The Billionaire & The Barfly (Coming Home) by Adrianne James

report on how you handle Henry. A full report. Got it?”
    Aubrey couldn ’t help but laugh and agree. The two embraced and a soft kiss was exchanged. It wasn’t sexual, but simply a show of affection. She had never once thought how it would look to someone else until the moment she pulled away and saw Henry in his car across the street watching—with a jealous gleam in his eye.
     
    ~*~
     
    Aubrey said goodbye to Greg and watched him pull away before she returned her attention to the man in the car across the street. When she did lock eyes with him, he opened his door and stalked over to her, irritation clearly evident on his face. When he reached her, he handed over her purse. He must have gone back to get it for her.
    “ Who was that?”
    “ A friend. And it’s your business because?” He had no right to be irritated with her. She did nothing wrong, they weren’t a couple, and damn it, she thought her lack of interest was evident (even if it was a big fat fucking lie) with the way she left him that morning. Apparently not.
    “ Maybe because I fucking care. Apparently, I shouldn’t. It seems like you just wanted to get rid of me this morning so damn fast so you could get with that asshole. What was with that fucking car? Does he have money, too? Is that your end game?”
    Henry began pacing b ack and forth. He kept attempting to speak, but stopped himself. The longer she stood there, the more pissed off she was getting. He wasn’t helping his case any.
    “ I have no end game. If you remember, I didn’t know who the fuck you were. I didn’t ever ask you for money or drinks or to pay my damn hospital bill.”
    “ That’s right, Aubrey. You didn’t remember me. You were too good for me in high school, and now that you know who I am, you’re pushing me away because you’re afraid that doesn’t work anymore. Heaven forbid your friends find out you hooked up with the biggest geek from high school, right? Well, guess what? I’ve grown up a bit and I go after what I want. I want you. I wanted you in grade school, I wanted you in middle school, and I wanted you in high school. I was too shy, too quiet, and too afraid to actually say anything. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment because you sure as hell don’t make wanting you easy.”
    “ I never asked you to want me.” Aubrey wasn’t sure what to say, but getting pissed at her for his feelings wasn’t her fault. She could care less about who he was in high school, and she sure as hell didn’t like being reminded of who she was at that time, either. She wasn’t the one who lied!
    “ Right, because flaunting yourself in high school wasn’t a desperate attempt to make every guy want you? And now? At that bar? The way you move and dance is purely for you, not at all to make guys want you. I think that you need to be wanted, so you can walk away knowing how badly they want you and how much you don’t care. You need to still feel in control and popular. You might think you have changed because you have a job that you love, but as a person? It’s the same shit wrapped in a different package.”
    “ Fuck you.” Aubrey could feel the tears as they formed in her eyes, but she refused to look away from him. If he cared so much, he should see what his words did to her. She may have been distant with him, but she was never hurtful.
    “ Already did that, remember? So what is this? You know what? Forget that. I have a better idea.” Henry started pacing again and mumbling to himself. When he finally turned to her, he had this gleam in his eye as if he had figured out the secret key to a puzzle that had been unsolved for far too long. “I will pay you to not sleep with anyone for the next three months. I think a million dollars is a good price for that. What do you say, you stay celibate for three months, and actually take the time to make real connections with people and you get a million bucks. You give in and fuck someone, you get nothing.”
    “ I’m not