Page 38 of The Billionaire's Secret Desire
I glance at my laptop, then toward the hallway where Charli is probably unpacking or sketching menus.
“I’ll call first thing in the morning,” I say. “You have my word.”
“I appreciate it, man.” A pause. “You’ve got power, Gallo. We need you to use it. The town’s getting nervous. I’m getting nervous. Now that someone’s targeting schools?” His voice drops, edged with emotion. “That’s a whole different level of sick.”
“I hear you. I’ll start pulling strings.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate it if you kept me posted.”
I end the call and let the phone drop to my desk with a dull thud.
For a second, I just sit there–caught in the whiplash between that damn article and all the chaos it’s going to cause and the escalating threat in town. Charli deserves to be protected from both. From all of it.
I glance toward the hall where I know she’s working out of her new office – probably humming to herself, probably still glowing from the island sun and not yet tainted by the mess that’s about to drop into her lap.
She trusts me with her heart. With her hope.
Now I have to make damn sure no one takes that from me.
I rise from my chair, shoulders squared and mind racing.
First step–talk to Charli.
Chapter 16
Charli
“You’re sure you’re not upset?”
Sawyer’s voice has that careful edge—like he’s trying not to step on a landmine but also fully expecting one to explode. He’s leaning in the doorway of my borrowed office space, arms crossed, eyes scanning my face like I might be hiding a meltdown behind my mascara.
Spoiler: I’m not.
“Babe.” I don’t even look up from my laptop. “You already showed me the picture. Twice. It’s a cute shot. I look fantastic. I mean, look at that lighting—it’s practically a free photoshoot. Honestly, they should thank us for raising the aesthetic bar for their trashy magazine.”
He lets out a breath like he’s been holding it for hours, raking a hand through his hair in that nervous way he thinks I don’t notice. “It’s not about looking fantastic. It’s about protecting you.”
“I mean, I do, though... look fantastic.”
“Charli.”
I finally glance up and blink at him, my smile slow. “Sawyer, I’m not mad. I’m not spiraling. I’m not even a little bit bothered. It’s just a picture.”
“It’s atabloid,” he argues, stepping inside my new office. “You were blindsided. You should’ve had a say in whether your face was plastered on some trashy website with a headline implying we’re planning a double wedding.”
I laugh—actually laugh—because honestly, it’s kind of absurd. “I mean, if they had caught us mid-make-out session, maybe I’d care. But it’s one picture. Of four people. Drinking wine. At dinner. Looking suspiciously like a double date. Which, spoiler alert, it was.”
His brow furrows. “But the article?—”
“—Is garbage written by someone who probably lives off energy drinks and TikTok rumors? Sawyer.” I shut the laptop and swivel my chair toward him. “Seriously. I’m still buzzing from dolphins and mimosas and you bringing meoffice supplies. You think I’m going to let a headline kill my vibe?”
He watches me for a long second. “You’re handling this way better than I expected.”
“You? Lose your mind over a minor thing? No. Couldn’t be.”
That earns me a twisted smile, which is exactly what I was aiming for. He walks over and leans against my desk, his eyes still searching my face. “I just didn’t want you to feel... exposed.”
“I’ve been exposed plenty of times, Sawyer,” I say with a wink. “Most recently up against the wall of your yacht.”
