“You're not the pizza boy.” The words just pop out of my mouth. The bad boy laughs, and the sound is pure sex and flirtation, like the laugh itself is sexual innuendo. The pizza boy … I can't believe I just said that.
“No, I'm not, but I could be if you want,” he says, leaning towards me. His honey and chocolate eyes look me up and down approvingly. He's one of them, one of those Northington assholes. I'm not sure what exactly gives him away. Maybe it's the really expensive suit? But no, it's probably the aura of wealth that surrounds him. His eyes flick to the ring, but only momentarily. The movement is so small, it would be easy to miss. It's enough to confirm my thoughts.
“Why are you here?” I say breathlessly, like I've just stopped sprinting—or fucking.
“Isn't it obvious? I'm here for you,” he says quirking his mouth to one side. He runs his hands through a thick wave of chestnut hair. It's buzzed short on the sides and longer on top. I can't seem to stop myself from staring at him, but if I stand here too long, Lucia’s going to get curious. If she sees this guy, she'll invite him in—I can guarantee it. But I'm still reeling from this morning's meeting. I don't think I can handle another extended encounter with the Northington brothers.
“I already told your asshole of a brother no.” I try to close the door in his face. Viper fast, his palm comes up and he stops the door. This man may seem to be nothing but charm and flirtation, but it's not true; this guy, he's just as dangerous as his brothers. Maybe even more so. He wields the most insidious of weapons: sex.
“Please just give me a chance to convince you. I swear my tactics …” His voice drops and he takes a step towards me. I take several back until I'm pressed against the wall. He puts his hands on either side of my head, pinning me in. The man is so tall, I have to crane my neck back to see his face. My heart is pounding, the sexual tension between us ramping up unbelievably fast.
I already know what's coming, but I can't bring myself to stop him. He lowers his face towards mine until his mouth hovers a fraction of an inch above my lips.
“… are a whole fuck of a lot sweeter than Gabe's.” He lets the word fuck snap off the end of his tongue with a hard, sharp K. The velvet masculinity of his voice travels across my skin in the most enticing of ways. The sensitive spot between my thighs pulses in response.
He takes my face in his hands, and as soon as he touches me, it's like a dam breaks.
Lust overcomes rationality; my body quivers with need; our mouths crash together.
He runs his hands along my sides. Releasing my mouth, he works his way down the length of my exposed neck, and I gasp in response. I have never been seduced with such skill. Lost in the heat of his passionate kisses, a small moan of pleasure escapes my lips.
“Spending time with us … it doesn't have to be all bad,” he says, hot breath teasing my ear and stirring loose tendrils of blonde against my neck. Goose bumps break out all over my body. His words try to pull me back to reality, but he seals his lips over mine again. This kiss is even greedier and more frantic than the last one.
“OMG, Natalie.” My sister's shocked voice cuts through the fog of lust. I shove the sexy stranger back, wiping at my swollen lips like somehow that's going to wipe away the act itself.
“It's not … this is uh … my fiancé?” I stutter while I try to think of how to explain what exactly just happened.
“Whittaker?” she asks.
Oh.
I told her all about Tall, Dark, and Handsome … about that glorious kiss. I can see why that would be her first thought. I doubt either of us believed that there would be another brother who was just as sexy as Whittaker.
I shake my head no.
Her eyes get huge, looking between the two of us.
“Hudson, actually, but I'm flattered you mistook me for my lovely brother.” He offers her his hand, a charming smile plastered on his face. “I just stopped by to ask your beautiful sister if she would take a romantic drive with me, and it seems passion got the best of us.” His voice is still flirty. I might be embarrassed by what happened, but he doesn't seem to be fazed in the least. Before I can jump in, and use Lucia as an excuse to say no, my sister speaks up.
“Perfect timing! I was just about to head to my boyfriend's house. It was lovely to meet you, Hudson.” She shakes his hand and gives him an exaggerated smile, grabbing her coat and purse off the hook by the door.
“The pleasure was all mine,” he says with a smirk, touching his fingers lightly to his chest. “And thank you for letting me borrow your sister.”
“Borrow me?” I ask, putting an indignant hand on my hip.
“I'm staying the night, so don't wait up for me,” Lucia adds, giving me a big, obvious wink that I'm sure Hudson can see. Thankfully, he pretends not to notice. “See you lovebirds later. Call me in the morning.” She grins, tosses some blonde waves over her shoulder, and heads out the door … leaving me alone with Hudson.
I swear, I'm going to kill her for this little stunt.
I stand there awkwardly for several moments, not sure what to do next.
“Would you like to take a drive with me, Ms. Winters? You can make your demands while we enjoy a festive night of Christmas lighting. There's a particularly spectacular neighborhood not far from here.” Hudson's eyes shimmer as he talks, taking me in from head to toe.
Demands? Hmm. What would it take to make me pretend to be in love with five guys at once?
The doorbell rings as Hudson and I stare at each other.
Now this must be the pizza guy.
I answer the door, digging around in my purse for a second and pulling out my debit card. I only hope there's enough on there to cover the pizza. The delivery guy swipes the card and makes a little frown; he clears the machine and tries again.
“Do you have another card to use? This one doesn't seem to work,” he says apologetically. Fuck. This is so embarrassing. Hudson hands a couple of bills to the guy over my shoulder.
“Keep the change,” he says, setting the pizza box on the side table and closing the door.
“I'll pay you back,” I tell him as soon as I hear the lock click. With what Natalie? You're broke. Maybe I should just take the money? If it weren’t for my sister, I'd be living in my car right now. My business is just starting out and it's a struggle to just break even at this point.
“No need. But if you really wanted to thank me, you'd come hang out with me and look at Christmas lights. No pressure. If at the end of the night, your answer is still no, then I personally promise you will never hear from me or my brothers again.”
Hudson moves over to me, so close the toes of his brown leather shoes touch my bare toes. He quirks his mouth to one side, and looks me straight in the eyes.
“Just so you know, after that kiss, I'll probably give you whatever you want.” He licks his lips, looking me up and down. My body responds immediately to his nearness. What is wrong with me? Why can't I seem to control myself around the Northington brothers?
“Alright, but we should probably take your car because the heater in mine doesn't work.” I figure I've got nothing to lose. Besides, there are worse ways to spend an evening than having a gorgeous billionaire take you out for a drive to look at Christmas lights.
“Car? Why would we take a car when we could take a limo?”
Once inside the limo, Hudson and I talk demands.
During negotiations, he's remarkably businesslike, keeping the flirtation to a minimum. After a lot of back and forth, we come to a tentative agreement. I hadn't expected to get there so quickly, especially not in the back of a limo filled with sex and shadows, but Hudson—despite his playful attitude—is a shrewd and calculating businessman.
Before our conversation takes a more … lascivious turn, I find myself agreeing to be his fiancée for the small price of, oh, seven hundred thousand dollars. I made it clear Gabriel could be thanked for the drastic price jump. Fortunately, the exclusivity contract between my business and NHI stays. I have complete control o
ver the budget, theme, and style of the Christmas/faux engagement party. Lucky break that, considering I'm the supposed guest of honor.
In exchange, I must sign an NDA, drop everything, and fly to Vail the day after tomorrow to start preparations. While there, I'll stay in their chateau, and each of the Northingtons will take turns sleeping in my room to keep up appearances.
And the big one that caused me to leave the NHI office so pissed off? The physical contact part? Well, most of our negotiations revolved around me not being treated like some plaything, a dog to sit, stay, and jump on command. We decide in the spirit of compromise that I won't do anything that might immediately tip off their father to the fact that this engagement is entirely a charade. That being said, I have no obligation to physical contact of any kind. As I told Hudson, if I were really their fiancée, I could already guarantee Gabe would be in the doghouse.
As soon we shake on the deal, Hudson's whole demeanor changes, and he relaxes back into the supple leather, looking every bit the cat that got the cream.
His warm brown eyes sweep my body and he licks his lips, causing goose bumps to break out along the path of his electrifying gaze.
“Now that business is finished, I say we celebrate.” He uncorks a bottle of champagne, pouring a couple of glasses before sliding across the seat. Hudson settles in so close to me that I can feel the smooth texture of his slacks touching the bare flesh of my exposed thigh. He leans in, one of the delicate crystal glasses outstretched for me to take.
I grasp it in delicate, sweaty hands.
“It's not every cold December night that a man gets engaged to a beautiful woman whose kisses”—Hudson trails his fingers along the heated flesh of my bare arm—“excite me the way yours do.” Flirtatiously, he leans even closer, erasing what small personal space I have. He stares for several moments, as if trying memorize every little detail of my flushed face.
God, he smells like home and comfort. Warm, inviting, and almost impossible to resist. But I know it's all an illusion, a mask of seduction.
“How many girls have gotten that line?” I ask, scooting away from him. No matter how hot the attraction between us burns, at the end of all of this fake fiancée business, he'll want nothing to do with me.
“I don't use lines, never needed to. Women throw themselves at me. So why bother? Not that I blame them. I am rich and gorgeous,” he says, a sinful smirk slowly creeping onto his handsome face. He runs his hand through his luxurious wave of chestnut hair.
“So humble.” I give him a look. “And I thought you were the nice one,” I say, shaking my head. His smirk just gets a little more wicked.
“Whatever gave you that idea? I'm definitely on the naughty list.” The way he says naughty is so unbelievably sexy, I feel almost paralyzed by the unexpected onslaught of hormones that flood my body. I can see in his face he recognizes the effect he's having on me. He looks like a predator sensing the moment to strike. Hudson moves slowly towards me, his muscles coiled tightly like a panther.
“You're having fun with me, though, aren't you?” Hudson asks, smiling. “Lounging with your new fiancé in this cozy limo, sipping champagne, the warm glow of Christmas lights reflecting off the newly fallen snow.” He pauses to give me an exaggerated wink, like even he knows how ridiculous he's being. “Can you think of anything that could possibly make this evening any more …”
Suddenly he's there and his warm masculine scent is enveloping me. My heart is racing as his fingertips trail their way up my thigh, towards the hem of my skirt; my breath quickens.
I need to distance myself from him. If I don't … I'm not sure I'll be able to resist the pull of snow and seduction that is overwhelming my body.
“Fun,” he finishes.
Sex. The sound that just oozes from his mouth and into my psyche is pure sex.
I know exactly what it would be like to feel him above me: passionate, loud, quick and violent. But fun. So different from his brothers. Gabriel would be slow and cruel, a blissful agony. And Whit … I can just imagine how it would feel to yield to his quiet strength, to melt under the rhythm of his powerful hips.
I want it with a need so strong I panic. My brain scrambles to find a way to break the tension. I just need moment of clarity, so I can think about this.
“Hot chocolate and Christmas music?” It just pops out of my mouth.
Hudson throws his head back and laughs, a dark dirty chuckle. Even his laugh is like a siren song of temptation.
“You sound just like my brother, Jack. He loves this holiday shit,” he says leaning back into the supple leather, a big smile on his face.
“I like Jack already,” I reply, smiling back at him. Now that the moment has passed and I can think somewhat rationally, I know that as much as I want to, having sex with Hudson is a terrible idea. A little voice in my head says at least tonight it would be. “Let's go get him,” I say. I mean, I should probably meet him sooner rather than later. The better I know these guys, the easier it'll be for me to convince their father that I really want to marry all five of his sons.
Hudson raises his eyebrows in surprise.
“What? He's my fiancé isn't he? Call him,” I say, trying to defend my suggestion that we invite another man on our … date? Can this even be called a date? A business meeting? Technically this is, but it just feels like more than that.
“As loathe as I am to share a woman like you with my brother … if it had to be someone, I'd want it to be Jack. ” Hudson tosses me a saucy wink that tells me he isn't done flirting, and types something into his phone. “I just let him know we're on our way.” He slides the phone back in his pocket, giving me a smoldering look. “Now, let's get you that hot chocolate and Christmas music. You deserve to have everything your heart desires. Lucky for you, while you are mine you'll want for nothing. I mean”—he flicks his eyes down in the direction of his cock before looking me straight in the eyes—“nothing is off-limits.”
The come-on is so ridiculously over-the-top I can't help but laugh. He doesn't seem in the least offended or embarrassed, the exact opposite actually—like I'm a challenge. Hudson's not used to people resisting his powers of seduction. Quite frankly I'm surprised I've managed to make it this far, not that anyone could blame me. Next time a man as rich, charming, and handsome as Hudson Northington is throwing himself at you like this, I'd like to see you resist.
“Christmas music?” I say, changing the subject.
Bringing up the idea of cheerful (and chaste) holiday music is the only defense I have against the onslaught of unbearable desire, swirling through my body like the fresh flakes of snow outside the limo's windows.
Hudson and I spend the short fifteen minute trip to pick up Jack arguing the merits of classic Christmas songs versus peppy pop covers. As we pull up to the curb outside of a sprawling old Victorian, he tells me he prefers instrumental versions of the songs best. I don't get a chance to tell him how incredibly wrong he is because the limousine door opens, letting in a gust of frigid winter air.
The man that climbs in after it, is anything but frigid.
No, he's beautiful and white-hot.
“Ms. Winters, I hope Hudson has been treating you better than Whit and Gabriel did this afternoon.” How does he know about that? His voice is smoky and masculine and dripping with the same arrogant swagger that all the Northingtons have, but the sound is more upbeat and cheerful than his brothers'.
He climbs in, and even though the limousine is quite roomy, he sits right next to me. The scent of peppermint and cigarettes faintly surrounds him. Fuck. He's gorgeous, and he smells so good.
Handsome modelesque features and full lips perfectly complement his pale skin and mussy white blond hair. It looks so soft. I resist the urge to run my fingers through it. The smile he flashes is big and open and genuine, giving a carefree boyish quality to a very masculine face. He may be gorgeous, but his eyes are out of this world. They're an unbelievably vibrant shade of candy-apple green, impossible to resist as they
narrow mischievously in my direction.
This guy, he lives life, enjoys it to the fullest.
The hard planes of Jack's chest and the generous swell of muscles on his biceps are easily visible beneath the white fabric of his button up. He notices as my eyes trail down his body and linger for just a little longer than is appropriate. He cocks one eyebrow at me before chuckling. The sound ignites something inside of me and wetness blooms between my thighs. The overwhelming sexual desire that subsided during the Christmas song debate is back and more intense than ever.
“Here I was, all concerned about my new fiancée being trapped in a limousine with this guy, considering he flirts like a romance novel billionaire cliché,” he says, gesturing in Hudson's general direction.
“Ha. If anyone is a romance novel cliché, it's you,” Hudson replies. Jack ignores the comment, keeping his bright green eyes locked on mine.
He slides off the seat and elegantly drops to one knee at my feet. I open my mouth intending to ask exactly how he knew I'd accepted their proposal. Instead, I just sit there like a friggin' idiot with my lips slightly parted, mouth hanging open in shock.
Jack leans forward, completely invading my space. This is the kind of pushy behavior that had me so pissed off in the first place. But for some reason, when he does it, my heart thunders in my chest. He is so close that our noses are almost touching, and I can't smell anything but the comforting tobacco and peppermint scent of his skin.
Jack Northington holds my gaze and stares into the depths of my eyes as if he is searching for something beyond physical. Like he is getting to know the deepest, most private parts of my soul with only a look. There is so much kindness in him, but also a passion. Heat. Intensity. After a short time, he smiles and leans back. Making passionate love on a rug inches from the open flames of a roaring fire, that's him. Transcendent. Powerful. Life altering. But I have to be careful not to lose myself completely for fear of getting burned. The sultry sound of his smoky voice brings me back to reality.
Billionaires, Boarders, and Bastards: A Limited-Time Collection of Reverse Harem Romance Novellas Page 21
