Bedding The Billionaire (19 page)

Vane shook his head. "I've never seen Delaware
drink so much before. It's not in his nature. He likes to be in control and
that means staying sober." He smirked and backed away from Abbey. "I
didn't think he was human until tonight. You must have had quite an effect on
him to get him into such a state."

Abbey lowered her eyes so Vane couldn't see them. Damn.
This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to feel sorry for Nick. All
she wanted to do was make him jealous and then leave him. Forever.

She'd achieved the jealous part it seemed. So far so
good. Then why was her heart thumping so hard? And why did the leaving part
make her stomach churn?

"I have to go," she said. Suddenly all she
wanted to do was find Nick.

She opened the door and was into the corridor before
Vane could stop her.

"Hey, where are you going, Babe?"

"None of your business. And I'm not your
Babe."

Vane chuckled. "Going to find Delaware? That the
guy just put you through a test and you failed. I don't think he's going to be
too receptive towards you."

Abbey spun round. "A test? What do you
mean?"

Vane shrugged. "I think that's what this was all
about. He was testing you to see if you went for me thinking I was Delaware. You
know he's loaded. He thought you were only interested in the money." His
lips curled into a grin. "Guess he was wrong, since you already knew who
was who and you still came back with me."

Abbey's head was spinning. She turned around slowly,
not really aware of what she was doing, and headed for the elevator. Nick had
put her through a test? That's what this was about? He thought she was only
interested in him for his money?

She felt ill as she pushed the button for the
elevator. As she waited, the illness disappeared and was replaced with the heat
of anger.

That slime! That son of a bitch! He'd tested her as if
she were some kind of experiment. He really didn't believe her when she'd said
she wasn't a prostitute. Now he just thought she was a different kind of
hooker. The kind that goes after rich men and marries them for their money.

Damn him!

The elevator door opened and she stumbled blindly into
it. She pushed the button and rode up to the next level. She stepped out into Nick's
corridor and knocked on his door.

There was movement inside, but it took several moments
before the door opened. That gave Abbey long enough to think about what she was
going to say.

She'd give Nick a taste of his own medicine and teach
him
a lesson.

"Abbey!"

Despite her new resolve, Abbey's heart leapt into her
throat at the sight of him. Nick was disheveled and definitely drunk, but still
looked damned sexy. He'd discarded his tie and his shirt was undone. It gaped
open, revealing a swathe of toned chest muscles and washboard stomach.

She swallowed and reminded herself why she hated Nick
Delaware right now. She tore her gaze away from his body and lifted it to his
face. Not much better.
Concentrate Girl!

Nick
stepped aside and she moved past him. He clumsily tried to catch her arm but
she shook him off.

"Abbey," he said quietly. "We need to
talk."

She shook her head. "I've had enough of
talking." She drew in a deep breath, turned around and smiled. She walked
over to him and placed a hand on his chest. The muscles were taught under her
fingers.

"I want you."

Nick's Adam's Apple jumped. He touched her hand and
withdrew it from his chest but trapped it inside his own. Abbey stopped
breathing.

"Abbey, I want to talk to you. It's
important."

The last thing Abbey wanted to do was talk. Not only
was it not part of her new plan, but it was also not very possible with Nick
looking so delicious.

"Later," she said, husky. "There's
something I have to do first. Something I
need
to do." She lifted
her hands and linked them behind his head. Gently she drew him down, although
he needed little encouragement. They kissed, long and slow. A fire burned in
her belly and spread to her thighs and her nipples as every part of her begged
to have this man inside her.

Nick's kisses increased in ferocity. His tongue
explored, hers responded, and before she knew it his hands were behind her,
caressing her bare back, pulling her to him. His erection was rock hard and was
proof of how much he desired her.

His hands didn't stay long on her back. They roamed to
her rear, cupped her cheeks and squeezed. Then they moved down, brushing
against her flesh at the edge of the dress. His hands lifted the hem and moved
upwards, slowly caressing every inch of her thighs until he reached her bottom
again. She was wearing a thong and when he realized this, he let out a
strangled cry.

"Oh, Abbey," he whispered hoarsely against
her lips. "My sweet Abbey."

His words and velvety voice sent a thrill through her
body, puckering her skin in anticipation of what was to come. She realized
she'd never wanted any man as much as she wanted Nick. Somehow, tonight, she
felt as if things were so much more intense between them. So much more than
just sex. There was a need there, a desire that ran too deep for words.

Get a grip, Girl. Keep your cool.

But she
was very far from cool. Her body was exploding with heat. Her heart thumped so
hard she could hear the blood rushing in her ears.

Nick
stopped kissing her long enough to pick her up and stare into her eyes. His
eyes were smoky with lust and passion and something else...need.

He held
her to him and carried her to the couch. Abbey had enough of her wits still
with her to shake her head and whisper, "The bed."

He
changed direction and carried her to the bedroom, all the while his eyes never
leaving hers. There was pain in them
—
pain mixed with desire
—
and it tore at Abbey's heart when she recognized it.

This was
going to be harder than she thought.

He
kissed her again as he laid her gently on the bed. Then his body covered hers,
pinning her to the mattress. His weight felt good, reassuring.

She
pushed his shirt off his shoulders and he pulled his arms free of the sleeves. She
let the shirt drop to the floor then concentrated on his pants. He stood, took
them off together with his shorts, then gently pulled her from the bed to stand
against his naked body.

"I
want to look at you, Abbey. I want to see your body."

She
nodded and he reached behind her to undo the zip that started at her lower back
and ended just below her bottom. The dress fell away and revealed her dressed
only in a black thong.

Nick
swallowed as he took a step back and let his eyes travel the length of her
body. Somehow it didn't feel crude when he looked at her that way. His gaze was
admiring, like a man studying a work of art. There was nothing threatening or
vulgar about it.

Abbey
stood, arms calmly at her sides, and let him drink her in. It was going to be
his last time.

He took
a step toward her and bent to kiss a nipple. It peaked immediately and drew a
deep sigh from Abbey. His thumb and forefinger played with the other, twisting
gently until a spasm shot through her.

He
continued nibbling at her nipples while his hands moved downwards, gently
feeling every inch of bare skin between breast and the triangle of dark curls. She
quivered before he even reached the spot that sent hot rushes through her. He
rubbed and the quivering intensified. Her fingers gripped into the muscles in
his shoulders and she arched herself into him, bringing her into contact with
his hard erection.

He
jerked away. "Not yet," he breathed.

Damn it.
She wanted him badly. Inside her.

Abbey
tried to get him to move to the bed but he wouldn't budge. As his fingers and
tongue increased their speed she could feel herself approaching the edge. She
was on the brink when he pushed her gently back on the bed and entered her with
one quick thrust and a grunt.

She
closed her eyes and relished the rush of tingles and heat that swamped her,
enjoying the way he felt inside her
—
hard and big. Filling her. Nick
shifted his weight. He knelt on the bed on top of her, and moved her legs so
the calves rested on his shoulders, her toes pointing toward the ceiling. He
thrust again, and Abbey's eyes sprang open as she gasped.

The new
angle made him feel even bigger, longer. He reached a place she didn't know
existed, unleashing a tide of waves crashing through her body. She felt like
she was burning as masses of tingles ignited her, brought her to the edge and
over it.

Her eyes
locked with Nick's as she cried out. They were black and glazed with need and
desire. She gripped his shoulders with her fingers as shudders took over her
body. Nick threw back his head, his muscles twitched and tensed, and he let out
a roar as he flowed into her.

Exhausted,
they lay together on the bed in a damp tangle of limbs and sheets. Nick kissed
the top of Abbey's head and pulled her into his chest, mumbling something that
she couldn't make out. Abbey put her right leg between his knees, the movement
an automatic one that she was only barely aware of.

Moments
later Nick was asleep in her arms and she was telling herself she would
activate her plan after she had a nap.

***

Nick awoke with a headache and stiff limbs. He moved
his arms to feel for Abbey, sweet Abbey who'd come to him finally. But they
wouldn't budge.

Nick groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He was on his
bed in the hotel suite and Abbey was standing at the foot of the bed. Naked. He
tried to move again to reach her, but couldn't.

That's when he realized he was tied to the bed. A sock
bound each of his wrists and the pillow cases tied his feet. The bed was a four
poster. He was naked and spread-eagled.

"Abbey! Abbey, what are you doing?" He tried
to get up again, struggling with the bonds, but fell back into the pillows.

His first instinct was to panic, but that quickly
passed when he realized Abbey wasn't a dangerous woman, just a pissed off one. She'd
made love to him only hours before, so she couldn't be
too
angry either.

Could she?

She glared at him, hands on hips. The sight of her,
naked and in control sent a thrill through him. He glanced down at his stirring
cock. Abbey noticed too and smiled. She came round to the side of the bed.

"Abbey, what's going on? Let me go, and we'll
talk about this."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but it's the only
way I could stop you from touching me."

"Why don't you want me to touch you?"

"Because when you do I lose control."

Nick couldn't help smiling at that. He knew the
feeling. "So?"

"So, I do want to talk to you, but I don't want
you to touch me, and I know you will. And I know I’ll respond. This is the only
way I can say what I want to say without interruptions."

"You're lying." Nick could tell there was
something else. He could see it in the wicked glint in her eyes. "You're
going to tease me to death aren't you?"

Abbey laughed. "No. I'm not going to tease you
—
"

"You already are, just by standing there
naked."

She frowned and picked her thong off the floor. She
stepped into it. Nick watched, mesmerized, as the tiny piece of fabric swept
over her smooth legs and her soft thighs, and settled over her dark triangle to
hide her most secret place from him.

"Stay like that," he said. "If you stay
like that I don't mind being tied up, honestly."

Abbey's mouth twitched, but she was already pulling
her dress on.

Nick's breathing became shallow. So this wasn't about
sex. She really didn't want to tease him. That was a problem. What did she have
in mind? He struggled with the bonds again but they didn't budge. He let out a
low growl.

"This isn't funny anymore, Abbey. Untie me."

Her eyes narrowed. "You lied to me. You treated
me like a piece of meat."

For the first time, Nick noticed that Abbey's lips had
turned almost white and her face glowed with a pink flush. She was angry. No,
she was fuming.

Nick growled. "I'm going to kill that little
weasel, Vane."

"Don't blame him. He might be a weasel, but
you're a pig, Nick Delaware."

Nick's eyes rolled into the back of his head. So she
knew. "When did you find out?"

"When his wife recognized you in the
photos."

"You came to the party knowing who I was?"

She nodded and Nick blinked at her. That meant she'd
been playing him all night
—
she'd known who he really was but had
said nothing.

"You lied to me," she said. "You got
Vane to lie to me too. You’re despicable."