Page 308 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

Inside, I can hear the phone ringing. I groan.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “It’ll just be a minute.”

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “Do what you need to do. I’m probably going to need a few before I’m able to walk again properly anyway.”

We share a smile as I lift myself the rest of the way to my feet. He collects the towel and heads for the door while I walk over to stand at the railing above the beach to look over the ocean.

Zach goes inside,but I still feel the memory of his body so warm against mine. After a minute watching the rise and fall of the seemingly endless Atlantic, I head in after him.

I’m on my way to the nearest bathroom for a shower when Zach calls my name from another room.

I follow the sound of his voice to the kitchen, and he holds up his phone to me, saying, “It’s for you.”

“For me?” I ask. “Who is it?”

“It’s your sister,” he says.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

I take the phone and put it to my ear. “Hey, Na—”

“Where the hell are you?” she asks. “You haven’t been home in like three weeks, and your cat is tearing up the house.”

“Yeah, Sammie’s kind of an asshole if you don’t give him attention when he wants it,” I say.

“And is there any way to keep your dog from getting in the trash?” she asks. “Seriously, I’ve tried everything, but as soon as I turn my back, I hear that damn rustling again.”

“Have you been taking him for walks?” I ask.

She groans. “You need to get home,” she says. “I know I’m supposed to give you some leeway because you’re paying the rent and all, but how long are you going to drag out your rich-guy fantasy, anyway? You know you’re all over the news, right?” she asks.

“I’m aware,” I sigh.

“Don’t let your Bohemian sex trip become the only thing people ever know about you,” she says. “Besides, how much longer do you think it’s going to last anyway? Just come home. You’ve had your fun. Now it’s time to get back to the real world.”

Always a ray of sunshine, my sister.

“If you need me, of course, I’ll come home,” I tell her. “As for the rest of it, though, I’d say Zach and I are probably going to be together a while, so you might want to get used to seeing my face next to embarrassing captions at the checkout stands across the country.”

“You seem like you’re in a good mood,” Naomi says with a lilt in her voice that almost sounds like surprise.

“I just told you. Zach and I made things official,” I tell her. “We’re a couple. Seriously, though, I’ll talk to him and see when I can get back there to take care of Max and Sammie.”

“Whoa, let’s not rush into anything,” she says.

“What?”

“I didn’t know the two of you were like a real thing; I thought he was just using you for sex while you used him for money,” she says.

If only she could see the one-sided smile creep up my face. The only real perk I’ve gotten out of her studies into facial expressions is it’s a lot easier now to show her my contempt. Of course, it doesn’t do much good over the phone.

“I think that’s the nicest way anyone’s ever called me a prostitute,” I tell her.

She breaks into a loud, overdone laugh. “Oh, that’s not what I was saying, and besides, you two are in a relationship,” she coos. “This is such incredible news!”

“Seriously?” I ask. “You’re going to try doing a one-eighty and just hope I don’t notice?”

“No, not at all,” she says. “I was just trying to protect you because I misunderstood the kind of relationship the two of you have. You set me straight, though. Ouch.”

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