Page 23 of Tempting My Billionaire Master

“Simply put,” I explained, my hands slowly caressing her body under the water as the bath bubbles engulfed us. “What school does is train a person how to think. All the knowledge is just a byproduct.”

“Go on,” Chloe urged.

“School provides new information and forces you to digest it—rinse and repeat,” I continued, my voice soft yet passionate. “Math gives you information in symbolic form, geometry in graphic form, history in textual form, but all of it is essentially a gym for your gray matter. It teaches you how to learn, again and again until the process itself is ingrained in you and feels intuitive.”

“Interesting perspective,” Chloe murmured, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my chest.

“Once you learn how to learn,” I went on, “you can learn anything. That’s how I succeeded in all of my businesses—even in sectors I wasn’t initially proficient in.”

Chloe nodded, seemingly deep in thought as she processed my words. Silence filled the room, interrupted only by the gentle sound of water lapping against the sides of the bathtub.

I traced the curves of Chloe’s body as she lay in my arms, her fingertips dancing across my chest. The outside world faded away when I was with her, my mind quieting in a way I had never known before.

“Chloe,” I whispered. She looked up at me, her eyes shining in the dim light of the mini-spa. “What are you thinking about?”

Her fingers continued to trace delicate patterns on my chest, a jolt of electricity running down my spine. “I was just thinking how I could have used your perspective on learning back when I was in school. Maybe I wouldn’t have ended up as such a loser.”

Anger flared, hot and sharp.

“Hey,” I said firmly, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t ever say that. You’re amazing.”

But she shook her head. “No, Ethan, I’m serious. I’m average. A nobody compared to you.” She bit her lip, her gaze dropping to the water’s surface. “My career as a journalist is unremarkable at best. This one time I exposed corruption in the Department of Defense… it happened by pure luck. They sent me the wrong documents by mistake, and that’s how I came up on the whole thing.”

I wanted to rage at whoever had made her feel this way. She needed me now, so I held her even tighter, letting the warmth of my embrace surround her. “Chloe, listen to me. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you were brave enough to follow through with it, even if it was by chance.”

“Chance,” she repeated bitterly. “That’s all it was. A fluke. You invited me here to interview you because you thought I was some professional investigative journalist, but I’m a fraud. And all of this”—she gestured between us—“our connection, our passion… it’s all just a result of pure chance.”

“I don’t believe in chance or luck or coincidence.” I tilted her chin up, gazing into her eyes. “I believe in fate. And fate brought us together.”

“Is that what you say to all the women you seduce?” she asked, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

My heart ached for her, for the insecurity that gnawed away at her self-esteem. “You really don’t know how amazing you are, do you?” I insisted. “I’m going to have to keep showing you until you see it for yourself.”

My hands slipped beneath the water, gliding over her soft skin, seeking out her most sensitive spots. But before I could fully explore, she gently pushed my hands away, evading my kiss.

“Tell me,” she said bitterly, her eyes searching mine, “how many other women have you shown just how amazing they are?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her lithe body and breathing in the scent of her hair. I wanted her to know that I meant every word, but for now, all I could do was hold her.

“Chloe,” I whispered into her ear, feeling her body tense against mine. She seemed to calm down a bit, giving me a small, apologetic smile.

“Sorry,” she murmured, her words barely audible above the gentle sound of water lapping against the sides of the bathtub. “I… I guess I just need some time to get used to all of this.”

“Of course,” I replied softly, my fingertips tracing delicate circles on her back. “Take all the time you need.”

She smiled sadly, her eyes not quite meeting mine. “Maybe later,” she said quietly. “Right now, I think I’m just tired from being outside. I’m not used to so much sun and fresh air, living in this bunker and all.”

“Understandable,” I agreed, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll acclimate soon enough. So, you’re planning on going outside again tomorrow?”

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I think I need it. Do you mind?”

“Of course I don’t mind,” I said, warmth filling my voice. “In fact, I’ll join you. It’ll be nice to spend some time outside together.”

Chloe’s eyes widened in alarm, and she shook her head vehemently. “No, you can’t come with me. I need to go alone.”

“Alone?” I frowned, my instincts kicking in. “Why?”

“Because you’re a target, Ethan,” she replied, her tone unconvincing. “It’s not safe for you out there.”

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