All Chapters of Under His Billionaire Roof: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

112 Chapters

Chapter 11: The Almost

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 a

Chapter 12: Avoidance

Noah didn't come back that night. Leighton heard his car pull in around three in the morning. Heard his footsteps on the stairs. Heard his bedroom door close. She didn't sleep. By morning, he was already gone. His office door was closed, but when she pressed her ear against it, she heard nothing. No typing. No phone calls. Empty. He'd left the house entirely. Day one of avoidance. She spent Saturday preparing for her new job. Researching the company's recent projects. Reading articles about their software. Picking out outfits that looked professional but not like she was trying too hard. Anything to keep busy. Anything to stop replaying Thursday night over and over. His thumb on her lip. His breath on her mouth. The way he'd looked at her like she was something he wanted but couldn't have. Then the way he'd walked away. Her phone stayed silent. No texts. No calls. Nothing. By evening, she was pacing her room like a caged animal. She needed to get out. Needed air. But the th

Chapter 13: Jealousy Awakens

Chloe burst through the front door of the mansion late Monday afternoon, arms loaded with takeout bags and a bright smile on her face. “Leigh! I brought someone for you to meet!” Right behind her came a tall guy carrying two pizza boxes. He had an easy, friendly smile and dark curly hair that fell across his forehead. “This is Ethan, my work best friend,” Chloe announced. “Ethan, this is Leighton, my actual best friend and current roommate.” Ethan set the pizzas down and extended his hand. “Nice to finally meet you. Chloe talks about you non-stop.” “All good things, I hope,” Leighton said, shaking his hand. “Mostly.” His smile widened. “She mentioned you’ve had a rough week, job and apartment gone in one day. That sucks.” Leighton felt heat rise up her neck. “Yeah… it’s been a lot.” “You’re in good hands here.” Ethan glanced around the grand kitchen and living area. “Though your brother definitely has interesting taste in real estate.” “It’s excessive,” Chloe laughed, alread

Chapter 14: The Confrontation

Leighton waited until Chloe went to bed. She paced her room for twenty minutes as adrenaline rushed through her veins. Noah’s words kept echoing in her head. *What I want is for you to tell him to back off because you are mine.* She was not his. He had made that clear by rejecting her again and again. Yet the raw jealousy in his eyes tonight told a different story. At eleven, she heard Chloe’s door close and the sound of her television through the wall. Leighton grabbed her phone and marched down the hallway. Noah’s office light shone under the door. Of course he was still working. She knocked once and pushed the door open without waiting. He looked up from his laptop, surprise crossing his face. “Leighton.” “We need to talk.” “Now is not a good time.” “I do not care.” She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “What is your problem?” He leaned back in his chair. “I do not have a problem.” “You were a complete ass to Ethan.” “I was polite.”

Chapter 15: First Kiss

Noah's hand slid out from under her shirt. He stepped back, putting space between them. His chest heaved. His lips were swollen from their kiss.Leighton pressed against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Trying to slow her racing heart.The doorknob turned."Yeah," Noah called out, his voice rough. "I'm up. Come in."Chloe pushed the door open. She was in pajamas, her hair in a messy bun. Her eyes went from Noah to Leighton, standing on opposite sides of the room."Oh. Leigh. I didn't know you were in here.""I was just asking Noah about something," Leighton said. Her voice came out breathless. She cleared her throat. "For work stuff.""At eleven at night?""I couldn't sleep."Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Are you okay? You look flushed.""I'm fine. Just warm." Leighton moved toward the door. "I should let you two talk. Good night."She slipped past Chloe and practically ran down the hallway. Her lips still tingled. Her whole body hummed with unfinished need.She'd kissed Noah Knight.F

Chapter 16: First Time

Don't you dare stop.The words hung in the air between them. Final. Irreversible.Noah's eyes darkened. His hand tightened on her hip. "You're sure?""I've never been more sure of anything."He kissed her. Hard and deep and claiming. His hands slid down her sides, memorizing every curve. Every dip. Like he was trying to learn her by touch alone.She arched into him, wanting more. Wanting everything.He pulled back, breathing hard. "I need to ask you something first.""Okay.""How much experience do you have?" His voice was gentle. Careful. "I need to know so I don't hurt you."Heat flooded her face. She looked away. "Not much.""Leighton. Look at me."She did. His expression was soft. No judgment. Just concern."A couple times," she admitted. "In college. It wasn't... it was awkward. Fast. Not good." She bit her lip. "Nothing like this."Something protective flashed across his face. His jaw tightened. "Okay. Then we take this slow. You tell me if anything doesn't feel right. If you wa

Chapter 17: Morning Regret

Leighton woke to the smell of coffee. She was still in Noah's bed. Gray morning light filtered through the curtains. His arm was draped over her waist, heavy and warm.For a moment, everything felt right. Perfect.Then he stirred beside her.His arm tensed. Withdrew. The mattress shifted as he sat up.She turned to look at him. He had his back to her, feet on the floor. His shoulders were rigid. Tense."Noah?"He didn't turn around. "You should go back to your room."The words hit like ice water. She sat up, pulling the sheet around her. "What?""Before Chloe wakes up. You need to go.""That's it? That's all you're going to say?"He stood up. Grabbed his boxers from the floor and pulled them on. Still wouldn't look at her."This was a mistake."The words knocked the air from her lungs. "What?""Last night. This. All of it." He ran a hand through his hair. "It was a mistake."She stared at his back. At the muscles bunched with tension. At the way he held himself like he was bracing fo

Chapter 18: Cold War

Three days of silence.Leighton perfected the art of avoidance. She learned Noah's schedule by heart. Morning gym at six. Office by seven. Lunch at one, usually takeout at his desk. Evenings varied, but he rarely left his office before eight.She moved through the house like a ghost. Kitchen trips timed for when he was elsewhere. Meals eaten in her room with the door locked.She applied to forty-two jobs. Marketing firms. Design studios. Advertising agencies. Some in the city. Some across the state. A few out of state entirely.Anything to get out of this house. Away from him.Her phone stayed silent except for automated rejection emails. *Thank you for your interest. We've decided to move forward with other candidates.*Story of her life.Chloe noticed something was wrong. Of course she did."You've been weird since Monday," she said over breakfast Thursday morning. Noah was in the gym. Leighton had checked. "Did something happen?""Just stressed about the job hunt.""I thought you w

Chapter 19: The Ex

The doorbell rang at eleven on Saturday morning.Leighton was in the kitchen making coffee. Noah was in his office. Chloe had left early for a yoga class.She ignored the bell. Not her house. Not her problem.It rang again. Longer this time. Insistent.She sighed and walked to the door. Checked the security screen.A woman stood on the porch. Tall. Impossibly tall. Long blonde hair that caught the sunlight like spun gold. Designer sunglasses. A dress that probably cost more than Leighton's entire wardrobe.She looked familiar. Like someone from a magazine. Or a movie.Leighton opened the door. "Can I help you?"The woman lowered her sunglasses. Her eyes were green. Cat-like. They swept over Leighton in one quick, dismissive glance."I'm here to see Noah." Her voice was smooth. Cultured. The kind of voice that belonged to someone who'd never been told no."He's working. Can I take a message?""I'll wait." She pushed past Leighton into the house. Her perfume filled the entryway. Expensi

Chapter 20: Fake It

The interview went well. Better than well.Mark Chen from Catalyst Creative was warm and enthusiastic. He loved her portfolio. Asked smart questions. Talked about their company culture like it was somewhere she'd actually want to work."We'll be in touch by Wednesday," he said as she left. "But between you and me? I think you're exactly what we need."She floated back to the mansion on a high. For the first time in days, something felt right.Then she opened the front door and heard Vanessa's laugh.The high evaporated.She followed the sound to the dining room. Vanessa sat at the table like she belonged there. Noah was pouring wine into two glasses."Oh good, you're back." Chloe appeared from the kitchen carrying plates. "Perfect timing. We're having an impromptu dinner party.""We are?""Vanessa insisted on staying. Something about catching up with old friends." Chloe's tone suggested she didn't believe that for a second. "You should join us.""I'm not really hungry.""Come on. It'l

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