“Shhh,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Just rest for a bit. I’ll be here when you wake up.” And although it didn’t seem like she would be able to—not with their bare legs intertwined, not with his arms around her—Sofia closed her eyes and drifted off, feeling safe and, somehow, that everything was going to be all right.
* * *
Eric felt the moment Sofia slipped off to sleep. Her muscles relaxed and she sank into him, warm and soft. It was strange, how easy it was to hold her like this. His body hummed at a high pitch, attuned to everything about her. The softer she got, the harder he got.
Was he preparing for one of the biggest business meetings of his career? Was he looking toward the future at all? No. Instead, all he could think about—feel—was the curve of Sofia’s breasts pressing against his side, her smooth leg thrown over his. She was wearing a see-through thong, which meant there was next to nothing between them. He could feel the heat of her body against his hip, smell the warmth of her skin.
This was torture, plain and simple. And he’d suffer it willingly because even with his dick throbbing, holding her was one of the most satisfying things he’d ever done.
How long had he told the Nortons? Two hours? It wasn’t going to be enough. It’d never be enough time, not when he was tucked into bed with Sofia, his body straining for hers. And the hell of it was, he might just keep right on straining. Just because they were half-naked and wrapped around each other didn’t mean that Sofia wanted anything else from him. She’d asked him to hold her and by God, that was what he was going to do.
Luckily, his watch was on the hand he could look at without disturbing her. Right before the bellhop had shown up with their luggage, he’d sent a quick message to the mayor’s executive assistant, stating the weather had delayed them and he would be in touch when they were able to make it. But he figured that meant he and Sofia only had an hour at most. Then they needed to get up and get changed and go back to being Mr. Jenner and Ms. Bingham, boss and office manager. And they had to stay that way until...
He mentally ran through the schedule. They had meetings with the mayor and the city planner this afternoon. This evening was a formal dinner with several members of the state government, including the lieutenant governor. Tomorrow was more meetings and site visits with negotiations. He needed Meryl to be his bulldog, Steve to convince everyone what they wanted was doable, and Sofia to be his eyes and ears. After all, this was a huge deal. St. Louis was ripe for the picking and if Eric played his cards right, he would be richer than his wildest dreams.
It was damned hard to care about that right now. He was already rich beyond his wildest dreams and following that carefully planned schedule meant he’d have to leave this room. He’d have to put distance between himself and Sofia and spend the afternoon and the next several days without holding her hand. Without touching her at all. He didn’t know how he was supposed to do that.
If Meryl and Steve weren’t here, Eric would claim the flu and cancel the whole weekend. But people depended on him. All of his employees, not to mention all of the locals he would hire for construction. He’d be sinking a lot of money into this project and it would do a lot of good. He couldn’t blow that off for something as selfish as a weekend in Sofia’s arms.
Besides, he was violating his own code of not getting involved with his employees. True, it was hard to remember that when he was with Sofia. But she did work for him. Technically, right now, they were on the clock. And mostly naked in bed together.
His last thought before he drifted off was that maybe he shouldn’t have hired her.
* * *
Eric floated in the space between awake and asleep. He couldn’t wait to get Eddy and Addy out on his boat. They might need to bring along a nanny to watch the kids. He wanted the kids to have fun, but he wanted Sofia to have a good time, too—and it might be hard to do that if she were constantly chasing after the twins. Because if the kids liked it and Sofia had a good time, then she’d come out boating with him again. And he wanted that.
How good would Sofia look on his boat, stretched out on a lounge chair, her body clad in a bikini, the sun kissing her skin like he wanted to? Instead of kissing her, he pulled her down into the cabin and stretched her out on the bed. She sighed as he put his hands on her body and the noise went straight through him. Her legs were long and shapely and he stroked his palm from her knees to her thigh and her hip and back down again. And again, and again. He couldn’t get enough of her. Maybe he never would.
As he massaged her skin, she turned into him, her body almost on top of him. Now he could reach her backside. She had a woman’s curves and all he could think was lush. Hopefully, when they woke up, he’d have a chance to do this in real life. He wanted his hands all over—not just stroking, but grabbing and feeling and knowing her, all of her.
His dream Sofia stretched against him and Eric half lifted, half rolled her onto his chest. Now he could grab her backside with both hands, filling his palms with her flesh. His fingertips grazed the lace edge of the barely there panties and he shifted her body so the hard length of his arousal was pressed against her very center.
His dream Sofia gasped, a noise that cut right through Eric’s daze. He blinked and then blinked again. The bedroom cabin of his ship resolved into a familiar hotel room—but Sofia was still on top of him.
Holy crap, this wasn’t a dream. Sofia was straddling him, staring down at him through heavy-lidded eyes. She pushed her hands through her hair and arched her back, driving her weight down onto his erection. Stunned, Eric was helpless to do anything but grind against her. She gasped again.
God, she felt so good, so damned right on top of him. He was afraid to say something, afraid to break the spell that would wake them both up from this dream. So he kept his mouth shut as he gripped her bottom in his hands and dragged her up along his erection again.
She moaned softly, so quietly he almost didn’t hear it. She kept that little noise of satisfaction deep in her throat and he wanted to let it out. He wanted to swallow it and take it inside of himself and let it rattle around until it drove him past all reason.
She shifted and he shifted with her, pressing against her center again and again. Her back arched, thrusting her breasts out. He grabbed the hem of her camisole and yanked it over her head.
And his head fell back against the pillows as he stared at her body. Lush was still the only word he could think of. Soft and curved and wearing a sheer lace bra. He could see the wide dark circles of her nipples.
There was too much and not enough and it completely short-circuited his brain. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t think. All he could do was stare at her. Worship her.
He worshipped just a moment too long. Sofia dropped her gaze as she put one arm across her breasts, the other across her rounded stomach. “I know, I know. Having the twins changed me and I’m not—”
Eric didn’t know what she was going to say, not exactly—but he knew he disagreed with it completely because she was perfect. He sat up and cut her off with a hard kiss. Sofia made a little squeaking noise, but then her arms came around his neck and she held on to him for balance as he slid his hands up and down her back. Then he began to work the catch of her bra, kissing her the entire time. She sank her fingers into his hair and refused to let go. He liked that she was a little aggressive and very sure of herself. The kiss in the car this morning had been a promise of things to come but this? This was a promise delivered.
The catch on her bra gave and he peeled the lace away. He didn’t want to break the kiss, but he couldn’t resist lowering his head to those beautiful breasts. They were full and heavy and he loved everything about them. Even the little white stretch marks along the sides—they were perfect because they were a part of Sofia. “Are these off-limits?” he asked as he kissed along the swells.
“No,” she said, throwing her head back and g
iving him better access. “I only nursed for a year.”
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he murmured as he kissed the edge of her nipple and then swept his tongue over the tip. It went tight against his mouth and he couldn’t help the rumble of satisfaction that built low in his chest. He was already drunk on her. He had no intention of jumping on the wagon now.
“Oh my God, Eric,” she moaned, clutching his head to her breasts.
Her hips kept shifting back and forth, grinding down on his erection. With one hand steady on her backside, he slid his thumb down between her legs, over the silk of her panties until he found the center of her pleasure. She jolted as if he’d shocked her and he smiled against her skin before adding his teeth to her nipples.
“Oh, Eric,” she gasped, letting her weight settle over his thumb.
He began to rub in small circles as he nipped and sucked at her breasts. They found a rhythm together as he worked her body. All he wanted to do was flip her over and drive into her heat over and over again until they were both spent and sated and then, once he’d caught his breath, he wanted to do it again.
But he wanted to give this to her first. No demands, just the gift of pleasure. Just her trusting him. Just him earning her trust.
Like he was doing right now. She was letting him love her and he was making the most of it. Dimly, in the back of his mind, he knew there were good reasons to not do this. But he couldn’t come up with any of those reasons right now and besides, it was a little too late to keep his hands off her. That ship had definitely sailed.
As she shifted her hips back and forth, her warm heat stroked over his erection even as he stroked her body. The pressure was intense and amazing and when she pulled on his hair, forcing his face up so she could kiss him, he felt her entire body go tight and hard around his. “Let go, Sofia,” he murmured against her lips.
And she did. Her thighs clamped around his waist and heat flooded her center as she came for him. The force of her climax was so strong that, amazingly, it triggered his own release. He hadn’t been this excited, this eager, since he’d been a teenager discovering girls for the first time.
But that’s what this felt like. He had just discovered something new and amazing.
He’d found Sofia.
Eleven
Sofia collapsed onto Eric’s chest, breathing hard. His hand was still pressed between her legs and her stomach was damp where it rested against the waistband of his briefs. The orgasm ricocheted around her body like a bullet fired into a metal tank. She was hot and tight and loose all at the same time and it was wonderful. Simply amazing.
And that was when she realized that she might be completely in love with him. Damn his hide.
Her breathing was ragged and she couldn’t seem to stop shaking. But in a good way. The best way. But it was different, too. She’d loved sex with her husband but that felt like a different life. She hadn’t anticipated how different her body would feel straddling Eric as he brought her to completion. His mouth on hers, his teeth on her breasts?
She shuddered again. It hadn’t been the same. Even that thought felt almost like a betrayal, though. She’d loved David with her whole heart and soul—and body.
But she might be in love with Eric.
God, her head was a mess. And the more those delicious little shivers of satisfaction faded away, the more her brain started to freak out. Good Lord—had she and Eric really just done that?
It’d all happened like a dream unfolding. She’d been asleep and then not quite asleep, Eric’s warm body next to hers. Her body had filled with a languid warmth and the space between her legs had grown heavy and she had wanted. It’d been so long since she’d wanted. Desire and sensuality—they hadn’t been a part of her life since David had died.
If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t have happened. It wouldn’t have gotten even close to happening because she never would’ve stripped down to her panties and climbed into bed with anyone else. But this wasn’t some random stranger spouting stale pickup lines and vague promises he had no intention of keeping. This was Eric.
He’d held her children and made them laugh. He’d kissed her in the car. He’d promised that whatever happened in this bed was separate from them working together. He’d literally seen her at her worst—on multiple occasions—and yet he was still here, giving her a mind-blowing orgasm.
She didn’t just want to get laid in the service of vague sexual frustration. She wanted him. And she could have him. So she had.
Sort of.
His arms came around her and he held her tightly. “God, Sofia,” he said, his chest still heaving from the climax. He sounded happy and...relieved? “I mean...” His voice trailed off and he kissed her head.
No, she didn’t know what he meant. Other than he’d enjoyed it, too—which made her feel good. Although she hadn’t done much.
Just straddled him. Just ground her hips down along his length—his very impressive length. Just cried out his name. Her body quivered, a reaction she couldn’t control.
He shifted, somehow pulling her closer and that, at least, calmed her racing thoughts. She closed her eyes and ducked her chin against his shoulder and tried her hardest just to be in this moment. She hadn’t had sex in so long, but she could still feel that passion, that need. And she could still be satisfied. That was the important thing here.
Not the fact that she had no idea what she was supposed to do next. Compliment him on his skills? Make some saucy comment about how she couldn’t wait to do that and more this evening? Tell him how she felt about him? She and David had always said they loved each other afterward. Every single time.
Her mouth opened as if on automatic, but she snapped it back shut. Even if Eric had made her fall in love with him, she couldn’t very well tell him that. Because he’d promised to take care of her, to have some fun with her. To keep this weekend separate from everything else. Love didn’t figure into any of those things. In fact, it would probably ruin everything.
She didn’t want to remind him that, outside of this room, they didn’t belong together.
When she couldn’t come up with anything reasonable to say, she felt Eric’s arms tighten around her. “Babe? Are you okay?”
She let out a little laugh. No, she wasn’t okay. Not even close. She couldn’t even commit to a friends-with-benefits weekend without overthinking the whole danged thing. “Yeah. Just...”
“Been a while?”
She nodded, grateful to hide behind that half-truth. She was a little rusty, after all. “Now what?”
“I don’t know about you, but I need a shower.” Just then, his watch beeped. “Hang on.” She tried to roll off him, but he put a hand on her lower back to keep her where she was before answering his watch. “Yes?”
“Eric? I’ve managed to get Meryl up and into the shower. She’s arguing with me, so I think she’s fine.”
Sofia stayed very still as Steve spoke. Her face was burning. It wasn’t as if Steve had walked in on them, but it felt like it.
Why couldn’t she have decided to do this whole benefits thing when she wasn’t on a business trip?
But then again, when else was she going to spend time with Eric?
Oh, what a mess.
“Are you guys sure you can make it through the afternoon?” Eric asked, sounding calm and professional and nothing like the man who had just brought her to orgasm with nothing more than his fingers.
“I think so. Give us another forty-five minutes and we should be ready.”
“Sounds good,” Eric agreed, but even as he said it, he lazily traced his fingertips up her bare back.
Then Steve asked, “Do you want me to tell Sofia?”
Eric still sounded perfectly normal when he said, “I’ll let her know. We’ll see you in a few.” He ended the call
and let his head fall back against the mattress. “I guess that means we have to get up.”
“I guess it does,” she said. Eric’s calm was contagious, almost. Her heart was slowing down to a steady, reliable beat and she was breathing normally.
But she still had no idea how she was supposed to face the afternoon schedule. Before, it had seemed daunting, but now it felt almost impossible. How was she supposed to handle herself now?
Eric tilted her face up so she had to look at him. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
She tried a confident smile. Given the way he notched an eyebrow at her, she was pretty sure she failed. “I don’t know what to do next. I mean, about us. About this.” She let out a strangled laugh. “And also about having dinner with the lieutenant governor tonight. None of this is normal for me, Eric. I don’t fit in this world.”
He stroked his thumb over her cheek and gave her a smile that, if she’d been standing, would’ve made her knees wobble. “You’re going back to your room to take a shower and get changed. I’m going to do the same here. We’re going to some meetings where Meryl will negotiate until she’s blue in the face, Steve will make friends with everyone and I’ll make grand promises that sound too good to be true, except I’ll have all the numbers to back them up. All you have to do for the rest of the evening is smile and listen. You’re the best listener I’ve ever met. Take notes on what’s being whispered, when people look nervous or whatever. I want to know what’s not being said, okay?”
“Okay.”
He stroked his thumb over her cheek again. “If you feel awkward, compliment someone on their tie or their presentation or whatever. Can’t go wrong with compliments. You do that and we’ll be fine.”
He sounded so damned confident about it, as if he actually believed she could pull this off. Preparing for today’s meetings and tonight’s dinner—that was where all her focus should be. It didn’t matter how easily he thought she could do this—she knew darned good and well that today would be hard and tonight would be harder. She had no experience in high-level meetings, even less experience at high-stakes cocktail parties. Eric could be confident because that sort of thing came naturally to him. He breathed it, lived it every single day.
Twins for the Billionaire Page 10
