Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter Seventy-Two

"I want to make a call."

Despite her attempts to keep as much distance from the biggest jerk she had ever met in her life, Carmen had no choice but to confront him once again. But, of course, she wasn't looking for him so they could catch up. No, she wanted to find him so she could ask for the most basic thing she shouldn't have to beg for in the first place.

The corner of Simon's mouth twisted into a smirk long before he even lifted his gaze from the screen of his phone, looking at her as if she hadn't heard anything more amusing than what had just come out of her mouth. But, of course, he humored her still. Why in the world would he let go of such a good chance?

"No can do, sweetheart. Go back to your room."

Annoyance coiled in her chest, and her breathing grew heavy. "I don't think you heard me. I need to make a call, and I need to do it now."

Sitting in what looked like a lounge room of sorts, Simon turned his phone off and decided to give her his undivided attention. "You know what? Why don't you take a seat. Let's talk. It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm confident you've been worried about me, haven't you, darling?"

He couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, strangely enough, she hadn't thought about him for the most part in the past. Sure, she couldn't completely erase him from her memories or the lessons she had learned due to his interference in her life, but her life had been so occupied while trying to find out the people behind the attacks on Willow and Ronin that she hardly had any free time at all.

"You can't be more delusional if that's what you think. Now, if you're done, I would need a phone."

However, Simon looked far from being offended. "Fair enough. But who are you going to call, anyway?"

"That's none of your business."

"Well, if you're going to use my cellphone, it does make it my business."

Was he seriously doing this?

Carmen frowned. "Or I can just use one of the landlines that you haven't cut off in the fear that I might call the police."

Simon chuckled, leaning back and putting an arm along the length of the back of the couch he sat on. "The fact that you think I'm afraid of the cops is adorable."

"Really?" She scoffed. "Then why else would you cut off all the lines?"

"Maybe because I hate the sound of them." He shrugged.

She couldn't help but scoff, rolling her eyes while she was at it. "That's the most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard."

This time, there was a long, silent moment. Simon stayed quiet, pressing his lips into a firm line while his eyes remained fixed on her. Carmen wondered if she had finally been able to break through his calm exterior, if she had annoyed him enough to reveal his true, ugly face. The thought of the old Simon from the cruise sent a chilling shiver down her spine. But despite the fear that he might try something like that again, she held her ground, not wanting to appear as if she were at his mercy.

But then he rose from the couch, to his full, glorious height and walked around the coffee table. His hands slid into the pockets of his pants, and he paused only when he stood in front of her.

The way he was looking at her made Carmen acutely aware of his presence, as if she could feel his eyes all over her, as if he were reading her more than she would ever allow him to again. It didn't help that suddenly a memory of them rolling on his bed flashed through her mind. All of a sudden, her chest tightened as she felt the ghost of his touch on her shoulders, on her waist, fingers trailing up her spine. The way he pushed the strap of her top off her shoulder and kissed the base of her neck...