Under His Billionaire Roof novel Chapter 11

His thumb traced her bottom lip. Once. Twice.

Leighton's heart hammered so hard she was sure he could hear it. Feel it. The candlelight made his eyes darker, unreadable. But the heat in them was unmistakable.

He leaned in. Slowly. Giving her time to pull away.

She didn't move. Didn't breathe.

His forehead touched hers. Their noses brushed. She could feel his breath on her lips, warm and smelling faintly of wine. Another inch and they'd be kissing.

Just one more inch.

His hand tightened on her jaw. His other hand found her waist, pulling her closer. Her hands gripped his shirt, bunching the fabric between her fingers.

"Leighton," he whispered against her mouth.

"Yeah?"

His lips hovered over hers. Not quite touching. The anticipation was torture. Sweet, aching torture.

Then he stopped.

His whole body went rigid. His grip on her loosened.

"Fuck," he muttered.

He stepped back. The loss of his warmth felt like being doused in ice water.

"Noah?"

He ran both hands through his hair, turning away from her. His shoulders were tense, his breathing uneven.

"This can't happen."

The words hit like a slap. "What?"

"This. Us. Whatever this is." He gestured between them without looking at her. "It can't happen."

"Why not?"

"Because Chloe would never forgive me." He finally turned to face her. The heat was gone from his eyes, replaced by something harder. Colder. "She's my sister. You're her best friend. There are lines you don't cross."

Hurt bloomed in her chest, sharp and hot. "So what am I? Just another woman throwing herself at you?"

"That's not what I said."

"That's what it feels like." Her voice came out sharper than she intended. "Like I'm just one more in a long line of women who wanted Noah Knight and couldn't have him."

"Leighton..."

"I'm not some groupie, Noah. I'm not some random girl you met at a club who doesn't know anything about you." Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I've known you half my life. I've watched you grow up. I've seen the good and the bad and everything in between. So don't treat me like I'm just another mistake waiting to happen."

His jaw clenched. "That's not fair."

"Fair? You're the one who jumped in that pool last night. You're the one who keeps touching me, looking at me like... like that." She gestured at him. "And now you're acting like I'm the problem."

"You're not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"I am." The words came out rough. Raw. "I'm the problem. I'm the guy who ruins things. Who takes what he wants and leaves a mess behind. And I refuse to do that to you."

"Maybe I get a say in what happens to me."

"Do you? Because from where I'm standing, you have no idea what you're asking for." He moved closer, and she could see the tension in every line of his body. "You think you know me? You know the version of me that exists in this house. The one who makes coffee and works late and pretends to be a responsible adult. You don't know the version of me that made headlines. That woke up in strange beds with women whose names I couldn't remember. That hurt people without even trying."

"That's not who you are anymore."

"How do you know that? Because I've been clean for six months? Because I go to therapy?" He laughed, bitter and sharp. "I'm one bad day away from falling back into old patterns. And I won't drag you down with me."

Thunder cracked overhead. The candles flickered, casting wild shadows across his face.

"That's bullshit," Leighton said.

His eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. That's a bullshit excuse and you know it." She stepped closer, refusing to back down. "You're not your past. You're not your father or whoever else you're afraid of becoming. You're the man who comforted me when I broke your expensive glass. Who looked at my portfolio like it mattered. Who pulled back in the pool because you didn't want to take advantage." Her voice softened. "You're better than you think you are. You just don't believe it yet."

Something flickered in his eyes. Pain, maybe. Or fear.

"You don't understand," he said quietly.

"Then explain it to me."

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