Page 14 of The Billionaire's Secret Desire
Her head snaps toward me, eyes flashing. "Of course I'm in the way, Sawyer. I'm sleeping in your house, tripping over your routines, taking up space in a life that was fine without me. I'm in the way, whether or not you want to admit it."
"No. You're not."
She huffs a breath, like she’s gearing up to argue, but I hold up a hand. "I get it. You’ve been in survival mode so long, you don’t know what it feels like to just exist without apologizing for it. But you live here now, for however long you want to, Charli. This isn’t a temporary favor. You don’t have to shrink yourself or earn your keep every second of the day. Whether or not you believe that yet—I do."
She looks away, jaw clenched, and her voice drops to something raw. "I'm just trying to stay out of your way, Sawyer, until I can figure something more permanent out. You didn’t sign up for this. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the help—really, I do—but I don’t want to be another thing on your list. Another problem you have to manage."
Her words crack slightly at the end, not quite a whisper, not quite steady. Like she’s fighting back everything she’s been holding in. Like if she says one more thing, the whole dam might break. And damn if it doesn’t twist something in my chest.
I lean forward, elbows on my knees. "No, I didn’t. But I’m not exactly regretting it either."
She freezes.
I see the shift in her eyes. The vulnerability behind the fight. And for the first time since I met her, she doesn’t throw a sarcastic quip back. She just nods.
That little nod feels like progress.
Ghost, ever the attention hog, trots over with a proud little prance, her ears perked and tongue lolling, and drops her soaked tennis ball directly into my lap with a wet, unapologetic plop, like it’s a royal offering from her new kingdom of betrayal.
Charli chuckles. "See? She still loves you."
I sigh and toss the ball across the yard. "Yeah. Barely."
But I catch the smile she tries to hide.
And I let myself hope, just for a second, that maybe she won’t disappear after all.
The kickball season kickoff meeting is tonight, and apparently, we’re all acting like it’s the damn Super Bowl. I show up at Hibiscus Harbor Park, expecting to sneak in, grab my team’s jersey, and duck out before the drama starts.
Instead, the entire parking lot is buzzing with people—tents, coolers, lawn chairs. Someone brought a Bluetooth speaker blasting early 2000s pop.
And the Walking Ladies? They showed up in matching tracksuits and gold sneakers, power-walking laps around the park like it’s a parade route.
At one point, they broke into a full-on synchronized dance routine to “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC—complete with finger points and a dramatic final pose. The crowd lost it. Someone handed them foam fingers, which they immediately dual-wielded like senior citizen ninjas. It was the chaos that only makes the night better.
I spot Charli almost instantly across the field. She’s with Kendall, Sunni, and the rest of her team, The Bad News Babes, huddled in a corner like they’re plotting a heist. She’s wearing her jersey over a tank top and cutoff shorts, and her hair’s up in one of those messy buns that somehow makes her look even hotter. She doesn’t see me yet, which is good because I need a second to pretend I’m not completely gone for this woman.
And yeah, I’m keeping an eye on every other guy on this field—especially the ones pretending not to look. Jax's already elbowed Garrett in the ribs for staring too long, and I swear to God if Parker makes one more offhand comment about Charli’s legs, I’m throwing him in the lake. It doesn’t matter if she’s not mine. I’m still watching. Still ready. Like I’m guarding something I haven’t even had the guts to claim yet.
Reid claps me on the back with a grin. "Sawyer. You in game shape or still running on those construction site carbs and your daily protein bar subscription? Or are you just here to keep an eye on who’s looking at Charli?"
I roll my eyes. "I’ve got a mean slide kick. Just ask Ian."
Speak of the devil—my brother strolls up with a beer in one hand and a smirk that says he’s seen right through me. "Speaking of sliding, what’s going on with you and Charli? You’ve been eyeing her like a man with a crush and no game."
I scoff. "We’re friends. She’s staying at the house for a bit. That’s it."
Ian’s smirk deepens as he nudges my shoulder with the big-brother familiarity that’s always half-tease, half-truth. "Uh huh. And I just drink whiskey for the hell of it. Come on, man. You like her. Don’t pretend you don’t. I haven’t seen you this twitchy around a woman since… ."
"Don't finish that sentence," I cut in, sharper than I mean to. Ian freezes for a beat, mouth half-open, because we both know whose name was about to fall from his lips. Ava. The one whoshredded my heart in a nanosecond and left the pieces in places I’m still finding. He doesn’t say it, bless him, just gives me that big brother look—the one that says he knows better but won’t push. Not tonight.
I shake my head, but he just grins wider and slaps my back. “You don’t have to say anything. I see it. You’re being protective and you don't even realize it. It’s okay, Sawyer. She’s kind, she’s tough, and she makes you smile in a way that’s not fake for once. Let yourself have that.”
His words hit harder than I expect. Not because he’s wrong—but because he’s too damn right.
"It’s complicated," I mutter.
"No, it’s not," he says, dead serious now. "Don’t let your rules about women keep you from something real. I found Mia and I want you to find your forever person, too."
