Holiday Treasure (Billionaire Bachelors - Book 10) (7 page)

Kyla couldn’t breathe as his hand moved back and he let his fingers drift through her hair. She knew she should stop this, but she didn’t know why. When he tugged her closer and lifted her onto his lap, she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck and lean in against his solid body. “You make me forget,” she murmured.

And he did. He made her forget it all.

“I want you to forget anything other than me,” he said before closing what little gap was left between them and kissing her with so much heat, she was sure she’d see scorch marks on his couch.

When his hands traveled beneath the hem of her shirt and up the naked skin of her back, she knew she had to decide what she was going to do next. It was too soon for this, and he was a stranger. She wasn’t ready to make love to him.

Pulling back, she looked into his eyes and nearly changed her mind. So much fire burned in his gaze. That heat was for her, and only her, at least at this moment.

“I think we should finish the decorations,” she said lamely. Was he going to just end up disgusted with her and ask her to leave? That wouldn’t shock her.

His hand was still up the back of her shirt and he paused in the act of caressing her skin. His eyes still burned into hers. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked, leaning forward and nipping her bottom lip, making heat travel straight to her core.

“No,” she admitted. “But it’s what I need to do.”

“Okay, then.” With that, he bent forward and gave her one more small, chaste kiss, and then he slid to the other end of the couch and picked his string back up. When she sat there speechless and dazed, he looked up. “If you continue looking at me like that, I will listen to your eyes and not your mouth,” he warned her.

Her eyes widened and for just the briefest of moments she wished he would take control away from her. But she knew she couldn’t think like that. With shaky hands she picked up her yarn and began stringing popcorn and cranberries again. It was a mindless task, and she needed that now.

Everything felt awkward for only a few more minutes and then Kyla found herself laughing as Tanner joked with her, often getting up and brushing against her, but not reaching in for a kiss again.

Once the popcorn and the cranberry strands were done, she brought out some white paper and taught him how to make snowflakes. The pizza arrived, and their time together couldn’t have been better as her stomach filled with pizza, Christmas goodies, and wine.

When they looked at their finished project, she was overflowing with pride. It was a childish tree filled with strings of popcorn, cranberries, and paper snowflakes, and it was also the most wonderful thing she’d seen in a long, long while.

“Thank you, Kyla. I haven’t enjoyed decorating a tree in years,” Tanner confessed quietly.

Kyla turned toward him, assuming that he was just joking, but he was staring at the Christmas tree in awe, as if surprised he’d had a part in making a thing like that happen. She was feeling rather surprised herself. This stranger, this man who most likely wouldn’t be in her life very long at all, was making her feel emotions that were changing her universe. He was making her forget her sadness, if only for a moment in time.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said. But she was barely able to focus on the tree instead of on him.

And Tanner made it impossible. He was now looking straight at her, and she couldn’t help but return the favor when she felt the burning of those amazing eyes. And she suddenly found herself on the verge of tears and in desperate need of retreat.

He noticed, of course.

“What’s the matter, Kyla?”

“I should really get going. It’s late.” She knew she was running, but she didn’t care.

Tanner was instantly in front of her face. “Why are you always in such a hurry to leave as soon as the temperature rises a few degrees or we begin to talk about emotions?” He wrapped his arms behind her back and tugged her against his chest — the beautiful chest she’d been hyperventilating over earlier.

“Because I know what’s happening, Tanner.” She couldn’t help but give him an honest answer.

“And what is that?”

“You want me in your bed.” Why not put it out there? Why not get the focus off her emotions? That was more like it.

“Yes, I do.” It was hardly an earth-shaking admission.

“Well, then, you should know that it isn’t going to happen,” she said, her voice slightly breathless.

“Challenge accepted,” he told her with a smile, pushing his hips against hers and letting her feel the effect she had on him.

Her blood heated, her body softened, and her knees grew weak. She was so lucky to b sitting down. This man’s voice was seductive and his body was hard. She could see why he was so confident in succeeding with her. At least she didn’t feel on the verge of tears anymore.

“Take it any way you want, Tanner, just as long as you know it’s never going to happen,” she said, and she twisted out of his arms. If she decided to play games with this man, he’d be the only winner.

“Mmm, I’d love to take
you
any way I want. I have lots of ways I’ve been planning on taking you.”

Gosh, he was making her melt. To be desired by such a god of a man was quite the esteem builder. Would it really be so bad to allow herself some pleasure, just a little measure of it? No, it wouldn’t. The way she’d feel the next morning was what she dreaded. She’d never been one of those women who could give her body freely. There had to be something beyond simple sensation — there had to be emotions involved that didn’t come down to unmitigated lust.

Leaning back into him, she initiated a kiss for the first time, allowing herself to savor him for several moments. She could feel that he was surprised, but he didn’t waste any time in pulling her even more closely against him as he ravished her mouth.

When she felt herself falling over the edge of sanity, she pushed off against his chest.

“I just wanted another taste,” she said, then tugged against his hold.

Why was she disappointed when he let her go without a struggle? This was what she wanted, she reminded herself.

“Have a great night, Tanner,” she said steadily. And she walked to his door and opened it.

He followed her outside and watched while she unlocked her door and went inside.

The last thing she saw before firmly shutting the door between them was his unblinking eyes. He was sending her a clear message:
This is in no way finished.

Chapter Fourteen

A
re you ready
for work?”

Kyla stood in her doorway, trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s time for work. We’re going to the same place, so why not go together?”

Tanner was standing in her doorway and looking far too handsome and much too perky for so early in the morning. Granted, it was nine in the morning, but still, she’d been up late, so that equaled too early to be so happy while standing in her doorway. Working two jobs this holiday season had seemed like a good idea at the time, but not when it meant she was giving up sleep, blessed sleep, for just a few extra dollars.

“I’m not ready,” she told him.

“That’s all right. I’ll wait.” Then, before she even invited him in, he pushed past the door and waltzed into her apartment.

Kyla stood there for a moment longer as she surveyed her raggedy space with utter embarrassment. Sure, she’d done the best she could on her tight budget, but the furniture was secondhand and there weren’t many decorations to speak of. Plain and drab.

He looked out of place in her apartment, though he was residing in the same building. Somehow she knew he didn’t belong there, though. She wasn’t sure how; his clothes weren’t that out of the ordinary. But he clearly wasn’t the type of man who lived in a low-end complex like this one — no. He was the type who lived in a sky-rise and looked down upon the city. She didn’t know that for sure, but it was just the way he carried himself. An air about him, perhaps.

“I…um…I guess, have a seat,” she finally muttered as she tugged on her shirt and shuffled past him in her fluffy slippers.

He’d come at a perfect time. She was wearing an old pair of sweats and a ten-year-old T-shirt, her preferred sleeping attire. Sleeping was about comfort, not fashion. But she’d hardly been expecting her incredibly hot neighbor to show up before she’d even managed to climb out from her bed.

Rushing into her bedroom, she gathered clothes, then snuck into the only bathroom in the apartment and turned the shower on as hot as the dang thing would go. It felt strange to take a shower while knowing Tanner was virtually on the other side of the door. Yep, her apartment was that minuscule.

As the water cascaded down her body, her nipples tightened and a shiver ran through her. What would she do if he strode into the room, drew open the shower curtain without a qualm, then climbed inside with her and pinned her to the wall?

She’d probably attack him, that’s what she would do. And why? She didn’t know this man, had only had a few conversations with him. She’d never even had a date with the guy. Well, the tree trimming could count as a date if she wanted it to.

The two of them had shared food, wine, and laughter. Oh, and a few hot kisses — she couldn’t forget those. But he hadn’t asked her out or anything. She’d just shown up with a tree on a whim and then they’d ended up spending the evening together.

Why couldn’t she be one of those bold women who just went after what they wanted? Once she emerged from the shower, she wiped the fog off the mirror and analyzed her reflection. She wasn’t the most beautiful of women, but she also wasn’t exactly ugly.

She took care of her body, and her skin. She didn’t spend hours in front of the mirror, but she occasionally liked to fix her hair up nicely and spritz on some perfume. Why did some couples make their relationships seem so easy, while people like her seemed so lost in this whole mess?

Maybe it came down to confidence. Maybe she needed to just forget about what the world expected. Maybe she should just go after what she wanted. The problem with that, though, was that she didn’t know what she wanted. At least she hadn’t known what it was for the last two years.

All she knew for sure was that Tanner was the first man in ages who had set off a spark inside of her, and she wanted to see where that spark might lead. But she wasn’t sure she’d ever have the courage to admit that to him.

With a long-suffering sigh, she pushed away from the mirror and got dressed. She would have to face this man at some point soon. She couldn’t hide in her bathroom forever, though the idea wasn’t unappealing right now.

When she finally opened the door, a pleasant smell drifted toward her and she followed her nose to the tiny kitchen. She was in shock when she found Tanner standing at her stove with a towel tucked into the front of his jeans and a spatula in hand.

“Hope you’re hungry, ’cause I sure am,” he said as he flipped a piece of French toast in the frying pan.

“You’re cooking?” she said stupidly. Obviously he was.

“I didn’t think you would mind. I brought over the stuff from my place, so you’re not out any food.”

“You brought food over?”

“Are you going to repeat everything I say? With only minor variations, of course.” He stopped what he was doing and turned to face her.

“I…uh…”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a master chef and you’re impressed,” he said with a big grin.

She paused for another moment before an answering grin broke out on her face. “I actually
am
impressed,” she said before pulling down two plates from her cupboard and setting them at her little table.

“Wow. Didn’t expect you to admit that,” he told her with a cheesy smile.

“I call it how I see it.” Kyla’s confusion was evaporating, though she wasn’t sure why. She placed the syrup and butter on the table and waited for him to bring the food over.

Why was she spending so much time analyzing this? Hadn’t he said he wouldn’t be at these apartments very long? Didn’t that mean that she really had nothing to risk by flirting with him, by just enjoying his company?

Even if she did end up getting a little attached to the man, he would leave just as quickly as he’d appeared in her life. She didn’t yet know if she was willing to sleep with him, but a bit of harmless banter didn’t hurt anyone, right?

She took her first bite and then had to gush. “Oh my goodness, this is great. How did you come up with it?”

“This French toast is a sworn secret. There’s no way I could divulge the recipe.”

“I have ways of making you talk, Tanner.”

“By all means, make me,” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“This stuff is good enough that I just might try.” She didn’t even know who she was as she continued flirting with Tanner so shamelessly. She also didn’t care. It just felt right.

The two of them finished their meal, and then she insisted on washing the few dishes involved before they left her apartment.

When they entered the street and began strolling along, Kyla was a little bit afraid at the comfortableness she now felt with Tanner. This was certainly a routine she could get used to. When his hand reached for hers and she accepted the twining of their fingers, her heart started to flutter.

Maybe now was the time to worry about getting attached to him. She could certainly feel something when she was with this man, something much more potent than she wanted to admit to.

But for now, she didn’t have the time to worry about it. Maybe she would tomorrow. Or maybe the day after tomorrow.

Chapter Fifteen

Y
eah, you’ve got
that something…

That was it! He must be in a freaking time slip, thrown back decades to a silly period when even four grown men sang stupid songs about holding hands.

The whole thing was just weird. He’d started to walk Kyla to and from the mall over the past few days — what if she was followed again? That was a good excuse, wasn’t it? And each day, dammit, he took her fingers with his, and his thumb rubbed against her satin skin, and he felt as if he never wanted to let go. What in the hell was he thinking?

This was a new one for him. Who held hands anymore, except maybe old married people? What was the point? Okay, there was a pulse nearby, so maybe if you pushed at it cleverly, it would serve some automotive function and send a babe you wanted into overdrive. He’d have to check that out on the Web.

But sex hadn’t been what he was thinking when he lost his hand-holding virginity as a grown man in his thirties. For some reason, he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from their joined fingers, and couldn’t ignore how right it felt.

This woman — a woman, he reminded himself, whom he’d known for a couple of weeks — was starting to dominate his thoughts, even in his sleep. She was quickly getting underneath his skin, and, oddly enough, that didn’t terrify him as much as it should.

He should have been running from her as fast as he could, but instead, he found himself seeking her out, offering his help, and enjoying nothing more than her company. So far, all she’d allowed him to do was kiss her.

Hell, he hadn’t even managed to get the woman’s shirt off yet, and still, he felt content. He’d never worked so hard before to close a deal, and he’d certainly never enjoyed spending so much time in a woman’s presence.

In the past he’d grown bored after taking a woman out once or twice. Maybe his fascination with Kyla stemmed from the fact that he hadn’t bedded her yet. That had to be it. It really was time that he stop this juvenile madness. He had work to do. It was time to grow up.

But he hadn’t seen Kyla all day, and he missed her, missed her tremendously, missed her touch, her voice, her wit, her little jokes. So he found himself walking from his apartment and standing in front of her door.

Damn. More of her cookies and their heavenly smell. Was this planned? Did she know the way to his…stomach? His hand lifted, made a fist, and rapped on her door, almost against his will. He should go back home — sheesh, was he calling this place
home
now? — but…hell. He knew it was futile even to think that thought. He wanted to see her, wanted to pull her in close for another kiss — even if that’s all he was going to get from her.

“I missed you today,” he blurted out when her door opened and she appeared, looking scrumptious enough for him to take a bite.

Her hair was tied back, a few escaped tendrils lying softly against her face, and she had flour smeared across her nose and forehead. Wearing an apron that was also covered in flour and had the motto
Cooks do it hotter,
she looked better than if she’d been standing before him in the finest lingerie.

Yeah, he had it bad.

“Invite me in?”

She replied with a lift of her eyebrow and a slight smile on her lips as she waited for him to continue.

“I want to taste your…cookies,” he said with a wolfish smile.

Some women might have gotten huffy. Not her. Kyla laughed and, much to his surprise, opened her door wider so he could step through. That was another thing he loved about her, the fact that she could take what he dished out and even give it back most of the time.

“You look so pathetic standing there with drool on your chin; how could I possibly send you away without getting…a taste?”

His heart rate jumping up by at least fifty beats per minute, Tanner couldn’t stand it any longer. He cornered her in the kitchen and, without giving her time to resist, pulled her against him as he lowered his head. He had to have a mouthful before he died of hunger.

Kyla didn’t hesitate; she lifted her flour-covered hands and clasped his head, kissing him back with a hunger of her own. It was almost as if they were both breaking a long, torturous fast.

Driven almost mad with his desire for her, Tanner lifted her up and set her on the counter, his hips quickly seeking out relief between her thighs. He drew her forward and cradled her sweet, hot core between his legs. He leaned in, needing her to know how desperate he was for her, if she didn’t know already.

She tugged on his hair and pressed against him; both of them groaned as their tongues danced. Tanner ran his hand down her back, slipped his fingers beneath the hem of her shirt and moved it upward.

Silk.

That’s what her skin felt like — pure silk. He trailed his hand up, caressing the fine muscles of her back, splaying his fingers wide against her flesh. As she whimpered into his mouth, he leaned back just a bit and moved his hand around her rib cage, his thumb brushing the underside of her breast with his thumb.

Yes! Yessssss…

Without further hesitation, he cupped that luscious mound, feeling her soft skin through the tiny lace bra she was wearing.

Perfect.

She was absolutely perfect, fitting just right in the palm of his hand. He wanted the fabric out of his way, wanted to taste the sweet peaks of her breasts, needed her to be lying beneath him. He reached down, preparing to pull her shirt over her head, when a loud beeping startled him. Kyla edged away, staring at him sightlessly.

“I’m sorry. That got out of hand,” she whispered.

Tanner found himself leaning against the counter, his body throbbing as he looked at the space she’d been filling only moments before. Turning toward her, he saw her hands shaking as she pulled a hot pan from the oven and set it on the stovetop.

“Why don’t you just turn off the oven so we can continue what we started?” he said, coming up behind her and running his hands down her sides to rest on her hips.

She shuddered in his arms, then bent forward and gripped the front of the stove. Tanner took the opportunity to slide his mouth seductively down the curve of her neck.

“I can’t,” she said, wriggling out of his embrace and turning around to look at him.

“I don’t understand, Kyla.” He wasn’t going to let her off the hook without an explanation.

“I don’t want to have sex, Tanner.” She couldn’t be any clearer than that. “If you want to leave, I understand.”

At first, he had to contend with the slightest edge of irritation. She was lying. It was more than obvious that she did indeed want to have sex. Why was she fighting him so hard? It wasn’t as if either one of them was a virgin. When two people felt a mutual attraction, shouldn’t they just do what their bodies were meant to do? Get naked and get it on, right?

“Yes, you do,” he finally replied when the silence had stretched on for too long.

“No. I know you probably think I’m nothing but a tease, but I don’t want to have sex. I just…”

She trailed off as if she didn’t know what she wanted. But he wasn’t worried. He knew what she wanted. He could think for the both of them.

He leaned against her, taking her chin with his fingers and lifting her head so she was forced to look at him. “If you want to wait a while longer, I’ll wait.”

He was bowled over when those words exited his mouth. That hadn’t been what he’d intended to say. But when a shocked but grateful expression entered her eyes, he knew he’d said the right thing. He leaned down and kissed her chastely, and then backed up. He absolutely couldn’t keep touching her right now or he would quickly have her back up on the counter.

“I brought wine,” he said, going back to the door and grabbing the bottle he’d left just inside the door, where he’d hastily set the bottle his assistant had brought to him at his request.

Kyla looked a little unsure, but after a couple of seconds, she went to her cupboard and pulled out two glasses.

“I don’t have fancy wineglasses, but I’m sure it will taste the same no matter what we drink it from,” she said with a self-conscious giggle.

“Of course it will,” he said, though some experts claimed that the shape of the glass could influence wine’s flavor and aroma. No need to point that out. Could he taste or smell anything but her? Not bloody likely. So he poured the wine and asked, “What can I do to help?” He leaned against the counter as she began taking the cookies off the pan and setting them on wax paper.

“You can stay out of the way so I can finish up in here.”

“Have you forgotten that I’m a master chef, Kyla?”

“I haven’t forgotten that, but this is
my
cooking time, and I don’t like to be shown up.”

With a grin, Tanner grabbed a couple of the cookies, taking a big bite from one and groaning his approval. “Oh, this is good,” he mumbled. Once he’d swallowed, he popped the rest of the cookie in his mouth.

He saw the delight in her eyes at his compliment, and though she scolded him, telling him to quit eating all the cookies, she put a glass of milk in front of him and said he needed it to wash them down. Cookies and wine just didn’t have the same flair.

“Who taught you how to bake?” he asked when his mouth was finally empty.

“My mother,” she said quietly, and her eyes drooped.

He shouldn’t, but he really wanted to know her full story, know what had happened a couple of years ago. Yes, he could look it up, find out the information from a second party, but that’s not what he wanted. He wanted her to tell him, to share with him. She’d given him only a small snippet so far.

“You know you can talk to me about it if you need to.”

“Why would you want to listen to my drama?” Kyla was trying to make a joke here, but it was falling flat.

“Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know real well, someone who wasn’t there.”

“I may eventually take you up on that offer,” she said before pausing. “If you’re still around.”

She said that last part with a disappointment that lingered, and Tanner suddenly felt himself wanting to be around long enough for her to trust him.

But he wouldn’t be. They both knew that. Tanner wasn’t the type of man who stayed in the trenches too long. Yes, he’d had his moments in his life when he found himself among the masses, but those times didn’t last. There were a couple of kinds of people in this world, and he was certainly on the top of the list.

He didn’t know where Kyla stood. Yes, she was down and out right now, but he had a feeling it wasn’t a place she would stay too long, either. Did the two of them have more in common than he’d originally thought? She couldn’t have the kind of money and influence he had, even with all the billionaires now on the ground, but she could certainly be a powerhouse of her own. But what did all of that matter anyway? The rich bitches he’d known had been just that, really — bitches. Not that he was any prize when it came down to it.

Shaking off the mood-killing thoughts, he popped another cookie in his mouth.

“Let’s watch a movie,” he said as he watched her take out her last tray of goodies.

“A movie?”

“Haven’t I said this before? You really like repeating what I say, Kyla.” He chuckled, then stood up and moved over to her DVD stand.

“You just change subjects so quickly and so often that I’m trying to keep up,” she told him.

“I like to keep you off kilter. It’s fun.”

“That’s not very nice, Tanner,” she told him with a mock glare.

“Baby, I’m all kinds of fun,” he replied, snaking his arm around her and tugging her in close to his heated body.

“Tanner,” she said in a warning tone, but her breathing had already accelerated and he hadn’t even kissed her yet.

“I’ll break down your walls, sweetheart; you can trust me on that.” Tanner’s mouth moved dangerously close to hers. He felt immense satisfaction when her eyes widened. “But I’ll be good for now. Okay, not as good as I could be…”

With that, he released her and picked out a DVD, not even caring what it was as the two of them sat on her couch to watch the flick.

“This is my favorite one,” she said as
It’s a Wonderful Life
began playing.

He rolled his eyes. “I’ve never understood why everyone loves this movie so much. His life is completely destroyed.”

“That’s the point, Tanner. He has to see what effect taking his own life could have on those he loves. Before that happens, he can’t truly appreciate the good of what he is and what he does.”

Although he disagreed with her interpretation and still hated the film, Tanner shut up and watched the movie with her. As it continued to play, he scooted closer and closer to her on the couch, draped his arm around her, and began stroking her neck. But he kept his eyes focused on the TV.

She was a bit stiff at first, but she soon relaxed, raising her hand to rest on his chest. Then she snuggled closer and sighed at parts of the movie she particularly liked.

When the movie ended, Tanner looked down and noticed that she was so relaxed, in fact, that she’d fallen asleep in his arms. Carefully cradling her to him, he lifted her up and proceeded down the short hallway to what was obviously her bedroom.

He managed to pull back a handmade quilt while still holding her, and then laid her down on the soft sheets. After covering her up, he stared down at her face, so beautiful and at peace.

Turning and walking away – God, it was hard — he switched off her lights and made sure her front door was locked. Now this was frightening. In less than three weeks, this woman had become more than just a conquest to him.

The question was, what did he want to do about that?

When he stepped back inside his apartment, feeling pretty great, if still confused, his foot suddenly slipped out from beneath him and he went flying into the air, a resounding
oof
coming from his lungs as he landed hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Once he caught his breath, he realized he was flat on his back and in at least two inches of water. If he’d been paying attention, he would have noticed the water leaking out into the hallway.

Jumping up and feeling a nasty ache run down his back, he sloshed his way through the water and made it into his kitchen, where he could hear the distinct sound of gushing. When he opened the cupboard below the sink, he was immediately sprayed in the face. He jumped back and found himself staring at a burst pipe.