Claiming the Billionaire

by JM Stewart

  Finally, she drew in a long, sharp breath, the sound of someone who’d been underwater for too long, and went limp. Breathless and panting, her knees were shaking so much he wondered what, if anything, held her up.

  Tyler pushed to his feet and scooped her off the floor, then turned and headed for her bedroom. There, he laid her on the bed, crawled up beside her, and tucked her against his side.

  She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder but her body remained stiff beneath his fingers. “One night, Ty. That’s all I can give you. We can’t keep doing this. I need to move on.”

  “Then we’re stuck, babe, because I can’t stay. Not yet. And I’m not willing to let you go. I refuse to believe you don’t care.”

  “It doesn’t change things. You’re still going back, and I can’t watch you do it.”

  He sighed. At some point, he’d have to be honest with her. By holding back, he only delayed the inevitable.

  “You’re right. I do want to go back. I want to catch those bastards. They mentioned taking me on as a correspondent, pending psych evals, but if they’ll let me, yeah, I want to go. If I can help in some capacity to take those fuckers down, make them pay for what they did?”

  He closed his eyes and bit back the anger swelling in his chest. She didn’t need to hear this crap, to have deal with his problems. At the same time, he couldn’t stop the memories from rising, and for a moment, he couldn’t say anything. The too familiar shaking started in his hands, spreading outward, and the memories sucked him in. Only the soft scent of her perfume kept him grounded in the here and now. He banded his arms around her, holding on to the shred of sanity he still had.

  She was quiet for so long he tensed, waiting for the denial some part of him knew was coming. Finally, she drew a heavy breath and sat up, pulling away from him. She scooted to the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment.

  “I’m sorry for what you went through, I really am, but I can’t watch you do it again. I can’t. You should just go.” For the second time in as many days, she got up and walked away from him, striding into the attached bathroom.

  At least this time she didn’t slam the door. It closed behind her with a quiet snap, but the sound resounded through the room.

  Determined not to give up, he crossed his arms and stayed where he was. She had to come back out sometime, so he’d wait. Took her five minutes, but eventually the door opened.

  She darted a glance at him as she crossed to her dresser—painted white and topped by a three-tiered jewelry box and no less than a half dozen perfume bottles—and opened the top drawer. “Care to tell me why you’re really here so early?”

  “Couldn’t sleep.” It was a vague answer, and on some level, he knew he owed her the truth, but he had no desire to watch her face when he said the words. He hadn’t slept more than a couple hours each night since he’d gotten home. Too much quiet. Too much time to think. Reminded him too damn much of the cell in Iraq. When he did manage to sleep, the dreams were never-ending.

  Somewhere deep down, he knew he could never really be with her until he opened up to her about what he’d been through, until he told her the real reason he couldn’t stay. But he had no desire to tell her.

  She didn’t look at him as she pulled a pair of light blue panties from the drawer and stepped into them. “A week passed after that morning your mother called me with the news, and then you showed up at the auction. What were you hoping to accomplish with that stunt?”

  “I didn’t call you because I didn’t think you wanted to see me.” Okay, so that was honest. He’d spent too much time rehashing their last argument, until he’d convinced himself if he did show up on her penthouse, she’d slam the door in his face. “But I saw the commercial. They flashed your picture as one of the bachelorettes, and I couldn’t stay away. I wasn’t hoping for anything, except to see you in person.”

  Dean had been the one to finally convince him. They’d been sitting on the couch, watching whatever movie had been on TV that night. His brother had taken one look at him and pulled his wallet from his back pocket, handing him a credit card. “Go get her. Go see your girl. At the very least, you’ll get the closure you need.”

  Ty had stared at the TV for long after the commercial had changed, the dejection weighing on him, pulling him down. “I can’t pay you back, man. That auction is beyond my means.”

  “But it’s not beyond mine. Just make sure she doesn’t go home with anyone else.” Dean had shaken the card at him and laughed. “You’ll be one miserable son of a bitch if you don’t. Go get your girl, little brother.”

  So he’d taken the card and left the house on a wing and a prayer.

  Cassie turned to face him, pulling him from the memory. Her hands hung limp at her sides but she rolled her eyes. “Well, congratulations, you surprised the hell out of me.”

  He leaned up on his elbows, peering down the bed at her. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  She stiffened, shaking her head as she crossed to the walk-in closet adjoining the room, disappearing inside. “Sorry. Can’t. I have plans.”

  “Hot date?” He’d thought about this a lot, too, over the last three years. Wondering if she’d started dating again, if some other guy had his arms around her. He had no desire to hear the answer, but the knot curling in his gut demanded he ask the question.

  “Maybe.” She reappeared in the closet entrance, now wearing a white, long-sleeved dress shirt. The garment remained open, covering her breasts but leaving her belly bare. She arched a brow. “Does it matter?”

  Irritation prickled along his nerve endings. He glared at her. “You know, I’m pretty sure we were both full of shit that night three years ago. I scared you, because for the first time in your life, you felt something. Have the balls to admit it.”

  She disappeared into the closet again. “I need you need to go. I actually have to work today.”

  Her comment hit a raw nerve, drawing him up straight. She meant to insinuate, of course, that she had a job and he didn’t. He was dating the rich girl. They’d had this same argument one time too many. Cassie had expensive taste. She’d offered to pay for things he flat out couldn’t give her. Fancy restaurants requiring things like black ties. Trips to exotic locations. It had always wounded his pride, because it scared the hell out of him. That maybe one day she’d realize he’d never be able to give her any of that and leave him for a schmuck with deeper pockets. He’d sworn he’d gotten over that in the last three years, but even now he couldn’t help but wonder—was her date tonight one of those schmucks?

  “Low blow, sweetheart, even for you. Have fun on your date.” He shook his head and sat upright, scooting to the end of the bed.

  When he was halfway across the room, she appeared in the closet doorway, eyes wide. “I didn’t mean—”

  He held up a hand and shook his head. “Save it. Frankly, I’ve had enough of this. It’s the same shit, over and over.” He pointed a finger at her. “I’ll tell you one thing. He better treat you right, or I will find him, and I will kick his ass.”

  He didn’t wait for her response but stalked from the room, in large part because he feared saying something else he’d regret. Like telling her she was his, body and soul. He couldn’t expect her to live like a nun for the rest of her life. Nor could he blame her for moving on, either. He couldn’t expect her to drop everything because suddenly he wasn’t dead anymore.

  The thought of her with someone else still made him want to hit something. Namely, whoever the jerk was she had a date with. He’d bide his time, though, because he would get her back. She cared more than she wanted to let on, and he would get her to admit it one way or another.

  He couldn’t allow himself to think about where their relationship would go after that. It was more than he could handle right now. Hell, it was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other these days.

  Once out in the vestibule beyond her front door, he stopped, dug in his pocket, and pulled out the familiar ring. H
e’d tucked it in there before he deployed. It had been in there so long he felt naked without it. Scratches marred the once shiny gold, and the diamond had lost its luster a long time ago. It needed cleaning and polishing in a bad way, but he couldn’t bear to let someone else touch it. This ring had gotten him through hell. When he looked at it, he saw her, lying on his chest the last time they’d made love. That was the night he’d decided he wanted her, all of her, for as long as she’d have him.

  Those long, endless days, when he thought for sure his life would end, he’d held on to his memories of her. When the deliriousness from lack of basic necessities like food and water made him wonder what was real, this ring had grounded him. It gave him hope, something to live for, to fight for. That maybe she cared more than she’d let on. He needed to hear her say the words. Just once.

  For now, he’d play by her rules, which meant standing back and letting her live her life, including dating some asshole who probably didn’t deserve her anyway.

  * * *

  “You told him you had a date?” Maddie’s drink paused halfway to her mouth. She stared across the small table at Cassie as if she’d lost her mind. Cassie couldn’t be sure she hadn’t.

  She looked down at her own drink, this one a Cosmopolitan, ordered by Christina, and shook her head. Heat flooded her cheeks. Maddie had a point.

  “Not exactly. He made the assumption on his own. I just didn’t correct him. And technically, I do have a date.” She lifted her glass, saluting the women seated around the table, and took a long swallow.

  For tonight’s girls’ night, they’d decided on a club, something fun to take them out of their routines. Pulsing lights in various colors illuminated the long, rectangular room in blues, reds, and whites. A live DJ sat in his booth at the back of the room. People in various stages of getting drunk swamped the space. The dance floor was jam-packed with bodies out beyond their table, all of them gyrating to the upbeat music pumping through the room.

  Every single woman seated with her was married. Hannah was pregnant with her and her husband, Cade’s, second child. Maddie had admitted she and Gray were trying to conceive. Even Christina and Sebastian were trying, though so far, they’d had nothing but false alarms. Cassie was the only one unattached, the odd man out. Fitting in with an already established group, she hadn’t been sure how she’d feel, but none of them treated her any differently. She had to admit, she was enjoying the night.

  What she needed tonight was exactly this: other women to confide in. These women had accepted her into their midst no questions asked. She could be herself here and know they’d give her nothing but gentle honesty.

  Across from her, Maddie pursed her lips in disapproval. “The first person the guy comes to see when he gets home is you, and you let him believe you’re on a date with another guy? You need to tell him the truth.”

  In the booth beside her, Christina shook her head and sipped at her drink. “It’s a tough road to walk, sweetie. I let Sebastian think I dated all kinds of men. Then for a while, I did, in the name of trying to convince myself I wasn’t in love with my brother’s best friend. Believe me, I understand. Now, though, I can’t help but wonder how much time we wasted trying not to feel anything for each other.” Christina set her drink on the table. “Tell me this. Do you love him?”

  Cassie let out a heavy sigh and slumped back against the black leather seats. She couldn’t deny that. “Yes.”

  Hannah, who’d been quiet during the recent inquisition, sat back in her chair on the other side of the table and leveled Cassie with a somber gaze. “So why not spend one night with him? Or even just a weekend? See how it goes?”

  Cassie rested her glass on her leg. “I offered. He won’t take me up on it. He told me he can’t stay all night, but he won’t tell me why. And I’m not convinced it isn’t for the best. I’m not sure I could handle him leaving at the end of the night, anyway.”

  Spending a single night making love to Tyler? Yeah. That she could do. Letting him go would be hard, but she’d spent three years wishing she’d had one last time with him. Even simply to lie with him in the dark, to feel him beside her, to listen to the beat of his heart. She wanted it, more than she could admit to herself. Him leaving at the end of the night, though, would leave a wound in her heart. She couldn’t play the carefree party girl anymore. Not being able to wake up in his arms after spending the night making love to him would be too painful.

  “I’ve done the whole one-night-stand thing. It was easier than admitting Tyler’s death was killing me. Most of the guys never stayed, and I didn’t care, but to do that with him?” Cassie shook her head. “It would hurt too much.”

  Hannah sat forward and picked her drink up off the table. A nursing mother and pregnant, she’d opted for Sprite, rather than the rounds of mixed drinks they’d taken to ordering tonight. “Trust me. If you love him, any time spent with him is better than none. Especially after three years mourning him. Despite knowing I’d have to let him go eventually, I didn’t regret those two weeks I spent with Cade. Sounds to me like you just need a reason. You just have to decide why you’re doing it.”

  Cassie let out a harsh laugh. “Oh, that’s easy. Because I missed him. Because I regret everything I said to him three years ago.”

  Christina hooked an arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle hug. “Then tell him. You’ve got a second chance now to do the things you wished you’d done then.”

  Cassie laughed again and lifted her glass, draining the contents. “That’s what Gray said.” She leaned forward, setting the now-empty martini glass on the table. “There’s still the possibility he’ll go overseas again, and I’ll have to let him go. Face the possibility that he could go over there and die for real this time.”

  Hannah arched a dark brow. “But you’ll have had the time with him. Isn’t that better than the loneliness you feel now? Better than him never knowing?”

  Chapter Five

  Cassie paused on the familiar porch, staring at the brightly colored welcome wreath adorning the black door. She’d been here a hundred times over the last three years. Out of Tyler’s “death” she’d gained a friend: his mother. Now, standing there, staring at the door, perspiration prickled along her skin. God, even her knees wobbled. This time she’d come to see Tyler.

  Since getting home from the club at two last night, she’d done nothing but lie in bed contemplating the ceiling. She hadn’t slept a wink, because the guilt was eating her alive.

  Since Nick’s death, she’d lived her life bound and determined not to let anyone in, but Maddie was right. Letting Tyler think she’d gone on a date with another man went beyond just trying to keep him at distance and headed straight into cruel. She didn’t like the sour taste the notion left in her mouth.

  She couldn’t help thinking about what Christina had said, either. That this was her chance to do everything she regretted not doing three years ago. Gray and Hannah had told her the same thing. Were they right? Cassie didn’t know. All she did know was that she owed it to Tyler to at least be honest with him about last night. She’d see where things went from there.

  Drawing her last ounce of courage around her, she straightened her shoulders and knocked on the door. It opened moments later to reveal Tyler. He wore nothing but a pair of baggy gray sweats that hung off his lean hips, leaving his upper body bare to her gaze. Her tongue stuck to the desert dryness on the roof of her mouth. The weight he’d lost over the last three years had honed his body, showcasing the muscle beneath. Where he’d been big and burly in the past, he had an angularity to him now.

  It didn’t help that his gaze raked over her, taking her in from head to toe, or that his eyes filled with a tangible heat. Every inch of her came alive beneath the power of his blatant stare. Her nipples tightened painfully behind the lacy material of her bra, because as his gaze met hers again, the memory of the last time she saw him filled her thoughts. His tongue buried inside her, the way he’d moaned and trembled along with her. Oh yeah
. Tyler had always loved to give oral sex.

  He folded his arms, leaning on the door frame. “Mom’s not here. She had to work the early shift at the coffee shop this morning.”

  She fisted her hands at her sides, determined to stop their damn shaking, and cleared her throat. She’d come over here for a purpose. Fear would not make her back out now. He deserved better from her, especially after everything he’d been through.

  “Actually, I’m not here to see your mom.” She straightened her shoulders. “I came to see you.”

  He didn’t say anything for a long moment but stood staring her down, that unnerving direct gaze pinned on hers. Not a single muscle twitched. “How was your date?”

  The way the word date left his mouth, as if he’d swallowed something sour, had a tidal wave of guilt sucking her under. She stepped across the threshold. Here went nothing. He’d either let her in or slam the door in her face. “Actually, that’s partly what I came to talk to you about. Maddie told me I should be honest with you about last night. I’ve decided she’s right.”

  He straightened off the door frame and dropped his arms to his sides. His jaw tightened and his nostrils flared…right before he stalked away from the door.

  “I don’t want details. I just wanted to make sure he treated you right.” His voice rose as he headed for a doorway some fifty or so feet off to the right. The kitchen, memory told her. “I was about to make breakfast. Want some coffee?”

  She closed the door behind her and followed him into the kitchen, coming to a stop in the entrance. Small and rectangular, the space had barely enough room for two adults to stand side by side between the counters lining the two longest walls. At the far end, a large window flooded the space with the morning light. What there was of it, anyway. The thick cover of gray clouds blocked out any chance of sun.