The Billionaire's Longshot: Betting on You Series: Book Three by Jeannette Winters

straight thought. He thought after sleeping with her his head would clear, but it only made it worse. Jill had a way of getting him to do things he never would have done before: having the fundraiser at his family home and apparently kidnapping. Yeah, he needed to figure out what it was about her, and quickly, before he did something stupid. He shook his head in disbelief. Yeah, probably too late for that, Whitman.

Chapter Ten
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    I t was almost nightfall, and she still had not come up to deck. How long was she going to keep herself locked in that room? It wasn’t going to change anything. She might as well come and get some fresh air. If she really hates it, or hates me, maybe I should take her back. But taking her in this state would guarantee she wouldn’t speak to him again. Staying on the boat until they resolve what happened and come to some sort of understanding was the only viable option. She would eventually come to her senses and see that as well.
    Sitting alone, his patience was running thin. If she wouldn’t come up, then he was going down. He approached the door and was about to bang on it, demanding she open it up. Using better judgment, he chose to tap lightly. “Jill, you are about to miss a beautiful sunset,” he said softly. No response. “I really would like it if you would join me on the deck. We could watch it together.” He tried to coax her to at least open the door.
    “I might be tempted to push you overboard,” she said firmly.
    He laughed softly. At least she’s speaking to me; that’s an improvement. “I’m willing to take the risk. Come on. See what I see. I promise you’ll love it.” She didn’t open the door. “You can even go right back and lock yourself away if you want afterward. I promise I won’t try to stop you.”
    “Your word isn’t worth much at this moment,” she said.
    I deserve that. “I’ll be waiting up top if you change your mind.” He walked away, not feeling as confident as before. Maybe he had gone too far. He thought if they spent a week together it would give him, no them , time to figure out exactly what was going on between them. As he sat at the bow, his legs dangling over the edge, he contemplated turning the boat around, taking her home, and ending this before it went any further. The damage was already done, but it could get worse if she kept herself locked away. Five, ten, now fifteen minutes and he was still alone. The sun was about to set. What normally was his favorite part of the day, seemed to have lost its luster.
    Shades of red and orange danced off the scattered clouds when he felt her beside him. There were about ten minutes of sun left before it would be dark. He wasn’t about to ruin this moment for her with any conversation. Together they sat, watching the sun bouncing off the water as it slowly vanished from sight. The clear, evening sky had been replaced with more stars than one could imagine and the moonlight lantern cast just enough light to guide their way. He went to move, but she stopped him and asked, “Why?”
    It was only one simple word, but somehow the answer was not. “I’m not sure. I only know I want be with you.”
    Silence seemed to go on for an eternity. “You could’ve asked.”
    “Would you have said yes?”
    Softy, she answered, “We’ll never know. Good night, Ross.”
    She was already below deck when he said into the night air, “Sweet dreams, Jill.”
    Jill lay in bed. It was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat. She got out of bed and searched his room for something to read. In his nightstand drawer she located a journal. Maybe it’s blank, or his appointment book. Jill wasn’t one who normally snooped, but somehow found herself making an exception. Once opened it became evident it wasn’t business notes. These were his most personal thoughts. Would it hold the answers to her questions? Why he seemed incapable of sharing his true feelings? Most probably, yes. She wanted answers to all her