Page 30 of Billion-Dollar Dating Game

He laughed. ‘Meaning?’

‘You constantly acquire big only to then discard almost everything,’ she said. ‘Isn’t it exhausting?’

‘Are we talking about women here or—’

‘Buying companies.’ After all, that was his real passion. ‘Breaking them up. Selling the best parts off in packages and letting the rest decay. Don’tyouever want to put long-termeffortinto one of them? You’re all about quick returns and moving on to the next project. Surely there’s no real satisfaction in such fast turnover?’

‘I’m very satisfied with my returns,’ he said smugly. ‘My talent is spotting the acquisition. Helberg is obvious—so obvious that I’ve got serious competition for it. Other acquisitions aren’t always as clear-cut.’

‘You like finding those ones best. Spotting the treasure before others see it. You like getting to them first...’ She inhaled deep, pleased she was back to being annoyed with him. He was so annoyingly confident and capable. He was all cream—rising to the top in everything, all the time.

‘You don’t knowme, Skylar.’

‘I know plenty,’ she scoffed. ‘You were literally the poster boy at our old school.’

‘And of course you paid close attention to some poster—to everything you were taught,’ he drawled. ‘Such agoodstudent. You think you see everything? Perception and reality are often two very different things. Won’t you consider that maybe you’re misinformed?’

‘Theneducateme,’ she snapped. ‘Properly.’

His pupils flared.

She wanted him toschoolher.Badly. Being this close to him was torture. But being closer still was as effortless as breathing—was bliss. She ached for that. She stared at his mouth hovering just above hers. Seconds became centuries again and it took her too long to realise that he was speaking. It was the softest, most strained of whispers.

‘I think you’d better go inside, Skylar.’

CHAPTER NINE

‘YOUWANTMEto meet you where?’ Zane asked haughtily but bit back a smile at the same time.

‘Montague’s. The jewellers on Fifth Avenue,’ she said smugly. ‘You know the one.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ He also knew she was biting back her laugh too.

She thought she could make today’s Helberg reconnaissance mission his worst nightmare. But she couldn’t be more wrong, because he’d been dreaming about seeing her again for days. Good, hot dreams. Which—now he stopped to consider it—were nightmares, given he was only supposed to look at and not touch the very precious treasure that was Skylar Bennet. Oh, but she was the perfect jewel with which to decorate his bed. That he’d been warned off all those years ago only made him want her more now she’d crossed his path again. Her father wasn’t there to protect her now. And she didn’t need him. She could protect herself. She wasn’t silent with him. Wasn’t well behaved. She was spirited and sarcastic as hell and he relished it so much he couldn’t resist provoking her more. Because she couldn’t seem to stop herself reacting to him. Which was good. It made them even.

‘Ever been inside?’ she followed up too innocently.

‘You know I haven’t.’

‘Actually, I wouldn’t have picked that,’ she countered breezily. ‘Don’t you buy sparkling goodbye gifts for all those women you date?’

‘No. I don’t pay them off with trinkets and baubles.’

‘You just leave them broken-hearted?’

‘Empty-handed,’ he corrected coolly. ‘Because they don’t need recompense for spending time with me.’

‘Because they’re just so very, very lucky already?’ Her laughter was soft but he was certain the dimple was out.

‘As wellyouknow,’ he purred. ‘Why this jewellery store?’ He prolonged the conversation because this date was still too many hours away and he liked hearing her voice. He’d missed it all week. Wednesday hadn’t come quick enough. ‘It doesn’t even have the Helberg name.’

‘Because it’s only still in existencebecauseof Helberg. Because they bought it into the family.’

‘You think Helberg is a family?’ His smile faded. ‘Skylar, you know you don’t have to repay the chance Reed gave you with your absolute soul—’

‘And I’m not. It isn’t just about the scholarship. And yes, Helberg Holdings is family. It’s nice to feel needed there and valued for the things I do.’

‘You ought to feel needed and valuedregardlessof what you do,’ he growled. ‘You ought to be needed and valued just for being you.’

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