Free The Billionaire's Con by Mackenzie Crowne Page A

Cara, but then sighed. “Since Trevor, I guess.” A glance around the table had her shrugging. “It’s different when you realize the guy could be the one.”
    “Told you.” Erin wore a smug expression as she jabbed Shan with an elbow.
    “I didn’t say he was the one, just that he could be.”
    Erin lifted a brow.
    “You’re pretty calm about this.” Cara studied her face.
    She leaned her elbows on the table, cradling the mug in her hands. “I know. It’s weird, isn’t it?” She shook her head in wonder. “I always figured when I finally found a guy I could love, I’d be so freaked out, I’d be off and running in the opposite direction. I should be running. I have plans for my life, and falling in love will just screw them up...even if he does look incredible naked.”
    “ Especially if he looks incredible naked.” Shan slowly nodded, her eyes twinkling.
    “Exactly. But I don’t feel like running. Just the opposite.” She sighed. “I’ve been steaming along through life for twenty six years without any real wrinkles. Now all of a sudden, I’m dealing with Palmer House opening, the Elizabeth Ashford issue looming, and what do I do? I go and throw myself into a relationship that could change my life. I should be half-crazy with panic, but instead, I feel happy, and excited, and peaceful all at once, you know?”
    “Oh, you’ve got it bad.” Erin sprawled back in her chair with a wide smile.
    “I do, don’t I?” Her lips curled in a serene smile, remembering the hours she’d spent in Trevor's bed. All long-muscled perfection and heat, he’d surprised her with his teasing gentleness.
    “What about him?” Cara stilled the movement with a hand to her arm as she brought the coffee mug to her lips again. “How does he feel?”
    “I have no idea,” she confessed, and then she laughed. “He’s taking me sailing this morning.”
    “Sailing?” Shan and Erin exclaimed together.
    “Sailing. He’s got his own boat, though I don’t think we’ll be sailing on it today. I’m not sure where he keeps it.” Her brow wrinkled in thought. “Come to think of it, I’m not exactly sure where he lives.”
    “See,” Cara sat back in her chair, “that’s the trouble with guys with cute butts. You forget to ask the pertinent questions, like do you live in this hemisphere?”
    She smirked at Cara’s innocent look, ignoring Shan’s and Erin’s chuckles. “Who was it that took one look at Finn’s ass and couldn’t dredge up the slightest interest in another male from then on?”
    “Touché.” Cara grinned.
    “Anyway, I may not know exactly where he lives, but I did ask. He works up and down the east coast. He said he has a place in Virginia, but he spends a lot of time in Boston and Atlanta. He’s got money that his father left him when he died, and he apparently invested it well. So, he’s not some deadbeat after me for my money. Which is a good thing, since I’m technically broke.”
    “We could always hire an investigator,” Cara offered. “Have him checked out.”
    The suggestion horrified her. “No, I don’t want to do that. I would hate it if someone was sneaking around behind my back like that. Besides, he just signed a six-month lease, so we’ll have plenty of time to get to know one another. All I know is he makes me feel all soft and mushy inside, and I don’t seem to be able to do a damn thing about that. The only option I see is convincing him he feels the same way.”
    “Amen, sister,” Erin piped in, and they all laughed. That had been her strategy with Ryan, and she’d succeeded wonderfully.
    Meggy sighed, remembering the look in his smoky eyes as he’d slipped inside her. “If I’m reading him right, he’s halfway there already. So, we’ll take it slow. Well, not too slow.” She wiggled her brows. “I plan to enjoy myself while deciding what I want to do with him. If I decide to keep him, I’ll just have to see to it he says the words first.” Confidence