Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love) Agnes Canestri (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📖

incapable of making someone fall for me? Because if he is, I can certainly contradict him. Though nothing physical has happened between me and Eva yet, after last night I’m certain that her friendly interest is transforming into something more.

Zach pulls down his left eye with his finger, then deepens his voice an octave. “I don’t think, Nate. I know.” It’s a weird habit he picked up from some Italian mafia movie, and I’m not even sure what value it adds to our discourse.

“Not that it’s any of your business, after you’ve made it clear that you’re not in my cheering squad, but I’m making great progress with Eva.” I accompany my phrase with a coy smirk. “Last night, when I dropped her off, her gaze lingered on my mouth a second longer than was necessary. Maybe even a few seconds.”

The only reason I didn’t go for kissing her then and there was because her grandmother appeared in her nightgown. Quite a nice lady indeed, even if I would have wished her into the furthest corner of the world when she interrupted us.

Zach gives me an exaggerated grimace of surprise. “Oh, really? Wow. This is…” He nods a few times as if he’s impressed, but then a chuckle bubbles up from his throat.

“What?” I ask sounding way more hostile than I want to.

“Can’t you see it, Nate? What you just told me is proof that you’re well on your way to losing this bet. My two cents is that you’ve already lost it.”

I shake my head. What does he mean? Even after telling him that Eva is showing clear signs of attraction toward me, he still thinks I’m the loser in this?

Zach points at his own ears. “Are you listening to yourself when you speak about Eva? Her gaze lingered on my mouth? Hello? When did you ever say anything remotely similar about any of the women you’ve dated?”

I put my elbows on the table for support. Maybe this morning I overdid it with the pull-ups in my warm-up. That must be the reason my arms muscles seem to be burning and shooting these uncomfortable jolts into my ribcage. “Maybe never, Zach. But I’ve also never pursued anyone with whom I had to make things happen this fast or else lose a position I’m destined for.”

Zach steps away from the camera for a second, and when he comes back, he’s holding a glass of milk. He gulps it down eagerly, and after wiping down his milk mustache, he grins at me. “Whatever the explanation you give yourself, you sound like a guy from one of those freakin’ telenovelas my sister would watch. Don Nathan. Yeah, it has a certain charm to it.”

Him comparing me with a hero from a love serial should be offensive, but instead it just reminds me of Juan saying that I resemble a duke from Eva’s favorite show. I haven’t had the time to google the actor yet, but I should before we meet up. Just to have a better feel what kind of men she likes…

Oh, no. I freeze mid-thought, suddenly realizing what my friend meant. If my thoughts automatically flow in a direction of trying to please Eva, it isn’t because I want to win the bet. Or not entirely.

I rub my head, trying to order the mess that seems to be my brain right now.

True, Eva is pretty amazing which makes it hard to keep my head straight. I might have thought that her greatest talent was dancing, but it isn’t. She isn’t a woman who is just ravishing on the outside. She’s smart, witty, and passionate. And piercingly honest. Her words move something in me. No matter whether she says them in that softly mocking tone as if she isn’t buying my cool billionaire act, shoots them at me as fiery provocations, or announces them in a quiet murmur. When she speaks to me, my body does funny things.

Like giving a beat out of rhythm. Or making my breath hitch. All reactions that I’m not used to having. But could they mean I’m deeper in this than I thought possible?

Zach watches me, his brows furrowed. “Nate, quite frankly, by the look of you, you’re just evading the unavoidable. If you like this girl, you shouldn’t hide from it. It’ll bite you in the butt on the long run.”

“What are you saying?” I jerk back. “Should I just dive into whatever I’m feeling…or, rather, starting to feel for Eva?”

“That’s one way to put it, yes.” Zach nods. “It would make your situation with her much easier. Believe it or not, pal, but women actually dig sincerity and reciprocal emotions. Or so my sister always tells me.”

“Not possible.” I click my tongue. “For several reasons. First, I bragged to Murphy that I can keep my emotions out of any equation and that it’s a good thing. That’s why he came up with the condition that I’m not to fall for Eva. But even if he hadn’t, getting truly involved with Eva—I mean outside the context of the bet—wouldn’t be practical. My life is full the way it is. Can’t you see how much of my time this courtship is already eating up? If it continues like this, I might lose my edge when it comes to my ongoing cases.”

I fetch my phone and turn it so Zach can see the mountain of documents on my table. For good measure, I even show him the other ones that landed on the carpet when I answered his call.

Zach gives out a whistle. “Did a hurricane strike you?”

“No, I bumped over a few folders when I grabbed my phone. I thought it was Eva calling and—”

I stop before I can incriminatingly admit that I was so eager to hear her voice, I didn’t pay attention to my moves.

I switch back the camera in time to see Zach bowing as if he were in a courtroom. “The evidence is on my side. I don’t have anything to add,