Page 11 of Cinderella's Fling with the Off-Limits Billionaire

“Would you like to come in?”

Her eyes flared to his. She hesitated. He didn’t back down, his expression carefully blanked of emotion, his gut hollow despite the burger he’d eaten after Emme had left.

“I—why?”

His eyes probed hers. Damn it, she was so beautiful, so distractingly, hauntingly so. She was just what Leandro needed right now: to be distracted. To lose himself in a stunning woman for a quick, no strings attached affair.

But what if that didn’t suit her? What if she wanted more?

He was in New York for ten more days, after that he’d be back in Rome, to his normal office, his normal life. Or at least, to something like it, figuring out what he would do next. Now that he knew the truth.

There were limits to what he could offer, to what he wanted, and there was no way he was going to risk drawing someone else into this vortex of disaster. His life was a mess but hers didn’t have to be.

“Because I want to finish what we started,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “But first, we should talk.”

Her lips pulled to the side, her eyes softening a little.

“And because I wanted to explain about the tip.” He hadn’t been able to forget the hurt in her eyes, the look that showed she thought he’d been paying her for what they’d shared.

“Fine,” she said. “But I can’t stay long.”

It was like stepping over the threshold into another world. Everything looked the same as it had earlier, but it was different. Because she knew who he was now, and what he wanted from her.

And what do you want, Skye?

That was easy.

She wanted the same things she had earlier. She wanted to lose herself in this, in him, and forget all about Jay. She wanted to prove to herself that she was no longer under Jay’s thumb. It felt like an important first step in properly reclaiming her freedom.

But how did that even work? Skye wasn’t the kind of woman to go in for casual affairs. She had no idea how to do that without it seeming tawdry and cheap, and the last thing she wanted was to risk losing her job. So, while she wanted to finish what they’d started as well, she knew she couldn’t.

It was a conversation better had in privacy though, hence she’d stepped back into the penthouse.

The plates had been cleared and stacked neatly on the side of the sink, the wine stain was gone, and the scotch bottle was still full. Catching her eyes on it, he gestured towards the counter. “Would you like a drink?”

She shook her head, moving to the carpet. “You did well.”

She turned back to face him. “What did you want to talk about?”

His brow furrowed. “I don’t do this kind of thing either. Not really.” He gestured from himself to her. “I don’t remember the last time I drunkenly propositioned someone to make love.”

Her gut churned.

“And without wanting to cause you offense, you are different to the kinds of women I usually…date.” The slightest hesitation before that word made her think he meant something entirely different. Like ‘have sex with’.

She didn’t need to ask in what way she differed. She would put money on Leandro Valentino having dated a whole string of rich heiresses and model slash actresses, the kinds of guests Skye usually took care of. Women whose fingernails were always done and never missed a waxing appointment, who could afford all the maintenance and upkeep that was way out of Skye’s reach.

“Thanks?” She muttered, her tone making it clear she was being sarcastic.

But he didn’t apologise, and he didn’t change tack. “But I think we could have some fun together,” he said, frowning though, as if ‘fun’ was the last thing he wanted to think about. “Actually, I think that’s pretty much exactly what I need right now.” His features tightened. “But what about you, Skye? What do you need? What do you want?”

Her breath caught in her throat.

He was a fascinating mix of powerful command and courtesy. Far from being a toxic alpha male who was determined to have his way or else, he was laying it all out carefully, saying what he wanted, but also asking what she needed. Skye’s whole body seemed to relax; she hadn’t realized how badly she needed that.

But her job… “I think you’re very tempting,” she said with regret. “But I can’t lose my job.”

His brows knit together. “I can assure you, that won’t happen.”

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