Page 95 of Most Eligible Billionaire

I try to think of some unromantic thing to talk about.

“One question,” I say. “And you need to answer honestly. What is up with the Dartford brothers? Do they just sit around rubbing their hands and dreaming of building what people most don’t want them to build?”

“And then laugh maniacally? Something like that.”

“They were mad,” I say. “I’m glad people could see they were jerks.”

“It wasn’t just showing them up as jerks,” Henry says. “It was how you were. You have to understand, at these meetings, usually there’s nobody on the side of the everyday people. I think they sense their powerlessness sometimes. Then you step in with the Smuckers thing, and it was brilliant. And you were on their side, and they knew it was genuine.”

“They should’ve known you were on their side.”

“Yeah, I’m still the developer. Whereas the way you blazed in, you were their ally. I think Brett and Kaleb are going to need months to recover. Shit. Kaleb’s protests? We couldn’t have staged it better if we tried. Like we’d written a script for him. It couldn’t have been better. It reallywaslike a dog is pushing everyone around, which I guess it was. It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve seen in all my years in business. You and Smuckers did what we couldn’t do in an hour of yelling—you made them open their minds and listen. You opened the door to a redesign of the Ten.”

“That you thought of.”

He brushes my neck with his knuckle. Hot blood courses through my veins. “God, Vicky,” he says. “Battle of the jerky titans?”

“Umm…” My cheeks heat.

“You don’t like rich, entitled guys. That’s what I think.”

I like one of them. A lot.

“I don’t want to be that to you,” he says. “Though I did try to trick you and make you sign everything away.” He slides his finger over my cheek.

“And you got me arrested,” I say.

“Detained. Still—I’m sorry about that,” he says.

“Oh, you should be.” I give him a fake angry look, like it’s all a joke. Henry’s made so many things new for me. He gave back some of the things that Denny stole from me.

His eyes are dark. He’s not in a jokey mood.

“Well, to be fair,” I rattle on, “I did put a dog throne in your boardroom and make you talk to Smuckers as if he were human.”

“I hated it,” he says. “But I kind of admired it, in awhat the hell!way.” He hooks a finger over the collar of my shirt. The sizzle of his touch spreads through me. “I didn’t know what was up or down. When you did that.”

Can’t have you. Can’t have you.

The air runs thick between us. “Brett seemed kind of angry tonight,” I try.

“I don’t care about Brett,” Henry rumbles. We pass the glare of a shop-front spotlight and Henry’s eyes flash hungrily. Focused on me and me alone.

I tear my gaze from his. We’re near the park. “Where are we?”

He lowers his voice. “We’re going to my place, Vicky.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

My heart is thudding so hard, I’m surprised the limo isn’t vibrating. “Now who’s being entitled?”

“Carly has a sleepover—April told me.” His hand is back, taking mine like it’s his.

“I don’t know.”

He pulls my hand to his mouth, kisses a knuckle. Still those hungry eyes. “You do.” He takes my lips in a hard kiss.

---