Page 84 of Forbidden Billionaire
He’s professional but distant, as if something has made him wary, and anytime I ask, he assures me everything is fine. But I know for a fact I’m not making it up.
I’m on edge with fear, and there’s a pit in my stomach.
Giving him room and space hadn’t worked, so I’ve resorted to a desperate attempt to return things to normal, like they were when he helped me to move into my apartment.
“Seraphina?”
Digging deep for courage and a light-hearted attitude, I lean one shoulder against the frame and give him my best sweet-and-sassy smile. “You said we were going on a date and that I should dress nice.”
“Nice,” he affirms. “Not goddamn accessible.”
I cross my legs at the ankle, just to twist the knife. “I thought you liked my legs.”
He doesn’t answer.
God, he’s hard under all that polish. This is the man who rules empires, and right now, he’s biting his tongue hard enough to draw blood because I showed too much thigh.
Good.
Without an invitation, he starts to enter, taking hold of my shoulders and moving me backward.
“Wait!”
When I’m safely inside, he closes the door and locks it
“I’m ready to go.”
“We’re staying.”
“But…” Stunned, I blink. “What are you doing? We have reservations.”
“Did.” He gives me one long, steady look—the kind that should come with a warning label and a fire extinguisher. “We did have reservations.”
Then he pulls out his phone and presses a button.
“Vionna.” He never takes his gaze off me. “Cancel our reservations. And pick up something from Le Jardin. We’ll eat in. We’ll need wine too.”
Oh heavens.
I hadn’t anticipated that.
Maybe I shouldn’t have poked the bear.
He hangs up.
“Uhm…” I swallow hard. “Really. That wasn’t necessary. We could still go out. I mean, I hate for us to have to stay home.”
He sets his phone down on the entryway console. “Little troublemaker, you have no idea what you just got yourself into.”
Suddenly I’m terrified.
And ridiculously turned on.
With deliberate control, each movement precise, he shrugs off his suit coat.
Without a word, he extends it to me. Not knowing what else to do, I take it and hang it in the coat closet.
Motions deliberate, terrifying me, he unfastens his cuff links—the ones with engraved owls and emerald eyes.
