Page 44 of Marrying the Billionaire Single Dad

He hesitates.

"Just for a few minutes."

"I need to leave to take care of my daughter."

"Of course."

This man, he's the most macho man I've ever met, and yet, every single night, he makes it a point to be home to put his daughter to bed. I'd been so caught up in his media image that this...caring side of him...is a surprise. What's worse, it makes him even more irresistible. And that... That isn't fair, at all. I twine my fingers with his, brush my thumb across the roughened skin of his knuckles.

"You’ve been fighting again?" I yawn.

"Fucking Arpad," he says without heat. "The man knows how to get to me."

"You two close?"

The song on my phone switches to another; he reaches over to shut it off.

"Why did you pick that one?" he asks.

"It’s from your first album. Your earlier work was so much better than your later tracks, not that I didn't like them, but somehow your later songs seemed to—"

"Lack heart?" He winces, then chuckles, "At least, you’re honest."

"Your turn." I glance up into his face, take in his features, which seem almost relaxed. Apparently, getting me off, relaxed him too. "You can tell me." I half smile. "I won’t tell anyone."

"He and I, we were together through most of the incident."

"You supported each other through it?"

"More like fought each other, and that helped us stay alive."

"Oh?" I frown. "You mean the two of you had to trade blows when you were kidnapped."

"Not only." His features close. Damn it, and we’d been getting along so well.

"I need to go," he insists.

But I don’t want you to leave.I bring his hand to my face, kiss the broken skin across his fingers. "There, that should help."

"Is that a fact based in science?" He chuckles.

"You bet." I yawn so loudly my jaws crack. "Damn," I whisper, "apparently, orgasms make me sleepy."

"And even more alluring."

"Did you say alluring?" I frown. "Your vocabulary never ceases to amaze me."

"Now I know why my parents paid for my expensive private school tuition." He laughs.

"Why?" I mumble.

"It was just so I could impress you, of course." He laughs, then bends in to brush a kiss over each of my eyelids. "Sleep, Flower. When you awaken, you’ll feel better."

Darkness pulls me under. When I awake, I am alone.

14

Damian