Page 58 of Billion-Dollar Dating Game

‘You haven’t taken advantage ofme.’ She looked put out.

‘I’m not so sure about that.’

He’d been pleased to find her literally caught in his orchard and needing his help. He’d been pleased that she couldn’t get away. For a moment there, he’d even toyed with the fanciful idea of not helping her, so she’d be trapped in his garden for always. Because that old chemistry had flared. And then he’d used that stupid bet—all but engineered her loyalty to the company to spend more time with him. Because she’d always been in the back of his mind. The one he couldn’t have. The one he wanted more than any other. And he didn’t know what he felt worse about—engineering their fling, or the fact that hestillwanted her so badly.

‘I’mthe one who pushed for us to sleep together again,’ she said. ‘I asked. I took. Don’t act as if it were all your idea.’

Yeah, but she just wanted some ‘experience.’ He’d not been good enough for her back then. He’d been adistraction. Maybe that’s all he was now too. Because even more important to her was her desire to save Helberg. Once this bet was done, she’d continue with her workaholic ways without him. The thought of all that reality bit hard.Unsatisfied. He was stillsounsatisfied.

‘Kiss me then,’ he muttered gruffly. ‘If that’s what you want.’

She lifted his hand from the keys and pressed her lips to that raw spot on the inside of his thumb. The small thing that still hurt.

Her touch was too gentle and it wasn’t enough. He was still greedy. He slipped his hands around her and drew her onto his lap. He would take this now. Only now.

And then they would be done.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

ZANE’SMOODDROPPEDlike a stone when he realised it was early and he was alone. They were flying back to Manhattan tonight and he really didn’t want to have woken alone at this hour. They’d spent most of yesterday in bed after that time at the piano. It still hadn’t been enough. And now she was gone. He went hunting for her. Found her in the lounge. She’d positioned a wide armchair to catch the first rays of the sun.

‘You’re working?’ He checked his stride when he saw her laptop. ‘I thought you’d got everything done before we left.’

He hadn’t realised she’d brought her computer. Admittedly he’d brought his but he hadn’t opened it. Hell, he hadn’trememberedhe had it till now. But here she was, up at stupid o’clock working—mentally back in Manhattan already, and was he actually feeling jealous that her attention was elsewhere?

He gritted his teeth at the bitter irony. Usually he was the one too busy to be sociable over breakfast—the one avoiding extended intimacy with a conveniently timed meeting. But not now. Now he wanted her back in his bed. Warm and willing and fully focused on him.

‘I’m just doing a favour for Avery,’ she muttered. Her gaze remained trained on the screen in front of her.

Zane was the one who didn’t get distracted—he didn’t prioritise a lover over work, but todaySkylarwasn’t. Because work was totally her priority. As it should be his.

They clearly felt differently. Hell, he actuallyfelt—and not good. The realisation that she wasn’t as into this thing between them as he was, was sharply—what? Painful? Suddenly he was pissed on several levels.

‘She’s in logistics,’ Skylar added, oblivious to the tornado brewing inside him. ‘Such a sweetheart. One of her kids is really into distance running. Way faster than me.’

His overly possessive outrage worsened. Of course she knew all this about the woman and her family—she was gently curious and she remembered everything. That one-to-one kindness of hers was genuine. But it was also universal. Belatedly he bitterly realised that her listening to him yesterday morning hadn’t been anything special toher—she did that forallof her work associates. But for him it had been decidedly unique.

He felt exposed. And even though he’d told her all he had about Helberg, she still wanted that damned company to be rescued. She was doing work for the bloody thing right now and he knew it was irrational of him to be angry about that, but he was. And dealing with it, hewasn’t.

His old pain hadn’t affected her view of the company at all. Because she still cared about all the people she worked with.Theymattered to her more than anythinghe’dshared with her. And that was fair enough. He was nothing more than a deal to her.

Except he was bothered. Badly.

And nothing soothed it this time. Not the swim he had with her when she’d finally finished. Not the leisurely lunch they shared. Not the last few hours they’d spent in that magnificent bed—he’d carried her there, determined to have her attention solely on him. And he’d succeeded.

Only then he realised the extent of his mistake.

He didn’t do this. He didn’t spend night after night with one woman and certainly didn’t go on holiday with her. He didn’t laze about, talking of too much that was too private. He’d never let anyone get to him like this—God, didn’t it serve him right to be finally interested in a woman only to find she wasn’t really interested in him.

But she was beneath his skin—and there was part of him wanting her tostay. His heart pounded. He couldn’t let her get any deeper.

The fact was they werenevergoing to agree on what ought to be done with Helberg. Nothing had changed there. Nor would it. So this whole game they had going—and itwas, he reminded himself, a game—was pointless. No point in continuing the arrangement. Because he was angry. And uncomfortable—he’d told her too much.

The demise of Helberg would devastate her. There was no disentangling how this whole mess had begun. He’d wanted her—now he’d had her he wanted more. But she just wanted to protect Helberg, and getting some sexual experience had merely been a bonus on the side.

So this whole situation was only going to worsen in every way.

There was only one option left to him. And he couldn’t get back to Manhattan quickly enough.

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