Billionaire Ransom by Lexy Timms

leave you on your own.”
    “Craig’s not going to come back.” The words came out like static, like she was playing choppy notes on a piano. She was sure he wouldn’t. She started to clear the table, and he stood and began to help. Their hands bumped each other’s and she leaned into him, just a little.
    His hand rested on the curve of her hip and she felt relief filling her. They were okay. They would be okay, anyway. Her heart lifted slightly and so did her mood. They were both exhausted, but there was stuff to get done. Pushing the strain of life on each other wasn’t fair. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be running around all day. I need to be busy. It’ll be fine.” She forced a smile. “I’ll see you tonight?”
    He grinned, obviously relieved she wasn’t going to push him for information. “Yes; why don’t you come by the bar when you’re done? We can get a sloppy pizza and some beer, hang out and watch the craziness.”
    “That sounds good.” She gave him a kiss and he kissed her back, making her feel even more assured. “I’m going to buy a car today! How’s that for starters?”
    He burst out laughing. “I saved for four years before I could afford my first jalopy. Don’t be showing up in a Benz or a Mercedes at the club. The rims’ll be gone before our pizza even comes out of the oven.”
    She chuckled. “I’ll find something safe, and boring-looking.”
    He dug into the pocket of his jeans and separated a key from his fob. “Drive my jalopy today. Find a place today, do the car thing tomorrow.”
    “You’ve got a car?” She hadn’t seen him drive it.
    “It’s in the garage,” he chuckled, and headed outside while she went to grab her purse.
    She stepped out and stopped in her tracks. Morgan’s car was vintage, fire-engine-red Mustang. “And you’re worried my rims will get stolen at the club?”
    He waved his hand. “Everyone there knows this is mine. They wouldn’t touch it.”
    He waited for her to get into the car and wave at him before he swung a leg over his bike and cranked it up.
    Katie grinned as she watched him in the rearview. The man was so damn hot, and so gallant, too.
    Things would be okay , she told herself as she headed out to a real estate agent Morgan had suggested.
    Things are going to be okay. I hope.
     
     
    **
    Katie found that, despite having a large amount of money and a good credit score, the downtown condos were either all full, or they were too large, or too mind-bogglingly expensive for her to consider, given that she wasn’t currently working.
    The agent had tendered the opinion that she would be better off buying rather than renting, and that had just flattened her spirits further. She didn’t want that kind of commitment just yet. She also wasn’t sure if Morgan would want to move into a condo; he seemed happy in the modest little home in the tiny suburb right near the outskirts of the business center.
    It sort of annoyed her that she was considering what Morgan might want, when her whole reason for moving into her own place was to find out what it was that she wanted to do. But as she traipsed through place after place, it became ridiculously clear to her that she wasn’t really interested in moving into her own place. She wanted to take the next step, but just wasn’t ready for the leap. Maybe yesterday’s fiasco had frightened her more than she wanted to admit. Realistically, it was scary as hell. She should have some kind of PTSD from it. Craig had held a gun in her direction and, at one point, maybe more than once, she had believed he might actually shoot her. Now she knew he wouldn’t have, but still… she was more shaken than she wanted to admit. Years of keeping it cool on the outside—thanks to her father’s teaching—were helping keep her composed.
    She sighed, and blew her bangs from her forehead.
    The problem was that she wasn’t sure how long Morgan would want her at his place. She kept going back to the fact that they hadn’t