Bargaining for the Billionaire Read Online Free PDF Page B

make it past kissing. Having sex with someone always came down to one point: could she trust the man she was with? The answer had always been no. Sadly, she’d learned the hard way that she couldn’t trust Grayson, either.
    Hannah might be a diehard romantic, but she was right about one thing. Maddie was lonely, and it ate at her. Now that her two best friends had found their other halves, she yearned to find the same thing. For all her bravado, deep down, she was a little girl with a heart full of impossible dreams of Cinderella and Prince Charming.
    Neither was she ready for another relationship. No, what she needed was something in the middle. Which meant, if she wanted company after the auction, she had to go all in. No matter how nervous she felt.
    Besides, she really did like this guy. He was nice. Talking to him somehow set her at ease.
    She gave a firm nod and sat up straight. You can do this.
    Before she could decide what to do or say, another message popped onto her screen.
    BookNerd: Nervous?
    Maddie sighed. God, how did he do that? She must look like a ninny….
    MadHatter3000: A little.
    BookNerd: Me, too. My heart is hammering. We don’t have to do this, you know. We could end it here and say goodnight.
    The answer to that came as easily as her next breath. If she ended it here, she’d regret it.
    MadHatter3000: I don’t want to end it. I’m just nervous.
    Of course, her mind now filled with uncertainties and questions she shouldn’t ask. She stuffed her finger into her mouth, biting down on the short nail. What she liked about him was his honesty, but this particular question was of the “uncertain of herself and completely not sexy” variety. She had to ask, though, if only to put it out there.
    MadHatter3000: Is it a turn-off? Am I ruining this?
    That had to be one of the most vulnerable things she’d admitted to a man. It was right up there with the night she’d confessed her past to Grayson.
    BookNerd: No. It’s natural. Truth is, part of me is wondering if you think I’m pushing.
    MadHatter3000: Are you?
    Because he’d asked, and now she had to know.
    BookNerd: Not intentionally. I find this arousing as hell. You’re straight up with me, about who you and what you want. And I can’t seem to help myself. But I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, either.
    MadHatter3000: You’re not. TBH, your honesty is nice.
    BookNerd: :) I’m glad. Ask me anything.
    MadHatter3000: May I ask what you’re wearing?
    BookNerd: Same thing I wore to work today. I haven’t changed yet. Shirt and slacks.
    MadHatter3000: Tie?
    BookNerd: Nope. That baby comes off the minute I get into my car at the end of the night. ;)
    This discovery sent little flutters of excitement pulsing through her. Her panties were positively wet now. God, he was a corporate man. There was something so damned sexy about a man in a full suit.
    She yearned to ask him what he did for a living but held back. The truth was, she had no desire to get to know him beyond what she needed for their date. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted this to go beyond the one date. He intrigued her, though. That he was sitting over there, still fully dressed, told her a lot about him.
    BookNerd: Would it help if I went first?
    Her shoulders slumped, and she released the breath she wasn’t aware of holding. God bless the man for his patience.
    MadHatter3000: Yes. Please.
    BookNerd: Ok. What would you like me to take off?
    Maddie leaned back, tapping her fingers on her laptop, but the answer entered her thoughts seconds later. That was too easy.
    MadHatter3000: The shirt. I like chests. If you workout as much as you say, I imagine you have a nice one.
    BookNerd: Would you like proof?
    Maddie stuffed a nail into her mouth, heart thumping like an out of control jackhammer. Did she? Hands down. She had almost a fetish with men’s’ chests. Of all the places on a man’s body she found sexy, that one topped the list. A broad chest and well defined pecs