FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 66

CHAPTER 66

AMIE

I showed up at his penthouse at seven, clutching a bottle of red wine and a box of brownies I’d grabbed on my way over. The scene that greeted me was equal parts chaos and… weirdly endearing.

Simon was in the kitchen, back to me, wearing an apron that had to belong to his housekeeper. He was leaning over the stove, stirring something in a pot, and on the other side of the island, Jack and Sam were perched on high stools, watching him with expressions that ranged from skeptical to starving.

“Uncle Simon,” Jack said, his voice dripping with suspicion. “Are you sure this is edible?”

“Absolutely sure,” Simon replied, not turning around. “It’s my grandmother’s recipe.”

“Was your grandmother a good cook?”

“She was a terrible cook. But this recipe is good.”

Sam laughed, and Lily came barreling toward me.

“JAMIE!”

She threw herself against my legs, and I set the wine bottle on the coffee table so I could scoop her up.

“You came back!”

“I said I’d think about it, remember?”

“Uncle Simon said you’d come if you weren’t too busy.” She squeezed my neck. “You’re not too busy?”

“Nope. Not tonight.”

“Oh, good!”

Simon finally turned, and when our eyes met, something warm spread through my chest. He was still wearing the apron, but somehow he still managed to look attractive-like a smear of flour on his cheek was just part of the appeal.

“Where’s your housekeeper?”

“Called out. Said she had an emergency.” His gaze dropped to the bottle in my hand, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “But you came. And you brought wine.”

“And brownies.”

“Even better.” He wiped his hands on the apron and walked toward me. “Jack, why don’t you take your siblings to the back room and pick a movie? Jamie and I will finish up dinner.”

“Can it be a horror one?” Jack asked.

“No,” Simon said.

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FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS: MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

“Why not?”

Because you’re right.”

“So?”

“So you’ll have nightmares and I’ll end up sleeping on the floor of your room again.”

Jack sighed but obeyed, tugging Sam along by the hand. Lily wriggled out of my arms to follow them, and when the three kids disappeared down the hall, Simon turned to me.

“I had a better afternoon,” he said, his voice dry.

“Glad to hear it.” I walked into the kitchen and set the brownie box on the counter. “What happened?”

“Sam stuck a broccoli floret in his ear.”

“I know. You told me.”

“Then you know the worst of it.” He shrugged. “The rest was just… adjusting.”

“Adjusting.” I smiled.

“I’m trying to be optimistic.” He took the wine bottle and opened it with a dexterity I was used to seeing in boardrooms, not kitchens. “And hey, I’m learning.”

“Learning what?”

“That kids are more chaotic than any adult problem I’ve ever dealt with.”

“You’re figuring that out just now?”

“Okay, fine. I suspected. I just didn’t realize keeping a small human alive required this much effort.”

“And you’ve been at it for less than twenty-four hours.”

We smiled at each other. He poured two glasses, sliding one toward me. Our fingers brushed when I took it, and that brief contact was enough to make my skin prickle.

“You’re doing a good job,” I said. “With the kids, I mean.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re being nice.”

“I’m being honest.”

“With you, that’s pretty much the same thing.”

I took a sip of wine to hide my smile. “What are you making?”

“Pasta.” He pointed at the pot. “I know it’s not much, but it’s the one thing I can make without setting the kitchen on fire.”

“You could’ve ordered delivery.”

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FARN DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

“Delivery isn’t… personal.” He looked away. “The kids are going through a rough time. I wanted it to feel as normal as possible.”

That caught me off guard. I’d expected a joke, some sarcastic comment about him being a kitchen hero. Instead, he’d said it with such sincerity that my chest went warm.

“You’re starting to like them.” I said, and it wasn’t a question.

He was quiet for a moment. Then, slowly, a smile curved across his lips.

“They’re… cool,” he admitted. “Broccoli-in-the-ear and all.”

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