Page 49 of Billion-Dollar Dating Game

‘You’d never have fallen in love? Got married and moved towns?’ Zane stilled inside, not wanting to hear her answer. She never would have picked a lover over the wishes of her father.

The past shimmered between them. A moment that should have been nothing. That they should be able to laugh about now. But he couldn’t even bring himself to mention it aloud.

‘I would have stayed near. I would have done anything...’

Yeah. That old bitterness rippled through him. Even though part of him understood it. Totally. ‘You were scared of losing him too. You clung to the things that worked for you both to make you feel secure. He was strict and you were studious. But you don’t owe anyone anything now. You’ve got those savings from your hard work. Youreffort. But maybe you were so busy putting all your effort into the work you didn’t have the energy to explore your own hopes and dreams. Your needs. You do have needs, Skylar.’

Skylar pressed her cheek against her cool pillow. ‘You mean I’m a repressed nympho.’ She felt hot and prickly inside.

‘You should have your own dreams. You should just do what you want, Skylar.’

The trouble was those ‘needs’ had only turned up the same time as he had. Just as they had when they were teenagers. Before she’d gone back to that boarding school and he’d gone to make it big in the city.

And they were worsening. She needed them to ease off and this conversation really wasn’t helping. ‘For someone who doesn’t like relationships, you’re quite the analyst.’

‘I’m at a distance and able to observe more dispassionately, I guess.’ He cleared his throat.

He wasdefinitelyat a distance. Deliberately. He kept secrets. Fair enough. She usually did too—by circumstance. There wasn’t someone around who she’d talk this personal with. But he was easy to talk to. She’d just told him too much.

That pale blue of his eyes had all but disappeared now and she stared into the depths of his pupils.

‘I just want to see you do whatever the hellyouwant,’ he said gruffly.

That was howhelived. Doing what he wanted. With whomever he wanted.

She’d loved her father but he’d wanted her to be ‘good’—byhisdefinition.Don’t you dare...run off and abandon all responsibility. Don’t leave him in the lurch. Alone. Like her mother had left them both.

But he’d never encouraged her to bebrave. He’d never given her alternatives to consider. It had beenhisway...and she’d never had the chance to figure out what she truly wanted to reach for.

She needed to—not just regarding her career, but her personal life as well. Because how she’d been living all these years wasn’t enough. She’d lived so long with pressure to succeed, to please her dad, to please her bosses, her colleagues. Working all the hours. But that had been to avoid other parts of life. These last couple of weeks had shown her this, and she was hungry for a lot more. But she had only until Labour Day with Zane. She couldn’t think beyond that. So for now, there was the one fantasy she could fulfil. ‘I want this weekend away.’

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

JUSTAFTERLUNCHTIMEon Friday, Skylar passed Bernie on her way down the stairs. He noted her bag and the jacket she’d slung over her shoulder and smiled broadly.

‘You’re leaving early?’ he asked.

For the first time ever. She smiled shyly as she nodded. ‘Have a great weekend, Bernie.’

At the airport she drew a breath as Zane introduced her to the liveried crew lined up to greet them in the luxury private lounge. He joked with the pilots, who teased him right back—which made her curious.

‘You travel with this crew often?’ she asked as they boarded the plush ten-seater cabin, though they were the only passengers on board.

‘Whenever I can. They’re good. This private charter airline was a spin-off from a large acquisition I made a few years ago.’ He took the seat opposite hers. ‘They’ve tripled in size since then. Naturally they love me.’

‘So this is your one asset-stripping success story.’

He shot her that smug look. ‘One of many, Skylar.’

‘You really believe in what you do?’

He cocked his head and a serious gleam entered his expression. ‘Yeah, I do. Nothing lasts for ever. Companies come and go—fortune smiles on them one year, then a storm hits. Being able to adapt is a skill not all CEOs have. They don’t see the squall coming, they can’t course-correct quickly enough.’

‘So you lighten their load so they can move faster again?’

‘And be agile, yes.’

As much as it galled, she actually believed him. She’d done what he’d told her to the other day. She’d looked at the numbers. Closely. And he was right. She just hadn’t wanted to see what it really meant. And even now she still hoped that a massive overhaul wouldn’t mean total destruction.

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