Free Cinder's Wolf: A Shifter Retelling of Cinderella (A BBW Shifter Fairy Tale Retelling Book 2) by Sylvia Frost Page A

much about wine. My father used to collect Bordeauxs, I think.” Cynthia winced, knowing she was mangling the French, grateful he didn’t correct her. Grateful, in fact, he didn’t say anything at all.
    Most men were usually eager to get a humble brag in at any given opportunity, but all Rex had to do was tell you his name, and you’d know exactly how important he was.
    Cynthia watched as he topped off the second glass and found herself continuing to speak. “My stepmother sold his entire cellar after he passed.”
    He set the bottle down. “I’m sorry to hear that,” Rex said, his tone carefully neutral. He was actually listening to her, not passing judgment. Just listening. That was a feat for any man, let alone a billionaire.
    “Yeah,” Cynthia said. “Art, wine, books, music scores. She sold anything that was older than her marriage and not nailed down.”
    Rex slid over the glass of wine to the edge of the table, but Cynthia still had to lean over to grab it. She didn’t miss the way his gaze devoured her when she did.
    She took the glass and sipped it so daintily she couldn’t even taste the flavors. “Anyway. Enough about me. What about you—any family?”
    “Two brothers.”
    “Are they in investing too?” Cynthia swirled the wine in the glass, stalling. A hint of its blackberry aroma wafted up to her. But alcohol was the last thing she needed.
    Rex gave a thin smile. “Far from it. My older brother is something of the family patriarch, if that’s a profession. Mostly, he manages the land near our old childhood home. My younger brother, Luther, he’s well… into motorcycles.”
    “Is he a professional racer?”
    Rex grimaced. “Something like that.”
    “You sound like the most together of the bunch.”
    “I like to think so.”
    “Hmmm,” Cynthia hummed, making eyes at the water bottle Rex had brought out next to the wine. Thoughtful of him. Her gut wanted her to keep sipping at the wine, but it was her gut that had landed her with terrible man after terrible man all these years. So water it was.
    However, to get the bottle, she would have to scoot her chair in, reach over the table, and get perilously close to Rex in the process. She didn’t think she could take another one of his surprise attacks. He might not be able to either.
    Rex grabbed his own glass and took a sip.
    Cynthia stole the moment to dash forward. Her heart pounded as she snatched the water bottle, and just as she thought she had gotten away, she felt his fingers close around her wrist.
    She looked up, flushed, realizing how close she was to Rex again. This time, his eyes weren’t wild, and his mouth was set in a thin, determined line. Before she could stop him, his other hand tugged at the ribbons keeping her mask in place. Cool air brushed against her cheeks as he spirited away her mask, leaving her face naked and open to his prying eyes.
    “There,” he said softly, smiling at her. “Now we’re even.”
    His thumb traced over her wine-damp lip slowly, the edge of his fingernail grazing her upper lip. The gesture was simple; the reaction it caused in her was anything but. Her back tensed, even as some other part of her relaxed into the waves of heat emanating upward from her center.
    She closed her eyes and nodded.
    His touch left.
    Well, at least all the photos of her on her company website were out of date. It wasn’t like she really expected them to have sex with the masks on anyway. There was still hope for her to get out of this alive and anonymous.
    Cynthia opened her eyes, expecting to see him leaning over the table, wine in one hand, smirk on his lips. But his full attention was still on her, his blue eyes as dark as a night sky far away from city lights. “You’re too beautiful to hide your face from me.”
    “Beauty is overrated. It fades. A work ethic and a sense of humor—those are forever.”
    “I’ll let De Beers know they need a new slogan. Work hard, and get yourself your own damn diamond this