Once Upon a Billionaire(88)

“So I see.”

And to her surprise, he bent down and kissed the top of the dog’s head. Then, he straightened with a grimace. “I’d rather be kissing you.”

“I see that.” Lordamercy, she should be given a medal for managing to contain her laughter.

“Am I forgiven?”

“I haven’t decided. I might need you to kiss a chicken next.”

He looked resigned. “How does one even kiss a chicken?”

“Very carefully,” she said, and got to her feet, dusting her hands off on her jeans. “You’d do that for me?”

“If that’s what it takes to convince you of my earnestness, I shall kiss every bit of fowl you place in front of me.” His tone was so austere and sincere.

Her giggles escaped. “Why can’t I stay mad at you?”

“Because a man who kisses a slobbery dog simply to make his woman smile is a pathetic figure indeed?” He attempted to put a smile in his voice, but his face remained somber. “Maylee, I’m so sorry I hurt your feelings. I truly am awful at showing affection properly, especially when I’m at home and everyone expects me to act like one of the royal family, even though I’m no longer in line for the throne. It’s like I’m brainwashed into seeing nothing but how the royal family thinks things should be. But Alex broke the mold, and I can, too.” He reached out and touched her hand. “I can assure you that I never, ever encouraged Saxe-Gallia or anyone else. That was simply tabloids making up rubbish to sell papers.”

Griffin’s words were so fervent that she knew they were the truth. No matter her wounded feelings, she had to stop and think rationally. The man had grown up with a cold mother and father. How could she expect him to be wildly affectionate in a family who didn’t seem to know the meaning? Even Alex was reserved around Luke, and he was her fiancé.

Actually, she supposed that Luke and Alex were married now. Poor Luke—he’d married into a family of stiff-necked royals. Maylee smiled at that.

At her smile, Griffin seemed to relax a little. His eyes brightened. “Please tell me you don’t hate me anymore.”

“I don’t hate you anymore,” she agreed, and took his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze.

Griffin looked a little disgruntled at that. “I rather hoped I’d be showered with kisses upon my declaration of love.”

She laughed at his disgusted tone. “I thought you royals didn’t like shows of affection?”

“I’d be willing to soldier through for your sake.”

Maylee snorted.

“Come back with me,” he said softly, and tugged her closer to him. “Let me show you my home in New York City and how dull and boring of a bachelor I am.”

“Are you a boring bachelor?”

“I am. My townhouse is full of books and dust and not a single thing to entice a woman at all.” Griffin gave her a rueful look. “And I can lure you with promises of conversation about ancient civilizations up until the early hours of the morning.”

She pretended to consider this. “Can I bring my knitting?”

“Absolutely. I would recommend you have something at hand to keep you busy while I bore you to death.”

“You’re never boring,” she said softly, and her gaze flicked to his mouth. “Not to me.”

“That’s why you’re perfect.” He pulled her in closer, his mouth angling toward hers.

Maylee pressed her fingers to his lips, stopping him before he could kiss her. “So . . . now what? I’ve forgiven you, but I left New York. It’s hard to get a job there for a girl like me.”

“You’ll come live with me,” he said immediately. “I don’t want you to work. I want you at my side every day.”

She shook her head. “And be dependent on you for everything? No.”

“Then be my equerry. My assistant. My body servant.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her at the last sentence.

She snorted again and shook her head. “You have an assistant.”

“Yes, and he’s never cut my meat for me once.” He gave her a soulful look full of pleading. “Say you’ll return with me. I can always use another assistant. I seem to recall someone telling me how incredibly helpless I was.”

“You are rather helpless,” she admitted, fingering one of the medals on his coat that had flipped over. “Do all your assistants live with you?”

“Kip does,” Griffin admitted. “My first act will be to boot him to a neighboring townhouse.”

“And me?”#p#分页标题#e#

“I want you in my home.”