Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover by Rosa Winters

sneak through the small gate, climb up the trees, and eat to her heart's content, right there among the branches.

In that yard, there were all sorts of trees-apple, peach, cherry, and plum. Over time, and without anyone to tend them, these trees had grown wild, sprouting seedlings everywhere. It was like a little untamed orchard. Back in the day, whenever the fruits were ripe, she'd

Cassie slipped through that same gate again. But this time, she found the yard completely transformed. The wild weeds and scraggly trees were gone, replaced by neat flower beds filled with all sorts of fragrant blooms and herbs. Pathway lights glowed softly, adding to the charm. There used to be a rusty old swing set covered in dust, but now it was spruced up with fresh paint and repairs.

She remembered loving that swing. She'd stand on it while a pair of twins would take turns pushing her. If they didn't push her high enough, she'd give them a good-natured scolding-well, sometimes more than just a scolding. Those twins always seemed to be getting into trouble.

Cassie noticed the villa was all lit up and couldn't help but wonder. Was it those twins who'd come back, or was there a new owner? If it was someone new, barging in like this might not be the best idea. She figured she'd come back the next day with a proper excuse for a visit. Just as she was about to leave, her eyes caught sight of a date tree, its branches heavy with ripe, red dates. Chloe loved sweet, juicy dates, and Cassie thought she might pick some as a peace offering for standing her up today.

With that in mind, she started climbing the tree. As she gathered more dates, she realized she had nowhere to stash them. So, she took off her floral blouse, bundled the dates inside, and kept picking. Watching her expensive blouse get ruined, she shrugged and thought she might as well keep going.

"Hey, it's risky up there. Why not come down and pick them from here?" a voice called out from behind, calm and steady.

foot

nearly fell. But a

just in time.

she found herself

ver

firmly held by a man in a

the chaos,

cold of his ear met the warmth of her lips, and both of them froze for a

and wiping her lips like

a bit awkward at first, but then he saw her

just saved you, and that's your response?" he