FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS (Ophelia Corrigan) novel Chapter 76

CHAPTER 76

AMIE

The first thought I had when I woke up was that someone had shoved a drum kit inside my skull and hired a heavy metal band to go to town on it.

“Oh my God.” I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. The fabric smelled like something familiar and woodsy. The kind of scent that made you want to press your nose into it and never come up for air.

That’s when I realized the bed wasn’t mine.

The mattress was too soft. The sheets were too silky. And the room-when I finally managed to pry my eyes open-was way too big.

Shit.

I sat up so fast the whole room spun. I pressed my palms to my temples, trying to keep my brain from exploding out of my ears. As a bonus, I noticed I was wearing an oversized men’s t-shirt and sweatpants that definitely weren’t mine.

The door opened.

And Simon walked in like he’d just stepped off a magazine cover. Perfect black slacks, white shirt with the buttons lined up like soldiers, black tie, hair slicked back, making that sculpted face even more pronounced. He was heading toward me holding a breakfast tray.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

Before I could process, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead-like that was just a normal thing between us.

The touch of his lips on my skin was so unexpected I forgot about the headache for a solid second.

He set the tray in front of me, and my eyes landed on the contents: steaming black coffee, orange juice, a bowl of fresh fruit, toast with jam, and an aspirin tablet next to a glass of water.

And a flower.

A tiny white daisy, sitting right next to the plate.

My heart did something weird in my chest.

“How did I get here?” My voice came out rough, scratchy, and I cleared my throat, trying to salvage some dignity. “I don’t remember-”

“You don’t remember anything?”

I closed my eyes, trying to pull at the loose threads of the night before. Flashes-the party, Elizabeth, the drinks. Ethan on stage singing. Then Simon showing up. And nothing after that.

“No,” I admitted, the shame already creeping up my neck. “What happened?”

154 Tue, SEP 29 JIM

FAK DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

Simon took a breath, his expression shifting from amused to something more serious. He sat on the edge of the bed, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him.

“You probably shouldn’t drink that much if you can’t handle it. Especially not in a crowd.”

The shame tightened in my stomach. I looked down at my hands gripping the blanket.

“Sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I shouldn’t be here, messing up your routine. The kids

“The kids are downstairs having breakfast with Mary,” he cut me off, his voice soft but firm/”They’re fine. And you’re not bothering anything. You can take the morning off. HR won’t dock your pay.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’m the boss, remember?”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

“Did I cause a lot of trouble last night?”

“No.” He relaxed a little, the tension in his shoulders easing. “You just said some stupid stuff.”

“What?” My eyes went wide. “What did I say?”

He tilted his head, that mischievous look I knew way too well. “You really don’t remember?”

I squinted at him, trying to force the memories back. Nothing. Just disconnected flashes-cold water, the sensation of being carried, a voice saying something about….

“Just tell me, Hart. What did I say?”

He shrugged, but his smile widened. “Nothing major. Just that I’m really strong. And really hot. And that”- he paused dramatically-“I make you come.”

The air left my lungs.

“I-I said that?”

“Twice.”

My face burned so hot I swear I saw steam rising from my cars. I buried my face in my hands, a muttled groan escaping through my fingers.

“Oh my God. I didn’t know what I was saying!

“Relax.” His voice was closer now, and when I looked up, he was leaning toward me, his gaze warm. “It was cute. And apparently true.”

“Simon-”

“Eat.” He nodded at the tray. “You need to get some food in you. And take the aspirin. My cook insisted on making something light.”

My gaze dropped to the tray again. The coffee was still steaming. The fruit was perfectly cut. The toast was golden brown. And the flower-that little white daisy-was right there, like he’d gone out and picked it from somewhere just for me.

15:34 Tue Sep 29 MT.

FAKE DATING WITH BENEFITS MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

My heart warmed. I ignored it again.

1

picked up the coffee cup and took a sip. It was perfect-strong enough to wake up my senses, but not

to bitter. The aspirin slid down my throat with a gulp of water, and I felt the headache starting to ease.

I bit into the toast, chewed slowly. The strawberry jam was homemade, sweet but not too sweet. The fruit was fresh. Everything was perfect.

It was strange, being here in his bed, being taken care of like I was his girlfriend.

I looked down at the clothes I was wearing. “Who changed my clothes?”

“Relax.” He leaned back, crossing his arms. “Nothing there I haven’t seen before.”

I nearly choked on my toast.

“Simon!”

“What?” He was enjoying himself, the bastard. “It’s true. You were soaked, shivering cold. I wasn’t going to let you sleep in wet clothes.”

“But-”

“Relax.” His voice softened suddenly. “All we did was sleep.”

The way he said it-simple, direct, no beating around the bush-disarmed any response I might have had.

“Thank you,” I managed, my voice coming out softer than I intended. “For everything. For bringing me here. For taking care of me.”

He tilted his head, and something in his gaze shifted. A soft gleam, almost tender.

“Anytime, counselor.”

Before I could say anything else, the door flew open.

“AUNT JAMIE!”

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