Page 24 of The Billionaire's Vow

A whimper escaped before she could stop it.

She didn’t know if she moved first or if he did, but suddenly the kiss deepened, and the warmth of his lips was firm against hers, sending a dizzying heat spiraling through her veins.It was still too controlled, not nearly enough of what she wanted, but just as she tilted her head, craving more, he pulled back.

For a moment, she just sat there, eyes closed, lips tingling, savoring the sensation of his lips against hers.

Then reality returned, and her eyes flew open.

He was watching her.

His expression wasn’t smug.Not teasing.Just watching.

Giselle’s face burned with embarrassment, realization sinking in that she had just sat there like a fool, reveling in his kiss, completely exposed.

Pulling herself together, she straightened, wrapping her thin dignity around her.“Again, thank you for dinner,” she blurted out awkwardly, voice higher than she intended, before shifting in her seat, reaching for her seatbelt.

Dimitri stepped back, finally giving her room to close the door.

Her hands shook slightly as she shifted the engine into reverse, praying that it wouldn’t stall out now.If this old car chose tonight to act up, to sputter and die and leave her stranded with him standing right there, she might just burst into tears.

She barely had time to process her relief before she backed out of the parking space, grateful there were no vehicles next to her because she was far too flustered to be trusted behind the wheel.

As she pulled out of the garage, her heart pounded.Why had she just sat there with her eyes closed like some ridiculous, love-struck fool?More importantly, why had she kissed him back?

Darn it, she was an idiot.An absolute, hopeless fool!

Chapter 10

Dimitristalkedintohisoffice the next morning, just as irritated and restless as he’d been the night before.He’d tossed and turned overnight, his body on fire with the memory of that damn kiss.One wasn’t enough.Not even close.

He wanted more.Needed more.He’d held back, deliberately keeping it light, but that had been a mistake.Because now, the hunger had grown worse.It gnawed at him, made him impatient, made him fantasize about yanking her into his arms and kissing her properly, the way he wanted to.The way she wanted him to.

Because she did.

Her pupils had dilated.Her breath had caught.He had felt the way she had leaned into him, silently begging for more.

And yet, he’d gone to bed alone, while she had probably spent the evening chastising herself for letting him get too close.

It was infuriating.

He had taken the liberty of reviewing the time stamps of her badge swipes in and out of the building over the past several months.The woman practically lived at work, putting in twelve-hour days like it was normal.That wasn’t acceptable.He wanted her spending some of those hours with him.Dinners, lunches—hell, if he had to start showing up at her desk with breakfast, he’d do that too.

The conversation they’d had over dinner had been one of the best he’d ever had.Correction—thebest.And it wasn’t just because he wanted to drag her across the table and kiss her until she stopped overthinking everything.

He’d enjoyed talking to her.And that pissed him off.He barely made it two steps into his office before his gaze landed on the boxes stacked neatly on the low coffee table.His mood immediately soured.

“What the hell is that?”he growled, ready to fire someone for invading his private office.

His personal assistant, always composed, glanced up.“They were delivered this morning by courier from your friend in Las Vegas.Ms.Ava Santos requested they be sent directly to you.”

Dimitri exhaled sharply.Right.The clothes!

He strode over, opened the first box, and immediately recognized Ava’s signature style—clean, simple, well-tailored basics that could be dressed up or down.A sleek red sheath dress without frills, just simple elegance.In another box, there was a black one, and also one in navy blue.Ava had also sent five pairs of slacks, some fitted and structured while others were more along the lines of palazzo slacks.There were also jackets, and a thick, cashmere, belted winter coat.

Perfect.

With a nod of grim satisfaction, he grabbed the box with the red dress and headed straight for Giselle’s office.

Sure enough, she was already there, typing away at her computer like she hadn’t just completely ruined his sleep last night.