Billionaire's Secret Crush (Tempting Billionaires Book 4)

by Claire Angel

  “Really? What are the other three?” I asked.

  “My food, my shoes, and my men.”

  “You should have led with that when you met Kyle,” I said sarcastically.

  “Yeah. Would have saved me a lot of humiliation.”

  “Don’t be silly. The only one who should be humiliated is Kyle. Now everyone knows he’s a dick. You saved women everywhere from that worm. You should be proud of your achievement.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for my medal in the mail,” she sneered.

  “Okay, Tej girl. Eat up. We’ve got some partying to do. I’m taking you clubbing.”

  She burst out laughing.

  “Clubbing? Aren’t we a little old for that?”

  “Not the way I do it. Now eat up.”

  “Ooh, I like it when you get all tough guy on me.”

  “Plenty more where that came from, you naughty girl.”

  The food was good. Jayde and I were up to our elbows in sauces, beans, and meat, scooping it all up with flatbreads. The tasty dishes went a long way to soaking up the alcohol we’d had. After two hours of talking, laughing, and just a dash of flirting here and there, we were ready to paint the town red.

  When the waiter brought the bill, I reached for it. Jayde pushed my hand out of the way.

  “Don’t even think about it. This little feast is on me. You can buy drinks later.”

  “Deal. Dinner was delicious. Thanks, Jayde.”

  “I’m just grateful you’re not in the ER right now, having your stomach pumped after eating my homemade food,” she whispered.

  “Thanks for the heads up.”

  The waiter smiled broadly when he saw the tip Jayde left him. We headed for the Mustang, and the music sprang to life as soon as she pushed the ignition button on her cherry red Ford.

  “Where shall I drive you, Mrs. Davis?” My dark-haired, green-eyed chauffeur with those luscious lips asked.

  “Hit a left up there, and I’ll talk you through it,” I said looking deep into her green eyes.

  After a succession of left and right turns, Jayde looked at me with a suspicious expression.

  “I’ve never heard of any half-decent clubs this side of town, Aidan.”

  “No, but there is an airstrip just around the corner.”

  “What are you up to?” she asked.

  “I told you. I’m taking you dancing.”

  “On a runway?”

  “No, in Vegas.”

  “Vegas? Really?”

  “What’s the point of having a kickass jet, if I can’t fly off to Vegas for a decent party?”

  “I can’t think of any reason why not.” She smiled.

  “Good. I knew you’d understand,” I said.

  “There better be champagne on board.” Jayde grinned.

  “For you, Jayde, nothing but first class all the way.”

  Chapter 7

  JAYDE

  The idea of the two of us jetting off to Vegas filled me with a warm and fuzzy sense of excitement. When had I become such a girl?

  It may have been the Tej, the Ethiopian food, or the good conversation, but the idea of jetting off to Vegas with Aidan had me all giddy. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done anything spontaneous, and I trusted Aidan to keep me safe and thoroughly entertained.

  He called the pilot from the car on our way to the airport, and by the time we stopped alongside the hanger, the jet was fuelled and ready to go. The Bombardier BD-700 was spectacular. I felt like a princess whisked away on a white steed. The flight to Vegas was quick and comfy, and the champagne barely touched sides.

  “I haven’t been to Vegas in ages,” I said as we approached the landing strip.

  “Neither have I. It’s about time we let our hair down and enjoyed the spoils of our hard labor.”

  “Is that your sage advice, Yogi?” I teased.

  “You better believe it. No one’s going to grow old with boredom on my watch.”

  A black SUV with blacked-out windows collected Aidan and me from the airport and drove us to the hotel, where the hottest nightclub in Vegas was pumping. The dome-like club was impressive on the outside, but inside it was mind-boggling. A crystal chandelier hung from the triple story ceiling. The dance floor formed the center of the room, with staircases snaking up the sides of the walls to form three levels of viewing decks.

  The clubbers were a good mix of young people looking for adventure and more mature patrons set on retaining their youthful party pass time. Aidan led me to the VIP section, where one of the owners of the club came over and threw his arms around him.

  “Aidan! What the hell are you doing here?” he said.

  “Marco, you old party animal, you. Was bored so I came to show Jayde your classy joint.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, Jayde, thank you for bringing the tone of the club up a few notches. Good to meet you, I’m Marco. If you need to know any sordid secrets about young Aidan here, feel free to ask.”

  “I’ll have to take you up on that, Marco.” I laughed, as the muscled man with dark hair and soft onyx eyes looked me over.

  “That’s quite enough from you, you hooligan. Looks like I'm going to have to buy your silence.” Aidan laughed.

  “It’s gonna cost you.”

  “How much?” Aidan put his hand in his pocket in jest.

  “A dance with this ravishing creature.” He grinned and winked playfully at me.

  “Okay, I get it. Don’t worry, Aidan. I know when I have to work off a debt. After all, you did bring me here on your fancy jet. I guess I owe ya.”

  “Great!” Marco grabbed my hand. “Aidan, you order the drinks, Jayde and I will be back later.”

  “Watch out for that one, Jayde. He’s all charm and mischief.”

  “Don’t you worry, handsome, I’ve got this.”

  Marco was a brilliant dancer and a decent guy. We spent most of the time chatting about Aidan and his childhood, and the trouble they got into as teenagers.

  “I had no idea Aidan was such a hell-raiser. He seems so together and in control,” I said as Marco spun me around.

  “Are you kidding? Aidan is all chilled on the outside, but he’ll put any man on his ass if he has to. He saved my butt many times. I was what you’d call a lover of the ladies. Protecting me from pissed off boyfriends was Aidan's full-time job.”

  “I can imagine that scenario.” I laughed. “You’re not planning on stealing anyone’s girl tonight, are you?”

  “Hell, no. My wife will cut my nuts off and put them in her designer handbag.”

  “Hard to believe that any woman could tame you.” I smiled.

  “Hey, I was as surprised as everyone else, but my Lila is a lot of woman in a small space.”

  “Better you get me back to Aidan before you lose your jewels,” I said.

  “Yeah. Lila will make mincemeat out of Aidan. I’ll be out there in the wind without a wingman.”

  Sweating and laughing, Marco and I walked back to the table where Aidan was chatting to a pretty blonde woman.

  “That’s it, she’s tuckered me out, Aidan. You can take over.”

  “She’s a live one,” Aidan said to Marco.

  “Who’s your new friend?” Marco asked Aidan, looking the blonde up and down.

  “Oh, sorry. This is Kayla.”

  Marco and I greeted her, and she smiled back at us. She seemed friendly enough.

  “Aidan tells me you’re in fashion,” Kayla said as we sat down to have a drink.

  I wondered why he was talking about me to a stranger. He obviously didn’t have a clue how women operated. Pretend to be interested in the female friend of your target, so the man thinks you’re a honey. Then before he can see it coming, he’s wrapped up in her trap. It was a simple plan, but very effective.

  “Did he?” I said.

  A knowing look passed between Kayla and me, which went completely unnoticed by the guys. It wasn’t as if I was jealous of her, but after Kyle’s betrayal, I was protecti
ve of my friends. After all, Aidan and I were just friends.

  “This is my favorite song,” Kayla said to Aidan.

  “You wanna dance?” he asked the crafty blonde.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” She grinned.

  Off they went to the dancefloor, leaving Marco and me looking on—Marco bemused, me annoyed.

  “She’s a bit of a player, that one,” Marco commented.

  “No shit. She a local?” I asked him.

  “I’ve seen her a couple of times. She seems harmless at first, but I suspect she has an agenda. With that pushup bra she may have an unfair advantage.” He laughed.

  “We should warn Aidan,” I said.

  “He’s a big boy, he can handle it. You want another tequila?”

  “A double, thanks.”

  I was aware of the fact that I was acting like a jealous girlfriend, but I couldn’t help it. For some reason, she got up my nose. I wanted the best for Aidan. He deserved it.

  “Come on, Cinderella, let’s take another spin out there. Those two are useless dancers. Let’s show them how it’s done,” Marco said after I downed my shot.

  “Excellent idea. As long as your wife doesn’t rip off my head.”

  “Nah, she can tell the good ones from the bad.” He laughed.

  The dance floor was packed. It was a struggle finding a space to strut my stuff in. Marco did his bulldozer move, and before I knew it, we were dancing alongside Aidan and Kayla. She was trying her best to make a good impression on the sexy Aidan. When she gave me the beady eye, I lost my shit. I moved in between them, put my arm around Aidan’s neck, and kissed him passionately.

  I was surprised when he kissed me back. It was an incredible feeling, he was a fantastic kisser. When my knees went wobbly, I pulled away. Aidan just stood there, looking like he was hit by a shovel. Kayla was staring daggers into me. Marco smirked.

  I smiled at Kayla, turned, and walked away. Aidan carried on dancing for a bit, then he followed me to the table.

  “What just happened?” he asked me.

  “That woman is all wrong for you. No one is going to take advantage of my friends on my watch.” I lied. The truth was I wasn’t sure why I had done it.

  “I see.” He smiled. “That was quite a kiss.”

  “Okay, so perhaps my method was a little extreme, but she was asking for it.”

  He looked over at Kayla who’d moved to the bar. She looked really pissed, and I found myself feeling like I’d won a major victory for my sex. Or did I? What the fuck was I doing? Why did I care so much about who Aidan was interested in?

  “Ya think?” He gave me a wicked grin. “I think I better get you out of here before you ignite a catfight.”

  “Oh, shut up. I’m hungry anyway.”

  We waved at Marco, who was talking to one of his barmen. He waved back and blew me a kiss.

  “Okay, my little Amazon Warrior, let’s get some food into you before you pull another hangry move.”

  Then, he took my hand and led me to the exit. It was time to leave.

  Chapter 8

  AIDAN

  What the fuck just happened? Did Jayde kiss me or did Marco put drugs in my champagne?

  When she put her lips on mine and pushed her body up against me, my stomach dropped to my knees. I always wondered what she’d taste like, and if her lips were as soft as they looked to be—she was more intoxicating than I could have imagined. When she pulled away I found myself in a daze for longer than I wanted. Her eyes were misty, her pupils dilated. It had to mean more to her than she said.

  I didn’t trust myself with her on the dance floor, so I decided it was time to get back on the jet and head home. We were both a little drunker than we wanted to be, and that was when people did stupid shit.

  “I’m sorry about that.” She smiled.

  “I’m not. You’re quite a kisser,” I said, meaning it.

  “You’re not too shabby yourself. Your tongue action could use a little tweaking.” She threw back her head and laughed from her gut.

  “Ouch! That was a blow to the man sack,” I said, feigning injury.

  “Okay, come on big boy. You can take it. Besides, the look on Kayla’s face was priceless. As I see it, I just saved you from an expensive, messy breakup.”

  “Wow, thanks. You also saved me from getting a bit of leg over,” I said.

  “It’s true then. All men are pigs. You were my last vestige of hope, Aidan Davis.”

  “My bad. Get on the plane, my little viper. I think it’s time we got you a cheeseburger and a bed.”

  She giggled and climbed the stairs into the jet. I watched her sexy ass closely as she did. This wasn’t good. If I was infatuated before, I was positively addicted to Jayde Miller.

  “I had a great time, Aidan,” she said as the jet ascended into the clouds.

  “It most certainly exceeded my expectations.”

  “Oh no, you not gonna get all creepy now, are you? Send me flowers and chocolates, or worse still, love notes?” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “Would that be so terrible? I’m told I’m quite a catch,” I said.

  “There’s no arguing that, Mr. Davis, but I’m not planning on fucking up the only male relationship I have for the sake of a roll in the hay. You’re too important to me.”

  I couldn’t tell if she was serious or professing too much. Either way, I was screwed. There was no going back from that kiss—not for me anyway. But it was clear that Jayde wasn’t ready for a relationship, or worse, she wasn’t interested in one with me. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  “As are you to me, Jayde.”

  That was as much truth of admission as I was permitted. The rest I would lock up in my heart and take it on the chin like a man.

  It was 4 am when we touched down. Jayde looked like a sleepy child on the leather sofa she was curled upon. She was so beautiful when she was peaceful. From the moment I’d met her, she never took a break from her feisty facade, but lying on the couch like that, it was almost impossible for me not to scoop her up into my arms and carry her home.

  “You look so relaxed,” I said when she sat up. “Why don’t we leave your car here, and I’ll ask my driver to take us home. I’ll have your baby delivered to you in the morning. She’ll be safe as houses in the hanger.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” she said.

  I was surprised at her compliance but got her into the car before she could change her mind. She rested her head on my shoulder as we traveled through the quiet streets to her apartment. I fantasized about what it would be like to have her with me all the time. The thought of dropping her off at home left me feeling beige.

  “There you go. Safe as houses,” I said as we pulled up to her building.

  “How time flies when you’re eating with your hands and smooching your bestie,” she said.

  “Tell me about it. Come, I’ll walk you to your door.”

  “I’m probably going to feel like death warmed up today,” she groaned.

  “That makes two of us.”

  “Good thing we have trusty minions to save our sleepy asses.” She laughed.

  “Good thing. Oh, by the way, I’ll let you know when I’m going to the cabin, so you can pencil me in.”

  “Your people can call my people.”

  When we got to her door, she fumbled for her keys. Once the door was open, she leaned in, kissed me on the cheek, and went inside without saying a word. I stood in front of a closed door for a while before I left.

  I replayed the events of the evening in my mind on my way home. I couldn’t afford to let my heart call the shots. My mind was in charge and that was that. The fact that my member and my heart were ganging up on my mind was one of life’s obstacles I had to overcome. I was disciplined when it came to almost everything in my life, but when it came to Jayde, I was pliable in her hands.

  I hoped a warm shower and a good couple of hours of dead sleep would do me a world of good. The showe
r was bang on. As for falling right asleep, that proved to be trickier than expected. Like a lovesick puppy, I kept thinking of our kiss. It was passionate alright. I was glad she pulled away when she did, or I’d have quite a time trying to explain why my shaft was standing at attention. Thank heavens for darkly lit nightclubs.

  Sleep conquered me eventually, sneaking up on me as sleep often did. I wasn’t sure what time, or day, it was when I woke up. I checked my watch. It was 4 pm, and my stomach was screaming at me for sustenance. When I turned on the ringer of my phone, it rang almost instantaneously, as if the person on the other side knew I was awake. The caller ID told me it was Marco.

  “Hey, party man. How’s the head?”

  “A little thick, but I’ll survive. It was good seeing you again. We need to do that more often,” I said.

  “Great to see you too. That’s quite a woman you brought with you, bud. She’s a live one. Smart as a whip, with an ass that won’t quit.”

  “Don’t let Lola hear you, or I’ll be scraping your ass off the driveway of your highrise.”

  “That’s no maybe. But seriously, what’s the deal with you two?”

  “We’re friends.”

  “Bullshit! Try again.”

  “Okay, as far as she knows we’re just friends, so don’t you go blabbing. I won’t live down the shame if she finds out I’ve got a pulsating member for her.”

  “Hey, she won’t hear it from me,” Marco assured me. “Any fool can see you’ve got the hots for her.”

  “I was hoping my disguise was working.”

  “You call that a disguise? I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s piss poor. My dad in a Santa suit is more subtle than your so-called disguise. What are you going to do about it, stud?”

  “I’m working on it,” I said, eager to get off the subject.

  “Well, you better work a little faster. A class act like her doesn’t stay on the shelf for long. You’ll kick yourself if anyone else scoops her up from under your nose.”

  “Sounds like you have experience,” I commented.

  “Absolutely. I almost fucked it up with Lola, so get your ass in gear.”

  “Thanks for the sound advice, Romeo. I’ll think it over. In the meantime, you kiss that beautiful wife of yours from me, and I’ll work on my gameplay.”