Page 27 of Billion-Dollar Dating Game

That dimple appeared and then her giggle sounded. ‘True.’

He couldn’t wipe the smile from his own face. He pulled her close to guide her through the crowd. And then, greedy man that he was, he kept his arm around her, faking nothing.

He had no idea what happened in the movie. He was too distracted thinking about her. Smelling the soft scent of her hair. As the house lights came on in the theatre, he wrapped his arm around her waist again—purely to guide her back through those crowds again.

‘What now?’ she asked quietly. ‘Is there an after party?’

‘Yes. You want to go to it?’

Skylar hesitated, unsure how to answer. She didn’t want this night to end, but she didn’t want to be around all those other people and have everyone watching because she didn’t want their physical contact to be purely performative. ‘Do you?’

‘I’m not saying.’ He shot her a tantalising smile. ‘I dareyouto make the decision, Skylar. You don’t need to please me or answer however you think that I want you to. Do whatyouwant.’

Her pulse quickened. He’ddaredher again. She was sure it was deliberate. Because that day her father had demanded the opposite over and over again—Don’t you dare...

What shewantedwas to be alone with him. They’d not had enough time alonetogether. Belatedly she realised that this movie was his version of Bernie. The lack of time togetheralonewas a deliberate choice. This really was only about being seen with the same woman in public. He wouldn’t be with her at all if it weren’t for that stupid bet of his. He’d had his actual ‘one-date wonder’ with her and this was only for show.

‘I was merely being polite,’ she muttered. ‘These dates are your nights and what we do on them is your call.’

He stared down at her and that intensity in his eyes sharpened. She couldn’t move as she replayed her own tragic innuendo again. It’d honestly just slipped out—as if her subconscious determinedly sent him the invitation before she could think. But his wordless response—just that look in his eyes—made her toes curl.

Only he said nothing. He was good at that when he wanted to be. Saying nothing and walking away.

‘I should go home.’ But she ached for an alternative. And then she was mortified to be so bowled over by the charm he turned on anyone at any time.

He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. ‘I’ll call the car.’

He kept his phone out and scrolled through some messages on the drive. She had little to say anyway, too busy battling her disappointment at his easy acquiescence.

Stupid hormones. They’d been triggered by their one-night stand last week and she needed to turn them back off. Urgently. She thought about the guys at university she’d kissed. The invitations at work that she’d turned down. People had stopped asking. Probably said she was frigid and honestly she was glad. It had made it easier. She’d wanted to focus only on work. And she had. Until now. Anger bubbled inside of her. But it wasn’t just that—hunger clawed. That old drive to be nearhim. Life was cruel. Why was it that the one guy who turned her on was an irritating playboy who only wanted one woman once?

Finally his driver pulled up outside her apartment and she forced a polite farewell for Zane. ‘Thanks for tonight, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.’

His sardonic smile flashed. ‘Even the press pen?’

‘Oh, no, that was hideous. I probably have my eyes closed in every photo.’

‘You don’t.’ He held up his phone to her.

‘They’re out there already?’ She leaned closer to study the pictures. For a moment she was stunned. Her eyes weren’t closed—she was too busy gazing up at him. It made her wince. This ‘date’wasfake, but her interest in him couldn’t be more obvious. She channelled her embarrassment into annoyance. ‘Don’t youhatethis? It’s such an invasion of your privacy.’

‘Generally I don’t bother looking. It’s meaningless. But in this case, it’s how I’m going to win that bet.’

The damned bet. Helberg, the reason for it all. ‘Why do you want Helberg so badly? I don’t believe you’d make such a sacrifice for justanycompany—’

‘You think my spending time with you is some kind of a sacrifice?’ he interrupted, the pale blue of his eyes suddenly fiery.

She froze, caught in the flames.

‘Did you know you have this cute dimple in your left cheek?’ he said quietly. ‘See it here?’ He pointed to one of the pictures. ‘It doesn’t appear when you smile politely. Only when you giggle. I’m glad I made you giggle then.’

Embarrassed, she lifted her hand to her mouth.

‘And your immediate response is to hide it,’ he scoffed. ‘Why is that?’

Buthewas the one hiding—completely avoiding answering her question about Helberg. Again. Which was infuriating.

‘While your immediate response when faced with a difficult conversation is to distract your way out of it with flattery and flirtation. Or else you just go silent.’ She glared up at him. ‘You don’t want to tell me the truth.’

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