Page 57 of His Long-Lost Baby

James excuses himself from the crowd of people surrounding him and starts making his way towards me.

I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks as he approaches me.

“Hey,” he says, his gaze intense. “What do you think?”

I smile. “It was incredible. You did so well.”

“It’s all thanks to you. If you hadn’t stayed up all night, helping me—”

“It was nothing.” I shake my head.

“No. It was everything.” He touches my elbow, and heat rushes through me.

We’re standing in a crowded room, and there’s nothing inappropriate about the touch, but it feels just as intimate as our time together in bed.

Maybe it’s the way he’s looking at me.

Maybe it’s the way his eyes seem to be searching mine, as if he’s trying to read my thoughts.

Whatever it is, I can feel my heart beating faster, and I know that something is different between us.

James takes a deep breath. “I know we’ve been tiptoeing around this for a while, but I can’t ignore it anymore.”

I feel my breath catch in my throat, wondering what he could possibly mean.

He takes another step closer to me, and I can feel the warmth radiating off of him.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Billie. I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved because we work together, but I can’t help the way I feel.”

All the air seems to leave the room, and I’m left standing there, staring at him in shock.

Did he just say what I think he said?

He looks down at me, his eyes searching for any trace of what I’m feeling. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way, if last night was just a one-time thing for you, but I had to tell you. I can’t keep it inside anymore.”

My mind is racing with a million thoughts at once. On one hand, I’ve been hoping for this moment for what feels like forever — even though I never even admitted that to myself. On the other hand, the thought of what this means when it comes to Quinn is terrifying.

And then there are all my doubts about James. Is he the callous jerk I’ve always read about?

Or is he the strong, kind man who clawed his way from the bottom to the top? The man who sees me, who appreciates me for what I bring to the table?

I swallow hard. “Everyone says you’re an asshole, you know.”

“I’ve made some mistakes.” His face grows serious. “A lot that I would take back if I could. Being around you, Billie, it’s helped me see that there are other ways… that the world isn’t always against me. That it’s full of good things.”

My breath catches in my throat. How am I supposed to respond to that?

This man has me twisted around his little fingers, and he has no idea because I haven’t let it show.

But I hear what he’s saying. And I believe him.

“Do you care about my past?” he asks softly.

Good question. I care about some of it. I care about what he did to Quinn and Quinn’s birth mother.

I swallow hard. “I’m here. With you. And I’m not running away.”

“But are you falling for me?”