The Billionaire Next Door (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) by Judy Angelo Page B

be a sports buff but she could drop a
name or two.
    “The man himself.”  Ransom nodded.  “With a talented
team like this I’m already seeing championship rings for all of them.”
    “Even though they’ve got two already.”
    “Three,” he said, happily correcting her.  “I want them
to beat the Bulls’ record.  The way they’re playing they’ll shoot past six in
no time.” 
    Solie cocked an eyebrow at him.  “I believe you.”  Then
she clapped her hands onto her knees and made to stand up.  “Anyway, I’ll leave
you to it.  I’m heading out now.”
    That got her a quick frown.  “What?  So soon?”  Then his
face cleared and he gave her one of his signature Ransom Kent smiles.  Heavens,
the man could turn on the charm at the drop of a hat.  “Stay a while and watch
the rest of the game with me.” 
    “No can do,” she said firmly.  If he only knew how,
right at that moment her brain had to be beating her heart into submission. 
Deep down inside she wanted to stay, not for the sake of checking up on him,
but just to be with him, get to know him.  But that was dangerous.  She would
be a fool to go there.
    And so she stood by her decision.  Literally, in fact,
as no sooner had the words left her lips than she rose from the chair, shoving
her hands into her pockets as she got up.  As fidgety as she was feeling just
then, hiding her hands from view was the best thing to do.  “I’ve got a long day
ahead of me so I’m gonna go.”
    “Aaw, not even twenty minutes more?”  He gave her a cute
puppy dog look that was hard to resist.
    But she had to.  At this point it had little to do with
her work schedule.  Now it was all about her growing attraction to him.  She
had to get the hell out of there.
    “Nope, I’m heading out.  Just make sure you don’t stay
up too late.  You need your rest.”  With those parting words Solie tore her
eyes from Ransom’s still smiling face and began to turn toward the door.
    It was then that a buzzing vibration on her left butt
cheek stopped her in her tracks.  It was probably her mamita checking up
on her.  She dug into her back pocket and pulled out the cell phone. 
    An unknown number.  A frisson of fear ran through Solie
but she swallowed and, trying hard to look casual, she clicked on the answer
button and put the phone to her ear.  “Hello?”
    “Hola, mi amor .  Did you dream of me last night?”
    At the sound of Raul’s deep voice, so soft, so silky and
so menacing, Solie felt the blood drain from her face.  Her tormentor was back.
    Heart pounding, she drew in her breath, fighting to find
something biting to say but no words came.  Her mind drew a blank.
    “Solie?  Is everything all right?”
    Ransom’s voice snapped her out of the evil spell and she
blinked.  Before her caller could say another word she pressed the ‘end’ button
then shoved the phone back into her pocket.  “I…I’m good.  I’ve…got to go.”
    Palms still clammy and her breathing shallow, Solie
didn’t trust herself to say another word.  Intent on avoiding Ransom’s eyes she
hurried out of the room, grabbed her sweater from the hallway closet and fled. 
    ***
     
     
    Dammit.  How could he focus on the game after what had
just happened?  He’d seen the abrupt change in Solie’s face, seen the way she’d
suddenly turned pale.  Something was wrong.
    It was none of his business but he wanted to know.  How
could he ignore that look of distress, especially when it marked the face of
someone who was coming to mean something to him?
    That thought gave him pause.  He didn’t even react when
Chris Andersen sank a three pointer, he was so lost in thought.  Solie had
begun to mean something to him, but what?
    Okay, so she was not just a neighbor anymore.  She’d
been his nurse and ever since Trevor stuck his nose in, she’d also become his
pseudo babysitter, checking up on him and making sure he didn’t exert himself,
as she put it.  More