Page 93 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 3
I laughed. “Yeah right.”
“It’s emotional, and raw, and real. I barely made any notes. And I’m all about making notes. I’m a professor.”
“So you didn’t go all professorly on me and mark everything up?”
He smiled. A genuine, knee-weakening smile. “Professorly isn’t a word, Penny.”
“Really?” I scrunched my mouth to the side. “It feels like a real word. I’m the author though. If I want to use professorly, I think it’s okay.”
“Yeah. I think it’s okay too.”
My eyes drifted to his lips. “I didn’t expect you to kiss me.”
“I can only resist so much temptation.” He nodded to the manuscript.
“Hence the name Temptation?”
He smiled. “I don’t know…you’re the one that titled it.”
I looked back down at the book. Now that I was holding it, I felt like I finally had all the answers. I didn’t know what time frame it covered, but I hoped it was everything I was missing.
“Full disclosure, it’s pretty detailed,” James said.
I met his gaze. “What does that mean exactly? Too much detail?”
“No, I think it’s the perfect amount.”
I didn’t recognize the look he was giving me. Amused maybe? “If there’s something wrong with it you can tell me. It’s not like I remember writing it.”
He smiled. “Just read it, Penny. I’m going to head back to the hospital for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.” I bit the inside of my lip. Was he going to see Liam or to flirt more with that nurse?
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He laughed. “I know when something is bothering you. What’s wrong?”
I hugged my manuscript to my chest, but then immediately pulled it away. That was how Scarlett had held her favorite book. I didn’t want James to think of me as a child. I lifted my chest slightly.
The amused look on his face only grew.
Damn it.“Nothing really. I just happened to notice that you seemed awfully close with the nurse…”
He stepped forward. And I held my breath.He’s going to kiss me again.
But instead, he lifted my hand and placed it on the center of his chest. “Baby, my heart beats for you.” He leaned forward, sending my own heart into a fit, and kissed my temple. “And for our children. I’ve spent as many hours as I could in the NICU. Liam is the only reason I’m going.”
“Good.” The word came out squeaky and high-pitched.
“Good.” He smiled down at me. “So unless there’s something else…” His eyes dropped to my lips.
I swallowed hard. “No, that was it.”
“You sure?” He moved a fraction of an inch closer.
All I had to do was stand on my tiptoes in order for my lips to brush against his. Instead, I closed my eyes and inhaled the smell of his sweet cologne, willing him to be the one to kiss me.
But instead of his hot breath intertwining with mine, I suddenly felt cold. I opened my eyes to see him a few feet away from me with the biggest smile on his face.
“Have fun reading, Penny.” He winked at me and walked away.
I was pretty sure he left me with my mouth hanging open. God, he had me wrapped around his finger.Temptation.I lookeddown at the manuscript. That seemed like a perfectly fitting name. I wandered over to the couch and dove into my book.
