Page 21 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire
“I know what I felt. I know what I still feel. And I know you felt it too. I want you. You want me.”
Her eyes snapped to his, wide and luminous.
She pursed her lips. “Go find another Cinderella to charm. I’m not interested.”
She pulled her hand free and started to turn. He climbed a step.
“I can prove it,” he said.
She hesitated and turned to look at him with an incredulous expression. “How? I didn’t leave a glass slipper behind.”
“Let me kiss you again,” he murmured, his voice low, seductive. “You’ll know.”
She inhaled sharply and pressed herself back against the wall. Her hand rose to press against his chest. Her shoulders were rigid, but her fingers curled into his shirt.
“No,” she said, her chin lifting and tilting with defiance. “You’re not—this isn’t—” She bit her lip. “Go find someone else. I’m not interested. I’ve got better things to do with my life.”
He stepped closer, his body taut with restraint. “Liar. Do you think I can’t see the way you react to me? This isn’t something either of us can ignore, Rose. Tell me that you haven’t thought about our kiss over the last two weeks. Look me in the eyeand tell me you haven’t wondered what it would be like to kiss again.”
“I gave you one kiss,” she said, barely audible. “That’s all. I’m not in your league, Theo. I don’t even want to try. Just… go away and forget about me. It was a mistake.”
The words hit like a fist, but he understood. She was scared. She might not want to admit it—might not even realize it—but she was afraid that he might hurt her.
He couldn’t help but wonder if some other man had. The thought made him want to break whomever it may have been—and protect her from it ever happening again.
Before he could respond, the soft thud of shoes echoed on the steps behind him.
“Hey—uh—sir?” a voice called nervously.
Theo turned, his jaw tight.
A lanky young man wearing a theatre staff lanyard stood frozen two steps down, his eyes wide. “This area is off-limits to patrons. I’m gonna have to ask?—”
The look Theo gave him wasn’t angry, but it had enough steel to turn the last half of the sentence into a garbled mumble.
“R-right. I mean. Sorry. Uh. It’s just…” the man trailed off.
Theo turned back—but the stairwell above him was empty.
She had fled again.
A soft curse fell from his lips as his hands curled into fists at his sides. She was a ghost—slipping through his fingers again. But this time, she hadn’t vanished into the unknown. This time,he knew where she was and he would be the one doing the haunting.
He pushed past the volunteer with a clipped, “She works here, doesn’t she?”
The guy blinked with a confused expression. “I—I think so. I don’t know her name. I’m just a volunteer. Sorry, man.”
Theo gave a tight nod and descended the stairs, emerging into the lobby with barely contained frustration burning in his chest.
The curtain had just fallen when he returned to his seat. The crowd stood in applause, the final scene of the play echoing faintly in his ears as he stepped through the private door.
Nikos rose from his seat, his eyebrows raised. “Well? Did you find her?”
Theo nodded once, his voice a rasp. “She works for the theatre.”
Nikos smiled, a slow grin spreading. “Then what’s next?”
Theo picked up his bourbon, downed the last sip in one smooth swallow, and let the burn settle.
