Page 29 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire
She closed the door, turned the bolt—and just stood there. The lobby was empty, still, and glowing with a soft amber hush.
She lifted her fingers to her lips.
Grinning like a fool, she spun in a circle, laughing breathlessly, and danced through the lobby, down the narrow stairs, and into the small, quiet world she called home.
She felt like a girl in a fairytale who’d just danced with the Prince—and wasn’t ready for midnight.
The faint gleam of Manhattan’s dawn seeped through the shades, casting long lines across the sharp geometry of his minimalist bedroom. Concrete, steel, and glass—cold and efficient, like the man who built an empire inside it.
Theo woke with a jolt. His breath caught in his chest, as if he’d been yanked from a dream he wasn’t ready to leave.
Or maybe it was the dream that refused to release him.
He lay still for a moment, his breath even, his heart steady—but his mind was already racing.
Rose.
His dreams had centered on her. The gentle, sensual sound of her laugh. Her stubbornness. Her wicked sense of humor.
A soft grunt—half groan, half dry laughter—slipped from him when he thought of the kiss that didn’t count.
How could such an innocent gesture create so much chaos inside me?
He grimaced at the covers—this wasn’t routine morning arousal but the echo of his dream of her.
Her smile lingered behind his eyelids, teasing him with delicate lips and dark, sapphire eyes that were unreadable. The phantom feel of her kiss—light as a whisper—still burned like embers on his skin.
He blinked at the ceiling, then rolled to sit up.
The clock on his nightstand flashed half-past six.
He’d gone to bed a little after three, his mind too wired to sleep. And yet here he was—wide awake.
His body only ever demanded three or four hours—enough to recharge, never enough to distract him from what needed doing.
And this morning, there was plenty.
By seven, he was showered, shaved, and dressed in a crisp, tailored navy suit with no tie. Impeccable. Sharp enough to cut glass. The way he always appeared when he wanted something—and fully intended to get it.
He strolled into the kitchen, the scent of fresh-brewed coffee curling in the air. As he entered, Mrs. Hughes, his long-time housekeeper, nearly dropped the set of silverware she’d been arranging.
“Mr. Kallistratos!” she gasped. “I was just about to bring your coffee in.”
Theo chuckled as he grabbed a mug and poured himself coffee. “No need. I wanted to let you know there will be two for breakfast. Nikos and I have a meeting.”
Mrs. Hughes blinked, her gray curls bobbing slightly. “Shall I bring your breakfast to your office?”
“The dining room is fine,” he replied with a grin.
“I’ll add some nice pastries from the corner shop to the menu. Mr. Aetos loves those,” she said with a pleased smile.
He chuckled, the sound echoing slightly, as he exited the bright, modern kitchen. He was heading to the dining room when a brief, sharp knock and the distinct click of the penthouse door announced Nikos’s expected early arrival.
He paused, scrutinizing Nikos’s appearance. “Did you even go to bed last night, or did you just grab a shower?”
“I could ask you the same thing. I’m assuming since you’ve already texted me this morning, you’re up and dressed,andyou’re in the penthouse instead of a hotel room that you weren’t able to sweet-talk your beautiful Rose into spending the night with you,” Nikos commented, not answering his question.
Theo shot Nikos a warning look but held back the sharp reply as Mrs. Hughes appeared. He motioned to Nikos to have a seat.
