Slowly his gaze moved from the sunset to the woman before him. Her large brown eyes held only an earnest honesty. She was trying to see his confessions in the best light. Offer some redemption when he didn’t deserve it.
“I was naive and stupid,” he replied. “I didn’t understand the difference between loving a person and loving the bank account behind the name.”
Her inhale was swift. “Sophia wanted your money?”
“Plus the property, position, and power.”
Avery shook her head. “How could anyone take advantage of a grieving boy like that?”
The question lightened some of the pressure on his chest. She looked so confused because there wasn’t an evil bone in her body. Avery would never use someone else’s pain to her advantage. She was as different from Sophia as night was from day. Even someone as damaged as he could see that.
“She saw her opening and took it,” he replied. In hindsight, he even admired her ruthless ambition. She’d played a long con, and her payout had no doubt exceeded expectations. The only price for her wealth had been catering to the wishes of a foolish boy.
“But you were with her for five years.”
“I wasn’t a fast learner.”
“She tricked you,” Avery said, her eyes hardening. “Used you. That’s unforgivable.”
He didn’t disagree.
“She packed me off to college, visiting on the weekends to make sure I didn’t leave her for someone my own age. Our vacations were always spent on the most luxurious islands, like this one.”
“Let me guess. On your dime?”
“I had a trust fund set up in my name. Not to mention I was the sole heir to an emerging hotel empire. Money wasn’t an issue.”
Or it hadn’t been until they’d discovered the millions Sophia had skimmed from the company.
“At least you went to school,” she said. “It gave you a chance to be away from her and become your own person.”
“It did,” he agreed. “She’d enrolled me in an art degree, but it only took one semester for me to switch into business.” He remembered the fight they’d had over that. Sophia had tried to keep him from following his parent’s footsteps, Purportedly because she wanted a different life for him. One free of stress, which would conveniently keep him from looking too closely at his company’s books.
But though he would have stepped in front of a bullet for her, he’d known even then he wanted to take his place in the corporate world, and had done what he needed to do to ensure that path was open to him.
“How did you get away from her?” she asked.
He drained his wineglass. “I’ll tell you how my romance ended when you tell me about yours,” he said.
She sat back with a disappointed sigh, and he had to hide the smile tugging at his lips. He never would have thought it possible to grin while remembering his sordid past, but here he was.
Because of her.
“So we both have some damage in our pasts,” she said, draining her glass.
“It would seem so.”
“But yours has impacted your life for what, over a decade? You never wanted to try and love someone again?”
“Never.”
Love was a trap he’d never allow himself to be ensnared in again.
“That’s sad.” She gazed at him with something akin to pity in her gaze, and the sight made him want to bare his teeth in protest. Of all the reactions he’d been forced to shoulder during his relationship with Sophia, pity had always been the worst.
“Not really,” he replied, tossing his napkin onto his plate. “Without Sophia, I never would have grown into the man I am today.”
The look on her face said clearly, that’s the problem.
“Because of her, I threw myself into my company, determined to undo the damage my ill-fated romance had created. For nearly ten years I did nothing but live and breathe this organization. I poured everything I had into it, and now I’ve secured a lasting empire. It’s nothing to sneer at.”
“No, it’s not,” she agreed. “But it’s also not something that will keep you warm at night.”
He shook his head at her naïveté. “That’s not usually a problem.”
“Yes, of course,” she replied, rearing back. “I forgot about all of us interchangeable women drifting through your life when you want us and disappearing when you don’t.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said.
“Right.” She pushed from her chair. “The sun has set, and you don’t want your daily update. I think it’s time for me to go.”
Something inside of him twisted to see her walk away from him. The need to act roared through him. He needed to stop her. Make her understand.
Make her stay.
Chapter Nine
Hayden leaped to his feet as Avery stepped from the balcony. He raced forward, catching her arm before she could slip away.
He stared down at her, noting her refusal to meet his gaze.
Careful. One wrong move and you’ll lose her.
Now would be an excellent time to turn on the charm. To use any of the empty words or phrases he’d perfected to get him out of trouble over the past years. But instead of flattery, only one blunt truth fell from his lips.
“Nothing about you is interchangeable.”
She stiffened in his hold, not speaking but not leaving, either.
He waited, knowing his words had been nothing but the truth. She was unique. It’s what made her so damn irresistible. Life had trained him to predict the actions of others. He’d always been on his guard because everyone wanted something from him.
Except Avery. All she wanted was a job she could pour her heart and soul into.
She didn’t want his money. She didn’t want to use his connections.
Hell, most of the time she didn’t want anything to do with him at all.
But then there were other times. Other times when she turned her head toward him and those dark, knowing eyes slowly rose to his, seeing far deeper into him than anyone else had ever bothered to look.
His breath caught in his chest as he stared down at her, afraid one false move would send her sprinting from the room.
Her eyes dipped to his mouth before meeting his gaze again. She was so close, trapped between the doorjamb and his body. He wanted to drag her forward into the room and press her back against the wall. Every instinct in is body begged him to touch her, kiss her.
Claim her.
“We just don’t work together, Hayden,” she said, her voice soft.
“We do,” he replied. “And I look forward to proving it to you.”
The indecision in her gaze tugged at his heart.
“Trust me,” he said, meaning the words in a way he never had before. “I can be what you need.”
A soft sigh escaped her. “It’s a nice thought but…”
“It’s more than a thought. Give me a chance, Avery.” He dared to shift a little closer.
Her hand rose, hesitating a moment before he felt her fingers trace along his jaw. He caught her fingers, raising them to his lips. “This isn’t a game. I swear it.”
Her thumb brushed against his mouth. “But what if I wanted to play?”
She spoke the words so quietly he almost missed them.
But when they computed, fire ignited within him.
“Oh, Avery. Don’t you know all you need to do is ask?”
Giving in to temptation, he pulled her to him, his mouth capturing hers. Her soft gasp was muffled by his lips, and for a moment he feared she would pull away. Then she melted into his arms just as he’d imagined her doing again and again these past months
The hunger that always lived just beneath the surface when she was near flared back to the forefront. He’d never get tired of feeling her body pressed against his.
Wrapping his hands around her waist, he waltzed her backward into the room, his lips never leaving hers. He knew what would happen if he gave her time to think. She’d talk herself out o
f what they both wanted, and the idea of losing her now ripped into him.
“Wait,” she whispered, right on cue.
He slid a hand up to cup her breast, startling a swift inhale from her.
“Don’t think,” he whispered in her ear, flicking his thumb over the thin material of her dress. “Just for a few minutes. Please.”
“This is a bad idea.”
“I’m full of them,” he agreed as her legs hit his bed.
Her fingers spayed out against his chest, and she pushed against him just enough to look up into his eyes.
“This won’t end the way you want it to,” she said.
A smile tugged his lips as he leaned his forehead against hers. “Baby steps. Just let me touch you. Only a little. I’ll behave myself.”
He tumbled her backward onto the bed. She bounced twice, righting herself before turning to him.
Hayden wasted no time. Gripping the hem of his shirt, he tugged it over his head. Her expressive eyes immediately dropped to his exposed chest. There was no stopping his grin when her tongue flicked out to lick her lips. If the sight of his body stopped that brilliant brain of hers, he was more than happy to use that knowledge to his advantage every chance he got.
“Put it back on,” she breathed.
“No, I don’t think I will,” he said, crawling onto the bed as she scooted backward. “It’s getting rather hot in here. I highly recommend taking off that dress.”
“What do you think the odds of that happening are?”
He prowled over her, dropping a light kiss to her lips. “All right. I told you before, remember? There’s a lot we can do with clothes on.” Nudging her legs apart, he settled his weight between them.
She hissed out a breath.
“You wanted to play,” he whispered, running his lips along her jaw as his hands stroked down her curvy body. “Where’s the harm?”
“You have no idea,” she said, tipping her head back to give him better access as her eyelids fluttered shut.
He smiled, satisfaction thrumming through him. “Tell me you don’t want me to touch you.” He drew his fingers along the backs of her thighs, inching her dress higher. “Tell me you don’t want me to taste you.”
A shudder ran through her body, and he knew it had nothing to do with fear.
“I can be good,” he whispered in her ear before catching the tender lobe between his teeth.
“I remember,” she gasped.
A chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Not quite what I meant. Trust me, Avery. Just a little. Trust me to take care of you.”
Dark eyes met his as she lay in his arms. He didn’t need to be a mind reader to see the longing within them, and the worry.
“You’ll forget yourself,” she said. “And sex will complicate things. We should stop.”
“I won’t,” he promised, though keeping the vow might just kill him. He’d never wanted anything the way he wanted to be inside her. But if sex was her line in the sand, then he could play by her rules. This time, at least.
Then she’d see he was more than the jaded womanizer she thought he was. She’d realize he was someone she could trust.
Someone she could see herself with.
Temporarily, his inner voice interrupted. You want her to be with you temporarily.
Because that was all his battered heart could offer.
Avery’s hand slid down his chest, tracing her fingers over the contours of his muscles.
“Play,” she breathed.
“A foreign concept to you, I know,” he teased. “Let me teach you.”
Her gaze flicked up to his. “I always was a good student.”
Fire shot through him, turning his already painfully hard cock to iron. The things he’d like to teach her. His eyes nearly crossed at the thought.
But first they needed to start slow.
Not that spending this time focused on her would be in any way a hardship. Excitement bubbled through him as he pushed the skirt of her dress to her waist. Not breaking eye contact, he ran the tips of his fingers along the line of her black panties.
Avery’s lips parted as he tickled the sensitive skin of her abdomen, abiding by the silken barrier when all he really wanted to do was pull the fabric from her body.
“Trust me,” he urged.
Her mouthed tensed as if she were about to speak before she swallowed the words.
And nodded.
Triumph mixed with lust burned within him, urging him to fall on her like a starving man on a feast.
Slowly. Seduce her. Win her.
Bind her to you.
He let a slow grin tip his lips as he pressed a palm to each of her thighs, pushing them apart.
Oh yes, he intended to make every second she allowed him count.
…
What did I agree to?
Avery stared up at her would-be lover and fought back a wave of panic. He confused her enough already. Letting this progress any further was a mistake.
But what a glorious mistake to make.
His fingers pressed against her panties, rubbing against the sensitive flesh. She bit her lip at the pleasure that spiked through her at the simple touch.
Hell, there was no downside here. They both knew he’d never be satisfied just giving her an orgasm. Or three. No, he’d want more, and in the morning, she’d be well pleasured and well assured that he was exactly what she’d thought. Untrustworthy. Focused on obtaining one goal only. A man she’d never be able to count on.
But what if he does exactly what he says? What if he gives you a shattering orgasm without asking anything in return?
Won’t happen, the cynical side of her brain replied. Hayden was not the sort of man who delayed his own gratification.
Those fingers stroked her again before hooking around the edges of her panties and pulling them down.
Cool air hit her as he tossed the panties over his shoulders and pushed her dress higher.
She should feel embarrassed, laying spread before him this way, on display for his heated gaze. But instead, she liked the way he looked her at with an expression of raw need. Never once in their relationship had he ever made her feel cheap or tawdry, and tonight was no exception. Hayden lived his life taking pleasure where he wanted. He obviously had no qualms about others who followed the same rules.
So, just for the moment, couldn’t she be one of them?
She shifted, spreading her legs wider.
“Good girl,” he said, smiling down at her.
Warmth surged through her at the pride in his eyes.
His hands caressed her legs, sliding over her knees and moving ever higher. Maneuvering himself, he pressed his lips to her inner thigh. A shiver raced through her at the intimate touch. He’d done much more to her body before, of course. The night of the gala he’d taken her every way he wanted. But that had been a moment out of time.
This was real in a way it never had been before.
His fingers teased higher until he reached the apex of her thighs.
A small gasp escaped her as he traced the wet folds of her slit. The touch was light, merely a taste of what was to come.
She remembered the gala. Remembered how she’d stepped out of her dress as it pooled on the floor. She’d climbed onto the bed, her black heels firmly in place. She’d sat back against the headboard, and he’d wrapped a hand around each ankle, pulling her legs as far apart as they’d go. Then he’d crawled closer, dipping his head until his tongue curled around her clit.
Just as he was doing now.
“Hayden,” she gasped, throwing her head back.
His tongue lapped against the sensitive nub, teasing her with sure touches. Nothing about him was hesitant, not that he needed to be. If there was one thing Hayden Wexton knew it was his way around a woman’s body. Later that knowledge would hurt, but for now, she reveled in his talent.
She rocked against his mouth as he played with her. He stroked her with sure fingers before pressing one digit into her. Avery
squirmed at the invasion, so much less than what she wanted.
Her mind flew back to another night. One where she’d come apart against his mouth only to have him pull her limp body against his as he pressed his cock into her.
Closing her eyes, she remembered how it had felt to be filled by him. She’d never been a woman to have back to back orgasms, but despite her protests, when he’d thrust into her, there’d been no denying her sated body had been more than ready to go again.
So she’d locked her ankles around his hips, the tips of her stilettos digging into his back in a way that made him groan with pleasure. Together they’d rocked in tandem, finding a rhythm that had them both racing toward a climax that had left her a puddle of completion under him. She’d smiled against his sweat-slicked shoulder, unable to vocalize the revelation he’d been to her, unable to thank him for bringing her back to life.
She’d been ready to get dressed and leave him, sure he wasn’t a man who liked his conquests to linger, but he’d pulled her back into his arms. And damn was she glad she’d stayed. He’d taken her again, putting her on to all fours. And again, pulling her astride him to set the pace. He’d been more than willing to act out her every fantasy.
Now here he was, driving her toward an epic orgasm once more. Avery threw out her hands, twisting them in the comforter beneath her as need built within her body.
Tiny mewling sounds escaped her before she could bite them back. She squirmed under him, needing more and needing it now.
She wanted to come apart when he was inside her, his promise be damned.
“Take me,” she said, one hand reached down to tangle her fingers in his hair. “Please.”
She thought she heard him groan, but it was her only reply before he caught her clit in his mouth, grazing it with his teeth.
A wild cry escaped her as her climax crashed down on her. Her body tensed, pleasure flooding her system. Black spots flashed across her vision before she relaxed back onto the bed, boneless and sated.
A silly smile curved her lips, but there was no moving. Every inch of her body rejoiced in the aftermath.
Hayden rolled up to her side, grinning down at her.
The Billionaire's Paradise (Sexy Billionaires) Page 9
