Quentin didn't know what he did, but he knew that look of being in trouble with a woman, and Billie had that look right now. She hung up her phone and yelled...

"You bastard! You have two minutes to explain yourself."

Quentin shook his head. "I'd love to. Except I have no clue what the hell you're talking about."

Billie couldn't believe he was choosing to deny it. "The lobby is full of photographers salivating to get a picture of you leaving my apartment. Gee, I wonder how they got there?"

"Photographers? Look Billie, I don't know why there would be..."

He really intended to play innocent? Unbelievable. "You need to understand something. I don't know the caliber of the women you're used to dealing with, but I'm no joke. I graduated from M.I.T. with a Master's degree in Engineering and Engineering Technology. Not only can I dream the shit up, but I could also build it if I had to. So please don't treat me like one of your bimbettes you'd pick up at the club to screw around with."

"Wow!" Quentin exclaimed. "Nice, Princess. I guess we can't all be as high and mighty as you."

Quentin so wished he could storm out of this woman's apartment right now but he couldn't without playing right into the hands of the photographers downstairs. "But thanks for that. It's nice to get a clear picture of how you really see me. Now that I know how low your opinion goes, I understand why you turned me down earlier."

"I turned you down because there is no way I'm having sex with a man I just met! I don't care how good-looking you are! And are you seriously going to deny that you called them when I was in the bedroom? You're the only person who knew I brought you here."

"Really?" Quentin scoffed, happy she found him attractive but too intent on proving a point at the moment he asked, "What about the doorman?"

"Mitch? Who do you think called, to warn me, about the photographers downstairs?"

Damn. "What about your boyfriend Carlos then? I don't doubt he knew where we were going."

"Carlos would never betray me and he's NOT my boyfriend."

"So that's it, right? It has to be me. Couldn't be someone who saw us walking here or some other reasonable explanation?"

Billie had to admit it could happen but it was too much of a coincidence. No one ever cared who she brought back to her apartment before, and suddenly there's interest just because he's here? No. Something was up.

"Just admit it. You and your father won't be happy until you ruin me. My whole life I've been fighting to be taken seriously and in one afternoon you'll have me reduced to some brainless slut. You'll take my reputation and your father my company. Was that the plan?"

His father? Shit, his father! In a flash it all made sense. When Billie was in the bedroom talking to her Dad, his father had called him to ream him out, demanding to know where he was hiding. Quentin had told him he wasn't hiding anywhere. That he was with Billie at her apartment this entire time. It really was his fault and his father really was out to ruin her. Damn! Damn! Double damn!

Quentin crossed the room took Billie's hand and dragged her back to the sofa. He sat down and pulled her with him. It surprised him she didn't fight him dragging her all over the place.

"Billie?" Quentin let a long and sorrowful sigh. "You're right."

Finally, a confession - Billie knew she should have felt vindicated but she didn't she just felt deflated.

Quentin wondered why she looked so dejected. "I know you're not likely to believe me but I didn't do it on purpose. My father called me when you were talking to your Dad. He wanted to know where I was and I told him. I didn't know he..."

"It doesn't matter now. It's clear your dad will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. And my Dad is too scared to see the truth."

Quentin hated that he indirectly put her in this position. Suddenly he had an idea, a rather crazy idea, but it could work. "Why don't we give them what they want?"

Billie looked at him confused, "What?! Why would I do that? That's exactly what I don't want to do."

"No, wait. Hear me out. What if we make them believe we are an actual couple? That this is no mere fling. A couple of dates, some whispered rumors, we make a show of it that the press will eat up. If we can make them believe we are the real deal then your rep stays intact. It could even buy you some time to figure things out. Then you say the word. We break up. I walk away, continuing to be the playboy jerk everyone thinks I am and you get off scot-free."

Billie's eyes narrowed on him. "Why would you do that for me?"

"Partly because I'd like to stick it to my father for using me this way. Partly because, against my better judgment, I like you, Ms. Billie Dupree."

Billie shook her head. "I don't know. I don't think..."

"Exactly," Quentin tilted her chin up so she had to look at him. "Don't think. Sometimes you just have to be brave enough to take action, when reason tells you not to. Is there another way out of here?"

"Just one," Billie told him.

"Then I'll take it," Quentin told her. "Get me out of here under the radar. Get back in your fancy dress and heels and meet me at the restaurant. You'll leave here alone, we'll show up separately. This will give you time to decide and let me know if we have a deal."

What other choice did she have? Billie picked up her phone. "Carlos, I need a 'dust off' in about 10 minutes. Shutterbugs have infested my lobby. Can you swing that for me? No. Just for Mr. Harrison. I'll be picking up my car from the lot. You're the best."

Billie hung up and Quentin got the full blast of her smile as she turned to him. It took his breath away. Oh, I'm in trouble, Quentin thought.

"Good news. Carlos can meet you around back. He'll be in a Jeep in the alley. He'll take you to the restaurant."

"You will meet there, won't you?" Quentin hoped she'd say yes. He didn't know why but he didn't really want his time with Billie to end.

"We'll see," came her noncommittal reply. "Right now we need to get you out of here." She jumped up from the sofa and waved her hand for him to follow her and he did.

They went out the door and down the hall, making their way to the fire escape. Quentin really wished they weren't so high up. He really hated heights but kept moving. There was a honk below and Billie leaned over the rail to see if it were Carlos. Quentin felt instant panic and had to resist the urge to pull her back.

The window rolled down and Carlos lowered his sunglasses. "Someone call for a ride?"

"Be right there," Billie hollered down. She turned back to Quentin and took his hands in hers, pulling him closer. "Thank you!"

"For what? Putting you in this mess?"

"You are a troublemaker, aren't you?" Billie teased.

There was that smile again. Oh man, it did funny things to his insides when she smiled at him like that. Quentin winked. "Don't you forget it?"

"I think that's pretty much impossible."

They were only a few levels from reaching the ground. Quentin snuck a peek over the edge to see Carlos staring at them. Upon seeing Quentin looking at him, Carlos pointed at his eyes with his index and middle finger and back at Quentin in the universal sign that he was watching him.

Quentin grinned. This ought to be a fun ride to the restaurant, but maybe he'd finally get to discover what the deal was with that guy. Then he caught movement between the dumpsters that lined the alley.

Quentin looked back at Billie, who was still smiling at him. "I'm sorry Billie. For this... for everything."

"It's alright. You didn't mean to..." Billie's words were cut off when Quentin took her by surprise. His hand cupped her face the other wound around her body pulling her close. Before she had time to react he stole her breath as she gasped and his mouth covered hers.

With her arms trapped between them, Quentin could feel Billie push against his chest. He tightened his hold on her. His kiss was slow, seductive, he knew he was taking but he wanted her to give. Give up? Give in? He wasn't quite sure but he knew the moment she surrendered.

Billie's pushed up, instead of away, freeing her arms to wind them around his neck, running her fingertips into his hair. He could feel every inch of her body pressed against his. This was no Ice Queen he held in his arms but a fiery, passionate woman that had his heart racing and his body aching, with the mere contemplation of things to come.

Quentin wished this moment could go on forever, but he knew better than that. Slowly, he pulled away from her. He wanted to laugh. Billie looked dazed and confused. He held on to her for a moment longer. Reluctant to let her go but also realizing too that she seemed a bit unsteady on her feet.

"Do you always say goodbye like this?" Billie teased.

Quentin was so grateful she wasn't mad at him. He almost expected Billie to haul off and hit him the moment she came to her senses. This time he did laugh. "Not normally, no."

"Hard to believe with the number of women you've known."

Quentin's expression became stern. "You know if you accept my deal, and spend some real-time getting to know me beyond what you may have read or seen somewhere it may surprise you to discover I'm a real person, with layers and not some spoiled brat who's only interested in spending his inheritance before he gets it."

It bothered him that he cared what she thought, and his words caused her walls to rise up. 

"Anything is possible. I guess," Billie said. 

"Come to the restaurant?" Quentin was asking but it was hard not to make it sound like a demand.

"I'll think about it," came her reply.

Quentin knew better than to push her right now. "Okay, perhaps later then?"

"Perhaps," she told him, and without more to say, Quentin descended the rest of the fire escape on his own until he reached Carlos.

Quentin looked up to see her looking down at him like some fairytale princess standing on a balcony, waving to bid her fair prince adieu. Only Quentin knew he was no prince, and he was pretty certain she was waving at Carlos, not him. He sighed and got into the Jeep, hoping she'd come to the restaurant. He hoped their interaction would not end.

***

Billie stayed until she watched the car turn the corner and drive out of sight. Her mind was awhirl with what happened over the last hour and a half. Has it only been that long? Billie was stunned to realize it was.

Quentin's words shamed her. Billie hated when people prejudged her and here she had gone and done the same to someone else. She almost said those exact words to her father this morning about Quentin being a spoiled rich brat, spending his father's money. What was worse was how he looked when he said it. Like he knew people spoke of him this way and accepted it. Yet she could still see the flash of pain it caused in his eyes.

Then there was that kiss... Billie's fingers fluttered to her lips and her mind betrayed her by giving her an instant replay, in full detail in her mind's eye.

That kiss... Quentin took her by surprise, Billie knew she should have resisted. She should have put up a better fight but his kiss held such longing. She could feel him begging for her surrender. He didn't take from her but gave and it's been too long since she'd been kissed like that.

Billie pressed her hands against her belly to calm the flutters her thoughts caused and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She had a long climb back up to the 11th floor. The thought of taking Quentin up on his offer held so many pros and cons.

Pros: She could possibly salvage her reputation, save her father's company, and stick it to Harrison, but that kiss... Cons: it could all backfire, she could lose everything, including if she weren't careful, her heart.

Billie had played the fool once before and it left a wound so deep she had no intention of reopening. Right now however she had a decision to make. Billie hoped and prayed she'd make the right one.