Page 66 of Don't Fall for the Billionaire
“Shit. Dominic, I need you to drop me off at home for a minute. I think I left my wallet upstairs on the dresser.”
When I approached the front door, I heard music blaring. Sighing, I opened the door and stepped inside. Leaning against the doorway, unnoticed, with my arms crossed, I watched Charlotte dance to the kind of beat I’d tune out, but it had her moving like the kitchen was her stage. She shouldn’t look that good dancing around in sweatpants or making me forget everything on my schedule, but damn if she didn’t. I wouldn’t lie and say my cock wasn’t happy, because it was.
There was a rhythm in her I hadn’t expected. The last time I saw her dance was with Eloise, and it was for fun. But this—this was different. Her moves were sharp when the music snapped, and soft when it blended into the next beat. She had no idea what she was doing to me with her flushed cheeks and a smile so wide it felt like it cracked something open inside me. It wasdangerous because it made me want things I’d promised myself I’d never want.
“Oh my God!” Charlotte jumped, placing her hand over her heart. “What the actual fuck, Ashton!” She turned off the music.
“Sorry.” A wide grin crossed my face. “I left my wallet upstairs, and I came to retrieve it.”
“God, you cannot sneak up on people like that. You should have announced you were here!”
“I’m not sure you would have heard me over the obnoxiously loud music. You’re baking?”
“Yes. I need to get a head start.”
“Do you always dance while baking?” I asked with a smirk.
“I’m multi-tasking. Baking pies for the bake off/fundraiser and figuring out music and moves for the talent show.”
I took a few steps toward her and placed my hand on her cheek.
“I had no idea you could dance like that. I think you missed your calling in life.”
“You’ve seen me dance before. Besides, I love dancing for fun, not a career.”
“I know I’ve seen you dance, but not like that. You were in full-on serious mode.”
“Because we have to win. It’s not even an option. I had coffee with the other nannies this morning, and Marissa told me that she overheard Kitty tell her husband that if Eloise enters the talent show, she’ll only make a fool of herself because she can’t dance, and she can’t wait to see her fail.”
“She said that?” My brows furrowed.
“According to Marissa, yes.”
“Then you do whatever you have to. I have to grab my wallet and get back to the office. I’ll see you later. Thanks for the show.” I winked.
As I sat behind my desk, with my chair turned, and the city skyline staring at me, my eyes barely registered the view. My fingers tapped against the armrest in restlessness, like my body was trying to work out the tension my mind refused to let go of. She broke my concentration for the day. If I didn’t have so much work to do, I would have stayed home, bent her over the island, and fucked her hard after seeing her dance. Then I would have taken her to my bed and gone another round. Piece by piece, she was dismantling me. Every damn day since she moved in, she’d terrifyingly chipped away at my carefully constructed wall. The same wall that kept me from becoming the man I swore I’d never be: my father.
Clenching my jaw, I turned my chair around and leaned forward on my desk, rubbing the back of my neck. I couldn’t let myself be pulled into something I knew only ended one way: broken. Charlotte wasn’t safe, especially for my heart. And certainly not for my carefully controlled life. She was pure warmth, chaos, and temptation wrapped in a smile that made me forget all the reasons I had to stay cold. She was going to completely rewrite me if I weren’t careful. I wouldn’t let it happen. I swore it. I balled my fists and tapped them on my desk for a part of me knew it was already too late.
“Uh oh,” Charlie said, walking into my office. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit. Talk to me, Ash.”
“It’s really nothing. Just my mother and Raphael are flying in today and insisted on meeting for dinner.”
“Why is your mother coming to New York?”
“Raphael has some business here, I guess.”
“So both mommy and daddy are present in the big apple. Wow.” He chuckled.
“Don’t remind me. The last thing I need is for them to run into each other. Remember what happened last time?”
“How could I forget?” He laughed. Your father accused her of ruining him. She called him a liar, a cheater, and a coward. He called her pathetic. And then they went for blood, right there in front of us at the table.”
“Exactly. Acting like two strangers who couldn’t remember they’d once promised each other forever.” I shook my head.
