Page 36 of Marrying a Billionaire

No being able to stand the palpable silence between them, Lillian turned and made her way toward the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water off the counter and unscrewed the lid.

She could feel Reed’s gaze on her as he approached. But instead of stopping next to her, he walked over to the oven where he turned it off. “Don’t want the food to burn,” he said as he smiled over at her.

Lillian nodded as she took the opportunity of his absence to walk over to one of the large sliding doors and pulled it open. The salty breeze surrounded her as she stepped out onto the deck. A large hot tub rose up to the left of her. A patio set that included a couch and chairs sat in the shade of a large, white umbrella. A multi-colored rug rested underneath it all.

She took a deep breath and glanced out toward the crystal-clear water. The white waves peaked just before the shore. Green grass danced in the wind. This place was paradise.

Lillian left her sandals on the deck and made her way down the stairs and onto the sand. It was warm but didn’t burn her skin. It rose up between her toes and the side of her feet as she walked through it.

When she got to the water’s edge, she let it rush over her toes. It was cool against her warm skin. Feeling the need to dive into the water, she stripped off her swimsuit cover and dropped it on the sand next to her.

The sound of Reed clearing his throat drew her attention over. Heat raced across her skin as she watched his gaze sweep over her body.

Blast, Cassie.

Not knowing what to do, she stood there, watching him.

“Wow,” he said as he dropped an umbrella, blanket, and a pitcher of lemonade in the sand next to him.

“This isn’t mine,” tumbled from her mouth.

He quirked an eyebrow.

“Your sister bought it for me,” she said, wrapping her arms around her stomach. Could he see the bump? Did he know? Why did she think it would be a good idea to wear a suit that exposed that part of her body?

Reed nodded as he opened the umbrella and stabbed it into the sound. “Makes sense. That’s Cassie’s style.” He squinted over at her. “For what it’s worth, you look amazing.” He shot her one of his mesmerizing smiles.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she dropped his gaze and glanced out to the ocean. Deciding that she didn’t know what to say, she waded into the water. Once she was waist deep, she dove into the ocean, letting the temperature change shock her system.

When she popped out of the water, she glanced around, trying to look for Reed. But the shore was empty. Glancing around, she tried to find him. Suddenly, something grabbed her leg and she shrieked.

Reed popped up next to her with a smile on his face.

She splashed him and took a few steps back. “Way to scare the crap out of me.”

A sheepish look passed over his face. “Sorry,” he said.

Lillian smiled. “It’s okay.” His close proximity was scrambling the sensible part of her brain. Whenever she was around him, her heart took over, causing her to say and do dumb things.

“I mean it,” he said, his expression going serious. “I’m sorry for everything I said and did. Here”—he nodded toward the ocean—“and on the beach.” He scrubbed his face with his hand. “I sounded like an idiot. And I apologize if I said the wrong thing. I promise, I’m not always this big of a dork.”

Lillian eyed him. Why was he apologizing? “You didn’t offend me,” she said as she dipped down until the water rose to her neck.

A relieved expression passed over his face. “Thank goodness. I can’t believe I said what I did. It’s just when I’m around you. . .” His gaze met hers. “I forget how to be a functioning person.”

Lillian parted her lips. It was nice to hear that he felt just as discombobulated around her as she did him. “It’s weird, huh? There are moments that I feel so comfortable around you and then other times. . .” She plugged her nose and went under the water. What was she doing? Why was she still talking? Getting emotionally involved with Reed was not what she was here to do.

Fake a relationship. Yes.

Nothing more.

When she broke the surface of the water, Reed was watching her. He had a contemplative expression on his face. She pushed her hair back and met his gaze.

“What?” she asked.

He dipped down until the water covered his shoulders. “Maybe we’re trying too hard. What if we were to tell each other something personal about our past, that will help humanize each other.”

Lillian watched her hands as she moved them in the water in front of her. “Okay. You go first.”

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