Page 27 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
It was so sweet that he was saying it, but he couldn’t be sure of that. Derek and Brenda were Ellie’s parents. The adoption wasn’t final, and they could change their minds. Plus, Molly didn’t have the finances to fight them. Josiah paid her well, but her parents had deeper pockets. If Brenda and her brother had changed their minds, there was nothing she could do. She didn’t even know where they were or if they were even together anymore.
“That’s really sweet of you, but knowing my mom, she wouldn’t have said anything if she didn’t think there was a possibility of it happening.” She turned and pulled away from him, stopping at the end of the crib to watch Ellie sleep. “She’d said something before I began the adoption process, but I had no idea she was still thinking about it. I honestly thought it was settled. I don’t have the money to fight it.”
“I do,” Josiah said.
She looked at him. He was a good man, and she appreciated his offer. “I—"
“Molly, I’m a billionaire.”
She barked a tiny laugh. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I just need a second to figure out what I’m going to do.”
He crossed the room and stopped in front of her. “No, Molly, I’m a billionaire. Do you remember a few years ago, that lottery that rolled over forever? The one that was so big that people were buying hundreds of tickets at a time?”
Now that he said it, she did. She’d even purchased a ticket. Of course, she’d known it was a waste of a dollar, but it had been fun to dream. “Yeah.”
“My brothers and sister and I won it. That’s how Bear bought this ranch. We won that lottery. I’m a billionaire.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow.”
“That’s what I thought.” He chuckled nervously. “I’m still not used to it. Nothing about me has changed. I’ve invested some of it and given some away, but for the most part, it’s just sitting there.”
Based on his truck, she believed it. It wasn’t new, and if he’d been changed by money, the truck would have been the first thing to upgrade. He was a Texan, after all. “You’re the anonymous person who paid all those medical debts off, aren’t you? The one in the story who was all over the news and social media?”
A tiny grin spread on his lips, and he shrugged. “Yeah.”
As much as she appreciated his offer, she couldn’t take his money. It wouldn’t be right. “Still, this isn’t your problem. I need to take care of this.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You’re my friend. Your problems are my problems.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your mom is not taking Ellie.” There was a determination in his voice…and it was kind of cool. The normally happy, easy-going guy was inMortal Kombatmode.
Molly placed her hand on his forearm. “I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you. What you’ve done already is more than I could have ever dreamed of. I’ve loved being here.”
His arms dropped to his sides. “You aren’t. I’m offering, and I’m telling you, Ellie is staying right where she belongs. With you. I have a friend who is a lawyer. He’ll point me to the right person.”
Molly hugged him around the chest. “I don’t know how to say thank you.”
“I like hugs,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “So this works.”
The hug continued, and the longer he held her, the more she wanted to stay right where she was. Closing her eyes, she inhaled, drinking him in and reveling in his comfort. For the tiniest moment, she could picture them standing just like this while they watched their children playing in the backyard.
Leaning back, she lifted her gaze to his, and the battle between her head and her heart hit an all-time high. She wasn’t going to date. It was a promise, a sacrifice she was willing to make for Ellie, but…her stomach twisted in a knot as the battle reached a new intensity.
She palmed his cheek, and her gaze drifted to his lips. She’d never wanted to kiss someone as much as she wanted to kiss him.
Josiah covered her hand with his and touched his lips to hers. She slid her hand along his jaw and rested it on the back of his neck, drawing closer and soaking up his warmth. The soft kiss continued, and she couldn’t get enough.
As she circled her arms around his neck, his arms tightened around her. She’d always wondered what a foot-pop kiss felt like, and this had to be it. The kind that melted her brain, turned her inside out, and made her forget that problems existed. It was the kind of kiss that made her rethink everything.
He broke the kiss, and she held his gaze. She had no idea what he was thinking. For that matter, she didn’t know what she was thinking. Well, other than she liked it. A sweet kiss from an equally sweet guy.
“Look, I’m—” he began.
Before he could finish the sentence, she cut him off with another longer kiss. The first one was amazing, and this one was even better. Either he was just that great at kissing or she was falling so hard a peck on the lips would have knocked her socks off. It didn’t take a lot of thought to decide on the latter of the two. This time when it broke, she smiled sheepishly. “It was a quality control check.”
The corners of his lips quirked up. “How’d it go?”
“I don’t know yet.” She hadn’t planned on kissing him, but she could feel the apology coming from him. There didn’t need to be one. Not that she wasn’t confused, because she was completely confused. She just didn’t want to shut down the possibility that it could happen again.
His gaze dipped to the floor, and his cheeks turned the most adorable shade of red. “Is it okay if I thought it was great?”
