Page 34 of Flirting with My Billionaire Enemy

He shrugs, looking out over the pasture. “I wouldn’t rule out the possibility. But I’ve sown some wild oats, and I know they weren’t too happy about it.”

“Maybe you just had to get your wiggles out for a minute.” That was what Farah always said she was doing before she met her current boyfriend. Just like a kid in elementary school. They need to get their wiggles out before they can settle down and get serious about things. Then they’re good.

Wait a second. Why am I defending Kaison like it’s okay that he’s sowing wild oats? Isn’t that what was so repugnant to me before? Now I’m excusing his behavior? And who’s to say that was what he was doing? For all I know, he’s still planning to wiggle his way over to the next girl and the next, with no serious behavior in sight.

“We should probably head back,” he says. “I have a couple things I want to look up.”

“Okay.” I take a step forward, but I’ve been so wrapped up in the idea of Kaison never finishing up with his wiggles that I’ve forgotten that my heel is broken. With my balance thrown off, I stumble into the air, falling forward, arms flapping like a panicked chicken.

But before I faceplant into a nearby pile of manure the groomsmen have yet to clean, Kaison catches me. “Whoa. Are you okay?” he asks.

I straighten and fight to ignore the fact that his strong arms are around me and that he smells like a grove of pine trees right after a rainstorm. Because I could get used to this, and I don’t want this moment to come back to me at the most random times throughout the day. My heart doesn’t always listen to my head.

I take a step forward, pretending my heel is fine again, but this time Kaison must have been paying attention.

“Hey, what happened to your heel?” he asks.

“Oh, I must have broken it,” I say.

“Is that why you’ve been walking funny this entire time?”

“You noticed that?”

He laughs. “Well, I didn’t know what was going on.”

I feel like such an idiot. “And you kept letting me walk like that? Do you know how uncomfortable it’s been to walk this way?”

“I can imagine. It doesn’t look like something I’d want to do. But then again, wearing heels sounds horrible to begin with. I don’t know how you do it.”

“I’m not a fan, actually.”

“Then don’t wear them unless you feel like you have to.”

It’s a relief to hear him say that.

“I mean, they look great on you. At least, they did before your heel broke. So I’m not complaining or anything. But if you want to wear something more comfortable, then I think you should wear what makes you happy, as long as it’s work appropriate, of course.”

My heart melts, and for a moment, it feels like we’re together. Like he’s my husband, telling me I don’t have to dress up for him if I don’t want to. But I know that’s not reality, and I have no idea where such nonsense is coming from.

Kaison is a player. As long as I keep reminding myself about that fact, I’ll be able to keep from getting my heart smashed.

16

KAISON

My shoulders are killing me from spending too much time in front of the computer for the past three days. I text my mom’s favorite massage therapist and arrange for her to come first thing in the morning to work out these kinks in my shoulders. But in the meantime, I’m going to soak in the hot tub.

I change into my swimsuit and throw a towel over my shoulders as I head to the pool area. The hot tub is situated over the pool, and there’s a waterfall flowing from it.

When I get there, Ariana is already there by herself, wearing a different swimsuit than what she had on the other night. This one is a red retro one-piece that looks like something Marilyn Monroe would have worn.

“Mind if I join you?” I ask. “My shoulders are killing me, and I could use a soak.”

“Sure, come on in.” Her voice is strained. Is she uncomfortable with me being here? But I can feel her gaze on me when I’m not looking directly at her. It’s like she doesn’t want me to see her checking me out, but I can still totally tell she’s doing it.

For someone who’s rejected me over and over, she sure does seem to be interested tonight. Is her prickly exterior an act, then? Just a front she’s putting on to protect herself? That would explain a lot, but at the same time, it makes me sad.

I don’t want Ariana to feel that way about me. I’ve grown to like her as a person these past few days. We have a lot more in common than I thought initially.

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