Billionaire Body Heat

by Sasha Gold

  She knew the minute she saw me. I stood by the car, held the door open for them and watched her intently as they left the restaurant. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened, and she stared in disbelief. I shook my head and she got it immediately. I have the rearview mirror tilted so I can catch a glimpse of her when I get a chance.

  I pull up to the apartment and come to a stop. Claire and Suzette climb out. Tessa gets out last and offers to pay the fare.

  “What do I owe you, sir?” she asks.

  Claire and Suzette stroll up to the entrance. They’re out of earshot, but not so far away that I can touch Tessa. If Claire turns around and sees us standing too close, she’ll get suspicious and my fun will be over.

  Tessa’s playing along, taking out her wallet.

  “Would you like my special rate, miss?”

  “Sir! Really!”

  “I could give you a deal, honey.”

  Her lips curve into a smile. She looks over her shoulder at Claire and Suzette, but the two girls are involved in conversation. Tessa lowers her voice. “I’ve heard about men like you. Men who want to take advantage of a girl.”

  “Just you, honey. I don’t offer a special rate to just anybody.”

  “Oh sure. I bet you say that to all the girls.”

  “Just one girl.”

  “Really?” She gives me a coy look and drawls out the word, acting like she doesn’t believe me. “Just one?”

  I nod. Snowflakes fall around us. One lands on her lashes. When she doesn’t notice, I’m tempted to brush it away, but remember that I can’t. If I reached out to touch her, that would be the moment Claire looked back and she’d know instantly.

  I shove my hands in my heavy coat, to keep from breaking character. “There’s only one.”

  Sparks dance in her eyes. “Like the Highlander?”

  She’s a brat and a half, and I’m so close to stealing her back from Claire. This girl owns me. One minute she makes me think of spanking her ass, the next minute I want to wrap her in my arms and never let go.

  “The Highlander isn’t the love of my life, Tessa. You are.”

  Her smile fades. Her eyes soften. Her scent washes over me and makes me forget for a moment. The charade falls away and it’s just me and Tessa standing face to face on a cold winter’s night.

  “I miss you, Tessa.”

  Her eyes shine. “I miss you.”

  “I’m counting down the hours.”

  “I am too.”

  Claire turns around and shouts. “Everything okay, Tessa?”

  “You better go while I still let you,” I mutter.

  She takes out a few bills from her wallet and puts them in my hand, letting her fingers trail across my palm. “Keep the change, sir.”

  Her tone is edged with sassiness once again.

  “You better watch it, little girl.”

  “Or what?”

  She doesn’t wait for an answer, but turns and walks away, catching up with Claire and Suzette.

  I hear Claire’s voice. She’s talking to Suzette. “That guy was kind of rude.”

  Suzette mumbles something I can’t hear, but then Tessa pipes up. “I thought he was kind of hot.”

  Claire stops dead in her tracks and whirls around to look at me. For a second, I think she’s going to charge back down the walkway, but Suzette gives her a nudge. “C’mon, I’m freezing.”

  Claire turns away and goes inside. Tessa pauses in the doorway, glances over her shoulder and smiles at me. I touch my lips and watch her go.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Tessa

  The only thing missing from my wedding day is Chelsea. I’ve invited friends from school, but it would have been special to have her here too. It didn’t work out. Not for lack of trying. I texted and called, but she refused to come. She’s somewhere a few hours away, working at a daycare and living with a girlfriend. She’s happy at least.

  The days leading up to the wedding, I’m so busy, I don’t have much time to think about anything. Braun Jewelers delivered another ring. Claire was very gracious and didn’t ask me anything about the replacement.

  Saturday is a flurry of non-stop activity and errands. Nails. Hair. Makeup. Claire runs the entire production like a woman on a mission. She manages everything while getting herself ready for the evening. Several people ask her if she’s a professional wedding planner.

  She winks at me. “Not yet.”

  When she helps me get into the dress, I stare at my reflection. The dress is off the shoulder with a lace bodice that emphasizes a little more of my curves than I’m really comfortable with, but Claire insisted. The other day, she announced to the entire dress shop how I ought to be proud of the girls. The dress had to be let out on top and hemmed on the bottom. Even with heels, it was too long.

  I run my fingertips along the delicate lace trim. “I feel like I’m dreaming.”

  She looks over my shoulder. “Don’t you dare cry, Tessa. You’ll ruin your makeup. There’s no time for that.”

  “I won’t cry.”

  I have to tell myself that I won’t cry once more when one of the assistants from the dress shop helps me with my veil. The gauzy lace is adorned with crystals and tiny pearls.

  But when everything is ready, and I stand in the hallway leading to the courtyard where we’ll say our vows, I’m not so sure if I’ll keep from crying. My eyes sting. I sway unsteadily. Damon stands beside me, ready to walk me down the aisle.

  “You okay, Tessa?” he asks.

  “I’m fine. It’s all just a little bit overwhelming.”

  Roman’s brother is dressed in a tux and it’s the first time I’ve seen him clean-shaven. A tattoo snakes along his collar, but I can’t tell what the image is. He gives me a look of extreme sympathy.

  “I get it. I’m never getting married.” He leans down and lowers his voice. “There’s still time to make a run for it. I could call you a cab.”

  “Thank you, Damon. I appreciate that. But I think I’ll stick around.”

  He nods. “Good. Thank you. Roman would find you anyhow and then he’d come back and probably kick my ass. Make my life more miserable than he does now.”

  Violins begin to play. Damon grumbles but then as if he remembers that I’m there, turns and gives me a kind look. “Very romantic music.”

  “Why aren’t you getting married?”

  He takes my hand and tucks it in the crook of his arm. “Because I don’t like people.”

  “Right, well, that could be a problem.”

  “I like you, Tessa. I think you’re not annoying, but you’re the exception.”

  “Thank you, Damon. That means so much to me.”

  He pats my hand.

  “Did someone break your heart?”

  He looks momentarily bewildered and then smirks. “Heart?”

  There must be a story to this. Damon is a sweet, funny, handsome guy. Surely he has women lining up. How can he be so gruff and standoffish? I assume he had his heart broken. Then again, Roman didn’t, and he was every bit as aloof. Maybe it’s a genetic trait with the men of this family because Claire is as sweet as can be.

  And just then she bursts through the door, a flurry of wild motions, beckoning us to begin walking onto the terrace.

  “It’s time!” She whisper-yells. “Come on!”

  The sweet notes of the violins waft through the door. I can see people inside the courtyard. A few crane their necks, looking past Claire and fix their gaze on me. It’s here. Now. Roman and I are getting married.

  “Oh my gosh,” I breathe.

  “I gave you a chance, Tessa, and now it’s too late to back out.” He pats my hand again. “Afraid you’re stuck with us.”

  “It’s exactly where I want to be.”

  He grins at me. “All right then. Let’s get the party started.”

  He leads me onto the terrace, and for the first time in days, I see Roman. Instantly, my heart melts inside, and I’m swept away by a wave of emotion. Damon senses it too an
d tightens his hand around mine. We stop at the end of the aisle, Damon lifts the veil over my head, gives me a sweet smile and kisses my cheek.

  Roman takes me the last few steps where we stop in front of the pastor. Roman holds me in his gaze. I feel a little overcome with the intensity of the moment. It’s clear that Roman’s not fazed at all. He’s as steady as a rock, like he’s been waiting for this moment all along.

  We say our vows. We exchange rings. And when the pastor pronounces us man and wife, Roman cups my face and kisses me with a tender, lingering kiss. He doesn’t let me go.

  Instead he rests his forehead against mine. “I’ve loved you from the very beginning, Tessa. Right from the start.”

  My mind drifts back to the first time our eyes met and the way the air between us sparked with electricity. I’d never felt anything like that before. And now I’m certain. I’ve been waiting for Roman all along.

  Chapter Twenty

  Roman

  I carry my bride up the stone steps of the lake house. She’s telling me about her new lingerie. I want to hear all about it, but she’s more giggles than talk. Her laughter makes it almost impossible for her to give me any details about her fitting.

  “How much champagne did you have, Tessa?”

  This brings on a renewed round of laughter. “Less than a glass, I promise.”

  I walk up to the door. “Open the door. It’s unlocked.”

  She does as I ask. We walk inside, and I kick the door closed. The house is lit with white candles. White rose petals have been strewn across the floor. I carry Tessa to the window and set her down. She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me sweetly.

  “Look at this view,” I tell her.

  She turns in my arms and sighs softly. “It’s beautiful.”

  Perched on a rocky escarpment, the house overlooks Westmoreland Lake below. There aren’t any lights around, but the moon hangs low in the sky. It’s full and casts a silvery glow across the water.

  The scent of her skin draws me to the bare expanse of her neck. I kiss her, small biting kisses that make her squirm in my arms. She reaches up, runs her fingers through my hair.

  “You look beautiful, sweetheart. When you walked up the aisle, you took my breath away.”

  “You didn’t look too bad yourself,” she says, her tone soft but playful. “You’re pretty darned handsome in a tuxedo. And out of a tuxedo, of course, but I knew that already.”

  “I want you out of this dress. I want to see the lacy things you have on underneath.”

  She tenses, and her eyes widen. “No ripping. I want to wear this again sometime, and I don’t want you to tear it to shreds.”

  “No promises,” I growl. “I haven’t touched my woman in a long time.”

  She escapes my grasp and darts away with another, slightly inebriated giggle. It’s not that Tessa ever gets tipsy, but just a few sips make her amp up the sass.

  She shakes her head. “Maybe I should undress myself.”

  I tug my bowtie off, toss it aside and start undoing my shirt. “Get to it, then.”

  “Get to it,” she says indignantly. “Listen to my silver-tongued husband. We’ve been married five and a half hours and the romance has gone right out the window.”

  Her words jolt me out of my haze of lust. She’s teasing me, of course, backing away from me and practically begging me to chase her. I’d like to grab her and toss her on the bed. I’d push her skirts up, yank her panties down and fuck her in her pretty wedding dress. I stop myself from going full-on barbarian, though.

  “I bought you a present, Tessa.”

  The teasing glint in her eye fades. She looks at me with a sweet, almost vulnerable expression. “You didn’t have to do that, Roman. You’ve already given me so much.”

  “I wanted to get you something special. I know your birthday is the beginning of September. And I know you didn’t celebrate your birthday growing up.”

  She draws a trembling breath. Her eyes shine as I take the velvet box out of my pocket. I’d almost forgotten because I was so consumed with need for her.

  I close the distance between us and hold out the box. She snaps it open and lets out a soft huff of surprise. The necklace sparkles in the candlelight.

  “It’s beautiful, Roman. What is it?”

  “It’s a sapphire. Your birthstone.”

  I take the necklace out of the box, step behind her and manage, after several fumbling attempts to put it on her. She crosses the room, her skirts rustling, and stops in front of a mirror. I move behind her and look at her reflection.

  The gem’s color contrasts with her pale skin. It hangs just above the swell of her breasts. It’s just as I pictured when I picked it out with a little help from Charles Braun.

  “I’m going to make every birthday amazing. Over the top. For the rest of your life, Tessa.” I turn her in my arms and brush a kiss over her lips. “I’m so lucky to marry you.”

  I wanted to make her happy, but she’s overwhelmed. I can tell she’s about two seconds from crying. I can’t have my bride crying on her wedding night. I smile at her. “I love you, Tessa. Maybe I should open a bottle of champagne and get you tipsy with one sip.”

  She wraps her arms around my neck and rests her face against my chest. “I love you too, Roman.”

  I stroke her back and kiss the top of her head. Her hair had been tidy and swept up into an elegant twist for most of the night. Now it looks a little messy, and the way small tendrils trail down her back makes me want to undo the rest of her hair and run my fingers through her sexy curls.

  “I didn’t get you anything like a birthstone,” she says.

  “That’s all right, sweetheart-”

  “I got you icing.”

  She sounds a little lost. Like her present isn’t good enough. I don’t even know what she’s talking about. Icing?

  “I have everything I want right here.” I tighten my hold on her. A raw, primitive awareness comes over me. I get this when ever I think about Tessa. It’s strong, dangerous even, and I felt it even before I first laid eyes on her.

  She looks up at me. “I thought it would be fun.”

  “Of course.” No clue…

  She moves out of my embrace and goes into the kitchen, emerging a moment later with a bag of some sort in her hands. “It’s an icing bag.” She bats her lashes.

  “Icing, huh?” I can’t help smiling. “Sounds sticky.”

  I recall the evening we worked at the Com Center, and that I’d told her I wanted to eat my dessert tied to the headboard. A wave of neon heat rolls down my spine and I can’t help but glance at the bed. No slats in the headboard. Well, that’s too bad.

  The idea of binding her wrists over her head and having her at my mercy brings a wave of need. My cock’s instantly hard again. I adjust myself and wince. I need to sink into her sweet, tight body. Now. Right now.

  “Come here, wife.” I take her hand and lead her to the bed. “It’s been too long. I can’t wait any more.” I unzip her dress and let it fall to the ground. She stands in a huge mound of lace and silk, wearing a lacy bra, panties and stockings. I stare at her. She’s so fucking gorgeous, I could seriously lose my sanity. Her bra cups her breasts. Her panties are delicate, and I remind myself not to tear them from her body. And the stockings show off her sexy as fuck legs.

  “I want everything off but the stockings.” I hold up my hands, not trusting myself to undress her further. “I’ll let you take off the panties and bra.”

  I take off my jacket and toss it aside. Then my shirt. I watch as she takes off her bra, but she turns so I can’t see. She adjusts her stockings and strips out of her panties, taking her sweet time while I undress. Somehow, I’m undressed before she is. Little tease.

  I move to the bed and smack her ass. “You’re taking too long, baby.”

  She pouts and rubs her ass. Her expression makes my lust burn along my veins. Smacking her ass along with the sassy little look she gives me is damned near too much for the la
st remnants of self-control that keep me from turning into a complete beast.

  Her necklace sparkles in the candlelight. I’m going to cover her with jewels. Show the world she belongs to me. As I kiss her, I ease her back to the bed, claiming her smart mouth while I move over her. The scent of her arousal sends a savage jolt of lust through me.

  As much as I’d like to have my cock buried in her tight little body, I can’t forget about the icing. She’s probably wondering if I can hold off. If I can keep my hunger for her in check. I can. Barely. And I don’t want her to think I don’t like her gift, even if it is a bit of a challenge.

  I grab the bag from the bedside table and smile at her as I squeeze a dab of icing onto a nipple. She giggles as I lower to lick it off, but her laughter turns to a soft moan. Lying beneath me, she squirms as she whispers my name. Each flick of my tongue makes her more desperate.

  I ice her other breast. She draws a sharp breath. I tease her a little longer with this little bit of icing, making her writhe with need.

  “Roman,” she whispers. “Please…”

  Every night leading up to the wedding, when I lay alone in bed, I obsessed over Tessa. During the day, I missed her smile and the way she made me happy just by being nearby. But at night, I’d think of other things I missed about her. Her skin. Her tits. Her pussy. I love the way she tastes, and I love how she responds when I lick her and tease her. Hearing the small mewling sounds she makes drives me wild. Hearing her scream my name is the best thing I know. I’d like to taste more of her now but can’t hold back any longer.

  I need to fuck her. Now.

  I run my hands along her silken thighs and coax them apart. Her gaze warms with need as she watches me intently. I settle over her and keep my eyes on hers as I tease her wet, swollen pussy with the head of my cock.

  She whimpers and whispers soft words. “Roman. I want you. Now.”

  With a single thrust, I take her.

  She gasps, but her mouth curves into a sweet smile. “Yes…”