Page 197 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

“You said $50, right?”

I didn’t respond. She must have taken it as confirmation.

Suzie reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet.

I dragged my hands over my face, my stomach tight with dread. “You’re going to get us both fired!”

Fiddling around with money just a few feet away from a cash register, with no security camera in here? This was beyond asking for trouble. It wasbegging.

“Relax.” Suzie dug around in her wallet and produced a crisp $20 and five $1s. She folded the wad and tucked it into my jeans pocket, poking it down inside with her fingers. “There’s your down payment.”

I touched my pocket, about to pull the money out and give it back. I thought of the groceries I needed, the burned-out lightbulb in what passed as a living room in my house.

I pulled my hand away and reached out to her.

Suzie blinked at my hand. “What?”

“Shake. Never mind.” I dropped my hand.

Suzie snatched it and shook way too vigorously.

The door to the café opened.

I jerked away from her and whirled, a greeting already on my lips. The words died as Carter came strolling up, smiling, his eyes glued to mine. I couldn’t move, staring deep into them.

Suzie let out a startled sound. “Oh, Carter!”

Carter looked right past her, straight at me. “Hi, Megyn,” he said. “Hi… Susan.”

He knows that’s not her name. That’s a deliberate slight.

I looked to Suzie to see how she’d react when her idol messed up her name. She had gone from my side, hurrying around the counter to the bathroom, already fiddling with her hair as she went.

I did my best not to look annoyed. I should have known Suzie wouldn’t be any help. She was too concerned about her appearance to get any work done.

“What was that about?” Carter asked, coming up to the counter and leaning his elbows on it.

“I don’t know,” I lied. “Can I get you something, sir?”

“You know my name is Carter,” he said, voice low and husky. “Enough with the ‘sir’ stuff, please. I’m no more or less important than you.”

The customer was always right. I agreed. “Okay, Carter. What can I get for you? The usual?”

“I don’t want any coffee.”

“Okay, so are you interested in one of our pastries? Maybe a sandwich? The croissant—”

Water ran in the bathroom sink. I swore internally, cursing Suzie.

Carter strummed his fingers on the counter. “What I want is to have dinner with you.”

I licked my lips, nervous, though I couldn’t tell if they were good nerves or bad ones. “I can’t really leave work. And I don’t know you.”

“Don’t you?” he murmured. “Because I’m pretty sure I know you, Megyn.”

I gulped as with that one sentence he shattered my hopes of anonymity. He had figured it out, despite my best efforts.

Carter tipped his head and looked up into my eyes, his expression so solemn and serious I almost couldn’t stand it. “I just want to talk, that’s all. I promise. I’m so used to having meetings at restaurants. They make me talkative.”

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