Romance: Love Dies Hard 2 (Billionaire Romance Series) (Hard to Love)

by Cartwright, C. C.

  “I’m coming babe,” he warns as he lets out the longest cry of ecstasy while he’s releasing into me. He doesn’t collapse on me like he usually does, but rolls off to the side and wraps his arms around me as we gasp for air.

  “I love this song. It’s about our passion…,” I say looking at the ceiling listening to Sex On Fire by the Kings of Leon play through the darkness after our lovemaking. He nuzzles his face up along the side of my cheek kissing me and holding me tight. I love being in his arms, there is no better feeling in the entire universe. I turn to look into his eyes and he kisses my nose.

  “What are you thinking beautiful?”

  “I love being in your arms,” I admit softly.

  “I love having you in my bed. I want you here every night with me. Move in with me.”

  “What?” I laugh.

  “Move in with me.”

  “You haven’t even thought about it,” I scoff.

  “I have thought about it.”

  “Don’t be so impulsive, your Dad would croak if he knew.”

  “I don’t give a shit what he or anybody else says. I only care about what you say and I hope you’ll say you will,” he says.

  “Marcus, honestly, you don’t know what you’re asking,” I say with a big smile on my face because I’m flattered, but my answer is still no.

  “I do know what I’m asking.”

  “It’s not a good idea Marcus,” I say caressing his cheek to try and soften the blow.

  “Why not?”

  “I like to maintain my independence and I love my apartment. Don’t look sad baby, you know how fiercely independent I am.” Living together is the next step to an even bigger commitment. A commitment I don’t think I’m willing to make with a man like Marcus, a man who drinks way too much and dabbles in the occasional recreational partying.

  “Yeah, I know, but do you know how many girls would jump at the chance if I asked them to move in and you flat out tell me no. I’m not used to being told no.”

  “I’m happy with our arrangement the way it is. The player should be happy I’m not pushing for more,” I reply then give him a passion filled kiss to try and distract him from pouting any further. Besides, I don’t believe in living together. Why would I ever want to limit my freedom? Plus, I want to keep my options open until the bitter end.

  *****

  Saturday morning I awaken to the smell of coffee brewing and Marcus has left the bed. I stretch and pad off to the bathroom to take a tinkle. Oh my God. I started…thank God! I breathe out the biggest sigh of relief…being late scared the living daylights out of me. I need to set a daily reminder in my cell phone to remember to take my pill. Never again do I want to have to go through this stress again.

  I walk out into the kitchen and see Marcus leaning against the counter looking so sexy in just boxers.

  “Hey sleepyhead,” he teases with a smile before he takes a sip out of his coffee mug.

  “I’m not pregnant!” I squeal out in relief as the biggest smile spreads across my face. I walk up to him and wrap my arms around him and stand up on my tippy toes to give him a kiss.

  “Oh great,” he says without much enthusiasm. That’s weird.

  “God, I am so relieved, I can’t even tell you,” I say as I pour myself a cup of coffee. “I was freaking out, so stressed, never again. You have to remind me to take my pill every day or else we need to start using condoms.” He just stares at me. I must be rambling.

  “Would it have been so horrible to have my baby? I guess I don’t have to worry about you trying to trap me,” he says grumpily walking off into the living room.

  “Marcus, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Aren’t you relieved I’m not pregnant? How scary would that have been?”

  “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?”

  “Why are you acting so weird? I know I’m not ready to have kids,” I say almost in disgust.

  “Do you ever want to have kids?”

  “That’s a good question. I haven’t given it much thought, I’m not sure,” I answer honestly.

  “Look Sophie, I’m thirty and at first the thought of a kid freaked me out too. But you know what, I actually do want a family someday. A wife and kids, the whole nine yards. I know what you’re thinking, unbelievable coming from me right? I’ve thought about it these last couple of weeks when we thought you were…,” he continues. You could literally knock me over with a feather right now, I’m so blown away by the player’s declaration.

  “You’re serious aren’t you?” I ask in wonder.

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along babe,” he says exposing his vulnerability.

  “I don’t know what to say.” It’s true I don’t.

  “Come sit over here,” he says. I wander into the living room from the kitchen and straddle him on the sofa, “I’m crazy about you.”

  “I know,” I say with a sweet smile.

  “Where do you want to go for breakfast?”

  “I’m in the mood for a great big stack of pancakes,” I gush.

  “Honestly woman, where do you put all of the food you eat and still keep that sexy little body of yours,” he teases grabbing me by the waist and I lean down and tease him with a kiss. All is right in my world again.

  Chapter 8

  Sophie

  “You ready, I’m heading down?” Marcus asks walking into my office.

  “No, I’ve got to call a client in Australia in half an hour. You go ahead and I’ll come down when I’m done here,” I suggest.

  “Ok babe,” he says softly so no one hears and then he walks up to me and grabs my ass, pulling me into him and giving me a peck on the lips.

  “Marcus, not in the office,” I say pushing him away and looking out my floor to ceiling window into the hallway.

  “Don’t worry, everyone is gone. I should take you right now, bent over your desk,” he says burying his face in my neck.

  “Alright lover boy, run along now,” I say with a soft laugh. He is going down to Sloan’s, the bar downstairs from our office building.

  I finish up with my work and then head down to Sloan’s. When I get there I walk out into the patio and see a group from Hunter mingling together.

  “Hey Sophie,” Christopher calls out to me.

  “Hi guys,” I say walking up to him and Tasha.

  “You were working late,” Tasha says.

  “On the Olson account, I had to call Australia,” I say looking around, wondering where Marcus is. When I glance at Christopher he’s looking over my shoulder and I follow his gaze. Marcus is standing over by the bar with a very attractive brunette. Her hand is on his lapel and something about the way they are standing together and the expression on both of their faces looks like they know each other intimately. She is laughing flirtatiously and the way Marcus looks at her makes me feel sick to my stomach. It’s the way he looks at me when I’m in his bed. I turn back around and Christopher looks at me expectantly.

  “Who’s the girl?” I ask.

  “That’s Jade, Jade Johansson. She used to work at Hunter, but she left over a year ago,” Christopher explains.

  “And, why did she leave, or was she fired?” I ask.

  “She left on her own. Marcus and her used to…” Christopher stops, letting me use my own imagination to finish his sentence.

  “I see,” I say taking a sip of my wine. Tasha gives me a look of sympathy. “I’m out of here,” I say turning on my heel, making haste to get the hell out of here. I drive straight home, I don’t need this shit from him, I really don’t.

  Once I get home, I change into something comfortable, put my hair up and go searching in my freezer for some ice cream to drown my sorrows. I crawl onto my sofa and curl up to enjoy an episode of The Good Wife. I love Will and Alicia together. They’re having this hot forbidden affair, you see she’s married to a real dirt bag cheating politician. I’m a real sucker for love triangles in books, television shows and
movies. Heck, even in my own love life! Suddenly, I’m startled by a loud pounding on my front door. Who would the doorman let in? I shouldn’t even answer it.

  “Sophie, let me in,” Marcus calls through the door. Shit. I go and toss my empty ice cream container in the trash and throw my spoon in the sink.

  “Go be with Jade and leave me alone,” I call through the door.

  “Sophie, let me in, please,” he begs softly.

  “No, go away,” I pout, crossing my arms across my chest, leaning my back against the door.

  “I’m not leaving until you open this door. Please Sophie, let me in. I’ll make it worth your while,” he says seductively. Damn him, now I’m afraid my neighbors may hear him so I open the door and he’s standing there with a panty melting, sinfully wicked smile across his face. I turn and walk into my living room and resume watching The Good Wife and try to ignore him. He walks in shaking his head like I’m the one with the problem and closes the door.

  “I didn’t want the neighbors to over hear you propositioning me, now please leave.”

  “Sophie, don’t be jealous. Jade means nothing to me,” he says like she’s yesterday’s trash.

  “I’m sure,” I say, not even knowing why I bother giving him a response. He sits next to me on the sofa and nuzzles into my neck as he pulls me into him.

  “You’re extra sexy when you’re all fired up and jealous,” he says as he takes what he wants from me, he cups my breast and tweaks my nipple and damn him, it hardens. “Come on babe, let me love you,” he says biting my ear lobe and that familiar throb between my legs is hard to ignore.

  “Why should I?” I say looking straight ahead at the television.

  “Because you are the only one I want,” he whispers grazing my cheek with those luscious lips of his. I reach for the remote and turn off the TV.

  “I saw the way she was touching you and the way you were looking at her. Why didn’t you go home with her and do what you do best?” I turn to face him defiantly. He takes my face in his hands and his lips take mine in a hard kiss.

  “Let’s make love, not war,” he says seductively making him impossible to resist.

  Chapter 9

  Marcus

  What is Jade Johansson doing here tonight? She is trouble with a capital T. I haven’t seen her in ages, not since she quit the firm over a year age. Things ended badly between us, I should have never started anything with her. She’s the reason I stopped taking a dip in the office pool. I thought I had learned my lesson, that was until sexy Sophie started flirting with me and then I could not for the life of me resist her temptation. Now that Sophie has rocked my world, I don’t want anyone else warming my bed at night.

  “Marcus, you look good. Good enough to eat,” Jade says seductively as she approaches me and her demanding eyes scan my body intimately.

  “Jade, what a surprise to see you here,” I offer with a rigid smile. She goes for an embrace and lingers a moment longer, pressing her cheek against mine and I can sense that familiar stir in my briefs. After what feels like an hour goes by, we’re still catching up and I start to wonder where Sophie is.

  “Excuse me,” I say to Jade and I walk up to Christopher’s group.

  “Have you seen Sophie?”

  “She came and went, she wasn’t happy,” Christopher warns.

  “What do you mean? I never saw her.”

  “Sophie saw you and Jade talking.”

  “So.”

  “When she asked me who the girl was, I told her you two used to…” Christopher trails off, leaving me to sound like the biggest womanizer.

  “Oh great, thanks for having my back,” I remark and my jaw clenches.

  “Hey she asked and all I did was answer her question,” Christopher says in his defense. I bet Sophie went home. Interesting, I’ve never seen my confident Sophie be jealous. I head down to the garage, get into my Bentley and drive over to her palatial apartment in Century City.

  Seeing Jade again tonight stirred up those old feelings I used to have for her. She’s the only other woman I let get close to me in the last couple of years. She and Sophie are actually a lot alike. Both of them are gorgeous, feisty in the bedroom and independent women who go after what they want. Back then, Jade wanted me and I let her have me, for a while that is. But then she started wanting more than I was willing to give, so I had to cut her loose, besides a sexier distraction caught my eye. I can’t even remember her name now. Jade didn’t take my ending it with her very well. It got so awkward at the office that we found another firm to make her an offer she couldn’t refuse and she took it.

  The doorman in Sophie’s building waves me in no problem. He knows me by now as a frequent visitor of Miss Shawn’s. I pound loudly on her door and she won’t answer, but I am nothing if persistent.

  Once I finally get her to open her door I see she has her hair pulled up in a loose bun, she’s braless with a thin cropped t-shirt showing her sexy taut belly and she has on low slung pink sweats and she still looks adorably sexy and pissed. She won’t even look me in the eyes as she walks off swaying her tight little ass, and sits on her sofa trying to ignore me. I guess she doesn’t know, but no one ignores Marcus Hunter. She’s so damn feisty, it turns me on immensely as a tent is rising in my suit trousers. This is like foreplay for me. I want to take her right this minute. After I close the front door and sit down next to her on the sofa, I pull her into my arms and she just stares straight ahead watching one of her power women shows that she loves. I cup her breast with one hand, pinch her nipple and like magic it hardens instantly. She tries to act like it has no effect on her, but her body tells me otherwise. This woman always wants me, she will always spread for me, she and I both know it. I nuzzle into her and enjoy her sweet and sexy scent.

  “Sophie, don’t be jealous. Jade means nothing to me,” I try to talk myself out of the dog house and into her panties.

  “Leave please,” she says defiantly, her back rigid and her head held high.

  “Let me love you babe, you know you want me. I bet your panties are wet right now,” I say reaching my hand into the waistband of her pink sweats and my fingers go searching until I find that I’m proven right. My demanding eyes never leave hers and her breath hitches when I sweep my fingers along her slickness. She clamps her legs together tightly to try and still my hand.

  “Marcus, stop,” she says breathlessly and her eyelids flutter.

  “I don’t think you really want me to,” I say, taking my other hand up to her face and I stroke my thumb across her pouting lips, I slide my thumb into her parted lips and she sucks it in, swirling her tongue around it like she does when she’s sucking my cock. I become rock hard at the sight and sound of it. My lips capture hers in a kiss which she can’t help but moan into and I know she’s surrendering to me. I’m the master at seduction. Her legs part as I sink in my fingertips into every inch of her and she moans again with her eyes closed. My Sophie is the sexiest woman I’ve had the pleasure to know so intimately. Seriously. Sophie pulls her t-shirt over her head exposing her perky and supple breasts begging for my attention, in fact her whole body is begging for my attention. She stands and strips off her sweats and then lies back on the sofa with her legs spread, inviting me in.

  “You’re overdressed,” she purrs out, putting her hands above her head and eyeing me lasciviously.

  “You’re my sexy minx.” I unbuckle my belt and drop my trousers and I spring to attention. Then I strip off my dress shirt holding her gaze with demanding eyes.

  “Only for you Marcus.”

  “You got that right,” I say seductively as I get down on my knees before her. I can’t resist getting a taste of my girl. She tastes so sweet and I love feeling her shudder against my lips.

  “Marcus,” she calls me up to her, I know she wants me to bury myself balls deep inside her. I crawl up her delicious curves nibbling along the way to enjoy the taste of her skin. I swirl my tongue in her belly button and she lets out an adorably sexy squeal as s
he runs he hands through my hair.

  “Are you ticklish?” I ask.

  “Yes, horribly so.” Of course I can’t resist tickling her belly with the brush of my fingertips.

  “Marcus, stop,” she laughs. Her soft laughter warms my heart.

  “I love you Sophie,” I pause and my eyes penetrate hers.

  “I love you too,” spills from her lips. I’m stunned, I can’t believe she finally expresses her love for me. I claim her lips in a passionate kiss and am now dying to be deep inside her where I feel as if we’re one.

  “Let’s go to your bed,” I say easing off her and extending my hand to her that she grasps in her tiny hand. I’ve never been happier than when I am with Sophie. We crawl into her 500 thread count sheets and I finish making tender love to her tonight. No dirty talk, just soft moans of pleasure and ecstasy as we show each other how much we love each other with our bodies fusing together as one. I hope Sophie senses it too. Afterwards we fall into a deep and luxurious slumber.

  *****

  “You were jealous last night,” I tease. I actually enjoyed seeing Sophie jealous, it meant she cared, cared about us.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she denies, denies, denies, as she tries to escape me.

  “Not so fast,” I say, pinning her down as I hold her wrists over her head against the mattress. She squirms beneath me and I like it, I like it very much as evidenced by my growing manhood.

  “Who is she to you anyway?” Sophie asks.

  “Jade Johansson. We dated eons ago, she quit the firm over a year ago,” is all I offer by way of explanation.

  “Why did she leave?”

  “Why does it matter? She left, end of story,” I shrug.

  “Did you break her heart?” Sophie ventures to ask.

  “That’s the word on the street. But she’s a big girl, she can take care of herself and I’m sure she has a line of guys willing to take my place.” A cloud washes over her expression and she won’t meet my gaze. “Sophie, I love you.” She doesn’t say a word for the longest time.