Page 53 of Meet Jon, the Billionaire

“Well shit, I didn’t think I was going to get to drive a yacht for the first time when I woke up today.”

“Are you having fun?”

“Yes,” she said. Then she glanced over at me. “Are you ready to talk to me, yet?”

“Hang on. Decrease the throttle and we should keep drifting for a bit.”

“Aye Aye, Captain.”

“Right now, you’re the captain. I’m just your humble first mate.”

“Humble, yeah, right,” she said with a laugh. Then her face grew somber. “So. Are you going to tell me now? Because I have to admit, Jonathon, I’m kind of freaking out.”

“I’m sorry.” I took her hand. “This is something I should have told you right from the start, Amy—”

“Oh fuck it all, you ARE married.” She stood up and turned her back on me, pacing to the edge of the bridge deck. “Why didn’t I see this coming? Of course the perfect guy is going to be taken already. Fuck me.”

“Hey!” I went to her and put my hand on her shoulder, gently turning her to face me. “I’m not married. I promise.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Then what do you want to tell me?”

I sighed. “You know, when you first got out of your car at the tournament, I thought ‘that is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.’”

She smiled. “That’s nice… but if you’re buttering me up, that only makes me more nervous that you have something really bad to tell me.”

“I’m not buttering you up,” I said, taking her hand firmly. “I’m trying to tell you how I feel.”

Her eyes widened. “Go on.”

“I like you, Amy. A lot. More than I would have thought possible given we haven’t known each other for a week.” I sighed and dropped my gaze to the deck. “But there’s something I’ve been keeping from you. A pretty big secret.”

“For fuck’s sake, Jonathon, will you just spit it out already?” She yanked her hand out of mine and glared at me in exasperation. “Or I seriously am going to throw you right the fuck overboard and run you over with your own boat.”

I grew tight lips. “All right. I’m the new owner and CEO of Acme Bread.”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded.

“That means that I’m competing with your bakery, directly, in a bid on the corner lot right next door to Breadcetera.”

“Uh-huh,” she said again, her tone neutral.

I frowned and looked at her askance. “You’re… why are you not surprised?”

“Because I knew already.” She arched her brows. “I knew after our first date.”

“Oh. Why didn't you say anything?”

“Well, I guess I was waiting for you to come clean and admit it yourself.” She cleared her throat, dark eyes growing cloudy. “I kind of wish you hadn’t waited so fucking long to do it, but better late than never, I suppose.”

I took her hand again, and she did not pull away. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I was afraid that, well… you wouldn’t want to see me anymore. And that thought terrified me.”

I realized I was speaking the truth, and I was more shocked than she was. Nothing terrified the Tiger before. But with her, it was different…

“It does kind of make things awkward,” Amelia admitted. Then she looked me in the eye and put her hand on my cheek. “But I really do want to keep exploring where this goes.”

“I’d drop out of the bidding war in a heartbeat if I could,” I said quickly, taking her hand off my face and kissing it. “Seriously. But the shareholders would riot, not to mention the firm—”

“Hey, I understand business, all right?” She gave me a sharp stare. “Did you think I wouldn’t understand business?”

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