Page 22 of Loving a Billionaire

“Let’s take our drinks over to the sofa.” He stood and held her hand until she rose to her feet. With drinks in their hands, he led her to the furniture. “It’s more comfortable over here.”

She hardly tasted her wine, but only because she wanted a clear head tonight. He sat very close to her and placed their wine glasses on the wooden coffee table in front of them.

“Talia, I’m really worried about you. I know we only just met, but I care about you a great deal. Please don’t lower yourself to become one of those girls like Kalama had been.” He stroked her cheek. “You’re much too intelligent for that.”

He thinks I’m intelligent?Her heartbeat picked up in rhythm. “Austin, when I came to see you on Tuesday,” she tried to bring back that subject, “I was in a different frame of mind. Maybe it was a good thing you weren’t here that morning.”

He turned his body closer to hers and slid his arm across the back of the sofa. A grin tugged on his mouth. “Why? What would you have done if I was here?”

Well, at least he said something that let her know he wasn’t home around that time of day when Kalama was murdered. However, she still didn’t think that made him a suspect.

She chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, no. I don’t dare say too much. Besides, I’m sure you can guess what would have happened. I’m assuming you wouldn’t have been exhausted like you were the other night.”

“No, I wouldn’t have been exhausted.” He leaned closer and took a lock of her hair, caressing its length. “But I would have wanted to get to know you anyway.”

Kurt swore in her ear. “Are you kidding me? He’s really going to revert back to that topic?”

“Why, Austin?” she asked, trying to ignore Kurt’s voice. At this moment, she wished she wasn’t wearing the earpiece. “Why would you have wanted to get to know me?”

“You’re different.” He shrugged. “I can’t put my finger on it, but you’re a mystery to me. At times I think you’re just like those other women Ariki set me up with, but then you do or say something that throws me off. That makes me believe you are more special than the others.”

She forced a small laugh, still trying not to allow him to completely melt her. “Austin, you still don’t know me. Why do you say these things?” When he opened his mouth to reply, she placed her fingers on his lips, quieting him. “Because from life’s experience, men who over-flatter me only want one thing. And well, I can’t respect a man who is like that.”

His gaze narrowed as he held her hand to his mouth. Slowly, he placed soft kisses on her fingertips. As she stared into his green eyes, they darkened with desire. Her heart hammered in a different rhythm, but it was not panic. She couldn’t understand why she wasn’t worried right now.

Gradually, he smiled. “And you are very smart to have figured that out so soon in life. But,” he shook his head, “if I had felt that way about you when we first met, I wouldn’t have acted on my urges. You see, I, too, have experienced love’s hard lessons, and I guard my heart very carefully.”

Was he just saying the words she wanted to hear, or was he being serious? Where were her gut feelings now when she needed them? “I see we have one thing in common.”

“I’m sure we have more,” his hand moved from her hair to her face, close to her mouth, “but we just need to discover what they are.”

“And how you do you suggest we do that?” After she’d said it, she couldn’t believe she was talking this way. Was she trying to seduce him? Nah, that couldn’t be right.

“I have an idea.” His voice softened as he leaned closer. His gaze stayed on her mouth.

She held her breath, waiting for the moment she’d feel the electricity buzzing through her from his passionate kiss. It could only be better this time, since she didn’t think he was the murderer now.

As his lips touched hers, she closed her eyes. Warmth immediately spread through her, and she held back the sigh that was ready to release from her throat. But no, she couldn’t let him know how severely her body reacted to his kiss.

“Talia,” Kurt whispered. “What’s going on? Why do I hear heavy breathing?”

She sighed, but it wasn’t because of how pleasurable it was to kiss Austin. How could she have forgotten about Kurt?

She quickly pulled back and stared into Austin’s surprised eyes. “I, um, I have a better idea.” She licked her lips. “Let’s, um... Do you arm wrestle?”

Austin’s eyes widened even more. “Arm wrestle?”

Chuckling, she moved off the couch and back toward the table. “Yes. Arm wrestle. You’d be shocked how well one can get to know another person just by arm wrestling.”

“Heehee,” Kurt’s voice rumbled from her ear. “Talia, you haven’t changed a bit. I remember our first arm wrestle.”

Inwardly, Talia growled. She didn’t want Kurt in her ear. Not now. She wanted to get to know Austin so that she could make the final decision of whether he was a killer or not. With Kurt’s words influencing her, she doubted she’d be able to think clearly.

Austin smiled and moved from the couch, coming toward her. “It’s been a while since I’ve arm wrestled, but now seems like a good time.”

She smiled, genuinely smiled, and her heart lifted. She finally felt she could handle any situation now. That’s what she needed in order to crack this case. Although she was undercover, she wanted to be herself. And starting now, she’d do that.