Page 63 of The Billionaire Mismatch

“Honestly?” I ask, and she nods. “He’s nice. I mean…he’s reserved. And yes, like you said a while back, he can be a grump. But he’s a gentleman. And it just seems like his intentions are…”

“Yes?”

“Genuine,” I say. There. That’s it.

Sadie bites her lip with another critical nod. “So what you’re saying is you think he’s actually interested in you.”

“What? No, I mean…I don’t know…” I say.

“Olivia. Luca is just trying to charm you. Trust me. That’s what men like him do. I would think your job would tip you off to that.Luca is a grade-A catfish, and he’s fooling you. And if you care about me and what he put me through, if you’re really my best friend, you’ll see through his charm.”

“You are my best friend,” I tell her, setting my wine down and rounding the counter to hug her. “And I would never intentionally do anything to hurt or betray you.” “There’s something else,” she says. “The Miami trip isn’t the only thing we talked about.”

I pull away to look at her. “Okay?”

“He knows that we are friends.”

I blink. “What?”

“Yep.”

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“He said so,” she says. “And if he knows we are friends, he probably knows we are up to something. You have to trust me on this, Livv. You have to see past his act and remember why you’re going out with him in the first place.”

After Sadie leaves, I sit down on the chair again with a heavy sigh. She’s right. I can’t betray her. I have to remember why I’m doing this. I have a nagging feeling in my chest that something isn’t quite right. Something just doesn’t add up.

“What have I gotten myself into?” I sigh, and Vivien looks up at me again, ears perked. “I know, I know. This is my fault. But still. It’s confusing. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”

Suddenly, my phone buzzes with a text.

It’s him.

Luca: Hey. How do you feel about the beach?

Well, well, well. Here it is.

Olivia: You mean the s’mores and dancing weren’t enough to answer that question?

Luca: I don’t mean Boston beaches. I mean warm beaches. White sand beaches. Beaches with cocktails.

Olivia: Do you know a place like that?

Luca: I’m going to a place like that…and I was hoping you’d come with me.

Chapter 21

Luca

“I can’t believewe are in Miami!” Olivia says as the Uber drives away from the airport.

“I can’t believe you’ve never been to Miami before,” I say. She is staring out the window like a kid, and I am just watching her.

“I’ve never been to Florida before,” she says.

“Really? Why not?” I ask.

“Some of us don’t have all the frequent-flier miles in the world,” she says, still trying to take it all in.