the floor. With every step, I realize it’s her. Those legs. That waist. Those lips.

She spies me standing in the corner shadows and picks up her pace, walking so quickly she might not be able to stop herself from colliding with me. Kate’s so close now. I inhale her floral perfume and a hint of mint on her breath. Without a word, her hands grasp my leather lapel, and her lips crash into mine. Her warm mouth embraces me in a fervent kiss.

Whoa. Is this the same shy Kate from the photo shoot? The one I’ve been dying to kiss since she looked at me from acrossthe room? She pulls me closer, and I softly caress her face. My head goes fuzzy in a euphoric cloud of release and pleasure. What can I say? The girl gets me high.

She pulls back, resting her hands on my chest while mine cascade down her back along her silky hair. I don’t want to let her go.

“Hey,” I say, catching my breath.

“Hi.” Her gaze flutters away, and her cheeks glow a heavenly pink.

“What was that for?” And how can I get more?

She looks up, her green eyes glinting with flecks of gold. “My sketchpads. How did you find them?”

“You’re not the only one who’s resourceful.”

I’m not entirely sure why I did it—go out of my way to find Kate’s beloved sketch pads. Maybe it’s because she paid for breakfast—I don’t think I’ve dated a woman who’s ever opened her wallet. Or maybe it’s because Kate’s a fellow artist, and I understand how fickle inspiration can be. Sometimes, you have to manufacture it with the right tools.

Turns out, the Fredrickson factory isn’t far from London, and I was able to get them delivered by the evening. I dropped twelve hundred quid on them. She’s got champagne taste. A quality I’m used to with women. But I would send her three new sketch pads every day if it got her to kiss me like that.

“Well, thank you. It means the world to me.” Kate takes a step back, but I rest my hand on her waist, reeling her back in and praying she doesn’t run off.

“Is that how you say thank you in California?”

“No.” She giggles. “So . . . where are you taking me?”

This is the part where I want to say,to your bed, but after that kiss, I’m sure we’ll get there soon enough. “There’s a chance of rain, so I thought we could stay here and have drinks at the hotel bar.”

Kate’s lips part, and she takes a breath. “Just because I’m from California doesn’t mean I don’t like to get wet.” We both know she isn’t talking about the weather. There’s a quiet confidence in her voice that I want to encourage. Is Bold Kate coming out to play?

“It’s not raining yet. Fancy a ride?”

The corners of her pink, glossy mouth turn up in a coy smile. “I do.” Kate turns to walk toward the exit, but I take her hand and pull her back in. I kiss her hard and soft and run my thumb down the edge of her neck. To think that only yesterday, she tried to talk her way out of getting on my bike. Now, the girl can’t get enough. And neither can I.

I could kiss her all day and all night.

We zip through the streets on my bike beneath a dark sky, passing Big Ben and the Palace. London’s particularly gorgeous tonight. Behind my helmet’s shield, I’m grinning from ear to ear. There’s something about Kate. I find her exhilarating. More so than any other woman. Being with her makes me feel like a teenager again, like my life is full of fresh beginnings.

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