The Billionaire's Pretend Girlf - Leslie North Page 0,2

foot connected with a slippery patch of tile. He shouted as he pitched forward, headed right for the bathtub.

Jackie shrieked, lunging for the vase again. Daniel caught himself on the edge of the tub before plunging headfirst into the water, but Jackie’s flailing caused her to slip.

She tumbled on top of him, knocking him backwards. He connected with the bathroom tile in a solid thunk, landing on his back, with Jackie’s small, damp hands immediately finding his neck.

“I told you not to touch me!” she said, her thumbs pressing into the sides of his neck.

“I fucking slipped!” he hissed out, grasping at her hands and struggling to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. All the water from her body was bleeding into him now, soaking his pants, his shirt, everything. He didn’t seriously think that she would do him any harm, but he was impressed, if anything, that she knew exactly where to strike his pressure points to get him to pass out.

She watched him intensely for a few moments, chest heaving while her gaze skated back and forth across his face. Meanwhile, Grayson ran into the bathroom.

“Daniel! Whoa, what the—” Grayson’s eyes went wide, an expression somewhere between shock and amusement tugging at his lips. “Is everything okay?”

On top of him, Jackie squeaked and started to pull back, but Daniel slid an arm around her to hold her in place. As long as she stayed on top of him like this, Grayson wouldn’t get a free show.

“We’re fine, we’re fine,” Daniel said, trying to wave him away. “Sorry, we got excited.”

“Holy shit. My bad. I had no idea that you had a visitor waiting for you…” Grayson’s shit-eating grin was fully activated. “Sorry, miss. I hope I didn’t ruin your surprise. But maybe you were expected—that would explain why Daniel was so eager to get here…”

Daniel pinched his eyes shut, not sure where to begin with the story corrections. “It’s, uh…you know…”

“How about this? I’ll head to the diner now, in your car, and then tell your driver he has the rest of the night off. I’ll let Blake know that something else…came up and you needed to stay home tonight after all.” Grayson tapped a knuckle against the doorframe. “Sound like a plan?”

“Yep. Great.” Daniel waved him off again, everything inside him burning with embarrassment and confusion while Grayson retreated. Once the front door shut, heard only faintly from inside the master bath, Jackie rolled off of him.

“I’m so sorry.” She offered a hand, searing him with those pretty green eyes. “I didn’t mean to cause such a mess.” She gestured to the water all over the floor. “Or give your friend the wrong idea.”

Daniel grunted as he took her hand, allowing her to help him sit up. He rubbed at his face, still unsure whether all of this was real or a jet-lagged hallucination, while Jackie snatched a nearby towel and wrapped it around her.

“It’s my fault,” Daniel said, feeling some clarity return now that she was no longer naked and showcasing the wispy lines of a scripted tattoo on her ribcage. Even though he was dying to know what it spelled. “I wrapped up my business meeting early and then I had to rush so much to get on my new flight that I didn’t even think about alerting you. Honestly, I’ve been so busy at work, I totally forgot that you’d be staying here while I was in Seoul.”

Jackie nibbled on her bottom lip, some of her mascara collecting beneath the rim of her eyes as she rested against the edge of the bathtub. “You were just in Seoul?”

Daniel nodded, scratching at the back of his neck. After what just happened, Seoul seemed like a lifetime ago. He couldn’t even remember what he was doing ten minutes ago.

“That’s so cool,” Jackie said softly, her gaze bouncing across bathroom floor. “I’d like to go someday. Let me get this place cleaned up. I really didn’t mean to try to attack you.”

“You wouldn’t have gotten far with those karate moves,” Daniel cracked.

Jackie grinned, a dimple flashing. “What are you trying to say? You were scared. Don’t act like you weren’t.”

“I was something, but scared wasn’t it,” Daniel teased back.

Jackie hefted with a laugh. “I’m sorry I accused you of breaking into your own apartment. I guess it would have helped if we’d ever met over the past six months, huh? Just to see what we look like.”

“Yeah, could have saved me a naked