Mr. Trouble: A London Billionaire Standalone (London Billionaires Book 2)

by Nana Malone

  Once on board, the trio settled into tan leather seats, all facing a wide-screen TV with a library of DVDs to choose from, not that Nick had any interest in watching a movie right now. His blood simmered with anxiety. After that chilling call, dragging his mother into the mess, he was committed. Deceit didn’t sit well with him but he had no choice. It was Selena or his mother. He had to choose his family. At least for the time being, he had to play along.

  The small aircraft sped along the runway until they were catapulted into the sky above London on their way to gay Paris.

  A flight attendant in a perfectly pressed navy skirt suit approached him with a tray full of the items he had ordered from the list the week before. He hadn’t really believed he would get whatever he wanted on board, but here it was, a Peroni beer, corn on the cob, and hot chicken wings. He glanced over at Selena’s tray of champagne and a bowl full of leafy greens and beans. He was relieved to see at least something ‘normal’ on the tray in the form of a muffin tucked in bedside the salad. Nancy’s tray had breakfast tea, a scone with jam and cream, and a cheese roll. Nick looked at his wish list brought to life on his lap. Should have thought this out more. I’m going to look like a flippin’ barbarian tearing at these sticky wings with my teeth. Damn.

  As if reading his mind the attendant returned with a bowl of hot water, which contained a small pile of hot hand and face towels. She placed it in front of him with a knowing smile. He sighed. Barbarian. That’s me.

  The Shades of Chic trio nibbled at their food watching a chick flick that Selena had requested. Nick tackled half of his corn, wisely deciding to leave half of it for fear of butter oozing down his blue shirt and yellow flecks catching between his teeth. He managed to tease at his chicken with a knife and fork, gently, without making a mess. He caught Selena’s eye at one point when his lips were gently suckling. Zap. Her eyes darted immediately back to her leaves. Thank God Nancy was between them.

  The flight was smooth, little more than an hour, and the three were met by a black Mercedes, their suitcases already in the boot.

  At the hotel, they checked in and agreed to meet back at the hotel bistro for dinner an hour later. They had an evening to kill before tomorrow’s big presentation.

  Nick arrived first. He took a seat facing out onto the street to watch passers-by in the early evening sun. This was pretty awesome. He was actually getting paid to be in Paris. But at what cost? He was actually being paid twice to be here, by rival siblings. How did he end up here?

  “Hi,” came a gentle greeting from behind him as Selena approached. “It’s a beautiful hotel, isn’t it?”

  Nick could only stare as she sat opposite him, a hint of her Chanel Mademoiselle wafting toward him and teasing his senses. The cobalt blue blouse fit her well. She’d unbuttoned the top to offer just a hint of the valley between her breasts, just enough to draw his eyes. He had only ever seen her in grey. The colour made her look soft. Feminine.

  Her brows were raised expectantly. And he stared back as her blue eyes looked bewildered. Answer, you tosser. “Yes, it’s gorgeous. Is your room nice?” Oh, real slick.

  “Mmmhhmmm,” She responded, nodding politely. “Yours?”

  “It’s big,” he said with a laugh. Man, this was so dumb. Say something interesting.

  Selena got there first. It was almost as if nerves had engaged autopilot as Nick listened to Selena relaying the ideas for tomorrow and how important it was for Shades of Chic to expand into Europe. Nick nodded at all the right points but really he was focusing on her lips and the way she touched her neck while talking.

  When Selena ran out of work words, there was a pause.

  Nick searched for a response. What he wanted to say was, “You look pretty.” Instead, he muttered things about, “Strategic position…product line…marketing strategies” Fuck all. What the fuck was wrong with him? He was the guy that made girls fall all over themselves and now he couldn’t string together two words? He was for sure going to lose his player card.

  “Where is Nancy?” she said craning her neck towards the hotel lobby.

  Just then, Nancy bellowed, “Hey gang. Let’s stuff our faces on fine French cuisine.”

  The three ate seafood starters followed by fine cuts of meat and perfect vegetables with a bottle of red wine, making polite small talk. As soon as the last spoonful was in Nancy’s mouth she yawned and declared herself “out.”

  “I’ve got a sexy romance novel waiting for me on my bedside table. I’m calling it a night.” With that, she stood and lumbered her way out of the restaurant, leaving Selena’s worried gaze trailing after her.

  So he was affecting her. Okay. It perked him up to be in more familiar territory. “Don’t look so terrified,” Nick said with an easy grin. “I’m not that bad of company am I?”

  Selena’s pained expression softened into a smile. “No, sorry. It’s just—and then there were two.”

  Nick smiled. “I know what you mean. I’ve always wanted to be dining in Paris with a beautiful woman, but, you’re my boss.” Fuck, fuck, fuck. First rule of keeping the player card was do not say dumb-assed shit. Did he just say that? He held his breath and waited for a response.

  Selena frowned. “Thank you. But…”

  And like an idiot, he doubled down. “You are a beautiful woman,” he added quickly, “but this is obviously not a romantic getaway.”

  Selena tugged at the hem of her blouse and kept her eyes on the tablecloth. Stop, Nick. You’re creeping her out.

  Selena asked, “Have you been to Paris before?”

  Subject change. Thank you. “No. I’ve always wanted to come, but somehow it never felt like the right time, or rather I never had the right person to come with. You?” More like where the fuck was he going to get Paris money? But he wasn’t kidding about always wanting to come. He’d had the whole city mentally mapped out since he was a teenager. All the places he wanted to see. Paris always felt like a place where he could escape.

  Selena smiled, “Oh, I’ve been to Paris before, but it’s not a trip I really want to remember. It was with my ex. Right before he left me for a model. I booked the trip for us, which, looking back makes sense—it was always me pushing us forward and convincing myself we would be together forever.” She hushed. “And now I’m blabbing.” She rolled her eyes and laughed.

  “No, you’re not,” Nick said. “And he sounds like scum.” Then something struck him. “You need to wipe that clean from your Paris memory. You need an adventure to wipe the slate clean.”

  Selena laughed. “I probably do, but we have a huge deal tomorrow morning. I need an early night.”

  Nick’s eyes fixed on her and determination in his voice. “True, but let me take you on a quick adventure. We’re close to some of the major sights and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Rumor has it Paris is best seen by two. Come on. It’ll help you pitch better. It would be a crime not to. We are in one of the best cities in the world for ONE night. Let’s get something out of it. Cross that bad memory off your sheet.”

  A hesitant grin tugged at her lips. “Where are we going?”

  Nick shook his head. “Nope. The one caveat is you need to trust me. You’ll be safe with me. But, you’ll probably need walking shoes.”

  She glanced down and then sighed. “Okay, give me five.”

  While he waited, he paced in the lobby. He couldn’t be fucking nervous could he? Besides, this wasn’t a date. And for one night he could forget what he was really doing, could forget why they were here.

  She practically skipped into the lobby with a wide smile on her face, and he stared. She looked so radiant. Something pinched his heart. She was completely jaw-smacking beautiful. Even more so than he’d realized.

  “Okay. I’m ready for adventure. But you know what, let’s take the car. I sort of want to see as much as we can.”

  He could only nod mutely. But then he shook himself out of it. “Sure. Let’s head to the Luxembourg Garden first. That way we’ll see it before it’s
too dark. It really is a shame there’s no time for Versailles.”

  “More reason to come back again, right?” She said with a happy smile.

  Right. He just hoped she was right. If everything went okay, he’d make it back here again someday. Yeah, just not with her.

  It turned out she was right. The car was a better idea. They were able to hop from Arrondissement to Arrondissement. Luxembourg Garden, Montmartre, the catacombs. Even though it was early evening, the tourists were still out in full force. At every stop, he made sure to get a picture. Unfortunately they had so little time, they were only able to briefly stop at Notre Dame Cathedral. And do a drive by of the Champs Elysees.

  He finally had the car drop them just by the Fontaines de la Concorde. It was only a few blocks walk back to their hotel.

  “Where are we going?” She asked with a happy laugh.

  By the time they’d hit the Eiffel Tower, as they were lighting it, Selena had taken to looping her hand into the crook of his arm. It wasn’t entirely romantic, but it was familiar, friendly. “It’s just something I saw on the way here. It’s really not far. This way,” he said.

  Nick was in his element. He’d spent so much time sorting out everyone else’s lives over the past few years, he’d lost touch with his adventure-seeking side, but it was always in there, dying to come out.

  They walked along the wide streets, lined with cafes and tables full of locals and tourists chatting loudly, a rich mix of French, American, British, Italian, and German accents. After a few blocks, the street gave way to a peaceful square with the fountain trickling in the center. The pale ivory-coloured buildings enclosed the sound perfectly. It was peace within the city. Selena gawped up at the statue in the center of the water feature and smiled. She gave Nick an approving grin.

  “It’s beautiful.” She sat down on the edge of the fountain wall and absorbed the sights and sounds. A young man sped past on a moped with his lover clinging dearly to his back, her laughter ringing in the night air. Selena caught eyes with the girl, who grinned at her in euphoria.

  Nick’s heart quickened as he watched Selena melt into happiness, not a hint of business about her at this point. He liked her like this. Light. Carefree.

  “Thank you for everything tonight.”

  He grinned. “At your service. And honestly, thank you. I’ve always wanted to see all of those places. So the company is much appreciated.”

  “Previous Paris trip erased.” Another couple on a moped zoomed up the narrow street. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she said, pointing after the young moped couple.

  He joined her on the fountain and they sat in happy silence for a moment.

  “I need to come back here on holiday,” she said softly, her eyes trailing the rooftops above them. “I want to sip wine on a balcony like that.”

  It saddened Nick to think he would never be the one to make that wish come true. His eyes fell on her scar as her delicate features turned upwards. “What happened?” he asked softly, touching his own jaw to indicate what he meant.

  Her happy smile vanished. Shit. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Nick offered, worried he’d overstepped the line.

  “It’s okay,” she said, her eyes locking into his. “It happened a long time ago. When I was nine. My bastard brother did it with a tin can.”

  Nick’s lips flattened. “On purpose?”

  “Yeah,” she replied, shaking her head in dismissal. “He’s just, he’s a nasty little shit. To be honest, he’s always hated me. Probably because his dad married my mum and then they had me. He always felt left out. It wasn’t like they didn’t try hard with him. He was a nightmare,” she shrugged. “Maybe they did favour me, but I didn’t go around bullying people or demanding gifts or money all the time.”

  Nick stared at her. “He sounds horrible.” And that’s who you threw your lot in with.

  “He used to wedge furniture against my bedroom door so I couldn’t get out. He also stole from our housemaid’s handbag. Mena is the sweetest woman, she didn’t want to get him into trouble, so I told Dad instead. He pushed me down the stairs for that and I had my leg in a cast for six weeks.”

  Rage simmered in his blood. What kind of man was he working for? How can I help that asshole? I can’t let him ruin her.

  He wanted to scoop her up and shield young Selena from the negativity. He wanted to kiss each bump along the ragged, traintrack scar and tell her no one would ever hurt her like that again. “He’s a shit. They should never have allowed him near you.”

  Selena’s gaze met his and it was as though lightning bolts were shot right into him. Without hesitating he leaned his face in and kissed her.

  She pulled back in shock, but kept her eyes on his.

  He held his breath. You’ve fucked it up now. But there was something stopping her from turning away. He could read the hunger in her eyes, but as if someone had flicked a switch of sensibility, Selena stood up swiftly and said, “Let’s get back before it gets late,” and started walking ahead.

  Disappointment washed over him. But he knew he’d overstepped. He trotted at a pace to catch up with her and they walked back to the hotel in silence. “Selena. I’m sorry. I read that wrong. I thought…” The torn look she gave him shut him up.

  The elevator pinged and they ascended the two floors to Selena’s suite. Nick couldn’t stop himself from following her out to escort her to the door. He wasn’t ready to say good night. It felt like they had just heard the opening bar of a song before someone pulled the plug on the stereo system. He wanted to hear it, note for note. When they paused at her door, Selena looked uncomfortable, but she didn’t tell him to leave. She said nothing and fiddled awkwardly with her key card in her fingers.

  She slid it into the reader and the door clicked open. She finally met his eyes and said, “You didn’t overstep.”

  Nick put one hand on the door to steady it. This was a bad idea on so many levels. Nevertheless, his breath quickened as he stared into Selena’s eyes, then at her lips. So damned soft.

  Neither of them did a thing for what felt like minutes. Eventually, Nick put one hand around her waist, to test the situation. He pulled her close and her warm body molded against his. This was where she should say no. Where she should pull away. But she didn’t.

  In for a penny, in for a pound.

  He kissed her, sliding his lips over hers and licking into her mouth. She clung to him, meeting every thrust of his tongue with hers. They pushed into her room and he shut the door with a kick.

  His tongue met hers again and lust thickened his blood. She tasted divine. She smelled of fresh linen and strawberries and youthful scent of Chanel Mademoiselle, and he wanted to nuzzle her. With practiced ease, he shed his shirt as he kissed her, not pausing to breath or think.

  Selena tentatively examined his chest, touching his skin with her delicate fingers. With every brush of her fingers, he shuddered. Her fingers shook as she attempted her buttons, so Nick helped her. He pulled the silk gently, dragging his lips from hers to kiss along her jaw before moving to her smooth, tanned shoulders. Jesus, she smelled like heaven.

  Nick kissed her deep as he backed her up to the bed. He couldn’t believe she wasn’t telling him to stop, wasn’t telling him to leave her alone. He had no business touching her, but he couldn’t stop. She tasted so good. And he wanted this too much. For once, he was going to be a selfish bastard. He wasn’t going to think of the consequences.

  When the back of her legs hit the bed, Nick forced himself to pull back. She whimpered slightly at the loss of his touch. “Selena, are you sure about this?”

  She nodded, her eyes still closed as she swayed towards him, seeking more of his touch.

  God, he wanted her. But he made himself wait. “Sweetheart, I need you to say this is what you want. The words are important.”

  She dragged her heavy lids up and met his gaze with her electric blue gaze. “Yes, I want this—I want you.”

  Relief washed
through him. “Thank fuck.” He scooped her into his arms, lifting her off the ground and gently depositing her on the bed.

  Desperation mounting, their tongues dueled as he kissed her again, angling her head to explore better. With a series of tugs, zips, muffled swears and grunts, he managed to help her out of her skinny jeans and tossed them on the floor. Nick’s jeans joined them seconds later.

  When he had her on her side, in just her bra and panties, it wasn’t enough for him. He wanted more. He dug his hand into her hair, relishing the feeling of silk intertwined in his hands. He unclipped her bra and gently pulled down the delicate straps. Oh shit, her skin was so damn soft.

  The lacy cups fell away from her soft curves and Nick couldn’t help but stare. She was full and soft and he was desperate to know if she was sensitive. Leaning over gently, he kissed a tightened peak and Selena bucked in his arms with a gasp. “Shhh, I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Oh, God. I know. I just…” Her breath caught and she stopped talking when Nick tugged on the peak with his lips, sucking gently. Nick couldn’t think anymore. He was already filled with everything about her, the way she moved, her scent, her voice.

  While he sucked, he teased the tip of her other nipple with his thumb and forefinger, gently pulling. Selena slid her hands into his hair and tugged gently. “Nick, please.”

  With a chuckle, he switched his lips to her other breast while his free hand now travelled down her satin smooth expanse of skin to the juncture between her thighs. He traced the line of her slit over her knickers with his fingers, before teasing at the sides of the fabric.

  Selena let out a low moan as she lifted her hips in an attempt to get closer. He pulled her panties to the side, revealing her smooth, silky lips. His fingers found her warmth, pliant and slick.

  She threw her head back, and desperate to get closer, he sat up and gently pulled the undies off and slid them down her smooth legs, drinking in the magnificent view of her body as he did. He was harder then steel, but he was careful to take his time.