Page 18 of Billion-Dollar Dating Game

‘Which means you’re the only woman I’ll be sleeping with for the next two months.’

She just kept staring at him.

He leaned forward and waved a hand in front of her eyes. ‘Why, Skylar, are you so ecstatic that you’ve gone catatonic?’

She finally blinked. ‘What if I don’t want to sleep with you?’

His smile widened. ‘Oh, sweetheart, we both know that’s not the case.’

Her whole face radiated irritation. ‘You’re the most arrogant prat on the face of the earth.’

‘Yeah, but you still want me. You like what I do to you,’ he said boldly. ‘I mean, you gave me your virginity in less than twenty minutes.’

And howthatwas possible he was still trying to figure out. This was Skylar—passionate, fiery Skylar. How had she gone all this time without sex?

‘We’ve already established that I wasn’t thinking at the time.’

‘And who’s to say there won’t be another incident where you find yourself “not thinking”?’

‘Me,’ she said. ‘I’m here to say there won’t.’ She folded her arms and glared at him. ‘I enjoyed myself. But I don’t actually like you.’

He shrugged. ‘Who needs like when there’s lust?’

‘Not happening.’

But she was flushed and he was so drawn to her flame.

He’d meant to play this stupid bet out slow. Find someone suitable who he could trust to play it discreetly with him. No one had seen him with Skylar tonight, so in theory he could ask her to keep this quiet and still make an arrangement with someone else as he’d originally intended. But he couldn’t lie. He wanted to win honestly. Which meant he was stuck with her. And that wasn’t quite as terrible as he’d first thought. Because her reactions to him now were endlessly entertaining.

So this had just become a game within a game.

He knew she was a pleaser and insanely loyal—to everyone but him, that was. So he was going to have to convince her by some other means.

‘It’s not looking good for you, is it?’ she said. ‘Less than a day since you made your stupid bet.’

‘You think I can’t control myself?’

‘Obviously not,’ she said drolly. ‘I’m astonished you suggested this when they’ll all think you’re the one least likely to succeed...’ She squinted. ‘Which was the point for you. Proving people wrong.’

‘You’re right.’ He aimed for contrition. ‘I really need your help.’

She shot him the most deadly look ever. ‘You’re asking for my help now?’

He couldn’t resist aggravating her. Apparently it was an uncontrollable urge where she was concerned. ‘If I’m seen with you, then that will stop other women from approaching me.’

‘Is that a problem for you?’

‘That article has had an impact already. Many messages.’

‘Howawful.’ She pressed her hand to her chest in a gesture of mock empathy.

‘I know. Would you believe I’ve even been stalked at a party? This random woman was lurking in my private garden pretending to be caught on a tree branch.’

‘Really.’ She gritted her teeth. ‘So now you want us to fake date?’

‘No. You can just be my personal bodyguard. Protect me from theotherbodies. We don’t have to hold hands or kiss in public or anything. It can be purely platonic if you want.’

She stared at him like he was nuts. Which he was.

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