Page 30 of The Billionaire's Secret Desire
He glances up at me, then sets down his fork. “Look sweetie,” he says, voice softer now, “I’ve been thinking about you more than I probably should. And last night wasn’t a mistake for me. I don’t regret it. At all.”
Did he just call me 'Sweetie'? What is happening right now? How much did I drink last night? I open my mouth, ready to protest, but he holds up a hand, stopping me.
“I know what you’re going to say. That you’re my employee. That you’re also working with Ian. That this could get messy.” He leans forward, his expression earnest. “But none of that changes how I feel. You’re not just anyone, Charli. You matter to me. And I think we owe it to ourselves to see where this goes.”
I swallow hard, trying to ignore the way his words make my heart twist. “Sawyer... this is complicated. You’re my boss. Yourbrotheris technically my boss, as is his soon-to-be wife. If this goes sideways, it could blow up everything.”
He doesn’t flinch. “Then we don’t let it go sideways. We are adults. We talk. We don’t hide it—but we don’t let fear run the show either.”
I stare at him for a long moment, trying to process everything, trying to trust what I’m hearing.
Then he smiles, slow and charming. “So, how about this? Let’s just have a day together. Just one. We’ll snorkel, maybe parasail, and explore the island a little. And tonight, we’ll take the yacht to Nassau and meet up with Ian and Mia for dinner. No pressure. No expectations. Just... us. Okay?”
And damn it if my heart doesn’t say yes before my mouth does. Wait... did he say 'yacht'?
By the time we make it to the beachside launch for parasailing, we’ve already been snorkeling off the reef, had lunch at a thatched-roof hut by the water, and I laughed more than I have in months. The water sparkles like crushed sapphires, and the breeze is warm but not oppressive. It should feel like a dream.
But the moment I see the boat for parasailing and the huge chute billowing in the sky, my steps falter. The boat bobs gently on the surf, deceptively harmless, but that chute—it’s massive, soaring high above the ocean like it belongs to someone with a death wish. My stomach twists. It’s beautiful, sure, but in the same way a haunted house is beautiful from far away. The kind of beautiful that makes your palms sweat. I freeze, suddenly hyper-aware of my heartbeat in my ears and the tight squeeze of nerves in my chest. This might’ve been a terrible idea.
Sawyer catches it instantly. “What’s wrong?”
I force a smile that’s more grimace than a grin. “Nothing. Just... didn’t realize the chute went that high.”
He raises an eyebrow, nudging me gently. “Charli?”
I exhale, the words sticking like peanut butter in my throat. “I’m afraid of heights.”
Sawyer doesn’t laugh. He just tilts his head slightly, studying me with something dangerously close to understanding. He doesn’t mock or dismiss it. He just lets it sit there between us like an offering. And for some reason, that makes the panic flare hotter in my chest.
Because I’ve said it out loud now. I’ve handed him a piece of vulnerability I usually keep locked down tight. The kind of truth that doesn’t get shared casually—not with friends, not with flings, and definitely not with the man I’m trying very hard not to fall for. It makes me feel exposed in a way I don’t know how to handle, like I’m out on the ledge already and the wind is just starting to howl. What if I can’t do it? What if I fail in front of him? Worse—what if I succeed and it means more than it should?
Then he grins, maddeningly calm. “Ah. Got it.”
“You’re not laughing at me, are you?” I ask.
He lifts his hands in mock defense. “Wouldn’t dare. But I will tease you mercilesslyafteryou do it.”
I shoot him a glare. “You’re mistakenly assuming I’m still doing this.”
He steps closer, dropping his voice to a murmur just for me. “Look, I get it. But if you don’t do this, you’ll regret it. I promise, the view is incredible. I’ll be right there the whole time. You’ll be strapped in, and we’ll go up together. Okay?”
I chew my lip, eyes flicking between him and the parachute, lifting another screaming pair into the air. “You’ll really be right next to me?”
“Every second,” he says. “If you want to turn around mid-air and curse me out, I’ll be right there to hear it.”
I hesitate a beat longer. Then I take a deep breath and nod once. “Okay. Let’s do it. But know that I plan to curse you the entire time.”
Sawyer grins like I just agreed to marry him. “That’s my girl.”
By the time our feet hit the sand again, I’m breathless and grinning so wide my cheeks hurt. My hair’s a wind-whipped mess and my legs are a little wobbly, but I don’t care—I did it. I actually did it.
“That. Was. Incredible,” I gasp, half-laughing, half-yelling over the crash of waves.
Sawyer chuckles as he steadies me, his hand warm against my back. “Told you.”
“I still can’t believe I went through with it!” I say, spinning in a little circle on the dock as the adrenaline buzzes through my veins. “And the view—Sawyer, theview.The water was so blue, and those dolphins—did you see them?”
“Yeah,” he says with a wide smile. “They jumped right when we were at the highest point. Like they knew it was your first time.”
