Page 45 of Cinderella's Fling with the Off-Limits Billionaire

Was that inevitable? What had the turning point been?

When he’d learned about her ex?

When she’d been in danger and had needed his help?

Or when she’d tried to end it and he’d known he wasn’t ready for that?

When would he be ready?

And could he really be sure not to hurt her?

These thoughts tumbled through his mind over and over again, so when Alec buzzed up to advise him that she was on her way to his penthouse apartment, he thought he might know a way to fix this.

She’d come directly from work and was dressed in her uniform. She looked sexier than ever. He wanted to drag her into his arms and make love to her, to make up for the last two weeks of longing for her in a way that almost cracked him apart. But sex was easy with them. The rest of it was harder.

“We need a new deal,” he said, as she stepped off the elevator.

Her eyes widened, evidently surprised by him launching right into the subject.

“I’m listening.”

Her tone told him he had one chance to get this right.

He focused more than he’d ever focused on anything in his life.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t promise you that I won’t. I can promise you I will do everything I can not to. That’s important to me. I don’t want to be someone you regret, Skye. I want to be someone you’re always grateful for having met. As I think I’ll feel about you.”

Her throat shifted visibly as she swallowed.

“So here is what I suggest.”

He could feel her tension, her bated breath. This was it. Don’t mess it up.

“Let’s have fun together.”

Her eyes blinked quickly.

“That’s what we wanted, isn’t it? Fun? Distraction? You said you didn’t want anything serious, but somewhere along the way, it got serious. So, let’s not allow that to happen.”

“Fun,” she repeated, frowning, as though the idea hadn’t occurred to her.

“Casual, easy, no-stress, no-strings fun.”

“But I have strings,” she reminded him. “I have a job and a toddler and an ex I’m about to be in a bitter fight with.”

“Then you need fun more than anyone.”

She shook her head and his confidence frayed. She was going to tell him to get out of her life. That he had no idea what it was like being her. She was going to walk away from him. His gut tightened in preparation for that. How would he cope? He had no idea.

“Fun,” she repeated, as though she was spinning the word around in her mind and seeing if it could fit. “Break it down for me,” she said, and to his relief, she walked deeper into the apartment, removed her handbag and shoes and strolled into his lounge room, so effortlessly graceful and sensually perfect that his whole body went immediately on alert.

But he wouldn’t mess this up by rushing things. Now was the time to talk, to get a new deal in place. Then they could both relax.

He moved with assumed nonchalance towards the fridge and removed a bottle of champagne. It might have been premature, but he popped it anyway and poured two glasses.

“I’ll come to New York at least every two weeks. I’ll give you notice, work in with your schedule. When I’m here, you can come stay with me. If you’d like to. Harper is welcome. In fact, I would like to see her, but I do understand your reservations there. I know you’re a single mom and I don’t want to stand on your toes.”

She bit into her lip. He crossed the tiled floor and handed her the champagne. She took it, eyes glancing up at him. His stomach dropped to his toes.

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