Page 72 of How to Train Your Billionaire

“Frankie?” Hayes’s voice, low and unmistakable, says from the other side.

I open the door, leaning against the frame. “Yeah?”

Without another word, he steps inside. The air around us shifts immediately, charged in a way that leaves me breathless before he even gets close.

He shuts the door and moves.

Before I can say anything else, his hand is on my waist, pulling me gently toward him. His mouth crashes into mine, hungry, insistent. I barely have time to register what’s happening before my back hits the door and Hayes is kissing me like he’s been waiting for this moment all day.

His lips are firm, but there’s something soft about it, too—something that makes my body go still for just a second before my mind catches up. It’slike the tension that’s been building between for months has just burst—an explosion I wasn’t prepared for but can’t pull away from.

I feel the heat of his body against mine, the pressure of his kiss, and suddenly, everything else in the world disappears. It all fades until it’s just Hayes and me, tangled in what I can confidently say is the best kiss I’ve ever had.

When he finally pulls back, I’m breathless, my heart pounding against my ribs. I blink, trying to get my bearings.

“So that was ... fine. Totally normal. Nothing to overanalyze at all.”

His mouth quirks, clearly amused. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I say, nodding too quickly. “Just needed to make sure I still have bones in my legs.”

He’s still standing too close—waytoo close—his breath warm against my skin.

“That’s how I’ve been feeling all day,” he murmurs, his voice low. Like a confession meant only for me.

I glance up at him, searching his face for any sign of doubt or hesitation. There’s none. Just that same intensity, the same thing I saw earlier, that I’ve been trying to ignore since we met.

“Well,” I say, trying to shake off the haze of the kiss, “what are we supposed to do about that now?”

His fingers trace lightly down my arm, a grin tugging at his lips. “I don’t know. But I’m sure I can think of a thing or two.”

A low pulse of desire races through me.

“Frankie!” I hear Charles call from the other room.

Hayes lifts one eyebrow.

“Gotta go,” I say, still breathless.

Later that night, I slip into bed, the sheets cool against my skin, but my mind is anything but cool. I stare up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the mess in my head. What the hell happened today?

Hayes happened.

The guy I thought was an arrogant, entitled ass—who couldn’t be bothered to give anyone the time of day without it being in his best interest. The guy who made me want to slap him one minute and throw him in the ocean the next. That guy.

And yet, somehow, he’s been ... different. More than I expected.

It’s weird, honestly. He’s not the guy I imagined. At first, I thought he’d be the kind of guy who walks around with his nose in the air, thinking the world revolves around him. But today, he was ... well, different. He arranged for me to have a day off. Took me off the boat. He wascharming. He actually listened when I talked. He even seemed to care when I said something, instead of brushing me off like I was an inconvenience.

And the way he looked at me earlier ...

The way he kissed me ...

I roll onto my side, burying my face in the pillow. What the hell is wrong with me?

Ishouldn’tbe thinking about him this way.

It’s not that I’m attracted to him—well, okay, I’m definitely attracted to him. That’s a given. He’s not my type, but then again, my type has never worked for me anyway. But that’s not what’s messing with me.