Page 28 of The Billionaire's Pawfect Match

The words, exactly what I wanted to hear and yet shocking all the same, take the wind out of me. For a long moment, I just stare at Emily, the candles casting dancing shapes across her face.

“Oh,” is all I can seem to manage.

She bites her lip and looks down at the floor, sheepish. “I want to be here tonight. With you… with Baxter. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Her words heat me up from the inside out, a bubbling ball of lava that could melt ice. The moment is so perfect, I don’t even want to respond. Why end something so pristine?

But then Baxter whines and paws at my leg.

“He has to go out.” I try not to sigh in disappointment. It’s not the dog’s fault that he has to pee right now. “Be right back.”

I clip Baxter’s leash on and take him down the stairs and to the green space alongside the building. He quickly pees then goes about sniffing. I let him have a couple more minutes before whistling him back.

To my surprise, he comes right away. It used to be I’d have to go over to him and clip his leash back on.

“Good boy.” I rub his head excitedly, loving how much Emily’s positive influence is impacting our lives. If only my dad could see me now.

Back upstairs, I’m shocked to find a flannel blanket from the closet spread across the living-room floor, candles arranged around its perimeter. Emily has been busy.

“I hope that’s okay,” she says. “I thought it might be fun?—”

“It’s perfect,” I respond, hoping she can tell that I’m not blowing smoke.

The doorbell rings, breaking the moment. “Wow,” I comment, going to the buzzer. “That was fast.”

The delivery person comes right up to the front door, the bag of food still hot and steaming. After tipping him, I head into the living room, thinking I’ll put the food down then grab some plates, but once again Emily is one step ahead of me. She has plates, forks, and napkins set on the blanket, as well as two glasses of water.

“You move fast,” I comment.

She shrugs in an adorable way. “I just wanted to be helpful.”

“You’re more than helpful,” I say, wanting to tell her just how much she already means to me but holding back.

We take our seats, surrounded by dancing lights and the hum of an imperfect city, finding perfection in the simplicity of a delivery dinner on a blanket. It’s nothing like the galas and networking events I’m often at, but it feels truer, somehow. Real.

Baxter lies on the floor, watching as we eat, conversation ebbing and flowing naturally. There’s laughter, too. It’s the sound of walls coming down, of distances closing.

It’s been so long since I let myself get close to someone like this. It’s been… since never.

“Isaac?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she says, her gaze holding mine.

“Anytime, Em.” And I mean it — every single word.

The candles burn lower, wax pooling at their bases. I want to freeze tonight, keep it safe in the hollow of my chest. At least I can comfort myself with the possibility that this might not be our last evening together. If I don’t find a way to blow tonight, hopefully this will be the first date of many.

Baxter inches closer to the blanket, giving us his best puppy-dog eyes.

I slap my forehead. “It’s his dinnertime. Sorry, one second.”

I scramble to my feet, retrieving Baxter’s food from the kitchen. The pup follows closely, wagging his tail excitedly. Emily merely watches, a soft smile dancing on her lips. Home never felt this warm before, and even though I know she has to leave eventually, I really wish she wouldn’t.

As I feed Baxter, Emily tidies up our impromptu dining spot, stacking plates and collecting the leftover cartons. Her actions are gentle, her movements clean and assertive. I jump in, folding the blanket and grabbing the broom from the closet.

“No need to clean everything right now,” she says, a small smile playing on her lips. Her eyes shine even under the dim light.

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