The Billionaire's Ballet: A Contemporary Billionaire Friends to Lovers Romance (Friends with Benefits) (11 page)

“Perfect,” I said. Then I slowly lifted into my first en pointe for the day.

“I’m always amazed by this,” he said. “I haven’t seen it up close.” He stared at my feet.

“I did it a lot right under your nose,” I said. “You just didn’t come in the studio.”

“I should have been here every day,” he said.

I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “Time for your walk.”

As he began the circle, I lifted my left leg behind me in the correct position, knee slightly bent. His hand was warm and strong in mine.

He watched me, switching from looking directly at me to admiring us in the mirror. His steps were slow but sure as he circled me. His expression was awestruck.

Finally he let go. “I hope that wasn’t too long,” he said.

I laughed. “I work out, rehearse, and perform up to ten hours a day during the season,” I said. “That was nothing.”

“That’s dedication,” he said.

“It’s required,” I said.

“I won’t keep you from your work,” he said. “And I’m glad to know I’m not the only one with a seventy-hour-a-week habit.”

My feet worked a small pattern to stay warm. “We’re not the most well-rounded people, are we?”

He shook his head. “I’m glad to have found a fellow traveler,” he said.

I paused in the dance. “Me too.”

Bennett gave me a little salute. “Eight,” he said.

I resumed the warm-up steps. “Eight,” I agreed.

Then he was gone.

My mind wandered as I moved through the motions I knew by heart. So strange, the feelings Bennett stirred in me. But I could handle being his friend. He was right. We were both workaholics with a strong appreciation for dance. It was nice to find someone who understood.

Chapter 13

My mother left to meet friends that evening, so when eight o’clock rolled around, I was home alone.

I never really had dates pick me up at Mother’s house. What little I did in high school was out with girlfriends, occasionally meeting boys in burger joints or movie theaters. It had always felt weird to have anyone come for me at the estate, since it wasn’t really my home.

Plus, our guesthouse was situated on a walking path, not a driving one, although Quinn had brought the carriage to my door. I wasn’t sure what Bennett would do since you couldn’t exactly drive a car anywhere near.

The doorbell rang promptly at eight. I took one last peek in the mirror. I wasn’t sure how dressy this night would be. An art gallery could be anywhere on the spectrum from glitzy to ironic hipster. And an opening was different from just wandering in to take a look. One was fancy, the other acceptable in shorts and a T-shirt.

But this was Bennett. The man who wore khakis on Saturday. So I’d settled on a safe bet. A deep red halter dress with a lot of swing. It was short and flirty, barely catching mid-thigh. Since I could picture Bennett twirling me in public again, this time I played it safe and wore ruffled boy shorts beneath it. Too many people with too many cell phones out in the world.

My hair was up again, mainly because the cold front was long gone. The air was blistering hot and the parking situation downtown meant walking. I also slipped on ballet flats for the same reason. Wrecking my feet with heels was never a good idea if I wasn’t sure how much I’d be in them. I got beat up enough in rehearsal.

Overall I looked rather unfortunately date-like. The main concession I’d made to the fact that this was a friends-only evening was the understated makeup. A little mascara. A light lip gloss.

The doorbell rang again.

Crap. I’d dawdled.

I hurried to the door, scooping up a tiny evening bag on a long string. The door opened with a whoosh as I flung it wide.

Bennett stood there waiting. He wore a suit but the jacket was slung over his arm. A cool blue button-down shirt was open at the throat.

“Now that is an incredible dress,” he said. He was about to say more when I interrupted him.

“Said one friend to another.” I twisted the lock on Mother’s door and stepped outside. “I do believe you might melt in the heat if you put that jacket on in a Texas summer.”

“It’s just a prop,” he said. His grin was bigger than usual.

“I’m ready for you to wow me with your car,” I said. “I want something straight out of
Fifty Shades of Grey
.”

We began walking toward the front of the mansion. I figured he would park whatever he had brought out on the entrance circle.

“Funny you should mention that,” he said.

I stopped walking. “You have a red room of pain?”

“A what?”

“From the book. His S&M room.”

I could tell he was trying to stop himself from laughing. “I thought this was a friend date,” he said.

My shoulder bumped against his arm. “Friends don’t let friends have red rooms.”

We turned the corner of the outer wall and I stopped dead in my tracks. “What the hell?”

“You said to wow you.”

Sitting on the wide expanse of concrete that led up to the circle drive was … a helicopter.

“Is this legal?”

“The pilot seems to think so.”

“Holy crap!”

“I take it you’re wowed?”

I snaked my arm through the crook of his elbow. “Yes! I am wowed!”

“Good,” he said. “I’d say this is a successful start to the evening.”

We approached the helicopter. A pilot in dark shades, a hat, and huge black headphones opened the door and motioned to the step. “Welcome,” he said.

I climbed in and settled on the far seat. Another pair of headphones sat on the cushion.

“You’ll want to put those on,” Bennett said. “Otherwise the noise will be too loud for us to talk.”

I slid the set over my ears. The pilot closed the door and moved to his seat.

Bennett pulled the straps across my front. When he snapped them into place, his hand brushed my bare thigh. My skin burned in a way that made me worry we weren’t doing a great job at sticking to the friend script, but I hid my reaction.

He buckled himself in and put on his headset.

The pilot’s voice came through. “We’re ready,” he said.

“Where will you park this thing downtown?” I asked him. I couldn’t think of a single spot in San Antonio to touch down a helicopter other than the hospital helipad.

“There’s a private landing pad on the top of the Amity Corp building. It’s just a short walk to the gallery from there.”

I wasn’t familiar with that building, but I didn’t ask, because the helicopter began whirring. With the headphones, it was just a dull roar in the background.

The butler Adams and Amelia came out on the porch to watch the takeoff. I waved at them. Amelia flapped her dish towel.

“This is so crazy for the short drive to the River Walk,” I said. “I assume the gallery is along there somewhere?”

“I think I may have forgotten to mention the location of the gallery,” Bennett said.

We lifted from the ground and I clutched my seat. The helicopter shimmied from side to side, then smoothed out as we shifted forward.

We angled away from downtown and headed north.

“We’re going the wrong way!” I said.

“Not if we’re going to Dallas,” Bennett said.

“Wait! What?”

“The gallery is in downtown Dallas. I hope that’s okay.”

The sun was already dropping in the west as we flew over highways and subdivisions. “Sure,” I said. “You’re really pushing that wow, aren’t you?”

“I’m trying.”

The pilot cut in. “About ninety minutes,” he said.

“Thank you,” Bennett said. He reached between us and opened a small box on the floor. Inside was a bottle of red wine and two glasses.

“Another twenty-four-year-old bottle?” I asked.

“I picked this one up at the gas station,” Bennett said.

“What?”

He swiftly cut the foil and plunged a corkscrew into the bottle. “It’s a 2014 something-something.”

I took the glasses out of the box. “Slumming it today?”

“I went to the corner store a half mile from home.”

“You weren’t kidding! Don’t you have an entire wine room somewhere on the estate?”

“I was too lazy to find something.”

“I don’t think anyone on this planet would call you lazy.”

He took one of the glasses from me, poured a generous amount, and handed it back. My eyes took in his expression as I sniffed the wine. I would need to take care, the way I was breaking my training lately, but a few sips wouldn’t hurt.

I waited for Bennett to tuck the bottle away. He clinked his glass against mine.

This wine was simple compared to the one last night, but still quite good.

“Not bad for convenience-store wine,” I said. “At least it didn’t have a screw top.”

Bennett sipped his and his brows drew together as he contemplated the quality. “I’ve had worse.”

I wondered if picking up convenience-store wine was
his
concession to our friends-only night. I caught his eyes fixed on something and realized my dress was riding up. You could see the bottom of the ruffled shorts.

When his gaze lifted, that hungry look made my breath catch. I knew he was only playing my rules because that was all that I would allow. But if I gave in at all, even an inch, he’d be all over me. I could see his desire.

I gulped another mouthful of wine. “So how did you find out about this gallery?” I asked.

He sat back and surveyed his glass. “I own the building it is housed in. When I saw you again earlier this week, it made me think of it. I got an invitation to the opening weeks ago.”

“It’s tonight?” I asked. I was glad I had chosen the red dress.

“No, it already happened. I didn’t go.”

It would be nine-thirty at best before we got there. “It’s open this late?”

His eyes met mine. “It is for us.”

I took another sip of the wine, wondering if there was anything Bennett wanted that he didn’t get.

The sun began to set, casting a gold glow over the flat plains of the uninhabited parts of Texas. Oil wells dotted the landscape, their lazy up-and-down motions breaking the stillness. We passed tanks, dairies, and herds of cattle. Clusters of houses in small towns and ribbons of narrow highways cut through acres of hay fields.

When we were silent a while, the pilot came on and pointed out the various towns and rivers. I finished my glass and held it loosely in my fingers. Partway through the ride, Bennett produced a luscious salad with a light dressing, fruit and seeds. “Amelia’s suggestion, since I wasn’t sure what a ballerina would eat, and I’ve been giving you ill-advised wine.”

I laughed. “You can take me out for pepperoni pizza after,” I said.

“I’d be delighted,” he said.

The sky went black and we whirred beneath the stars, just pinpricks of light in the darkness. Eventually the horizon brightened as we approached the city.

“This has been a lovely flight,” I said.

“If you decide you’re too tired for the ride back, I have two suites at the hotel near the gallery,” Bennett said. “Just let me know.”

“Thank you.” I couldn’t imagine sleeping through a night like this, but it was nice that he’d thought of everything.

We approached a tall building with Amity Corp in bright red letters on the side. On the roof, a lighted helipad with painted lines grew closer as the pilot eased us down.

Bennett tucked the glasses and covered plates away in the box on the floor between us. I watched in fascination as we hovered over the roof, then touched down. The whine of the helicopter wings dropped out of hearing, then Bennett pulled his headset off.

My head rejoiced at being free of the equipment. I rubbed my ears.

“You all right?” Bennett asked.

“I am!” I said. I couldn’t wait to get out and look out on the city.

The pilot jumped out ahead of us and opened the door.

The wind was fierce up on the top of the building. I was glad my hair was tied down, as it took both hands to manage my dress.

Bennett took my arm and led me to a small structure on the roof. Inside was a door to a set of stairs.

We went down a flight, then through a door to an actual floor of the building. Bennett punched the button for the elevator.

I smoothed down the tendrils of hair that had managed to escape my updo in the wind.

“Cute shorts,” Bennett said.

My hands flew to my thighs, checking to make sure my dress was down. Sure enough, the back hem was caught on the ruffles. My face flamed.

“It’s okay to say that to a friend, right?” he asked with a laugh.

I was saved by the dinging of the elevator. The steel doors slid open with a whisper.

Bennett leaned in close once we were on the elevator. I wondered wildly if he was going to kiss me here, but he only whispered, “If this wasn’t a friendly date, I’d tell you how unbelievably sexy you look.”

He straightened. “But it is. So I’m just going to say, love the boy shorts.”

My pulse roared in my ears. I drew in a deep breath so I didn’t show how shaken I was by his nearness in the elevator, and all the trouble he’d gone to for this evening. My thoughts turned to the ballet slipper and his note.
 

I have your other slipper. We’ll have a proper fitting when the moment is right.

But that was before I had insisted we would be friends.

And of course, Quinn would be home soon.

It was better this way.

Chapter 14

The temperature in Dallas wasn’t quite as miserable as San Antonio, being a few hundred miles north. Bennett and I walked along the sidewalk past tall nondescript buildings set close to the street.

“Downtown Dallas doesn’t have a lot of charm, does it?” I remarked as we crossed a street to another near-identical stretch of offices.

“There’s a few attempts here and there, but I have to agree.” Bennett gestured vaguely at the few scraggly trees attempting to grow in small spaces between the expanses of concrete.

“It’s like New York without any of the urban grittiness,” I said.

“There is no place that does inner city as well as New York,” Bennett said. “Although I do like Tokyo.”

I fell silent as I walked alongside him. Even though I traveled with the dance company, I rarely got to set out and explore. The schedules were intense, ten-hour days at the studio while on the road. We could not afford to lose our edge by taking time off. Or risk injury with late nights or parties.