Tempted by the Billionaire: A Hometown Hero Series Novel by Clare Connelly Page B

acknowledge it. She pulled her hand free, and clasped it behind her back.
    His intense stare didn’t shift from her face. “Because you stormed out of next door before I could talk to you.”
    She straightened her spine. “Talk about what?” She challenged, though she knew, of course.
    “About what got you so steamed up.”
    A beat passed. An intense, throbbing beat of awareness. “Are you married, Matt?”
    His blue eyes searched her face, his expression unreadable. “Yes,” he admitted thickly. “But we’re separated. And in the process of divorcing.”
    Willow felt a wave of pain, but she tried to disguise it. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
    His frown was a small flicker on his handsome face. “Why would I?”
    Willow wrapped her arms around her waist and walked slowly away from him. He followed. “It’s just the kind of thing you generally mention.”
    “I came to Haymarket Bay to sort my head out.” He sighed heavily. “Like I said earlier, I didn’t expect to meet someone like you.”
    Willow clamped her teeth together. “You have no business thinking about meeting anyone .”
    His laugh was raw. “No. You’re right. Unfortunately, you’ve had me pretty hypnotized since the first day I saw you.”
    “Stop it,” she whispered, stepping into her kitchen to put some physical space between them. She flicked the kettle out of habit, and turned on her grinder. It was noisy, and Matt waited until she’d switched it back off again before he began to speak.
    “You have to let me explain, Willow.”
    “No, I don’t.” She scooped the freshly ground coffee into her French press, and added boiling water.
    He stepped into the kitchen, moving towards her with obvious intent. She was pressed against the bench, and he stopped walking right in front of her. With his palms on the bench on either side of her body, he had her effectively trapped. He stared into her eyes, the intensity of his gaze sending her pulse skittering wildly through her body.
    “Meghan and I are finished. We were finished years ago, really. If I’m honest, my marriage was over before it began. I never cheated on my wife, but I did let her down.” He lowered his mouth, so that his lips were just a millimetre from her ear. “I hurt her, and I regret that. But I don’t love her.”
    Willow closed her eyes, her brain waging an internal battle. She had never wanted to kiss someone so badly. Her bones felt weak with desire. But wasn’t it just history repeating itself? She moaned softly, and against their will, her hands lifted, to bunch in his shirtfront.
    “I can’t get involved with a married guy,” she whispered, dragging her lower lip between her teeth and biting down on it.
    “What about a soon-to-be-divorced-guy?” He asked coolly, wondering why the hell he was ignoring his own reservations to pursue this woman. She was Isaac and Anna’s best friend. He’d come over to make it clear that they shouldn’t get involved, and instead, he’d ended up making a complete play for her.
    Her heart turned over in her chest. She wanted to kiss him. Her lips were tingling with the need to press against his warmth, and feel the satisfaction that she knew he would give. But Willow was not one for repeating past mistakes. She forced her hands to push at his chest, and to her chagrin, he didn’t resist even slightly. He stepped away respectfully, his eyes intent on her face.
    She shook her head slowly from side to side. “I’ve been down this path before.” She shrugged her slender shoulders and turned away from him, glad to have something as menial as making coffee to do.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked quietly.
    She poured the coffee into two cups, black and strong, without asking how he had it. When it came to coffee, her way was the only way. She passed one to him, her smile tight on her lips. “I guess it means that I have a thing for married guys.”
    Matt expelled a slow, frustrated breath. He was