Page 88 of Billion Dollar Dispute

Brandon had been right. It’d felt good to be gracious and take the high road. She’d wanted to punch Tony in the face and humiliate the girl, but why? It wasn’t Jenn’s fault she was dating a loser. Tony was a good liar. He’d tricked Allie. This had been so much more satisfying. But she still worried about the girl. Who would warn her?

But then Brandon tugged her and she practically went into a series of two steps to keep up with him, and let out a giggle. “Brandon, slow down,” she said. “I have to take three steps for every one of yours.”

He finally stopped by his motorcycle and turned to face her. She stumbled into him from the suddenness of the movement. They made eye contact, and his gaze held hers. She sucked in a gasp from the heat she saw there, the desire, and the possessiveness. No one had ever looked at her like that before.

He took a step back, giving her space, and placed his hands on his hips. “That should take care of that.”

“Take care of what?”

He grinned. “Tony?”

Oh! Right. “Who’s Tony?”

Brandon grinned. “Exactly.”

“I just wish Jenn knew,” she said. Maybe she should’ve made a scene.

“Who’s Jenn?” Brandon asked.

“His new girl.”

Brandon nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”

She blinked. “How?”

He grinned. “Trust me.”

Good gracious, she did.

An easy silence fell between them, and she hesitated to move or even breathe too heavily as anticipation filled her. She wasn’t sure what was supposed to happen next, so she waited. Across the street in front of Georgia’s Diner, the orange “café” sign crackling from the roof, a man leaned against a streetlight.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said. The air felt misty like it did before a good rain.

He glanced down. “Men like that like to think they’re thesugar honey ice teasof the world. And I have no problem disabusing them of that notion.”

She giggled at his use of her favorite acronym.

Brandon’s face lit up at her amusement, his eyes sparkling with warmth, and that was when it hit her. He really did like her.

It was more than attraction. Herespectedher. Listened to her when she said ridiculous things, like “sugar honey ice tea,” and put them to memory. Spent time with her family and helped them out, brought her hot chocolate from Choco Latte and pizza from Wicked Dough on days when she forgot to make lunch. He’d just let her use him to make an ex jealous. Those weren’t the kinds of things someone did when they didn’t like you. It was more than any previous boyfriend had ever done for her, and Brandon wasn’t even her boyfriend.

The man who’d been leaning against the light crossed the street, giving a little wave as he came. She wasn’t sure why he caught her attention. Did it matter? Brandon liked her.

She blinked up at Brandon. “You like me.” Not a question. He did.

His jaw tightened, and he stared at her blankly.

It all happened so quickly then, she wasn’t entirely sure how. The man from across the street went into a dead sprint, rushing toward Brandon. Right before he reached them, Brandon twisted his frame, grabbed the man’s shirt, and flipped him head over heels, landing him flat on his back on the pavement. Brandon knelt over the man.

Allie yelped, covering her mouth with her hands.

Brandon’s forearm went across their attacker’s neck.

The guy on the ground raised his hands as if in surrender. “What gave it away this time?” the man asked.

“The pitter-patter of size-ten combat boots,” Brandon said.

The man laughed and glanced toward Allie.