Billionaire With Benefits: Make Her Mine-Book 2

by Winter, Alexis

  He just sits and listens to my concerns, nodding his head as I tick off the reasons we won’t work long-term.

  “So, what do you suggest?” he asks.

  I shrug. “I was hoping you’d have the answer to that.”

  “The way I see it, we have three options. We keep doing what we’re doing, we break up and go our separate ways, or we get serious and say to hell with the consequences.”

  I laugh and roll my eyes. “If it were only that easy. You have these feelings too, right?”

  He nods. “It’s all new to me, but I know the way I feel with you, I’ve never felt with anyone else.”

  “So, you don’t want to go our separate ways?”

  “No, I don’t want that. Do you want that?” he asks, suddenly looking up at me.

  “No,” I breathe out, shaking my head. “But can you keep doing what we’re doing without knowing that it’s going to last? I mean, that’s what this is. It’s a relationship with no promises. What if I spend the next fifty years with you and one day decide that I’m done?”

  “Marriage doesn’t mean that won’t happen either, Maddie,” he says, picking up my hand and holding it.

  I nod. “To me, it does. I never wanted to get married because to me, it means forever. And I never found a man I thought I could be with forever… until you.”

  He turns his head so that he’s looking at the rain that’s just starting to speckle the window.

  “Are you saying that if I don’t want marriage, that we’re over?” he asks.

  “No,” I reply, causing him to turn and look at me. “I’m saying that if it’s off the table completely, if there’s absolutely no chance of ever being your forever, then it’s over. But if there’s even a small part of you that thinks you could spend the rest of your life with me, I’d love to stay by your side and wait with you—wait for us both to be ready for that step.”

  His eyes start bouncing around the inside of the cab, looking at anything and everything while he thinks it over. Finally, he looks back at me, our eyes meeting in the darkened limo. His hand slowly releases mine and moves up to cup my cheek. “I never thought I’d want any of this. I can’t promise that I won’t fuck up from time to time, but I do promise to be here, by your side, and let things between us grow. I won’t fight it. I won’t hold back. I’ll give you everything I have to give in the moment, and if things between us start moving in that direction, we’ll follow that road. Sound like a deal?”

  “So, we’re together, like a couple?”

  He smiles. “If that’s what you want.”

  “What about family and work?”

  “We’ll tell our families; work won’t change,” he promises.

  Happiness fills my chest, and I smile wide, jumping into his lap and pressing my mouth to his. His hands land on my hips, pushing me down against his groin, where I rock myself back and forth across it. I bite his lower lip as I pull away.

  “Mr. Windsor, are you happy to see me?”

  He grins. “I’m happy to be able to say that you’re all mine.” He starts moving back in.

  “I’ve been yours since you walked into that ring,” I whisper, kissing him with as much passion and love that can pour out of me.

  We only pull apart long enough to get from the limo to the house, but the second we’re inside, he’s spinning me around and pushing me against the door. His lips are against mine, and his hands are moving up and down my back, trying to get it unzipped. Suddenly, I feel a jerk and hear the fabric ripping.

  I gasp as I break our kiss. My eyes meet his, and he grins. “I told you I’m too impatient for zippers.” He pulls again, and the dress splits at the seams. The second he drops it and it falls around my feet, he picks me up against him, moving his lips back to mine. I wrap my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck as he carries me up the stairs and into his room.

  When I open my eyes Saturday morning, I find Bennet laying next to me, still naked from the night before and eyes shining with happiness.

  “Have you been watching me?” I ask with a sleepy smile.

  He nods. “I couldn’t help myself,” he whispers, leaning in for a kiss.

  I kiss him quickly but pull away, not wanting to chase him off with my morning breath. “What’s the plans for today?” I ask, stretching.

  “I thought we’d hit up the races tonight. What do you think?”

  I smile wide. “I’d love to. Are you going to race?”

  “Not tonight. I thought that maybe we could invite Jazz and Damon to go with us. You know, since we discussed telling our family.”

  “Really?”

  He nods. “I told you, I want this. I’ve done this thing with many women, but I never had the urge to stay in bed all day with them like I do with you.” He cups my cheek. “Something’s different about you. I can’t shake it, and I don’t want to.” He leans in slowly, pressing his lips to mine.

  We’re pulling into the races just as the sun is beginning to set. We park, hit up the concession stand, and then have a seat on the bleachers. I’m just finishing up with my hot pretzel when Jazz and Damon walk up.

  “Hey,” I greet them, standing and pulling Jazz in for a hug. “Thanks for coming.”

  She smiles. “We would’ve been here sooner, but Damon needed some persuading.”

  I shake my head and roll my eyes. “Still not happy about this hook-up, huh?”

  She shrugs one shoulder. “He’s coming around.”

  Bennet stands up to greet them. “Damon,” he says, holding out his hand to shake.

  Damon nods but doesn’t reply. He does shake his hand, though.

  We all sit down and watch as the cars speed down the track, but nobody talks. Finally, I turn to Jazz. “I’m going to go grab some drinks. Want to help me?”

  She nods. “Sure.”

  When we get to the bottom of the bleachers, she leans in. “So, how’d it go last night? Did you tell him how you felt?”

  I nod. “I did, and to my surprise, he feels the same way. We’re official, and this is us breaking the news to you guys.”

  She laughs aloud. “That’s great, Mads.”

  “But Damon…” I let my sentence break off.

  She bumps my shoulder with hers. “He’ll come around. He’s just worried that Bennet will use you and leave you heartbroken.”

  I let out a deep breath. “Why? Because it’s Bennet?”

  She nods. “He said that Bennet has never committed to anything in his life, that he bounces from one girl to the next, that as soon as he gets tired of them, he’s pulling away. I think the only thing that will change his mind is time, you know? Once he sees that you and Bennet are serious and have been together for a while, things will be fine.”

  I laugh. “Great, so I only have to live through ten years of his attitude.”

  She moves her head from side to side, thinking it over. “Maybe only five?” Her face wrinkles like even she’s not sure.

  We both laugh, and I bump my shoulder into hers. “I don’t know how I get myself into these messes, but they always find me.”

  “You’re not the only one,” she agrees.

  “Have you picked any baby names yet?” I ask as we wait in line.

  “We discussed a few but haven’t settled on any. We don’t have to have our hearts set on any until we find out the sex of the baby.”

  “How have you been feeling? Have you had morning sickness really bad?”

  “Every morning. It’s killing me. But I figured out that I could drink some ginger ale and eat a Snickers, and I’d be fine within the hour.”

  I laugh. “This baby must have a sweet tooth.”

  She nods. “I was never big on a lot of sweets until I got pregnant. And I almost always had a salad for lunch, but suddenly, I can’t stand it. I’ll open the box, and the smell will hit me. I’ve puked every time.”

  “This baby has to have some of my genes. You just described me to a T,” I joke.

  “Well, you are the aunt
.”

  I lean my head against her shoulder. “I know I haven’t said this much, but I’m happy for you and Damon. I am.”

  She offers a small smile. “I know but thank you for saying it.”

  14

  Bennet

  When the girls leave to grab some drinks, I figure this is my chance to talk to Damon. I scoot toward him. “Listen, man,” I start, but he turns toward me, cutting me off.

  “All the women in the city and you go after my sister? My baby sister?” He has a tick in his jaw that tells me he’s furious.

  “I didn’t know she was your sister,” I admit.

  “Yeah, right. Something tells me you knew exactly what you were doing.”

  “Really? Is that how you think of me? I do nothing but go around doing things that would hurt the people I care about?” I pause to let him respond, but he doesn’t.

  “The second my eyes landed on hers, something called to me. Something about her made my heart race; it made my stomach tighten. Just looking at her, I knew she was the one I wanted.”

  “That’s my point. The one you wanted. You can’t tell me that this didn’t start because of your dick. All you wanted was a good time.”

  “So what if I did? Are you saying that you weren’t attracted to Jazz?”

  “What? No!”

  “That’s my point. Every relationship, every marriage, it all started because two people were attracted to each other. And just like any other couple out there, once we started spending time together, things have grown past the sexual stage. I enjoy her company. Just seeing her smile makes me smile. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, man.”

  We both go silent for a moment, letting everything sink in and also taking a moment to cool off.

  “Are you saying that you two are in a relationship? Like an actual committed relationship?”

  “Yes, that’s why we invited you here. We made the decision last night and wanted to start letting our friends and family know.”

  “You’re not out banging other people?”

  “I haven’t even looked at another woman since I met Maddie,” I admit.

  “And how’s this going to work with the office and your family? Because I know your father and Maddie isn’t the type of woman he wants you with.”

  I wave my hand in the air. “Screw my dad.”

  His head jerks in my direction. “What if he tells you to dump her or to give up the company? Are you willing to do that?”

  “Absolutely,” I say without hesitation. “We both know how little that company means to me. I have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life, the rest of our lives.”

  He nods. “Okay. I’ll stop fighting this then. But I swear to God, Bennet, if you hurt her, I will kill you. Understand?” He holds up his hand to shake.

  I slap mine into his. “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I agree.

  “So, why aren’t you out there racing tonight?” He motions toward the track.

  “I haven’t raced in a while. I ran the other day, and my time sucked. Plus, I’d rather sit in the stands with Maddie and watch her experience it all for the first time. It’s like a whole new world to her.”

  He laughs. “Yeah, this is one place she never tried following me to—the only place I could get a break.”

  “Tagalong, was she?”

  His eyes grow wide. “You have no idea. And Jazz was always right alongside her. I couldn’t go anywhere without the two of them.”

  I smile and turn my attention back to the track, wishing I’d met Damon sooner. I know that if I would’ve met Maddie before college, things would’ve been different for me. I never would have gotten in so much trouble; I’d never have gotten the reputation I have now for being a player. I know I would’ve set eyes on her and been done.

  When the girls come back, they take their seats between us, and we all watch the race. Something feels different, like the air is thinner around us. I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders, but then I remember we still have to tackle the hardest part: my parents.

  “Are you sure about this?” Maddie asks Sunday morning as we’re getting dressed for brunch.

  “Everything will be fine,” I say, tightening my tie.

  “They’ve already met me, and they hate me.” Her brows are arched high, and she has a little worry line between her eyes.

  “They don’t hate you,” I insist.

  “Your dad couldn’t have looked less interested when you were telling him about me. And your mom, she kept trying to hook you up with other women even though she knew you were there with me. That doesn’t scream love to me.”

  I place my hands on her biceps, forcing her to look at me. “It doesn’t matter what they say. Nothing is going to change. Besides, no matter who I bring home to them, it will never be good enough.”

  She nods her head, agreeing with what I’m saying, but she doesn’t look sure. She looks afraid. I kiss her quickly on the forehead and get back to dressing.

  A little while later, we’re pulling up to the country club. I hand over the keys to the valet and lead her inside. We’re greeted by the hostess the moment we step through the door. I give her the name the reservation is under and then follow her back to the table my parents are sitting at. Dad is dressed to impress in his designer suit and blood-red power tie. My mother is dressed in her usual cream-colored dress suit. Her red hair is soft and flowing, her makeup done to perfection. They look like what you’d imagine any rich older couple to look like.

  When we approach, Dad stands and shakes my hand. I lean down and press a kiss to Mom’s cheek. “Mom, Dad, I know I’ve already introduced you, but this is my girlfriend, Madeline. Madeline, my parents, Tom and Marlyn Windsor.”

  Maddie smiles and shakes their hands. My parents get a nervous look on their faces but try holding back to be polite.

  Once we’re all seated and have drinks, Dad speaks up. “This is the same woman that was with you at the gala, correct?” he asks, pointing at her rudely.

  I nod. “She is.”

  “Didn’t you introduce her as an employee?” His features begin to twist, causing his wrinkles to appear deeper.

  I clear my throat and nod. “Yes, I did. We didn’t exactly have a label then. We’ve talked about it and decided to take the jump.” I pick up her hand and squeeze it gently.

  “Bennet,” Mom says, “I’m worried that Madeline, here, while very beautiful, and talented from what I’ve heard, doesn’t know the expectations of our lifestyle.”

  My mouth drops open.

  “She hasn’t been raised with money, Bennet,” she points out.

  “Neither were you, Mom,” I argue.

  “Screw that,” Dad says. “I’m more worried about my company. I worked too hard for too many years to let something like this tarnish its reputation.”

  I hold my hand in the air, palm facing him. “Dad, I assure you, the company is fine.”

  “It is now, but what will happen when this comes out? I’ll be accused of running a brothel.” He picks up his cloth napkin from his lap and tosses it onto the table.

  “Dad, that’s ridiculous,” I laugh out.

  He stands so fast his chair topples. “Bennet, this is the most irresponsible thing you’ve ever done. I’m used to you putting yourself in jeopardy, but I was under the impression you were cleaning your life up. You can make bad decisions for yourself, but not for my company.” He shakes his head. “Marlyn, we’re leaving. Get your purse,” he says, walking away.

  Mom jumps up quickly, grabbing her jacket off the back of her chair and her purse. She looks me up and down, then quickly follows after my father. I look over at Maddie, expecting to see her looking upset over my family’s disapproval. To my surprise, she’s wearing a small grin while spreading jam on her biscuit.

  “Are you smirking?” I ask, amusement filling my voice.

  She shrugs. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t good, but I’m just happy that my family
is the understanding of the two.”

  I laugh loudly, causing the people around us to give me a dirty look.

  “Well, we’re here. We might as well enjoy a nice brunch on my father.” I lean forward and grab a biscuit for myself.

  After brunch, we decide to take a walk and end up finding ourselves sitting on the beach. The sun is bright and shining, but the wind doesn’t stop, so we have a nice, cool breeze. Maddie lays back and covers her eyes with her arm. The beach is crowded with everyone playing in the sand soaking in some sun, or just hanging out. Kids are flying kites, and tourists are busy walking about and taking it all in. I lay back and press a kiss to her inner bicep. She lifts her arm slightly and flashes me a smile.

  “It really doesn’t bother you? Your parents not loving me?”

  I scoff. “I couldn’t care less. All they care about is money. Who has it, who doesn’t, and making damn sure everyone knows that they have more than enough of it.”

  “I thought you said your mom was poor?”

  I nod. “She was, but she’s had too many years of living large. She’s forgotten where she came from.”

  “Do you think your dad is going to stir trouble at the office?”

  My eyes cut to hers. “Would it be bad if I said I hoped so?”

  She raises her brows in surprise and sits up. “You do?”

  I sit up beside her and look out over the water. “I hate my job. I hate that company. It’s not what I want to do with my life. I only took my position as a way to provide for myself and to get my dad off my back.”

  “What do you really want to do?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. But not this. I don’t want to sit in my office on the top floor and push papers around. I want to do something. When I leave work, I want to feel like I’ve done something. When I leave now, I feel I’ve wasted another day of my life.”

  “If you could live any way you wanted, where do you see us in the future?”

  I allow my mind to drift, to dream—something I never do. “I see us living in the suburbs, in a nice but reasonable house. I can see myself getting up early every morning and starting the coffee while I shower. When I’m done, I sneak back into bed with you and wake you up with soft kisses.”