Page 38 of Billionaire's Coastal Haven

I giggle at his praise.

He slides both hands to my jaw and cups it gently. “I’m not kidding. Do you realize how sexy you are? How brilliant? This town is lucky to have you.”

Can a person literally glow? Because I feel like I am. Fireworks explode right out of my pores. No one respects me. No one praises me for anything.

But he does.

“Shut up and kiss me.” I slam my mouth back to his. We tumble to the blanket. He catches our weight and angles us onto our sides. His leg tangles between mine and tugs me closer, like he can’t get enough of me.

It’s heady and unexpected. This man who can have anyone he wants is kissing me like I’m the last donut in the police station, and he wants to savor every bite.

My hands explore the ridges and valleys of the muscles that teased me from under the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt as his trace up and down my spine.

When he gets to my butt, he caresses the side, kneading my thigh and bringing my knee up to his hip.

His erection hard against my inner thigh knocks me back to reality.

What am I doing? He’s the enemy.

I scramble out of his arms, to my feet, and scrub my hands across my mouth. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

He reaches for me, but I back to the corner of the room.

I bury my face in my hands. “What was I thinking? I wasn’t thinking. That’s the problem. You’re all…” My hand flails at his Norse-God physique. “And I’m…” I flail it at my discombobulated self. Messy hair, wearing his clothes, dirt under my fingernails.

He slowly stands and walks toward me. “Comet.”

“What is that name?” I’m a dumpster fire. I let him put his tongue into my mouth. His hands were everywhere.

What is wrong with me, that I’m putty in his hands after one little piece of praise?

“Take a breath.” He holds his hands in front of him like I’m a tiger he’s trying to put back in its cage.

Screw that. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“You’re attracted to me. I’m attracted to you.”

“That’s a problem.”

“Why?”

“Because you are you, and I am me. I hate you because you destroyed my dream. And this…” My hand flails between us. “That.” I point to the blankets like they’re going to catch fire when Hell opens up to swallow me whole. “We can’t do that.”

“We can if you want to.Iwant to.” The casual smirk on his face twists my gut.

“I can’t sneak around making out with my enemy just because you have a stupid sexy grin and I have a praise fetish.”

“Who’s sneaking?”

“No! No one can ever find out about this. My dad…the council—they’ll fire me. They’ll fire dad.”

“For kissing me?”

“Because we lied about dad’s health. And they’ll wonder what else we’re lying about if all of a sudden you and I are making out every chance we get.” I slap my hand over my mouth.Shit, shit, shit. I wasn’t supposed to say any of that. “No. I meant, my dad hates you. He hates our plans for the renovation. If you have your way with me, he’ll think you’re manipulating me and getting whatever it is you want because I’m kiss-drunk. You’re amazingly good at making me forget, making me stupid, he’ll believe—”

Shut up and find your filter.

Why did I say all of that?