The Barefoot Groom: Bachelor Billionaire Romance (A Last Play Companion) by Taylor Hart

him speak today, after seeing his passion, the article was all wrong. She had felt some magic and learned things about herself today. “You used some psychologist mumbo jumbo to get me to tell you things.”
    “What?”
    “You did.” She pointed at him.
    “Uh, no. You willingly told me. I wouldn’t do that.”
    “Oh, you mean lie?”
    “Technically, I never … okay, I guess I said I came in through the gate…by agreeing with you.”
    “Yeah.” She felt herself relax.
    For a minute neither of them spoke.
    He turned to her. “Why are you smiling?”
    Staring out the window, she admitted reluctantly. “You were good today.”
    “I was?”
    Shaking her head, she let out a light laugh. “As if Cooper Harrison, billionaire relationship guru, needs my approval.”
    “I do,” he said quickly.
    Now she really laughed. At the ridiculousness of this conversation. “Right.”
    They got to the top of the mountain, and Cooper pulled into the lookout point and turned off the engine.
    She was unnerved by him. By the smell of something … soapy. It smelled like Irish Spring soap. That was it. She turned to him. “Is this make-out point?” The words came out before she could stop them. She knew she was blushing.
    He stared at her. “If you want it to be.”
    “No!” She shook her head and let out a long sigh of embarrassment. What was happening to her? She had to play it cool. She glued her gaze to the window. “It’s beautiful up here.”
    “I’m loving the view more and more.”
    Flustered, she turned to him. “Is this some trick? Another psychoanalytical game where I reveal something and then you laugh at me?”
    He paused. “I didn’t mean to hurt you last night.” He studied the landscape for a while then finally turned back to her. “I never talk about my late wife, and that’s all that came to my mind when you told me about Dillon.”
    Turning to face him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, she felt guilty. She was at this retreat with the sole goal of writing an exposé about him. She searched his eyes.
    He reached out and barely touched her hand. That strange connection from last night rattled her. “I’m glad you trespassed last night.”
    Butterflies thrummed into her gut.
    He grinned. Pushing his weight against the door, he unlatched it. “Let’s get out.”
    She still didn’t understand why she was up here, why he was treating her like this. “Okay.”
    Both of them walked toward the edge of the mountain.
    Confusion filled her. “Why am I here?”
    “What?” he asked, frowning. “It’s your one-on-one.”
    She shook her head. “No, why did you bring me here?”
    Hesitating, he sighed. “You’re normal. We connect.”
    This made her nervous. The worst thing a reporter could do was get too close to the subject. “I wouldn’t call it connecting. I mean, we agree it was all based on lies.” She was talking fast. “I mean, you’re a billionaire, and I’m at one of your retreats because I’m a loser, right?”
    He paused, frowning.
    “I’m sorry.” She felt frantic and nervous.
    Cooper gestured to the edge of the mountain. “This is the best place to get a good look at everything.”
    Relieved he wasn’t looking at her all intensely anymore, she turned to the view. It was beautiful. The mountains, the city, all lay before them like a movie screen. Instead of being hot and muggy like New York, this day felt warm with a slightly cool breeze. Perfect. She took a large breath and focused on trying to relax.
    “I love coming up here. Just … breathing.”
    She couldn’t stop herself. “Do you take your shoes off here too?”
    Without missing a beat, he kicked off his flip-flops. “I should. You should too.”
    Feeling put on the spot, she decided what the heck. She took hers off too. The dirt and sand pressed into her feet and through her toes. She laughed. “I’m standing with the Barefoot Billionaire. Wow.”
    “Barefoot Billionaire? Maybe that’ll be the title of my next