The Billionaire’s Bet: A Final Game(3)

“Care for a dance?” He lifted my hand and left a tingling peck.

“I … uh … What are you doing here?”

“Shh,” he said, placing his index finger on his lips. “No questions. Just a dance. Nothing more.”

He grabbed the tequila from my hand and placed it on a table. He gently tugged my hand, coaxing me to come with him. My feet let go of the floor and my legs started walking on their own. He walked backward, keeping his eyes on me, as he guided me across the dance floor.

When we were in the middle, he placed my hand on top of his shoulder and grabbed my other hand.

“Dominic, I can’t,” I muttered.

My face was already getting red, just from seeing him. Being so close to him after a week of not seeing him at all made me extremely sensitive to his touch.

“It’s only a dance … Please?” He raised his eyebrows, and the look in his eyes lured me in. It was so enchanting, the way he just swooped me off my feet, I couldn’t resist.

He took my silence as a yes.

Carefully, he started moving across the floor, his feet making the perfect slow dance steps. He was alluring to look at in his neat suit, with his hair swished back, his predatory eyes on my face. His warm hand squeezed mine as we swooshed across the floor, and he placed his other hand on my lower back.

My mind went crazy, thinking about his hands on me. I could feel every one of his fingers, and my senses were making over hours just feeling his hand move from time to time. Oh, what I’d give for him to touch my naked body again.

I swallowed. Don’t think about that Julie.

A smile crept onto his face as he watched me. My cheeks were probably glowing.

I tried to ignore his touch and focused on his eyes, but they were mesmerizing me. I looked at his thin lips, those delicious lips that I wanted to kiss, which could drive me insane.

I quickly closed my eyes and breathed in and out a couple of times. Keep it together.

He chuckled. “You seem anxious, Julie.”

“Yeah, well, I’m rather stunned that you just happened to be here where I was. How exactly did you know I was here? Have your men been spying on me?” My eyes narrowed.

Dominic frowned. “No, of course not. If I wanted to keep tabs on you, I’d hang a couple of video cameras in your room.”

My eyes widened.

He laughed. “Relax, I’m joking. I would never invade your privacy … unless you want me to.”

The wink that followed made my insides broil.

I turned my head away, trying to keep my cool. I spotted a woman in the back, walking past the entrance, gawking at us. Her silky brown hair was knotted in a bun on top of her head, and her stern oval face was plastered with make-up.

I scrunched my nose and turned my head back to Dominic again. “That woman over there is staring at us,” I whispered, and I cocked my head a little to point him in the right direction.

He glanced at her and then sent her a quick nod.

I peeked and saw she’d left again. “Who was that?”

“Sharon.”

My mouth dropped open. “That was your private detective? The woman you’ve been so secretive about?”

“Yes, and that was for your own good. She’s been keeping an eye out at the casino, in case they come here looking for answers as to why the money was fake.”

“What do you mean, for my own good? I didn’t ask to be lied to.”

“No, but I did it because I wanted to avoid you being unhappy, but I obviously failed. I never wanted this. Look at you. You’re frightened to death. I’ve been watching you from the sidelines and all I see is your fear. It tears me apart.”

I frowned and looked at the floor. He was really upfront.

Dominic sighed and bit his lip. “Sorry, that was too harsh.”

“No, it’s the truth,” I said. “Just having a hard time facing it.”

“It’s killing me to see you like this, so hurt and vulnerable.” He pulled me close to his chest. “I’d hoped being apart from me would do you good, then I’d be able to let you go so you could do what you want, but you only seem sadder.”

I nodded a bit, taking in the intoxicating smell of his aftershave. My hands were around his neck, and my fingers twirled around his soft blond hair.

“I can’t bear to see you like this, Julie.” He lifted my chin and looked at me with glazed eyes. “To see the woman I love be in so much pain is killing me. I can’t stand to stay away from you. All I want is to make you happy again, I don’t care what I have to do, but staying away from you obviously isn’t going to make that happen either.”

He was right. I was miserable just from leaving him, not to mention what happened. There was so much going on right now, and I had no one to share it with. No one to cry out with, to make me feel safe, to make me feel loved.