Free Mad for the Billionaire by Charlotte DeCorte

hide my concern for him, knowing what I knew about his parents and my mother’s specific involvement in ending their marriage. Guilt settled onto its familiar perch. “I’m sorry.”
    “There’s not one thing for you to be sorry about. I mean that.”
    “Still—”
    Alexander cut in softly, “I’m fine, little chick. Honestly, I am.”
    “Okay.” I wondered if he had developed a habit of denying and lying his weaknesses away too. I knew how much it tore him apart to witness his mother’s pain at having her husband walk out on her, especially with a woman like Belinda Carter. My mother.
    The years had done little to soothe the humiliation. I still couldn’t visit Oak Grove without suffering the measuring stares of those sympathetic to Augusta Russell Draven.
    Apparently it was bad enough my mother stole Miss Augusta’s husband, but what made it worse is that I drove a wedge between her and her only child.
    “So where’s your retinue?”
    “Gone for the weekend. They more than earned leaving early today.”
    “You’ve been working him that hard, huh?”
    Alexander shrugged. He cleared his throat and then turned the full force of his magnetic gaze on me. “Do you know why I asked you here today?”
    “I guess you still want us to reacquaint ourselves?”
    He smiled, single dimple showing in his cheek from the deepness of his grin. “That as well.”
    “More?” My belly fluttered. “What else?”
    “I’ve missed you all these years, little chick.” Alexander’s thumb rubbed against my wrist. The caress sent pulses scattering all across my body. “I mean it.”
    I wanted to slide off the chair and climb onto his lap. I wanted to kiss him, to confess all my sins of not being able to let go of him, of hoarding any and every bit of information I could find on him. I’d pay penance by using my body however he wanted.
    However, missing me wasn’t the same as wanting to make love to me or even wanting to begin anew.
    We weren’t the same people we once were. We had each lived more than a third of our lives away from the other. I couldn’t make the mistake of reading something that wasn’t ready to be there.
    Not and keep what we seemed to be developing.
    I held back the burgeoning feelings rushing forward to overwhelm me. I masked my thoughts and kept my hand passive in his.
    “I’m glad that you think fondly of me and those times.”
    Alexander exhaled loudly. The air around us vibrated with his disappointment. “That’s not exactly the reaction I was expecting, Sophia.”
    “I’m sorry.” Guilt nettled and dug deep. I lied by silence because I was so damned afraid of being wrong. Of getting hurt. Of hurting him.
    “Don’t apologize.” Alexander let go of me. The sudden absence was raw. He turned away and sat with his hands linked across his taut stomach. “I’m happy we were able to spend time together today, Sophia. I mean it.”
    Panic fired off warning signals. He was saying goodbye. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, or more truthfully I didn’t know what I could allow myself to want, but I knew I didn’t want this.
    “Alexander—”
    “Hush now. It’s okay.” He stood up and ran a hand through this hair. “It’s been a long day for us both. I’ll walk you down.”
    I surged to my feet. “Wait…please!”
    He tilted his head, face inscrutable beyond the polite and friendly smile he wore. “Yes? What is it?”
    My blood pulsed heavy and thick. My heartbeat competed for volume over my voice. “No.”
    “No? You don’t want me to walk you down?” His voice remained soft, reminding me of all the times he adopted the same tone when he wanted to mask his emotions.
    Always the gentleman, no matter the cost.
    “If not me, then I’ll call for security. It’s dark now and I’m not letting you walk down into the garage by yourself.”
    “That’s not…Alexander…”
    “Stop mumbling, Sophia!” he snapped suddenly. “What do you have to say?”
    His anger pulled me