Lahat ng Kabanata ng Under His Billionaire Roof: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

Noah arrived fifteen minutes early.The Grind looked the same. Exposed brick. Mismatched chairs. The smell of roasted beans and cinnamon. Noah ordered black coffee. Found a table by the window. Sat facing the door. His leg bounced under the table. He pressed his hand down to stop it.She'd read the letter. Had barely responded since. Just agreed to meet. Nothing else.He didn't know if that was good or bad.The door opened. A woman with a stroller. Not her.He checked his phone. 1:58. She'd be here. Leighton was never late.1:59. His coffee had gone cold. He hadn't touched it.The door opened again. Leighton.His breath caught. She wore jeans and a sweater. Hair pulled back. No makeup that he could see. She looked tired. Beautiful. Nervous.Their eyes met across the room. She didn't smile. Just walked to the counter. Ordered. Waited.He watched her fingers drum against the wood. Watched her shift her weight. Watched her glance at him then away.She got her coffee. Vanilla latte. Oat

Leighton's hands were clammy as they rode the elevator. Fourth floor. The numbers climbed. Her stomach dropped with each ding."You don't have to do this," Noah said. "If you're not ready.""I want to. I need to understand. All of it."The elevator opened. They walked down a hallway that smelled like mint and carpet cleaner. Door 412. Gold nameplate. Dr. Richard Voss, PhD.Noah knocked. Opened without waiting for an answer. Like he'd done this a hundred times.The office was smaller than Leighton expected. Couch. Two chairs. Bookshelves lining one wall. A plant in the corner that looked half dead. The window overlooked the parking lot.Dr. Voss stood. Older than she'd pictured. Maybe sixty. Glasses. Kind eyes that saw too much."You must be Leighton." He extended his hand. Firm grip. Warm."Thank you for letting me come.""Noah asked. I said yes. But there are ground rules." He gestured to the couch. They sat. Dr. Voss took his chair. "This is Noah's space. His session. You're here to

Leighton stood in Noah's bedroom doorway with her overnight bag. Her stomach twisted. The last time she'd been in this room, he'd called her a mistake the next morning. "You okay?" Noah appeared behind her. Close but not touching. "Yeah. Just memories." "Bad ones." "Some." She turned to face him. "But we're making new ones, right?" "Right." He took her bag. Set it on the chair by the window. "You can use the bathroom first. Fresh towels are in the cabinet. Take your time." He was nervous too. She could tell by the way his hands kept moving. Adjusting things that didn't need adjusting. Straightening pillows already straight. "Noah." "Yeah?" "Breathe." He laughed. Short. "Sorry. I just want this to be good. Not like before. Not rushed or desperate or..." "I know. Me too." She showered. The water was too hot but she didn't adjust it. Let it burn away the anxiety. The fear. The voice that said this was a mistake. When she came out, wrapped in a towel, her bag sat on the counte

It started over dinner plans."Let's try that new Italian place," Noah said. He was driving. One hand on the wheel. The other resting on her thigh."I thought we agreed on sushi.""I said maybe sushi. You like Italian.""I also like sushi. Which is what I've been craving all day."His jaw tightened. Barely. But she saw it. "Fine. Sushi.""Don't do that.""Do what?""Agree but make it sound like you're doing me a favor."He pulled up to a red light. Looked at her. "I'm not. I genuinely don't care where we eat.""Then why suggest Italian?""Because I thought you'd like it. There's a difference between having a preference and forcing one."Her chest tightened. This was stupid. So stupid. But she couldn't let it go. "You always do this. Make suggestions then act like you're being flexible when really you've already decided.""That's not fair.""Isn't it? Last weekend you picked the movie. And the restaurant. And what time we left."The light turned green. He accelerated too fast. "You nev

Noah's office smelled like leather and coffee. Leighton sat cross-legged in the chair across from his desk, laptop balanced on her knees. Spreadsheets covered the screen. Color-coded tabs for different events."So the joint thing first," she said. "Brewery tour and dinner. Then we split up for the actual bachelor and bachelorette nights."Noah leaned back. Rolled his pen between his fingers. "Marcus wants the traditional strip club nonsense. I already told him no.""Chloe wants the same. Also a hard no from me.""We're very mature.""Or very boring." She grinned. "What about a poker night? Whiskey tasting?""Perfect. Low-key. No one gets arrested." He made a note. "For Chloe's night, what are you thinking?""Spa day. Wine bar. Maybe karaoke if we're feeling brave." She scrolled through options. "Nothing too wild. She's stressed enough about the wedding.""Smart." He stood. Walked around the desk. Leaned against it beside her chair. Close enough she could smell his cologne. "You're goo