Page 32 of The Billionaire's Cinderella

Hang on. There I go again with these crazy thoughts. They just tiptoe into my brain when I’m not looking and set up shop.

Anyway, my bottom line is that I’m in it now. Come hell or high water, I’m not going to be the one to walk away from this developing thing between me and Ella.

“I’d love to know what you’re thinking about when you look at me like that,” she says, startling me out of my thoughts.

It’s you, Ella. It’s all you.

“That information is on a need-to-know basis,” I say, blinking and trying to de-intensify my hunger for her a little. No need to scare the poor woman off the premises.

“What a copout,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“What?” I say, standing. “You already know I like you. I need to maintain some mystery here.”

“Where are you off to?” she asks as I walk away from the table.

The truth? I need a minute to clear my head from all this. I could also use some time to sneak into the nearest bathroom and jerk myself off so I’m not so hot for her, but that would only take ten seconds.

I can’t tell her any of that, though.

“Forgot to check with my brothers,” I say instead, gesturing vaguely toward the door. “See what their plans are for the chopper back to the city tomorrow. I’m thinking you and I will drive back by ourselves, though. I don’t want to share you.”

She shoots me a mock scowl. “That’s very presumptuous of you. Maybe I’d prefer the jitney. Maybe I love overcrowded bus rides. Ever think of that?”

“You’ll just have to suffer. Be right back.”

I hit the long hallway and am immediately almost taken out by my brother Griffin, who’s headed for his own suite like a bat out of hell.

“Whoa,” I say, pulling up short at the last second to avoid being trampled. “Where’s the fire?”

“Sorry,” he says gruffly, which is the only way he ever says anything. His moods run the gamut from surly to angry. You should see him at the office. He’s such a nightmare that his assistant Bellamy calls him the Beast. Let’s just say that the nickname took off like wildfire. “I’m in a hurry.”

He starts off again, but my interest is piqued. There’s only one reason a guy would be that eager to get to his bedroom in the middle of the night.

“Got the runs?” I call after him, amused.

“Look,” he says, dropping his voice to a furious whisper as he doubles back to get in my face. “I don’t need your shit about my personal life. What happens with Bellamy and me is nobody’s fucking business but ours.”

Hang on.

This is a surprising and interesting development. My brother’s got it worse than I thought for his sexy little employee. Guess I’m not the only one with raging hormones these days. I find this information strangely reassuring. Griffin’s like me. He doesn’t usually get wound up about women. So maybe I’m not as crazy as I feared.

“Fair enough,” I say once I scrape my lower jaw off the floor. “I’m not unsympathetic. I just don’t want the company getting sued for sexual harassment because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.”

“You think I do?” He sweeps his arms wide, his unmistakable frustration making him harsher than usual. “You think I looked around at all the available women and decided to start obsessing about the one I depend on the most? You think I’d risk fucking up my life like this if I could get her out of my mind or think of some alternative?”

What the fuck?

I’m too busy gaping at him again to manage much of a response.

“Didn’t know it was like that,” I finally say. “You’re not afraid this will blow up in your face?”

“Hell yeah, I’m afraid,” he says, much to my surprise.

I nod, watching him closely. “It’s not like Mom and Dad taught us anything about relationships.”

“Nothing good, for sure,” he says.

We stare at each other for a beat or two. The silence isn’t exactly uncomfortable, but, on the other hand, this isn’t the kind of thing we discuss much. Or ever, come to think of it.

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