Page 31 of Billionaire's Second Chance

He turned, the smile on his face warmed by the fire behind him.

“And what would be my offense?” He asked and walked toward me.

“Bringing me here, for one,” I remained static, clutching my purse for comfort.

“If that’s the case, I never wish to be innocent. Welcome to my home, Ava.” He walked towards me with open arms.

When he let go, I shifted my head to stare at the fireplace because he had left one of his shirt buttons loose, granting me a gated view of his bare chest underneath.

"Please, let's walk around," he placed his warm hand on my back, sending heat waves down my spine. I clutched my purse tighter.

He led the way through a pair of glass doors onto a perfectly manicured lawn. An Olympic-size pool greeted us in the distance, with umbrellas and tanning beds spread around its periphery.

"I hope you can make it to my next party and see this place when it's not so dead and boring," he winked at me.

I cracked an uneasy smile. "I bet your parties are epic."

"Ah, too much of anything eventually becomes boring," he declared with conviction.

"Is that your theory when it comes to women," sassy Ava blurted out with a smile.

It was working. I was in character. His face showed it too.

"Well, if you must know," Damon looked at me with piercing, surprised eyes. "It is not. I respect women. But it's hard to find women who respect themselves. I think that is the real issue."

I felt my blood boil and spill onto the surface of my face, making it read with anger.

"Spoken like a true womanizer!" I lifted my index finger, mocking his views.

"I see where this is going, Ava." He stepped in front of me, ending our slow stroll. "Let's change the subject. Come, I want to show you something else."

I swallowed my resentment and followed him back inside the house. I'd see all he wanted to show me and hear him out. Then, I'd speak my mind and make my grand exit, leaving him in the dust.

We walked around the massive, modern, monochrome living room, around the corner to a set of stairs, down a plush stairway, through a wide, romantically-lit hallway covered with framed posters and accolade plaques, and into his personal, colossal movie theater.

Damon would turn his head to the left occasionally to observe my reactions. I remained calm, my eyes focused on my steps rather than bulging at the views.

"This is where I spend most of my time," he confessed. "The rest of the house is just for show."

"I would, too," I smiled in agreement. "But I wouldn't get much else done besides watching movies all the time."

"But what if you could watch your own movies, Ava?" His eyes darted over mine.

"Some day I will," I replied confidently, averting his gaze.

"Ava, life is happening to you right now. And you're shutting your eyes to it," Damon's voice mellowed.

“What do you want, Damon?” I lifted my head and peered into his blue eyes, searching for the answer that brought me here, to begin with.

“You,” he responded immediately.

I gritted my teeth but remained poised. Even from one loose button, the sight of his chest still caused a sudden discomfort in my stomach. I had caressed this body years ago. He had been mine for a whole night. I had kissed those same lips that stood before me now. And by morning, I was alone again, abandoned.

"You had your chance, Damon," I leaned closer to his face, my hand pressed against his chest.

He placed his hand over mine and closed the space between us with a step, making my pulse speed up.

“And I remember every second,” he confessed, gently swiping a stray hair from my face.

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