by Cassie Cross
“A friend from college has been working on a contract project in Japan since graduation. He’s coming back to the States to visit and we’re all going out for his birthday, which is on Saturday.”
With a deep inhale through his nostrils, Jason nods. “Okay.”
“What time is the fundraiser?”
“It starts at eight,” he explains.
“Is it okay if we’re a little late? Don’t you rich, high-society types consider lateness to be fashionable or something?”
Jason pulls her closer, pressing a kiss against the top of her head as he laughs. “You watch too much television.”
“So, you’re an incredibly punctual bunch, then? Got it.”
“Not the most punctual, no.”
“We can be late, then?”
“Yeah.” He pulls her closer. “We can be late.”
“Good. Then you’ve got a date.”
“A beautiful date,” he amends, pressing another kiss against her hair.
“Mmmm.” Kaia tucks herself closer against his side.
“Tell me about your friend. You said it’s a he?” Jason goes for nonchalant and a little teasing, but the hint of jealousy isn’t lost on Kaia.
“It is a he,” she tells him, reaching out and twining her fingers with his. “A he with a long-term girlfriend. A he that I’m not even remotely romantically or sexually attracted to.”
“I wasn’t-”
“Yes you were. You were fishing.”
Jason laughs. “Okay, yes. I was fishing.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“What? That I’d fish for information?”
Kaia sits up, and in a move that seems to take Jason off guard, she slings her leg over his hips until she’s straddling him. “No, that you’d be…insecure enough to fish for information.”
He narrows his eyes, and lets out a little growl as he grips Kaia’s hips. “I’m not insecure,” he says quickly. “Just curious.”
“Anything you want to know, all you have to do is ask.”
“I wanted to know who you were going out with, and you told me.”
“Mmm-hmmm,” Kaia hums teasingly.
“I’m not some caveman, Kaia. I don’t feel threatened by you being friends with other men.”
“Okay, good to know.” She slides her fingers through his hair the way she knows he likes, and grinds down on him, making his eyelids flutter shut. “I told you, I’m yours.”
He grips her hips tighter. “You’re mine,” he repeats.
“All yours. Now, whatever are you going to do with me?”
Jason slides his hands up her sides, until his thumbs caress the gentle swell of her breasts. “So many things,” he whispers, before planting a kiss on her neck. “So. Many. Things.”
* * * * *
Kaia’s working on a design for a client with her laptop perched on the kitchen table, when Janine walks up behind her, and puts her hands over Kaia’s eyes.
“How did this ever become a thing with our group of friends?” Kaia asks, reaching up and gently patting Janine’s hands, so she’d remove them.
“I don’t know, but it’s still fun.”
“Fun for you, maybe. Not so much for the person getting creeped up on.”
Janine grins. “Yeah, that’s the point.” She places a bottle of Kaia’s favorite juice on the table in front of her. “Long time no see, stranger.”
Kaia takes a deep breath as she reaches for the juice, a guilty look on her face. “Sorry I haven’t been around much. I’ve been really busy with a couple of new clients.”
Janine gives her a look that indicates Kaia definitely needs to cut the shit. “Is ‘busy with new clients’ code for ‘busy having sweaty rabbit sex with your hot, rich boyfriend?’”
Kaia scrunches up her nose. “We don’t have sweaty rabbit sex.”
“Oh, please. You can convince me of a LOT of stuff, Kaia, but you’ll never be able to convince me of that.”
Kaia gives her friend a sly grin. “Okay.”
“I’m not being critical, just know that before you hear what I’m getting ready to say.”
Kaia’s breath catches in her throat, because Janine has never been one to pull punches, and Kaia has a pretty good idea of what she’s getting ready to say. And the truth is, she can’t deny it.
“Don’t you think this is all moving a little fast? I’m all for love-at-first-sight-”
“We’re not in love,” Kaia objects. She can definitely see herself getting there. She’s on the verge of it, really, if she lets herself think about it, but she’s not there yet.
“Okay,” Janine says patiently. “Still, you’re with him so much I barely see you, Kaia. You’re over there almost every night.”
“I like being with him.” She shrugs. There’s really not anything more to it than that. “He makes me feel special, Janine. You know it’s been a long time since I’ve had that.”
With a soft look in her eyes, Janine scoots her chair closer, and takes Kaia’s hand. “I’m glad to hear it. And you deserve to have someone who treats you that way. I just want to make sure you’re not losing sight of other things, that’s all.”
“I’m not, I promise.”
“I got the text that you were going to go to some fundraiser with him on Saturday night, and I worried, that’s all.”
“I’m not skipping out on Clark’s dinner, I promise. I’m going, I’m just going to go to this party after. He wants me to meet his friends; I told him that was something that was important to me, and I didn’t want to turn him down when he made the effort.”
What Kaia doesn’t want to tell Janine is that Jason is so secretive about his past that she’s scared to turn down this opportunity in fear that she won’t get another one. He’s ready to introduce her to his friends, and she wants to take him up on that offer.
“I understand.” Janine squeezes Kaia’s hand. “I’m just trying to look out for you. I don’t want you…I don’t want you losing yourself, that’s all.”
“I won’t, I promise. I’m going to finish up this design, then I’m heading out to meet Clark for coffee since I’m cutting our time short on Saturday.”
If nothing else, Janine looks pleased by that.
“Then, when I get back, maybe we can watch a movie?”
Janine gives her a warm smile. “That sounds great. I’m gonna head out for a bit, maybe get some snacks?”
“Popcorn. And chocolate, lots of chocolate.”
“You’ve got it,” she says, as she stands up and slides her bag over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later?”
“See you later.”
Kaia finishes up the design she’s working on and emails the proofs to her client. She changes out of her lounging-at-home clothes, and takes a taxi to the Upper West Side park where she and Clark agreed to meet.
She stands with her arms crossed over the top of a wrought iron fence, watching the way the sun glints on the water of the Hudson. When Clark hasn’t shown up, she pulls her phone out of her back pocket, seeing she has a missed text.
Running late, sry. Be there soon.
She smiles when a few minutes later she feels Clark’s hands covering her eyes, and she reaches up, squeezing his wrists.
“Hey, Richardson,” he says warmly. She can hear the smile in his voice.
She turns to greet him, but freezes when she sees a man running straight for them. He tackles Clark to the ground, and Kaia only has a split second to process what’s going on before two men flank her sides and pull her away, screaming.
One Night With the Billionaire continues with book three.
* * * * *
About the Author
Cassie Cross
Visit my website for the latest news and upcoming releases: www.cassiecross.com
Follow me on Twitter: CrossWrites
Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie's fondness for swoon-w
orthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she's not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80's sitcoms.
Cassie loves hearing from her readers, so please follow her on Twitter or leave a review for this book on the site you purchased it from. Thank you!
