Betting the Billionaire by Avery Flynn

of her tossing back her head in ecstasy flashed in his mind. The way she’d danced in her chair when she’d kicked his ass at cards in her tiny apartment during the snowstorm. He could still hear her gleeful giggle as she opened up the Aston Martin on the highway.
    “What if you’re wrong?” Just asking the question shook him.
    “A mother is never wrong when it comes to her child.”
    He laughed. “Well, at least I know where I get my certainty from.”
    “I’m ignoring that. Come home, mijo . This is a conversation we need to have in person, not over the phone.”
    A colorful flash caught his attention. Keisha leaned against the house at the other end of the porch, watching him and obviously waiting for him to get off the phone. “I’ll be home by dinner.”
    “Perfect. I’m making your favorite cheese and onion enchiladas.”
    “See you then.” He hung up and forced the ache in his chest into the background. It was a long drive back to Harbor City. He’d have plenty of time to regret all he had to leave behind then.
    The woman before him was everything he wanted in this world, but he couldn’t go off half-cocked again. He had to ignore his sixth sense urging him to wrap her up and make her his right now. He had to be patient and give her a chance to find her own way.
    He could wait.
    Staring at her, though, was like seeing everything he ever wanted in the world wrapped up in one beautiful person. An invisible hand squeezed his lungs until he stood gasping for oxygen. He had to get the fuck out of here before he ruined everything again.
    Nervous energy had Keisha twitching as Gabe finished his conversation. Standing off to the side out of his eye-line, she felt like a stalker or like she was back in high school mooning over a crush.
    Damn girl, grow a pair. You slept together, it ’ s not like you already picked out baby names.
    Raising her chin and straightening her shoulders, she strutted across the porch with more confidence than she had in the reserve tank. “I was wondering where you disappeared to.”
    Gabe shot her a half smile, the vein in his temple pulsing like a jackhammer, before his phone vibrated in his hand.
    Keisha chuckled. “Don’t tell me the billionaire boy wonder has problems.”
    “You know what they say. More money, more problems.” He grimaced and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Look, I hate to do this, but I have to get back to Harbor City.”
    “Oh, really? You have to go?”
    Wow, that didn ’ t sound desperate at all, K.
    “Some meetings can’t be put off any longer. Sorry.” He brushed his lips across the middle of her forehead before giving her a bitter smile and heading down the driveway.
    She lowered her head and pressed her lips tight before she could utter anything stupid. Keisha didn’t know what she expected, but dammit, why couldn’t it be more than this? She closed her arms around her clenching stomach, hoping the warmth would melt the disappointment freezing her from the inside out. Her chest tightened, but not before she inhaled Gabe’s sandalwood scent clinging to the wool coat.
    His coat!
    “Hey!” She hustled across the driveway, sliding her arms out of his wool coat. “Don’t forget your coat.”
    Gabe paused, his hand on the car’s door handle. He tilted his head down, almost fast enough to hide the grim lines crisscrossing his forehead and the hard set to his jaw.
    “Here you go.”
    “Thanks.” He took the coat, their fingers brushing against each other and sending a bolt of electricity dancing across her skin. “We’ll have to catch dinner one of these days when you move to Harbor City.”
    She flexed her fingers, trying her best to ignore the belly flop-inducing attraction he always caused as well as the chest-tightening sadness settling in her stomach. She knew a blow-off when she heard it. “Sure.”
    “Okay.” He swallowed hard and rammed his long fingers through his thick hair. “I’ll see you then.”
    Limbs as