The Billionaire's Mistaken Match ( A BWWM Romance)

by Izabella Brooks

  “I haven’t been with anyone in a while,” he said sheepishly, knowing this could potentially be a short ride.

  “Me either,” she confessed. “We will get through it together.” Reid gave her his bright, beaming smile and leaned in to kiss her again. Their bodies fit together almost perfectly. She admired his pale skin next to her darker skin and was pleased with the contrast.

  Reid kissed his way down her neck and chest, pausing to spend time on each breast, licking and suckling softly, causing her to moan in pleasure. He reached down to find her wet and welcoming. He slid first one finger, then two into the welcome opening, teasing her with his tongue and thumb. “Please,” she moaned. “Now. Don’t make me wait any longer.”

  Reid spread her legs and buried himself deep into in one long, slow thrust. They both lay there, looking into each other’s eyes, completely connected in more ways than just one. Slowly, Reid began to pull out, keeping his eyes on Paloma’s. He watched her face, memorizing each tick and movement as he slowly entered and exited her. He was scrutinizing her when he found what he was looking for. That magical spot that made her head roll back and her eyes close. Encouraged, he increased his pace, thrusting deeper and faster until her breath turned to pants and moans. She writhed under him, shifting to take him in as far as he could go. She wrapped her arms around and dug her nails into his back, holding on, unable to let go as her body felt like it was going to burst with the pleasure she was feeling. Her orgasm took her hard, causing her to cry out. Feeling her body tighten around him, Reid was able to finish and let out a moan of his own. He fell, sweaty and glistening, on her chest, burying his face in her breasts. Neither of them spoke for some time afterwards, both too busy trying to catch their breath.

  “I think some more wine is in order,” Reid offered. Paloma agreed and he called down to the front to have it delivered up to them.

  Paloma yawned, tired and sated from the wonderful sex they had just had. Reid grabbed a robe from the bathroom and went to get the wine at the door, leaving Paloma alone for only a moment.

  She looked at the room around her, the high, elegant ceilings and the wall to wall window. Idly, she wondered what the room cost per night, but tried to push that idea out of her head. She wasn’t here for his money. This wasn’t Pretty Woman; she wasn’t a hooker playing house. She genuinely liked Reid very much. When he returned with the wine and two glasses, he poured them each one and crawled back into the bed. Paloma could see that he was tired as well. She was at a loss for words. She set her glass aside and excused herself to the restroom. When she returned, still trying to sort out the evening, she found Reid asleep in the bed. Debating on what to do, she decided to throw caution to the wind and crawled in beside him. She would sort out everything in the morning. For now she just wanted to sleep. She curled up to Reid’s warm body and fell asleep almost instantly.

  Chapter 11

  She woke up alone. Her mind cursed her, knowing last night had been too good to be true. Looking around for her clothes, she spotted her panties on the floor and pulled them on. Just as she was about to go to the main room and get her dress, the door opened and Reid appeared, carrying her dress and a tray. He had put on his pants and draped his shirt over his shoulders, leaving it unbuttoned and showing off his sculpted chest.

  “Oh good, you are awake. I had hoped to be prepared before you woke up, but this is just as good. How did you sleep?”

  Confused, Paloma looked at him, then took her dress from him slowly. “I slept very well, thank you,” she finally managed. Reid pulled a small table over to the bed and set down the tray. He helped her zip her dress and pulled a couple of chairs over as well. “What’s all this?”

  “I was hungry. I figured you would be too, but I wasn’t sure what you wanted. I tried to think of the food that would be the most magical, but I can’t think like you, so I just got a couple of everything,” he said, lifting the lid off with a flourish. The tray was swamped with food. Eggs, bacon, sausage, a number of cheeses, French toast, pancakes, waffles, and fruit of all sorts spilled from the tray. “Surely we can put together a decent breakfast with this?”

  “There is certainly enough, yes.” She laughed, grabbing at a piece of bacon. She was thrilled that nothing seemed awkward this morning. Finding Reid just as open and considerate as he had been the night before really calmed her nerves. She was worried that this would be a one-night stand. Slowly the realization that it wasn’t make a smile crawl across her face.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “I’m just having a great time. I didn’t think it would be like this at all. Kit isn’t going to believe this. Oh shit! I have to call Kit. She probably thinks I’ve been kidnapped or something!” Paloma jumped up from the bed, nearly toppling the tray.

  Reid steadied it as he watched her look around the room, then leave, on a search for, presumably, her bag. She came back in with her phone in hand. “Sure enough, there are only about fifteen messages. Oh, I’m in such big trouble.”

  “Friend of yours, I take it?”

  Paloma nodded, putting the phone to her ear. She walked out of the room, talking to her friend. Reid sat back and heaved a sigh. He was hoping for a calm, easy breakfast, not a freak out. She walked back into the room only a minute later and seated herself across from him again.

  “Sorry. I was supposed to keep tabs. She was worried is all.”

  “Worried about me?”

  Paloma shook her head. “The unknown really. Kit is hard. She doesn’t trust easily. The idea of me going on a date with a man neither of us knows kind of freaked her out a bit. Then I didn’t check in at all because I was having such a great time.

  I’m pretty surprised she didn’t call the police, because I wouldn’t put that past her.” There was silence across the table and Reid shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth. She watched him chew, her eyes on his the entire time. As soon as he swallowed he let out a hearty laugh. The sound surprised her. That certainly hadn’t been the reaction she was expecting. “What’s so funny?”

  “Your friend sounds great. Truly. I wish I had someone to check in on me and worry if I was out with a serial killer.” He continued laughing, pushing his plate away from him. “Oh, it hurts.”

  “Well, then stop,” Paloma said, her voice quivering with her own barely restrained laugh.

  “I can’t. I just assume she is shorter than you and keep getting this image of a small Chihuahua barking up at this majestic Great Dane. It’s killing me.” Reid covered his face to hide the redness and tears welling up in his eyes. He guffawed into his hands, finally causing Paloma to release her giggles. She fell back on the bed, laughing until she hurt.

  Reid managed to get himself under control and left the table to fall on the bed next to her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her face. “You have no idea how badly I needed that.” Paloma did, though. She was starting to get the fact that he spent a good deal of his time alone and it probably wasn’t much fun at all. “Come on, then, let’s go,” he said, surprising her.

  “Go? Where are we going?”

  “I promised to show you the city on our next date. While we are still technically on the first date, this is still the next day, so I’m going to go ahead and roll date two into date one. If you have the time to spare. I didn’t even bother to ask.”

  “I have the time. If I didn’t, I would certainly make the time. I’d love to spend the day with you.”

  Reid pulled her up off the bed and planted another kiss right on her lips, hugging her against his exposed chest and kissing her so deeply her toes tingled. “I can definitely get used to this.”

  Chapter 12

  They spent the day wandering around the city. They hit all the general tourist destinations before he whisked her off to look at some of the properties he was developing at the time. She was fascinated with the new buildings and asked a lot of questions about his business and plans for the properties. Reid was more than happy to share his ideas with
someone who seemed generally interested in what he was doing. “Maybe someday you can take me by your work and show me what you do.”

  Paloma was quiet for a bit before nodding. “Sure, I suppose we could do that sometime. It’s nothing as exciting as what you’ve got going on here.”

  “Well, maybe I could meet your friends at least.” The thought of introducing him to Kit made her laugh out loud. A look of worry crossed his face. “You don’t want me to meet your friends?”

  She laughed again, trying to fight it. But the image of Kit grilling this well-dressed man wouldn’t get out of her head. “It’s not that at all,” she said between guffaws, wiping at her eyes. “It’s just, my best friend is…well, she’s unique.” Reid looked puzzled at her words. She looked into his eyes and sobered up as much as she could. She would have to give him something. They couldn’t go in that vague state they were in. “Kit is gritty. She’s loud and obnoxious and very strong minded. She also isn’t afraid to say what she thinks.” Reid let out a sigh and a smile played at his lips. “Why are you smiling now?”

  “Well, what you just told me is that Kit is real. Like a real person. She isn’t a cookie cutter, Stepford wife.”

  Paloma lost it again. The vision of Kit in pristine 1950s clothing, hair in a perfect coif, and cleaning the house made her roll.

  “See, she’s real.”

  “Oh, honey, Kit is definitely very real.” She took his hand and began walking down the street. “She is something else. I like her because she is a tell it like it is woman, you know. She’s a firecracker. Keeps me grounded.”

  Reid nodded, lacing his fingers between her long digits. “I wish I had someone like that. I think I need some grounding every once in a while.”

  “You don’t have a friend like Kit?”

  “I don’t have much of a friend at all.” His sadness and loneliness hurt her. “I know, it sounds pathetic and cliché, right. Poor little rich boy, all alone in his mansion and crying into his Cristal.”

  “I don’t think its cliché or pathetic. I’ll be that friend for you. I’ll keep you grounded.”

  He stopped and pulled her close to him, their faces mere inches from each other. “I’d like that very much, though I hoped we could be more than just friends.”

  Paloma smiled at him and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his lips. “I think we can manage that.”

  ***

  That night, Paloma staggered into the apartment to find Kit sitting at the table. Kit looked up at the sound of her arrival. “I know, I know, I’m in trouble.” Paloma was fully prepared to be ripped into by Kit. Before the shorter girl could get a word in, however, Paloma’s phone rang. She looked at the readout and saw she had a message from Reid. He wanted to tell her he had a great time and that he would call her after she had calmed the Chihuahua. A smile spread across her face at the message, but dropped away as she looked back at her friend. The idea was funny, but the situation was not. “I did text you, I did.”

  “This morning! I was ready to call the cops. I thought you got raped and murdered!” Kit was on her feet now, tiny legs covering the distance between them. “Do you have any idea what I went through?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  Kit stopped short at the comment. “You are killing me, you know that?” She turned on her heel and moved back to the table. After plopping down in the chair, she cupped her chin in her hand. “So, you gonna tell me about it or what? What’s he like. Ooh, how was the sex?”

  “I am not telling you about the sex other than that it was amazing. He is amazing. The whole thing is amazing. I don’t have another word for it. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a good first…and second date. He was a perfect gentleman and we hit it off right away.”

  “So, is he loaded?”

  “I guess so. I mean, I don’t know for sure. We didn’t really go overboard on much. He paid for dinner and the hotel room, well, penthouse, I guess. But he didn’t, like, throw money at people. And he didn’t act rich. He was very modest and kind. He listened when I spoke. It was…amazing.”

  “How did he react to your current station in life?”

  “I didn’t exactly tell him.”

  “What?”

  Paloma cringed at Kit’s outburst. “I didn’t tell him. We kind of skated around that bit. He does want to meet you though. I found that bit hilarious. I think he would like you quite a bit actually.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure. Invite him over for dinner tomorrow night. We will host him with Ramen noodles and stale beer.” Kit was clearly annoyed.

  “We don’t eat Ramen and our beer isn’t stale. Geez, Kit.” Paloma was beginning to get angry now. “Look, I’ll tell him. He is going to call me tonight and I’ll let him know. Just like that. If he likes me, then he will like me, and not the fact that I have no money.”

  “Uh-huh. Let me know how that pans out for you.” Kit got up and stalked to her room, closing the door behind her.

  Paloma leaned back in her chair and kicked off the shoes she had worn for way too long. She was exhausted and exhilarated all at once.

  Chapter 13

  Reid couldn’t wait to tell Vivi how his date with Paloma had gone. One his drive home from the subway station, where Paloma had insisted he drop her, he hummed along to the radio, the grin never leaving his face. He had had a good time.

  He actually liked the girl he had been set up with, even if she was nothing like what he had been expecting. He raced through the street to his home. He had promised to call her that evening and he couldn’t contain his excitement at getting to talk to her again. That was the best part; they actually had things to talk about besides business ventures and capitol interests or other money related topics. She didn’t once bring it up and even tried to pay for her own meal. That was certainly a change and he was thrilled by it. He made a mental note to send Vivi something special, along with a bonus. He whipped into his garage and shut the door behind him. Screw it, he was going to call her now.

  The phone in the main office of Lovers.com rang. Miranda Raleigh, one of Vivi’s assistants, lunged across the desk and picked it up out of pure reflex. She cursed herself silently at her inability to just let it go. It was late and she was ready to go home. All she had to do was finish filing the background paperwork she had in her hands. It was a pain in the ass, but it had to be done. There were a number of women and men who joined looking for a leg up in the upper classes and it was one of her jobs to ensure that they didn’t get it. Scammers were everywhere. Of course, for a decent price, she might be persuaded to let one slide. “Lovers dot com, how may I help you?”

  “Oh, I didn’t really expect an answer.”

  Then why the hell are you calling? Miranda continued to shuffle through the documents and files on the desk in front of her.

  “I was just going to leave a message for Vivi.”

  “Well, you’re right. She isn’t here, however, if you’d like, I can leave a message for you. What would you like it to say?” There was silence on the other end of the line for so long that she feared she had lost him.

  “Tell her thanks. Tell her I found a good one finally and I think we really hit it off. We had a great time. I know it’s not standard protocol to thank the matchmaker per se, but I really consider Vivi a friend.”

  “Of course. I can absolutely do that,” she replied, scribbling his message on a notepad beside her on the desk. “And, to avoid any confusion, can I get your name sir?”

  “Winslow, Reid.”

  She had heard the name. He was one of the most eligible, and picky, bachelors in the city. He was a developer or something that she didn’t quite understand. From his online profile, she knew that he was handsome and athletic. He was certainly a lady killer. “Please just tell her that Paloma and I had a great time.” Paloma? That name sounded awfully familiar too.

  “One moment please, Mr. Winslow.” Miranda set the receiver on the desk and dug back through the files she had just been working on. She was certain she had seen t
he name Paloma, it was unique so she had noted it. Locating the file, she opened it to find the Denied stamp on the front sheet. The woman had lied about her work and standings; she was nothing more than another gold digger. “Mr. Winslow,” she said, the receiver back at her ear. “I’m afraid I may have a bit of bad news for you.”

  ***

  The words she said after that floored him. Not just floored him, gutted him, ripped out everything he had left and shattered the little bit of trust he held back for people. “Yes, thank you.” He hung up the phone without saying goodbye, just let it fall into his lap.

  How could she play him like that? The assistant had said that Paloma was unemployed and living in a shared apartment on the lower west side with a friend. He thought back to the date and began to see how she had cunningly dodged all talk of her work and living arrangements, keeping the conversation light.

  Reid stood in a fit of rage and slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a dent he would have to repair later. He shook off his hand and went to the kitchen for some ice. That was going to hurt in the morning. The clock above the oven told him it was nearly 8 p.m. He had told Paloma that he would call her at eight, but now he couldn’t even stomach the thought of hearing her voice. She had betrayed him. How could she? Reid tore off his shirt and tossed it in the hamper on his way back to his room. He could still smell her on his clothes and it had been pleasant before, but now it made his want to vomit. Kicking off his shoes and shimmying out of his pants, he made his way to the shower.

  He couldn’t erase the past, but he could remove the evidence of her smell and touch that lingered on his skin. The hot water nearly scalded him, turning his white skin red and steaming up the room. He was grateful for that last part because he wouldn’t have to look himself in the eye in the wall to wall mirror above the sinks.