The Billionaire's Game

Chapter 4 | w**********l-2

Ines should have known there was no way Piper was going to give her the entire weekend off. By Sunday evening, as Ines was going through the second screenplay she had been given to read, Piper called to tell her to get dressed for dinner.

“Are you sure you need me to sit in on this?” Ines said. She had her phone on speaker as she was hurrying to get dressed. “From Mr. Bellamy's emails, I think he's expecting a more” — she winced as she struggled to zip up her dress — “private dinner. You know, just the two of you.”

“Of course you're not sitting in on dinner,” Piper said. Her voice coming out of the phone seemed tense. “I just need you to make up some excuse for me, and sit with him until I get there.”

Ines tossed a pair of white pumps in exasperation and picked up a pair of black kitten heels. “Look, if you're busy why not move your dinner to another night? I'm sure John will understand.”

John Bellamy was Piper's ex-husband. Ines liked the man, and she wasn't comfortable having to lie for Piper.

“No, I need to speak to him tonight.”

“What time will you be there? Where are you, anyway?”

“None of your business. I'll try to be there by eight.”

“Right. The reservation is at...”

“Il Chiaro. Pay attention, Ines.”

“Sorry. Il Chiaro, seven o'clock.” She groaned inwardly. That would give her barely enough time to put on lipstick. “Leave it to me.”

Forty minutes later, Ines stepped into the lobby of the Hotel di Bianchi. She glanced up at the huge clock at the far end of the room. Fifteen minutes to seven. She sighed in relief. Il Chiaro was on the roof deck—surely she could make it up there in the next ten minutes.

An empty elevator was waiting for her and she jumped in, hit the button for the roof, and pressed the button to close.

As the doors slid shut, a voice sounded from the hallway.

“Hold, please.”

Ines froze. She knew that voice.

The doors opened once more and Kilborne stepped inside the elevator.

It took her a few seconds to realize she was gaping at him. Shutting her mouth, she whipped her head to face the front of the elevator. Remembering her manners, she gave him a sideways glance and a brief, nervous smile.

Kilborne glanced at her for a moment but didn't respond.

Did he not recognize her? She didn't have time to put on her contacts but surely she didn't look that different with her eyeglasses on.

Thirty seconds passed. Nothing.

This was what she wanted, wasn't it? She thought he'd forget all about the disastrous incident at his apartment yesterday. And it seemed that he did.

So why did she feel so disappointed?

She couldn't help but be aware of him standing a mere two feet away from her — tall, strong, powerful. Silent. Even with clothes on, he was sexy as hell. She could imagine his muscles rippling under his fine white shirt and dark grey jacket.

Of course, she couldn't look at him now. Not after she was staring at him when he got on the elevator. The important thing was he appeared to not recognize or remember her. All she had to do now was get out of the elevator like nothing happened—

Kilborne's voice broke through her thoughts.

“I see you're working tonight.”