Billionaire's Secret Crush (Tempting Billionaires Book 4)

by Claire Angel

  Aidan didn’t launch himself at me like a horny teenager, he took his time as if it was something he’d thought about carefully. He took my hands in his and kissed my palms. My stomach did a backflip. He pulled me closer to him, slowly, all the while looking into my eyes. The buildup to this kiss was more seductive than I could have imagined. Aidan knew his stuff.

  Butterfly kisses touched my brow, moved across my cold cheek, warming me as they went, and finally, when I thought I would explode with desire, he covered my mouth with his. His lips were so soft. His tongue skillfully caressed mine. He was in complete control, and I liked it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into me as close as he would go. I moaned when he unexpectedly put his hands on my buttocks and pulled me against his hard shaft. He broke free from my lips and nuzzled my earlobe.

  “You are so beautiful, Jayde,” he whispered into my ear with a smokey, husky voice.

  “Kiss me,” I whispered back.

  He gave me a brilliant smile, and with dreamy eyes, he kissed me again, hungrily this time, as if someone had turned up his internal furnace. The cold disappeared, the sounds of the skiers on the slopes were silenced, all that remained was Aidan and me. Two new lovers, lost in an embrace.

  “I want you,” he said when he pulled back and found my eyes.

  “I think we can safely say it wasn’t the Ethiopian food,” I said and he chuckled.

  “Or the brandy.” He smiled. “I’d like to do this again, but if I don’t get you inside soon, you’ll freeze.”

  He put his gloves back on and took my hand. I followed him through the trees, back toward the cabin. Neither of us spoke. I was lost in the passion his kiss awakened in me. I had a pretty good idea why he didn’t speak, but time would tell. When we stood on the deck, about to join everyone inside, he turned to me, kissed me lightly on my lips, then opened the door so I could enter.

  “We were about to send out the sniffer dogs to find you two,” Gilly said and poured me a glass of red wine.

  “I was checking the net for any records of alien abductions in Colorado.” Dan laughed.

  “If you children break curfew again, we’ll ground you,” Marco said sternly. Lola grinned as he spoke.

  “Okay, sorry Mom and Dad. We have an excuse though.”

  I felt a sudden panic at the possibility of Aidan spilling the beans on our kiss. I wasn’t ready to answer questions about something I didn’t yet understand myself.

  “Yeah? We’re listening,” Marco said.

  “We found a fabulous little pub down the road and got stuck into some warm brandy,” Aidan said with a smile.

  “I see,” Gilly said with a look I could read like a book.

  I gave her a look in return that said, ‘zip it!’

  “I’m starving,” Aidan said and dismissed the subject of our outdoor excursion. “Let’s eat.”

  The conversation returned to a new normal. I excused myself to ‘freshen up’.

  “Yeah,” Gilly said, “I’d like to freshen up too before dinner.”

  Gillian was all over my awkward ass as we headed upstairs. She followed me to my room and closed the door behind us.

  “Okay, WTF! What did you do, Jayde?”

  “What are you talking about?” I started but changed my mind when she ogled me with her critical eye.

  “Oh, please. Do you think I’m blind? Come on, spill it.”

  Damn. There were no secrets when it came to Gilly and me. She saw right through my pretence. It was pointless trying to bullshit her.

  “We kissed,” I said.

  “Must have been some kind of kiss.” She grinned. “You look like a drugged squirrel. How was it?”

  “Fucking amazing.”

  “Now what?”

  “I have no idea. We haven’t spoken about it yet.”

  “Is this what you want?”

  “My head is saying, ‘what the hell are you doing?’, but the body is saying, ‘do that again!’”

  Gilly laughed from her gut. Her eyes danced as she watched my awkward pacing.

  “The problem with your head is that it may be ever so slightly biased. Aidan isn’t Kyle, Jayde. Stop thinking with your head. You know Aidan. You’ve been friends long enough for you to trust him.”

  I understood what Gilly was saying and I agreed with it in principle, but I was afraid. If Aidan and I dove in, feet first, and it ended up in disaster, I’d not only lose a lover but a close friend too.

  “I’m not ready to talk about this, Gilly. I need time.”

  “Okay. I’m here when you’re ready. Now wash your hands and let’s go eat. You two were gone for so long that my stomach is threatening to turn on my colon for sustenance.”

  “That’s so gross, Gilly!”

  She laughed and left the room. I changed into something more comfortable, looked at myself in the mirror, and left my room. I joined the rowdy crowd downstairs in the dining room. We sat down at the beautiful, rustic, solid wood dining table, and carried on chatting as the chef presented us with dinner.

  The food was five-star fair, and course after course left us wanting more. By the time the dessert cart was brought around, I couldn’t eat anymore. The men kept going, while the three ladies were satisfied with a coffee.

  Throughout dinner, Aidan and I stole secret glances. He looked completely different suddenly. He was always drop-dead gorgeous, but after our second kiss, he’d become irresistible. I hoped no one else picked up on it, although I caught Gilly looking our way every so often. If the others noticed, they gave nothing away.

  “That was divine, thank you, Aidan,” Lola said. “I may have to borrow your chef.”

  “And give away my culinary secrets? Never.”

  “That’s the problem with you rich folk, no concern for the middle class,” Marco chirped.

  “Oh, please! Middle class my ass. You’ve never been middle class, you liar.” Aidan laughed. “Who wants a brandy?”

  “Don’t ask stupid questions, moneybags. We’ll meet you at the fireplace. Bring the good stuff. None of that cheap crap,” Marco said.

  “I do apologize, Aidan. He’s still in training. Next year I’ll have him housetrained for sure.” Lola winked at Aidan, and the rest of us laughed.

  “I’d love a brandy,” I said to Aidan. His eyes told me he had moved way beyond bandy. So had I.

  Chapter 16

  AIDAN

  Watching Jayde from across the room was torture. All I wanted was to take her into my arms, carry her upstairs, and make love to her, slowly at first, then passionately, until she understood how I felt about her.

  We spent what felt like a lifetime talking and listening to Marco’s stories of his misspent youth. Dan was quite the erstwhile semi-hooligan himself, not that he looked it. But brandy being a powerful truth serum, loosened their tongues.

  Lola was the first to announce her need for sleep. It was soon followed by others until Jayde and I were the only ones left by the fire.

  “Finally! I thought they’d never leave,” I said to a smiling Jayde.

  “And why is that?” she asked with a mischievous grin.

  “Why don’t I come over there, and I’ll show you.”

  She watched as I stood slowly, walked to the double doors, closed them, and turned the key in the lock. The thought of being alone in the same room with Jayde aroused me. I didn’t care that my hardon was visible through my trousers. I wasn’t ashamed in the least at showing her how much I wanted her. Her eyes moved from my face to my groin and back up again. Her lips turned pink and plump, and the closer I got to her, the more my desire grew.

  I took off my jumper and my shirt and lay them on a couch beside me. Jayde said nothing. She looked at my chest, and then at my face. I saw desire, and my heart soared. I kneeled in front of her as she sat on the couch and kissed her eyes softly, then I teased her lips with my tongue, and she moaned softly and opened her mouth. But I didn’t take her mouth. I wanted her to want me desperately before I took her.


  Slowly, I unbuttoned her cashmere jumper and pulled it off over her head. She wore a red and black lacy bra, and through it, I saw her perfect, hard nipples standing proud to meet the touch of my fingers. I stroked them gently, and as I did so, I pushed her legs open and moved my body closer to her core. With my hands, I loosened her bra, and as it dropped to her lap, I took one of her breasts into my mouth while my hand claimed the other one.

  With my free hand, I moved up her thigh to her sex. We were breathing hard, wanting to be together, our bodies as one. She ran her fingers through my hair as I sucked on her nipple. Her gasps for breath were delicious. With her hands, she reached for the button of my jeans and loosed it with one deft flick. She pushed her way into my pants, past my underwear line, and wrapped her hand around my wet cock. Her touch was heavenly. She stroked my hard shaft skilfully, and my breath caught in my throat as she moved faster.

  “Take me,” she whispered.

  I pulled her off the couch and laid her down onto the floor in front of the roaring fire. The light of the flames played on her skin, highlighting the contours of her beautiful breasts. I kissed her belly, ran my hands down her body, and pulled her free of her clothes. Then I pushed my pants down and dropped them to the floor next to hers. Her dreamy green eyes were dilated, her lips red and open.

  I ran my tongue up her naked thigh until I reached her swollen pussy. She gasped as I circled her clit with my tongue. I played my tongue along her outer lips for a while, then plunged my tongue into her core. She arched her back, threw back her head, and pulled my head harder into her. Her hips rocked as we moved together. When I pulled away, she moaned.

  “Please,” she begged in a raspy voice, “don’t stop.”

  I moved up her body and took her mouth. Our kiss was feverish, hungry, exquisite. She pushed me away and rolled me onto my back. With her mouth, she trailed the length of my body, until she found my hard cock with her mouth. She wrapped her lips around my hardness and caressed me with her tongue. My head was spinning with pleasure. I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to be inside her. For two years I longed to plunge my hard cock into this magnificent creature. I could wait no more. I pulled her onto me and positioned her over my waiting shaft.

  With one smooth motion, I pulled her down onto me. The warmth of her core enveloped me, and I couldn’t wait anymore. I moved inside of her, holding her hips in a vice grip. We rocked together in complete sync, pushing, pulling, grinding, faster and faster until the wave of climax spilled over and plunged us into darkness. Before we came, I flipped her onto her back and drove into her hard. Her orgasm was intense and I exploded into her, releasing all the love I’d felt for her for so long. We moved through the throbbing, slowing gradually until we were utterly spent.

  We lay in the glow of the fire, our bodies melted together. I wanted to tell her that I loved her, that I’d loved her from afar for two years, but the moment wasn’t right. I had taken her by surprise with my lust, and the last thing I wanted was to scare her away. I willed her to feel the way I did, but I knew that hearts didn’t work that way. I had no choice but to wait—wait until she was ready to tell me how she felt.

  “You do this with all your friends?” she said playfully.

  “Just the beautiful ones with black hair and emerald green eyes.”

  “Was this a good idea?” she asked.

  I felt her pull away emotionally, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. I was afraid to move.

  “For me, yes.”

  I didn’t push the envelope. I couldn’t rush her. I’d be stupid if I tried.

  She got up and walked to her clothes. I watched her move, worshipping her perfect body with my eyes.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just exhausted.” She smiled at me but the look of desire in her eyes was gone.

  “You’re probably right. We’re hitting the slopes tomorrow morning, early. We better get some sleep. I can’t have you falling asleep on the slopes.”

  She smiled as if sensing my disappointment.

  “That was incredible, Aidan,” she said, while she got dressed.

  “Indeed. I’ll walk you to your room.”

  “Thank you, handsome.”

  I kissed her when we got to her room. She kissed me back, but it was uninspired.

  “Good night,” she said.

  “Sleep well, Jayde.”

  Then she was gone. Instead of going to bed, I went back downstairs, put on my snow boots, and went outside for a walk. The freezing cold air hit me hard, knocking the sense back into me. What the hell did I just do? I thought it was what she wanted too. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part.

  I walked for a while until the cold arrested my limbs. Marco was waiting for me when I entered the cabin. He was sitting in the lounge, sipping on a mug of coffee.

  “Hey, what are you doing up?” I asked.

  “What are you doing outside in the arctic weather?” he asked back.

  “Just taking a walk.”

  “Would that walk have anything to do with Jayde?”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Aidan, I’m many things, but I’m not blind. You practically spent all night undressing the woman with your eyes. Now come on, cut the crap and talk to me.”

  I sat down and let out a sigh. “I think I may have fucked up, Marco.”

  “How so?”

  “I think I pushed her before she was ready.”

  “Ready for what?”

  “Ready to hear the truth.”

  “Do you love her, Aidan?”

  “Desperately. But I don't know how she feels about me. I know she loves me as a friend, but physical love is another thing.”

  “Why don’t you just tell her how you feel, Aidan? Friends become lovers all the time. What are you afraid of?”

  “I’ve been in love with her for so long, Marco. I’m not sure what I’d do if she rejected me.”

  “I don’t believe what I’m hearing. When did you become such a pussy? Look at where you are, what you’ve done to get here. You are the smartest, most determined man I’ve ever known. I know love is tricky but work at it as you’ve done with everything else. She’s worth it.”

  Marco was right. I was done tiptoeing about like a loser. I would tell her how I felt about her. Subconsciously, I knew she felt the same. It was a question of putting my money where my mouth was. No more cowering.

  Chapter 17

  JAYDE

  My mind was racing, and I was reeling from the intensity of our lovemaking. Was that what it was? Love, or just mindblowing sex? I needed to take a step back—catch my breath before I did something stupid.

  My record of assessing the intentions of men was a little sketchy, to say the least. My father was no model to go by. I was afraid that I’d end up with someone like him. Look what happened when I trusted Kyle. He too was a ‘nice guy’, until he wasn’t.

  It did feel different with Aidan, but I couldn’t trust my instincts just yet. As I lay staring at the stars through the skylight of the spectacularly grand bedroom I was in, I replayed the act in my head. His hands were so soft, so skilled, and his eyes were beautiful as he touched me. Everything about our lovemaking was perfect. Aidan was perfect.

  That was the problem—he was too perfect. I’d never met a man like him, and that scared me. I was used to imperfect. I could handle imperfection. Even Kyle showed subtle signs of being less than perfect, but I ignored the signs, and dove right on in any way. I was afraid that if I kept on down the new path with Aidan, we would get to the same place where I always seemed to get to in my love relationships. Disappointment.

  They say it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Bullshit! I hurt like a son of a bitch! I’d have to be a complete moron to throw myself back into that vortex of despair. My only hope was that the sex hadn’t ruined our friendship. I prayed that Aidan wouldn’t go all squirrelly on me.

  Well done, Jayde. Another
fuck up in the romance department. You sure know how to make life difficult for yourself.

  I lay there, staring at the stars, feeling terribly sorry for myself when my phone beeped. I’d put it on buzz before I got into bed. It wasn’t likely that I would fall asleep anytime soon, so I looked at the screen. There’d been a missed call. I listened to the message.

  Jayde, darling, it’s Mom. Please come home. Your father just died. Please come, I need you.

  Fuck!

  Images flashed before me. Images of my father hitting my mother. Images of me hiding under a bed or in a closet behind Mom’s dresses, being as quiet as I could so that he wouldn’t find me and beat the shit out of me. I hated that man. Why did my mother not understand that? I was glad that he was gone. He couldn’t hurt us anymore. He couldn’t berate my mother in front of their so-called friends anymore or flaunt his whores in plain sight.

  I hated my mother for not protecting me from him. She chose to stay with him out of some sort of warped need for him, and that was her choice, but didn’t she stop to think about me? How can a mother put her husband before her only child? Anger rose up in me like a tidal wave. I wanted to call her back and tell her not to bother me with such trivial shit, and that she should bury the monster she chose over me.

  I couldn’t explain why, but I listened to the voice message again. My mother sounded so afraid—like a terrified little child who’d lost a parent in the mall. Damn it! I had to go. As much as I hated him, I had to go and be with my mother. I would help with the funeral arrangements, and that was it. As soon as the bastard was in the ground I’d forget about him, and get on with my life. My mother could do whatever she wanted after that. I’d be done.

  I had to leave as soon as possible, so I put on my nightgown and made my way to Aidan’s room. I knocked quietly on the door.

  “Aidan, it’s me, Jayde.”

  The door opened after a few moments and Aidan stood there, in his boxer shorts, his naked torso shimmering in the light of the bed lamp.

  “Jayde,” he said, looking worried, “are you okay? What’s happened?”