Page 25 of Billion-Dollar Dating Game

‘Take a couple turns around the block,’ he muttered to his driver when he paused outside her apartment building. ‘I’ll message when ready.’

His muscles twitched. He’d run up all seventy-odd stairs in his condo tower earlier today but even that hadn’t been enough to use up his excess energy.

He pushed the button and she buzzed him up. By the time he’d climbed to the second floor she’d opened her door and was visible in the frame. For the first time all week, he stood stock still.

‘Is this on the mark?’ She sounded nervous but looked defiant.

Oh, it was on the mark. Very,veryon the mark—if the mark was his libido. The silver slip dress skimmed her slim frame. Her glossy hair fell sleekly to the curve of her bottom. Her skin was radiant and those deep brown eyes of hers were huge. ‘I’ve worn heels so I won’t look stupidly short next to you.’

He liked her height. He remembered pressing her against him in the garden and wrapping her leg around his waist. He wanted that again.

She frowned in the face of his silence. ‘I rented a couple alternatives if it isn’t...’

He struggled to rein in the direction of his thoughts. ‘How very diligent of you, Skylar.’

‘I like to do a good job.’ She straightened.

‘I know you do.’ He stepped past her into her apartment. That she thought of this as a ‘job’ irritated him. ‘We’re going to a film premiere. A thriller, I believe. You can hold my hand in the scary bits if you like.’

He moved deeper into her apartment and discovered it was tiny. Which was a problem. He couldn’t trust himself to touch her—not even offering a socially polite kiss on her cheek. Getting that close to her was impossible—he actually feared he’d lose control and caveman toss her onto her own bed. He’d take her fully clothed first, then he’d rip the beautiful dress from her and have her all over again. Naked. And then again. And yes, he was going out of his mind.

‘There’ll be lots of cameras at a film premiere.’ She closed the door behind him.

‘Yes. We’ll walk the red carpet. Pose in front of the press pen.’

‘Press pen?’ She sounded aghast. ‘You’re kidding.’

He focused on the apartment. The absolute lack of space. There wasn’t even a kitchen. Just a sink and a microwave.

Her low mumble reached him. ‘What’s the worst they’re going to say...’ she muttered. ‘Probably that I’m not pretty enough to be seen with you.’

He turned.

‘And that I’m not from the right sort of society.’ She fiddled with the strap of her purse. ‘Will they pry into my past? How detail oriented are these people?’

Very, unfortunately. He had a lot of money and stupidly that made people interested.

‘You want to back out, Skylar?’ he asked, though he really didn’t want to.

‘Not at all. I can handle this.’ But she didn’t look as certain as she sounded. ‘It’s not like I have a past to be worried about.’

‘If you worry what someone thinks, that gives them power over you. You get distracted wondering about their reactions, which means you can’t make a clean decision on your own. Like your dress tonight. No one else’s opinion should matter. Only yours. If you’re comfortable, if you like the dress—’

‘So not even your opinion matters?’ she interrupted.

‘No. It doesn’t.’

She cared too much. Always had. Seeking approval. He remembered her silence. Her dutiful manner to her father. And he was suddenly reluctant to expose her to that online commentary. The magazine was bad enough, but worse were those trolls who hid behind anonymous screens and keyboards and spouted cruel words for the malevolent fun of it. The thought of them had never bothered him before but now he was concerned for her sake. She was about to lose her privacy—paying a steep price for what? Nothing. Because there waszerochance of him changing his mind on breaking up Helberg. A bitter taste rose in the back of his throat.Guilt. But he couldn’t tell her what had really happened between him and Helberg and the immediate aftermath of that excruciating meeting when he’d been a child. He’d never spoken of it—or of the accident after—with anyone. Not even his mother. He kept that shit well buried where it couldn’t bother him and it would never see the light of day.

But here she was, wondering why he wanted Helberg so much. Acute enough to know there was something more than business about it. And perhaps he could explain justsomeof it. Because there was that greedy part of him, the part that liked to win. That part didn’t want to quit this game. Not yet. Besides which, he reassured himself, she looked stunning. No online troll could ever say otherwise. ‘Skylar, you could wear anything and—’

‘Please don’t flatter—’

‘I’mnot.’ He gritted his teeth to stop himselfshowingrather than telling her how much of a freaking goddess she was. ‘You’re beautiful. Your dress showcases the fact.’

‘I thought you didn’t like me.’

‘Right. But I still think you’re sexy.’

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