Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 12

I took a deep breath, summoning every ounce of courage I could find.

"Sex is not included in the deal."

For a moment, Christian actually looked surprised. His eyes widened slightly, and the mask of unshakable confidence slipped. But then, just as quickly, it was back—the seductive smile I knew far too well curving his lips.

"Are you sure?" he asked, leaning in ever so slightly. Just enough to let me feel his heat without him even touching me. "Because I remember very well the way you moaned my name last time."

My face went up in flames, shame devouring me from the inside. Images of that night in the pool flooded my mind without permission. The warm water around us, his fingers mapping paths across my skin, the way his body had fit against mine so perfectly.

"I didn't even know that was your real name!" I protested, crossing my arms like that could protect me from both the memories and his presence.

"Now you do," he said, his voice dropping a full octave—deep, rich, and designed to send shivers down my spine.

I had to stand my ground. This was a business arrangement. Nothing more. It didn't matter that my body remembered exactly what it felt like to be with him. It didn't matter that, for one night, I'd felt more alive than I had in years.

"It changes nothing. No sex."

Christian shrugged, as if my condition didn't bother him in the slightest. Somehow, that irritated me even more.

"Fine. I don't need a deal to sleep with you."

"What?"

His gaze traveled over me slowly, like he could see straight through the fabric of my clothes. Like he was memorizing every curve, every detail.

"You'll come looking for me when you're desperate for my hands." His fingers raked casually through his hair. It was a gesture that had no right to look as sensual as it did. "Or my tongue. Or the things I do when I'm between your legs."

I swallowed hard, battling the images he was deliberately planting in my head. Damn him! He knew exactly what he was doing.

"That's never going to happen," I said. But my voice didn't have nearly the conviction I wanted.

The crescent moon cast shadows across his face, accentuating the sharp lines of his jaw and the shape of his lips that I knew too well. A car drove past, headlights flashing briefly over him, and in that moment, I saw it: that glint of challenge in his eyes.

But he was already too close. Close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from his body. Close enough for the scent of his cologne to invade my senses. Close enough for me to realize I was holding my breath.

My eyes betrayed me, dropping to his mouth, remembering exactly what it felt like to have those lips on mine, on my skin, everywhere.

"And no kissing either," I blurted quickly, stepping back, desperate to put space between us before my willpower dissolved completely.

That caught him off guard. His brows shot up, and for once, he looked genuinely confused.

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