“They warned me about you, you know.” Kharis had been chatting nonstop since leaving Howdy with the billionaire, and not even the sight of his sports car parked outside the diner was able to put her mouth off its stride. She had lacked for nothing to say throughout the ride, and so it continued even by the time they made it to the inn. It should probably have turned him off, but it did not.

Should he be worried about that?

As he unlocked the door to his suite, he asked her what her grandfather’s friends had said about him.

“Oh, the usual.” She wrinkled her nose as she stepped past Christien to enter the room. “That no sane woman would go out with a stranger alone, that you could be a serial killer, that you could hurt me in so many crazy ways.”

Shutting the door closed, he turned around in time to see the little mutant make a face.

“Like duh.” She flashed him a dimpled smile, a sight the billionaire imagined might be pretty if not for her mouth.

Looking at it again, Christien thought it looked like she had asked a Beverly Hills surgeon for Angelina Jolie’s pouting lips – only everything had gone wrong.

“You’re staring at me again.”

Riiiiiiight. He recovered himself with an effort – those lips were truly horrendous – he said stiffly, “Apologies.”

“Oh, please don’t say sorry. I don’t mind at all. I think it’s cute.”

Riiiiiiight. His incredulity increased twice-fold and his irritation tenfold, but the billionaire strove to remind himself that this was a good thing.

At least he knew now his valves for emotions hadn’t rusted away due to lack of use.

“Marvin even threatened to call my Gramps, but I managed to convince him otherwise. I made him believe you would never hurt me. If anything, you’d do the opposite---”

Don’t ask, the billionaire warned himself immediately.

But when Kharis started walking around his suite, hands clasped behind her back, a carefree air about her – ah, damn it, but she was acting like she was The Ancient One, and he her ignorant apprentice.

And so despite knowing better, Christien heard himself ask, “What wouldn’t I be able to help doing?”

She giggled. “Like you really don’t know.”

“I guess I’d like to hear it from you.”

The little mutant released an exaggerated sigh. “Worship the ground I walk on, what else?”

Christien took a deep breath and counted to ten.

Next time, he would listen to his instincts and not ask.

“May I?”

Her question had him glancing back at her, and the billionaire grimaced when he saw his guest gesturing to the two-seater couch. “Of course.” It wasn’t like him to forget his manners, and to make up for his slip, he asked right away, “Can I get you anything? The minibar’s decently stocked, surprisingly.”

“Umm, no, I’m good, but thanks.”

As she took a seat, he bent down to take out a can of beer from the minibar. Turning back to her, he caught Kharis studying him, cocking her head to one side then another, like she needed to dissect his looks from every angle.

“Anything wrong?”

She told him sincerely, “You’re really beautiful.”

In the act of taking a sip of his beer, billionaire sputtered and coughed. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what kind of face stared back at him from the mirror, but in all the years of his life, no one had actually ever called him that to his face---

And so the billionaire found himself genuinely speechless.

A look of concern crossed her face, and she said with sweet, pure-hearted insistence, “I’m not lying.”

And the billionaire still did not know what to say. Did she really think he was worried that she lied about him being beautiful?

“You really are beautiful, and I think I have a little crush on you, too.”

Should he be insulted, the billionaire wondered, that she was acting like he should be honored by her crush?

In the end, Christien only said, “Thank you.” But when she continued gazing at him, as if waiting for him to say something more, he added, “That, err, means a lot.”

He had meant it as a joke of sorts, but Kharis had obviously taken the words at face value when her dimples reappeared as she said, “You’re welcome.” And that was that, with the little mutant somewhat throwing him for a loop as she quickly moved to another subject, asking him about the Elm Street property.

“I heard you were going to buy it?”

“I already did. I’m simply waiting for the papers to make it official.” He watched her closely as he spoke, thinking this was the part that most gold-diggers would give themselves away.

A thoughtful look crossed the little mutant’s face. “You must be very rich.”

He waited for her to say something else, but when nothing seemed forthcoming he realized that was indeed all she had to say.

“Does it matter,” he heard himself ask, “if I’m rich or not?”

“Well…” Kharis wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather you didn’t drive a sports car.”

“I…see.” Christien was bemused. Sports cars? Why the hell were they talking about sports cars all of a sudden?

She flashed him a guilty smile. “Did I offend you?” Before he could answer, she added in a rush, “It’s not that I hate sports cars, but you see, Tony – he lives next door…” A wistful look flickered in her eyes. “He drives a sports car every weekend, too, but we all know it’s just on loan from his uncle.”

Her lips pursed disapprovingly, and it was so much like watching a monster puckering for a kiss it left him visually arrested.

“When he drives it, he---” She broke off, and a knowing smile played on her lips. “You’re staring at me again.”

“I, err, can’t help it.” He mentally shoved the horrific image of a kissing monster out of his mind and, clearing his throat, he said, “What is it with Tony then? What do you have against him borrowing his uncle’s sports car?”

Kharis appeared surprised. “I don’t. But every time he drives that horrible thing, he changes. He’s---” She bit her lip.

The troubled expression on her face made Christien frown, and putting his beer down he took a seat next to her on the couch, asking in a hard voice, “Did this Tony do anything to you?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Kharis looked properly appalled at the direction of his thoughts. “It’s just…I…” She shook her head. “Can we just talk about something else?”

Christien considered pushing it for a moment, but in the end he decided to let it go, and as soon as he did, Death whispered in his mind.

That should tell you then, don’t you think? You’d have made her speak if you cared enough.

But you don’t.

So is she really your rainbow, boy?

The billionaire shoved the words away and forced himself to concentrate on Kharis’ words. Realizing she was asking him about the current state of the Elm Street property, he said, “I’m not planning to remodel it at all. Rather, I need to have it torn down and build something new entirely.”

“But after that,” Kharis said eagerly, “will you be moving in right away?”

Realizing how his revelation about buying the property must have misled her, he said carefully, “I’m sorry if you misunderstood, but I didn’t actually buy the Elm Street property for my personal use. It’s for business.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders slumped. “Then does that mean you’re not going to move here?”

“No. I’m not.” Her face fell at his words, and the billionaire could’ve stared at it for an endless amount of time. He knew it made him somewhat sadistic, but he couldn’t help it. She was just so damn different from him – his very opposite – and he wanted, needed, to know her secret.

How did she feel so damn easily?

“Where do you live then?”

The smallness of her voice made Christien wince inwardly, but even so he didn’t want to dishonor her with any untruth. “I spend most of my time in Miami, but I also travel a lot.”

“I see.” The light in her brown eyes dimmed a little more. “That’s so far away.”

“I’m sorry.” The billionaire hadn’t meant to apologize at all, but somehow he had still ended up doing so. It was as if this woman had woven an apology spell about him, and she only had to look at him and he couldn’t get ‘I’m sorry’ out of his mouth fast enough.

When she sighed, he felt honor-bound to try comforting her, saying, “It’s actually just two hours by plane---”

“I’ve never flied, not once.” A ghost of a smile touched her lips. “Do you know that the farthest I’ve been to is Hartford? And we only had to go because Gramps needed to have his operation there.”

“Do you still live with your grandfather?” Christien knew he was acting like a gutless asshole, changing the subject like that, but he didn’t give a damn. Right now, it was the only thing he could think of doing, the only way to stop the light in her eyes from going out completely.

Unfortunately, all his question got was another small nod, but even so the billionaire persisted in pulling Kharis out of her self-locked cage. “Doesn’t your grandfather mind you working late hours in Howdy?”

“My summer internship only takes up my afternoons, and he knows Marvin and Juan will look after me.”

“They can’t possibly watch over you all the time.”

“I know.” And surprisingly, it was this of all things that made her smile a little. She pointed to her face, saying, “That’s why I have this.”

“Err---”

Kharis giggled. “Oh my God, if you could see your face now!” She sent him a teasing look, asking, “Did you really think I didn’t know how terrible I look?”

At her words, Christien began adding one and one together, and the billionaire grimaced. “So the reason you’re dressed differently from the others---”

“Marvin says it’s guaranteed to let others know I’m off-limits.”

“And why you work at the bar the whole time---”

“So they’ll have an easier time looking after me.” She pointed to her face again. “And don’t forget this. It’s the most effective repellent of all.” Her eyes danced merrily. “But it didn’t work on you, did it?”

“No.” Christien’s lips twitched despite himself. “It didn’t.” But not for the reasons she thought.

“You’re the first guy who’s crushed on me looking like this,” she shared candidly.

“Then that should tell you,” he drawled, “what kind of intentions I have towards you.”

A part of him had thought he would make her blush or stammer with his words, but she didn’t just pick up the gauntlet, she threw it back at him, saying sweetly, “Oh, I don’t know about that.” When he raised a brow, she said in a voice that was shockingly, seductively husky, “If you already like me this much with my disguise on…” Her voice trailed off suggestively.

Ah. Christien’s blue eyes gleamed. His little mutant was turning out to be a lot more unpredictable than he expected. One moment she seemed like the proverbial provincial miss, the next moment it was like she was Cleopatra reincarnate, exuding a kind of natural sensuality that was so much more potent than whatever the women he had dated in the past possessed.

His gaze narrowed on her, and this time the billionaire studied her with single-minded intensity. Her features were still indistinguishable from a clown thanks to her makeup, but this time Christien also took note of other things.

Things like the tender swell of her small but pert breasts, and as his gaze remained on her chest, he saw the way her nipples slowly pebbled against her bra---

A soft breathy gasp spilled past her lips.

It was the sweetest sound of arousal he had ever heard ---

And he wanted more.

She suddenly made a move to rise, but he caught her wrist and she automatically froze, her brown eyes turning wide under the heavy strokes of her purple eye shadow.

“Am I making you nervous?” he asked silkily.

“You know you are.” Her words were a breathless whisper, and it was another tantalizing sound that had the most incredible effect on his body. It had him taut and fully erect in moments, and when she wetted her lips, he inhaled sharply.

“I think,” the billionaire said in a low, guttural voice, “I’d like to see you without your mask.”

“I d-don’t think so.”

“Why not?” He slowly lifted his hand as he spoke, knuckles grazing one rogued cheek, and her entire body trembled.

She swallowed hard. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“You say that and yet…”

His gaze dipped low, taking note of how her breasts had swelled even more noticeably against her shirt. And ah, her nipples, those pebble-hard nipples---

The billionaire’s lips curved as he lifted his gaze back to hers. “Your body’s saying another thing entirely.”

Shock flickered in her eyes, and yet at the same time the way she licked her lips anew spoke of nothing but excitement. “I d-don’t---”

He interrupted her, his words a soft, almost tender command. “Show yourself to me.”

She shook her head.

The sudden display of stubbornness was unexpected but like everything about her, it only served to intrigue him, and Christien asked simply, “Why not?”

“Because…” The way her gaze darted here and there made it evident the little mutant was madly racking her brains for an excuse. “Because…” And then Kharis’ eyes lit up, and when she spoke again, her voice was almost giddy.

Whatever she had to say would probably be cute as hell and weird as fuck, the billionaire thought idly, but whatever it was ---

It wouldn’t matter.

Because he had already made up his mind.

“I can’t do it,” she finally said in a rush, “because you already have a crush on me the way I am now.”

He raised a brow. “And so---”

“And so what would happen if you see me without my, err, mask?”

“I might ravish you?” the billionaire asked dryly. “Is that it?”

“Exactly! And you mustn’t ever do that,” she warned him.

“Because if I do, you might---”

Her eyes twinkled. “Ravish you in return.”

It was not at all what he expected, and the billionaire found himself throwing his head back with a laugh.

A genuine laugh---

A fucking genuine laugh that he didn’t have to fake---

And ah, it had his heart beating faster than ever.

When he looked at her again, his little mutant was smiling at him, but there was also wary hesitation in her eyes, and her body was still slightly tense, as if she was ready to jump out of his reach any moment.

A reprieve then, the billionaire thought. Just for tonight, he would give her that because he, too, needed time to think.

He came to his feet. “It’s getting late.”

She rose, looking flustered. “Umm, yes, I…I guess it is.” Her brown eyes looked into his searchingly. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. Why do you ask?”

A hesitant look crossed her face, and then his little mutant mumbled, “Umm…nothing.”

He frowned. “If something’s wrong---”

She gave him an extremely bright smile. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Then I’ll drive you home?”

“You don’t have to---”

He gave her an odd look. Did she really think he was the type of guy to let her walk or take a cab home?

After providing him directions, she was silent for the rest of the ride, causing him to ask her several times what was wrong. She shook her head and insisted everything was fine.

But of course it was not.

What the hell had gone wrong?

When they made it to her place – an honest-to-goodness farm located at the outskirts of the town – she all but rushed out of his car, and Christien found himself running after her.

“Hold up!” He caught her arm from behind just before she could reach the front door and spun Kharis around to face him. To his shock, he found her brown eyes glistening with tears. “Why are you crying?” he demanded.

“Why do you think?” she muttered.

He was disbelieving. “Are you saying I’m the cause of your tears? What the hell did I say---”

“Just because I didn’t want to take my makeup off,” she flung at him shakily, “you couldn’t get rid of me fast enough? You realized I’m not the easy type and you think I’m not worth the trouble of---”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You’re all alike,” Kharis cried out. “You and Tony---”

Stiffening at the mention of another man’s name, he said coldly, “Don’t ever compare me to another man again.”

“Even if it’s true?” she challenged. “Both of you think you can get away with anything, both of you are the same, both of you---”

Christien’s temper snapped, and he snarled, “Shut up.”

Kharis jerked.

“Whoever the fuck that Tony is, he’s nothing like me,” the billionaire growled down at her. “No other man can be like me. I’m Christien di Luca, and he can try a thousand times, kiss my fucking arse for all I care, but he won’t even be a fraction like me. Do you understand?”

Silence.

And Christien slowly came back to his senses.

Ah, fuck.

Had he really said something that obnoxious – and stupid?

In front of him, Kharis’ hideous-looking lips were starting to tremble.

Piercing blue eyes narrowed at her. “Don’t.”

But this only made her lips tremble harder.

“I’m warning you,” he grated out in a low voice.

But it was too late.

Peals of laughter filled the air, with the damn little mutant even doubling over. When she straightened to gasp for air, her gaze fell on the billionaire’s stoic-looking face, and she gasped incoherently, “Kiss! Fucking! Arse!”

It started all over again, Kharis laughing harder.

“Good night,” he said stiffly.

The billionaire turned and walked away.

So discovery #1 about himself: he had a nasty temper.

Discovery #2: he didn’t take kindly to being laughed at.

He knew he had to thank Kharis Stamos for these things, but right now all he wanted to do with the little mutant was wring her pretty little neck. It was her damn fault that he had said such stupid things anyway.

“Christien!”

He ignored her call, only continuing to walk back to his car at a steady brisk pace.

“Please wait.”

The ‘please’ could have mollified him, but then he heard her smother another laugh and the billionaire’s pace became brisker.

Damn little mutant.

“Stop, please!”

And not a moment later, the billionaire found himself being tackled from behind.

What the hell?

He grunted as he fell heavily to the rocky ground. Goddammit. He turned on his back under her, ready to give the little mutant an earful, but then---

The billionaire realized a couple of important things.

One: she was lying on top of him.

Two: their positions aroused the hell out of him…

Three: and her.

She jerked above him, seemingly realizing the same things a little too late, but before she could pull away he already had her trapped, reversing their positions in a moment.

A little whimper escaped Kharis as she found her trembling body imprisoned under the billionaire’s large, powerful frame.

“C-could you---”

He smiled down pleasantly at her. “No.”

Another little whimper escaped her, and it was music to his ears.

“Now,” he said in the same pleasant tone, “you will explain yourself, starting with what the hell I had said or done that could have driven you to tears.” She shook her head, but this time the billionaire wasn’t fooled. He had thought earlier it was stubbornness on her part, but now he realized it was past hurt holding her back.

“Tell me,” he said quietly, “what that bastard did to you.”

Her eyes flew to his.

“He hurt you, didn’t he? Tony?”

“It’s not like that,” she whispered.

“Then make me understand.”

She looked away, and just when he started to think she would never speak at all, her thready voice reached his ears.

“We’ve been friends all our life.”

So he was up against a fucking childhood friend, the billionaire thought grimly.

“We got along really well until he started working for his Uncle Phil. He lives in the next town. He dotes on Tony, so he lets Tony drive his sports car every weekend. It was nice at first.” And again, that same wistful look he had seen earlier was back in her eyes. “We had fun, and it wasn’t---” She flashed him an embarrassed smile. “It wasn’t bad, to see how people looked at us because we were in a sports car.”

When she fell silent, he slowly reached for one of her hands, which was clenched against her side. Her eyes jerked to Christien as his fingers tightened around hers.

He said quietly, “I won’t judge.”

“There’s nothing to judge.” Hers was barely audible. “But even if there were---” She gave him a hesitant smile. “I knew you wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Because I’m crushing on you?”

Her smile widened, and she said solemnly, “Exactly.”

“Well,” he drawled. “You’re right.”

A tiny laugh escaped her. “Oh, Christien.” Her brown eyes sought his. “Do you feel it too?” Her voice turned into a shaky whisper. “How different it is between us?”

“Yes.” And he did – only the billionaire wasn’t sure if this was so because it was his only chance for survival.

She glanced away, but the billionaire remained silent, patient and waiting. He was nothing if not good at reading between the lines. It was what had allowed him to pretend this long, and now it was what told him that she needed this silence.

And finally, she said---

“It wasn’t his first time to kiss me. But it was his first time not to stop when I said no---”

The billionaire’s body went taut. “Did he force himself on you?”

Horrified eyes flew to his. “Oh, no! It never went that far! I got away from him easily.” And another shame-faced look. “I’m a black belt in taekwondo, and I kinda…his…you know.”

It took him a second to understand she was talking about kneeing the man in the balls, but even so he said mercilessly, “You should have chopped them off instead.”

His little mutant choked back a laugh. “He’s still my friend.”

“Then you’re an idiot.”

She sent him a chiding glance. “He got carried away, and he apologized for it.”

“And you believed him?” The billionaire was incredulous once again. He was beginning to accept it was his fate whenever the little mutant was concerned.

“He’s my friend.” Her fingers tightened reflexively around his. “But it’s never been the same after that.”

“As it should be---”

She shook her head. “And it’s not because he tried to kiss me rather forcefully, but…it was the things he said. He really thought that him driving a sports car changed everything. He got so mad, and he made it seem like I was being an idiot for turning him down.” She looked up at the billionaire, remnants of her pain darkening her gaze. “We’ve known each other for years. How could he think a stupid sports car would change everything?”

Easily, the billionaire thought, because a stupid sports car would have changed everything for most women, even if it were on loan.

But out loud, all the billionaire said was, “Because he was an ass and he didn’t know what he had in you.”

Sure, he understood that Tony was a boy and boys did stupid things, but Christien was a man, and men did what was best for them. And right now, what was best was making sure that Tony had no way of slithering back into his little mutant’s life.

Looking down at her, he said grimly, “That’s why you thought we were the same? Because when I asked you to show yourself without your mask and you refused---”

“You sent me away,” she finished unevenly, “like how Tony cut me off in his life just because I didn’t want him to kiss me.”

Silence.

“And you still believe that?”

Her eyes avoided his, and she mumbled, “I don’t know anything anymore---”

“Then know this.” The billionaire brought her hand up to his mouth, and her stunned gaze jerked back to his. “I want you.” He pressed his lips to her knuckles, and her lips parted in silent shock. “I want you---” The billionaire’s voice roughened. “More than I’ve ever wanted any woman.”

Her entire body shook, and so did his.

His gaze captured hers as his lips slowly ran over her clenched fingers. Her skin had a natural scent to it, roses kissed by burgundy, and the billionaire inhaled deeply. The scent was as magical as the rest of her, and he had a feeling he wouldn’t have enough of it.

Had he really thought he wasn’t attracted to this woman?

With the way his body was so fucking hard right now, the thought was absolutely ludicrous, and he would have laughed if he could –

He would’ve laughed if a tiny goddamn part of him still weren’t convinced.

Was this attraction or desperation?

Was this the billionaire merely grasping at straws, knowing that Kharis Stamos was his only chance to escape the oblivion his apathetic existence craved?

His eyes closed.

Please God. Please let it be fucking her. Please.

For everyone’s sake---

“Christien?” Her tremulous voice drew his gaze back to hers, and his body grew more taut as she wetted her lips.

“What is it?” The billionaire’s voice was rough with desire.

“You could…” She swallowed hard. “I think…I think you could kiss me---” Her voice caught, and her cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. “If you wanted to?”

Ah. The billionaire slowly shook his head. “A tempting offer, but…” He cupped her chin. “You’re not the kind of woman to take lightly, so…no, not just yet.”

There was a long moment of silence, and the billionaire’s chest slowly tightened. Had he hurt her? Had he pushed her away? Had he---

And then she looked up at him, and her smile was so fragile it almost made the tawdry shade of her lips unnoticeable.

He wanted to say her name, but he couldn’t. Shouldn’t. He had no right to, knowing that there were things she believed of him - things that he wished, for both their sakes, were true…but weren’t.

“Can you please,” she whispered unevenly, “just be honest with me?”

The rawness of her plea had him clenching his fists.

You still have time to end this, Death reminded him.

He knew that. He fucking knew that, and he sure as hell didn’t need Death to remind him of it. He also knew that he was taking a risk – and it was the kind where she had everything to lose while he had only everything to gain.

But if he were to turn away now---

Her fragile smile caught his gaze.

Wouldn’t he be hurting her even more?

Wouldn’t it be better to give whatever this was between them – a chance?

After all, he flew almost two thousand miles and chased the end of a rainbow for her.

“I don’t want to kiss you,” he muttered under his breath, “until I know I deserve you.”

A soft gasp escaped her.

“So if you don’t mind, perhaps I can do something else…”

He reached for her fist again, and this time he unfolded her fingers carefully before bringing them back to his lips.

His lips parted, but he didn’t make any other move.

It was up to her to do what was next.

Their gazes collided once more, and this time her brown eyes were filled with trepidation. But they were also shining…with excitement.

Slowly, one of her fingers moved…in…

Farther and farther---

Until he had every right to suck on her finger.

And so he did.

Without taking his gaze off hers, he continued sucking on her finger, all the while feeling her tremble more and more. When he finally pulled her finger out, the billionaire was breathing hard while she was slightly panting---

And God, the sound was even more magical, more addictive.

Christien said tautly, “This is the only thing I deserve to kiss for now.” Freeing her hand, he let his own hands slowly move down her form – allowing her to familiarize herself with his touch – before settling them on her waist.

His grip tightened, and she swallowed hard.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

A tiny nod.

“Good.” Releasing her, he slowly got them back to their feet but didn’t let her go. Tipping her chin, he added warningly, “I’m not the type to share.”

She bit her lip. “I w-wouldn’t want you to.”

He didn’t smile. “I’ll see you later tonight.” It wasn’t a question but a claim of ownership, a declaration that from hereon, everything that made Kharis Stamos – her time, her body, even her soul – was his.

A part of him expected her to shy away from such a demand. It wasn’t the kind of promise to be taken lightly, and she had to know that.

But instead---

She only nodded. “Okay.” And she pulled her hand slowly away from his. “I’ll see you tonight.”

The billionaire frowned, thinking that she was being unusually succinct. But in the end, he decided to let it go---

Because you don’t care enough, Death murmured.

He ignored the words as he turned to walk away. But when he reached his car and bent down to open the door, that was when he heard her speak again.

“Good night…Mr. It Doesn’t Matter.” Her tone was soft, teasing – and his.

The billionaire’s lips curved. So she wanted to play this game, did she? Opening the door, Christien paused before getting in and without looking back, he said, “Good night…” He bent down and stepped inside of the car. “Little mutant.”

He pulled the car door shut just as he heard her gasp, and his lips twitched.

He pushed the button for the window to slide down, and that was when he heard her crying out, “Why I am a mutant?”

As Christien drove away, his last glimpse of her through the rearview mirror was of his little mutant glaring at him, hands planted on her hips.

It was a beautiful sight, a funny sight, a terrifying sight, and the billionaire’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as a film of cold sweat turned his hands clammy.

She affected him, brought him to life, and made him feel – that much he was sure of.

But how much of it was real?