Page 32 of Billionaire Hunt

“We’re in public!” I screeched.

He shrugged. “So what?” He reached to rub my butt again and I hit at his hand again.

“Just help me up. Can you do that at least?”

“Only if you stop snapping at me.”

“I’ll stop snapping at you if you stop messing things up.”

“So trying to help you is messing things up?”

“Yes,” I said meanly.

He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he shook his head and reached for my hands. I let him take them this time as he gently pulled me up.

“Sorry, my caveman instincts kicked in...we must have looked pretty ridiculous just now.”

“Yep.”

He gave me an apologetic smile. “How about I just walk close to you and if you seem to be about to fall over, I’ll catch you.”

I smiled back at him. “Now that’s what I call a plan.”

I limped back to the car under the watchful gaze of Erik. And I’m not over exaggerating how watchful he was. It was as if he felt I would break at any moment.

“I’m not a porcelain doll,” I joked.

“What?” he said, clearly not understanding.

“You’re watching me as if you think I’ll break.”

I reached out for his hand and squeezed it. “I’m fine, okay?”

He studied me. “When you fell, it looked really painful.”

“It was painful, but I’ll just walk it out...isn’t that what most professional athletes do?”

“Well, um, yeah, but you’re not a professional athlete.”

I nodded. “Another good point.”

We fell back into silence until we got back to the car and it was then that I noticed that our hands were still entwined.

Slowly, we pulled away from each other. We didn’t say a word as we stood under the now illuminating street lights.

“Well, this night didn’t go as planned.”

“Nope.”

“Want to get tacos?”

“I need to get some work done. I don’t really have the time---”

“But you work for me...”

“So...”

“Well, I demand that you take the rest of the day off.”