Billionaire's Bounty (Plus Size Loving) BBW Erotic Romance (2 page)

He
chuckled, eyes narrowing even further in intent as he looked at her. “I’m not
sure whether that’s a compliment or not.”

Oh,
it’s certainly a compliment, Miranda thought, her heart beginning to pound.
With every look, and even with the slight pressure in his touch as he guided
her in the slow, swaying waltz – she could tell he was going in for the
kill. The problem was, Miranda had a crazy feeling she was going to be very,
very easy game…

“It
would be nice to at least know the name of my dance partner, and the man
responsible for rescuing my toes from bruising,” she purred, surprised at her
audacity.

Here
she was, flirting with a total stranger…and yet, a man thrilling enough,
gorgeous enough to make her forget every one of her personal principles –
a man dashing enough to make her kick her good-girl image right out of the
window. She wanted to leave. Right then. Just grab his hand and run off to
somewhere they could be alone, all alone – and she could do with him all
the unspeakable things her mind was telling her body to do…

“My
name is Jude. Jude Stone.”

Miranda
paused, his words sinking in like lead. And in moments, her wild, wanton
attraction to him was checked, shattered – before finally shriveling to
nothing as she went to ice in his arms.

“Jude
Stone? The billionaire?” she breathed, eyes flashing with anger and disbelief.

“Yes,”
he said calmly.

Miranda
gasped, arching away from him in distaste and anger. “Jude. I should have
recognized you for a snake the moment I saw you.”

“It
was business, nothing personal.” Jude replied with curling lips. “Just like how
you found yourself dancing with Kirk. Was that not purely a business strategy? Whatever you think he can offer
you, I can provide ten fold. I destroy men like him every day, Miranda.”

“Just
like you destroyed my father?” she asked through thin lips. “You bastard. Well
let me tell you this: the day I ever give in to a man like you will be the day
I dishonor my family and all it stands for. And that’s something that’s never
going to happen.”

“My
affairs with your father have nothing to do with you and I,” he growled.

“There
is
no ‘you and I’ Mr. Stone,” she bit
out clearly, finally able to wrench herself from him. “I hope I never have to
lay eyes on you again.”

***

“That didn’t go well.”

Jude
didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Carly at his elbow. He could
hear the smugness in her tone, but didn’t look her way as he kept his narrowed
gaze on the disappearing figure of Miranda Quinn.

“Obviously,”
he replied at last, his tone wry.

“You’ll
forget her, of course?”

“Never,”
he said simply, softly, raising the glass Carly had handed him, to his lips as
he saw Miranda exit the ballroom, his last glimpse of her being the gorgeous
swaying roundness of her curvy bottom. He felt the beast in his rise to the
surface. Getting to talk to her, holding her soft, curvy body close in his arms
– had got him wanting her more than ever. In fact, at this point he was
ready to do whatever it took to get the luscious Miranda in his clutches
–
and in his bed.

He
faced his assistant at last, his eyes gleaming with intent. “As to be expected.
But now I simply have to give her an offer she can’t refuse.”

He
heard Carly sigh deeply, and heard the resigned note in her voice as she asked,
“So what do you have planned?”

***

Miranda couldn't think of last night without
shuddering - especially when she'd been so close to making the biggest mistake
of her life.
The instant attraction, the burn
of desire... It had fizzled in a heartbeat when she'd found out his name. Jude
Stone.

To think of how thrilling it had felt to be held
in his arms, innocuously in a dance and yet, with a far from innocent burst of
lust burning between them...She'd looked into his eyes and had known; he had
but to say the word, and she would do his every erotic bidding. Those notions
had been so unlike her, totally different from the woman Miranda really was.
But in the few moments that the fog of attraction had swirled around her, as
briefly as it had lasted, she had known true, animal desire.

It was a good thing then that she had been flung
back down to earth on time. Her father - her brother too, would have had respective
fits if they heard that not only had she been dancing with the hated Jude
Stone, she had also been willing to bed him. Very willing. And he hadn’t even
had to do a thing.

At that moment, she was staring down at a recent
cover of Time magazine, and the bold image displayed there. Ever since
last night she'd been doing some serious digging. Prior to the incident of the
night before, she'd never had much interest in finding out much about the man
who'd hurt her family. It was enough that she knew his name. It had been far
too painful to trouble herself with the details. All she could remember was
that she had been at University, about to finish up her finals when her father
called to tell her that he'd lost the company.

That was more than a year ago. And now, for the
past several months, she'd been home, trying to be there for her father and
yes,
her
brother too. Wasn't that why she'd agreed to
go to that high-flying fundraiser that night? In a show of solidarity, she'd
accompanied her brother, had even allowed him to foist her on that creepy man,
the financial consultant whiz who was meant to have been a potential backer.

All that had been pushed to the sight the moment
she'd set eyes on the handsome, blonde-haired stranger. Only to discover he was
the very snake in the grass.

She stared down at the magazine cover, seeing
those same aquamarine eyes, those sculpted
lips, that
finely structured nose. The rich and powerful Bust-up Billionaire, Jude Stone.
He lived true to his name: crushed rivals and peers with the same ruthless
hardness. He was as implacable as granite, and as immovable as a rock. How
could she for one second believed herself attracted to him

Once again, she shuddered, thanking her stars
that Jeffery had not been present at the time to see her in the arms of the man
he hated so much. Just the mention of Jude Stone’s name was enough to make
Jeffery see red. And only that morning, he’d vented his terrible temper on her

“Why did you do it?” he’d asked in a calm, yet
angry voice.

Miranda had turned to face him, her face burning
with guilt. Had he found out? She’d wondered frantically. Had he somehow got to
know about her almost-lapse with the hateful Jude Stone? But his next words
calmed her – somewhat

“All you had to do was be nice to him,” he’d
growled, referring to Kirk. “He’s a good guy, one of the few who were willing
to find a way to get us out of this mess. And you just had to offend him.”

“Jeff, it wasn’t like I meant to,” she’d said
with a sigh. “Someone else asked me to dance, that was it. Besides, Kirk was a
terrible dancer.” She’d smiled playfully, hoping Jeffery’s mood would change.

“You selfish brat,” he’d said coldly, eyes
narrowing down at her. “All you think about is what’s best for you. You never
cared about what happened, it never bothered you that dad lost control of the
company he’d spent almost all his life to build. When mother died years ago,
the company became his life. All I asked was for you to do one simple thing, be
nice to a prospective financier, and you blew it.” His expression was furious.

“Kirk is not even picking up my calls now. He’s
not interested in hearing any of my proposals. Way to go, sis. You’ve been a
great help, as always.”

“But what had you expected of me? Why do I have
to be offered up like a…a vestal sacrifice just so you could get what you
want?”

“Not what I want,” Jeffery bit out, his eyes
hardening, “But what’s best for the family. If we can get back on track, then
dad can come home, piece his life back together. The takeover of the company
broke him, Miranda. You know that. And it’s the only thing that can bring him
back.”

With that, he’d shaken his head exasperatedly at
her, and then swiveled around to leave the room.

“I’m sorry, Jeff,” she said quietly, and he
turned around with a look of that cut through her heart.

“That’s just not good enough,” was his soft
reply, and then he was gone.

Now, back in the present, Miranda couldn’t help
staring at the face on the cover page. He was the sexiest – and most
dangerous – man she’d ever met. And they’d danced, flirted…his eyes had
blazed with a dark heat she’d been powerless to ignore. No man had ever looked
at her like that. It had thrilled yet frightened her – scared her to know
that she had felt the very same; she’d been open to any of his overtures or propositions.

And she wondered…if she hadn’t been so rash and
quick to damn him, could she have used her position to an advantage? He’d
desired her; she could feel it coming across in waves. If she’d had any kind of
sense, she could have used it as leverage of some sort…

But then Miranda snorted at herself. What did she
know about leverage and all that kind of stuff? What did she know about men,
period? She was twenty-five, not exactly a cherub, but far from experienced
when it came to the male species. She didn’t even have a boyfriend. Not
recently, anyway. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been on a
proper date.

Miranda had never tried to “conform” herself with
what others thought or said about her. She felt fine with her looks; she loved
her full figure, and made sure she stayed fit and healthy without needed to go
on a starvation regime just to fit in. She made sure she took care of her
appearance, and knew that though she may never fit certain people’s mold of
what was the ‘perfect’ shape or size, she was happy with herself.

Friends kept trying to hook her up, but Miranda
had just not met anyone who could vaguely catch her interest.

That was why she’d been so unprepared with Jude
Stone. He was far, far different from any of the guys in college she’d known.
His charisma had a steel-sharp
edge,
one she knew
could cut deep if she came too close.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen, she knew. Once
she’d established who he was, any chance of a “dalliance” was totally scrapped
– permanently.

Sighing deeply and telling herself she felt not a
single twinge of regret, Miranda turned away from the window as the phone on
her desk began to ring. It was Heather, her secretary.

“There’s a Carly Johnson here to see you. Should
I let her in?”

The name didn’t sound familiar, and Miranda
frowned. “Just what does she want?”

“She says she’s here on a private matter.”
Heather paused, then added, “She’s Jude Stone’s personal assistant.”

Miranda blinked in surprise, and then tried to
calm the now unsteady beat in her chest. Finally, she said calmly enough. “I’d
like to see her. Send her in, Heather. Thank you.”

Miranda was seated behind her desk when the woman
came into her office. She was lovely, slim and efficient-looking. She had a
small smile on her face as she held a folder in her hand. Miranda took note of
the wedding finger on her left hand, and wondered why she would be conscious of
a detail like that. Jude Stone had a very pretty, attractive-looking female
personal assistant – who was married. For some reason, that seemed like
an interesting point to ponder.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Miss Quinn,”
the woman called Carly Johnson said with a charming smile as she took the seat
Miranda indicated, in front of the desk.

“It was strictly out of curiosity, Miss Johnson,”
Miranda said coolly. “Not courtesy. I simply want to find out what in the world
I could have to do with Jude Stone’s personal assistant.”

“I’m here to make an offer, Miss Quinn,” Carly
Johnson said, her smile still easy, full of charm. “And to discuss terms.”

“An offer? Terms?” Miranda huffed, sitting back
in her chair. “I can’t imagine I understand what on earth you’re talking
about.”

Carly’s eyes fell to the magazine placed on the
desk in front of her, her smiling curving higher when she saw the face on the
cover. And then she looked up shrewdly at Miranda, who had followed her gaze
and seemed to grow slightly pink in the cheeks.

“For some reason, Miss Quinn, I think you do….”

***

“Hello,
Miranda.”

He was standing there, at the table in the very
prestigious restaurant, a slant in his smile. Miranda looked at him, and felt a
strange pang. He looked no less devastating than that first night they’d met.
If anything, he seemed all the more lethal now that there weren’t that many
distractions around them, just the few other patrons in the ultra elegant
restaurant.

“Jude,” she nodded slightly in return, clutching
her small purse in front of her.

“You look ravishing,” he said deeply, his eyes
never leaving hers for a moment. She swallowed imperceptibly. Why did she feel
so many mixed emotions when he looked at her that way? She wanted, dearly
needed, to loathe him. She wasn’t even supposed to be here.