Page 14 of Billion-Dollar Dating Game

Once more she wished for the magic vanishing wand.

He opened the door with a singular touch to a small tech pad. The house was stunning. Comfortable and homely. The furnishings cosy and somehow not what she would’ve expected from Zane deMarco, ruthless corporate raider. But Zane deMarco, as a teen, housebound while recovering from injury, might have wanted something exactly this comfortable.

He was watching her sardonically. ‘I bought it furnished.’

Right. Of course. This was someone else’s sense of happiness and intimacy. He was corporate raider Zane now, through and through.

‘Come on.’

He didn’t seem able to look at her for long. Her self-consciousness grew. She probably looked a sight. Loose, her hair hung to just below her buttocks and was no doubt tangled. His white shirt was smudged and creased and also hung to below her buttocks. But it was only because of her lack of clothes that she was still here, grudgingly going along with his suggestions.

He led the way down the hallway and up the stairs and she followed him mutely. He walked her into a gorgeous bedroom.

‘You need to have a shower,’ he grated. ‘Get dressed. Warm.’

Huh, she was boiling already.

‘Wait here a moment.’

It was less than a minute before he was back and handing her a bundle of sweats. She took them from him but he paused. He stared at her for a long, long moment. The heat that had overwhelmed her so instantly earlier now resurged. For a split second she hoped he was about to tumble her to the bed they were standing beside.

‘I’ll take the other shower,’ he said tightly. ‘Don’t even think about vanishing on me.’

He turned his back on her and stomped out so quickly her head spun.

It was one of those showers that had nozzles pointing in every direction that gave her a whole-body massage effect. It was the second-most sensual experience of her life. She lost track of time again before coming back to herself and turning the water off hurriedly.

She needed to get out of here. She’d get changed. Get back to her little motel. Get space to get her head around everything. Because she’d royally screwed up. Yet she couldn’t quite regret it.

She plaited her hair to keep it out of the way and pulled on the sweatpants. They were so big she had to roll the waist over several times. They were definitely his. And definitely turning her on. Too hot to bother with the sweatshirt he’d put on the pile, she slid on the white T-shirt. It hung like a dress so she knotted the hem, but it made little difference. He’d swamped her in his clothes—hiding her few curves. She couldn’t look less sexy and yet her sensual awareness of him couldn’t be higher.

She’d had sex with Zane deMarco. Fantastic. Unforgettable. Fiery sex. And all she could think was that she wanted more. Right now in fact. But he clearly didn’t because he hadn’t been able to get away from her fast enough. Which was mortifying. Wasn’t he supposed to be some insatiable playboy?

That’s when she finally remembered just who and what he was. Mr One-Date Wonder. The man took what he wanted and moved on and she was such a fool for forgetting for so long tonight.

Red alert, red alert, red alert.

Zane paced in the kitchen. What thehellhad just happened? Andhowhad that just happened? Yeah, he liked sex and honestly got it easy enough, but that was the fastest he’d gone from saying hi to being horizontal. It had been the merest of minutes. And with Skylar Bennet? Petite, perfect student Skylar?

The one he’d wanted long ago and not been allowed. The one who’d said nothing as her father had torn shreds off him—rejecting him as so many others bloody had. Even when he’d just made his first million.

So tonight, when he’d seen her looking at him with those judging eyes, it had all come flooding back and something had snapped. He’d wanted to best her. He’d wanted to win. And he had. In fact he’d just won hervirginitybeneath his damned cherry tree!

And how the hell hadshestill been a virgin? Because honestly, thinking back on that encounter when they were teens, he’d figured she was about the only woman he’d ever met who might have a sex drive to match his...she’d gone up in flamessodamned quick. But apparently, she’d never gone all the way? What thehell? How could he have been so wrong? Had she been saving it for someone? But that didn’t make sense when she’d just gone headlong into hedonism with him in seconds. And why hadn’t she said anything—warned him? Because that hadn’t been the gentle initiation he’d have given her had he known. That had been fast and physical and he wasfuriouswith her for taking that risk with him. He did not want to think that he might have hurt her.

But the fact was he hadn’t even had the restraint or patience to bring her the extra few paces into his house and to privacy and clean sheets on an actual bed and with a whole night ahead of them. There’d been nothing but desperate urgency on a damned narrow sun lounger. He’d had to have her then and there and she’d been five steps ahead of him the whole way...

It had been his hottest moment in months, years—ever—and he wanted it again. Now. The second he’d got her inside his house he’d got hard all over again. He’d had to gruffly hustle her into the guest wing and go take an ice-cold shower. It hadn’t worked. He still wanted her. He would give almost anything to linger over her in his big bed right now.

Except she didn’t like him. And he didn’t like her. And this had been onemassivemistake.

He stopped pacing and leaned against the counter, staring out at the ocean though it was barely visible now under the night sky. But all he saw was her heart-shaped face and deep brown eyes. Not to mention those plump lips that could go full pout—the sort you could just sink into. And then there was the dimple. It didn’t show with a polite smile, nor a restrained smile. But it did with a satisfied post-orgasmic smile. His body went hard as a rock all over again. He reckoned the dimple would show with laughter too. Part of him really wanted to test that theory. But he clenched his fists and summoned restraint. There couldn’t be any of that now.

Because he’d finally remembered all the stupid plans he’d made today and this was theworsttiming imaginable. He wasn’t supposed to be fooling around at all let alone with someone horrifyingly innocent. Someone who he didn’t evenlike...

But the second he’d seen her in that perfect white silk number he’d forgotten everything. Including that bloody bet.

He’d screwed up. Royally.

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