Page 3 of The Billionaire's Angel

“It is.” Judging it safe to move, I began to gather up my materials, tucking my phone back in the pocket of my robe and making sure I had all the extra bugs and the tape. A prank was no good if I left the evidence sittingaround.

“Mrs. W won’t behappy.”

I smiled. It was sweet the way the family doted on Mrs. W. I’d always imagined a family as wealthy and powerful as the Winterses would be stuffy, far above those they’d consider the help. Instead, they treated Mrs. W like family and had welcomed me as an equal, insisting I join them for meals and giving me a room in the main house that was bigger than my apartment when I’d been in nursingschool.

“I already texted her,” I reassured Gage. “She’ll make a big fuss tomorrow when she turns on the lights. Unless Aiden does itfirst.”

“Aiden doesn’tknow?”

I shook my head, picking up the last scrap of construction paper. Suddenly without anything to do, I crossed my arms over my chest. Gage stood in shadow, his features hard to make out, but I was uncomfortably aware I was in my robe, my hair down, looking like an unprofessionalmess.

In the six months I’d been living in Winters House, I’d never encountered another soul awake in the middle of thenight.

Clearing my throat, I said, “No, Aiden likes to besurprised.”

Gage let out a grunt I couldn’t decipher. He took a step forward, leaving the shadows of the corner. Light bathed his features, and my breath caught. I’d heard Gage and Aiden were like twins. Everyone else must be blind. To my eyes, they looked nothingalike.

Sure, they both had the same build - tall, broad shoulders, lean hips. The same dark hair. Even their features were superficially similar, with sharp cheekbones, aristocratic noses and full lower lips. Where Aiden’s hair had the same auburn tones as his little sister, Charlie, Gage’s was a true brown, not a hint of red to beseen.

I’d always thought soldiers wore their hair short, but Gage’s was a little long. Shaggy. As if he hadn’t had it cut in months. Which of course, he hadn’t. I imagined his hairstyle hadn’t been a priority when he’d been trying to escape hiscaptors.

He’d probably cut it now that he was home. Maybe with shorter hair, he’d look more like Aiden. I took in the tension in his shoulders, his hands curled intofists.

No. The obvious aside, Aiden looked nothing likeGage.

Aiden was cool. Refined.Controlled.

Standing in the pool of light, his faded grey t-shirt stretched around his biceps, hugging his well-defined chest, Gage was raw, his power barely leashed. Despite his stillness, he vibrated withenergy.

I sensed it was taking everything he had to remain where he was. His vivid blue eyes were the least of the differences between Gage and hiscousin.

Those eyes were leveled on me, pinning me in place as effectively as his arms had a few minutesbefore.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Are you going to spoil it forher?”

“The prank?” Gage asked. At my nod, he said, “No.”

“Thank you.” I started for the door to the library, careful to give Gage a wide berth. I didn’t think he was going to grab me again, but it seemed smarter to stay out of arm’sreach.

“Tell me next time,” hesaid.

“What?” I stopped at the door,confused.

He was silent for a long moment before answering in a halting voice. “I don’t do well with surprises these days. The next time Amelia decides to mess with us, fill mein.”

Instantly, I understood. Amelia’s plan to duct tape an airhorn to Aiden’s desk chair would be a nightmare to a man newly home from a combat zone, even if hedidn’thave post-traumatic stress, and I was betting Gagedid.

“Do you have a cell?” Iasked.

Gage raised his eyebrows in question. I explained, “I text Mrs. W to warn her. I’ll try to talk Amelia out of a few of her plans that might be a problem, but I can text you, too. That way you know what’scoming.”

“So, Amelia hasn’t slowed down. Good to know some things don’t change,” he said, his voice heavy with something I couldn’t quite identify. Regret? Whatever it was, Gage Winters soundedsad.

I had the absurd urge to comforthim.

Absurd because not only did I not know what was wrong, he was a Winters. Yes, he’d been through a terrible experience. But he was alive. He was home with his family, living in this enormous mansion, with a job waiting for him at Winters Incorporated, and more money than he could count stashed away in thebank.

Gage Winters didn’t need my comfort. He didn’t need anything fromme.