More Than a Billionaire (13 page)

“Oh really? And what’s that?” He brushed her hair off to the side and kissed the back of her neck, sending a tingle straight down her spine.

Kiera turned and met Gray’s eyes, then she flashed him a teasing smile. “You’ll have to come up to my room so I can show you.”

Gray’s eyes darkened, and he took her hand. “Anything you say, love.”

His voice turned her legs to jelly, but she forced them to move. Neither said a word as they climbed the stairs to the loft. Out of habit, she’d made the bed that morning, but the pajamas she’d worn last night were on the floor next to her towel. In the future, she’d remember to pick up after herself.

“Now, what did you want to show me?”

She considered her next move. Since he remained fully clothed while her shirt remained on the kitchen floor, she opted to start there.

“First, let’s even things out a little.” She undid his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Then she took a step back to admire the sight.

If Gray ever decided to leave his position with Sherbrooke Enterprises he could start a new career as a fitness model. She reached out to touch him, but he caught her wrist.

“My turn again.”

He brushed his hand over her breasts, and her nipples strained against her bra. Again, she reached out to touch him, but he shook his head as his hand skimmed down her stomach toward her jeans. When he reached the waistband, he paused, placing a kiss on each breast just above her bra. When she sighed, he did it again before undoing the button on her jeans, and then he slid the zipper down.

He pushed the jeans down, the material rough against her suddenly super-sensitive skin. When he reached her knees, she took over, kicking them off. He met her eyes for a moment before his gaze dropped to her breasts and down to her stomach. Once finished, he reversed his course and met her gaze again. The heat she saw in his eyes further fueled her own, and she ached for his touch.

“Leopard print. Not what I expected, but I like it.” He went to undo her bra, but, this time, she brushed his hand away.

“Not so fast. It’s not your turn anymore.” Kiera ran her hands across his chest, stopping to place a kiss above each nipple, mimicking his earlier torture. She allowed herself a moment to relish the feeling of his hot skin beneath her palms before letting her hand travel lower. As much as she wanted to keep her movements as slow as he had and draw out the foreplay, anticipation made that impossible. She needed him naked and inside her before she exploded.

When her hands reached the waistband on his jeans, they shook, making it difficult to unbutton them. The erection she felt didn’t help calm her either. When she got the button undone, she slid down the zipper.

Taking a step back, Gray kicked his jeans off. “My turn again.” He reached for her bra’s front clasp then dropped it to the floor. “You’ve got the next move.”

While she’d enjoyed every minute of their teasing so far, her body had reached its breaking point. She suspected his had as well. Rather than torment him anymore, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her body against his.

Kiera didn’t know if he moved first or she did, but one minute, her body was against his, and the next, they were on her bed.

She tried to focus. She wanted each moment captured in her mind. The way Gray kissed her and touched her made that an impossible task.

“Damn. I’m glad you keep this body hidden under that uniform of yours.” He made a trail of kisses between her breasts. “Otherwise, I’d have to beat off every guy in the restaurant.” Gray continued his trail down her flat belly, promising himself he’d give her breasts extra attention later.

When he reached Kiera’s navel, he stopped. “When did you get this?” He touched the belly ring. In the past, he’d been indifferent to body jewelry. On Kiera, he found it incredibly sexy.

Kiera’s hand covered the ring. “Right before I moved to Paris. Do you hate it?”

Gray pulled her hand away and kissed her palm. “Just the opposite.

He hooked a finger on either side of her panties and slide them down, letting them fall on the floor.

Wow.
He couldn’t look away from the naked beauty waiting for him. “You’re beautiful,” he said as he reached out, intending to touch her.

“And you’re over-dressed.” She grabbed his hand before he reached his destination.

Gray smiled at her comment. “I guess I am.” He freed his hand and touched the silky skin calling out to him. “Should I do something about that?” He caressed her again, and she jerked a little off the bed.

“That would be a wonderful idea.” Kiera’s voice came out half sigh, half moan as he continued to tease her.

Despite her answer, he didn’t get up. He enjoyed watching her face and the way she moved her body as he teased her too much to stop.

“Gray, you still have clothes on.”

He ignored her. Instead, he kissed her above her navel… and when her stomach muscles clenched, he did it again.

Gray continued his teasing with an occasional kiss thrown in until she finally went over the edge. While she floated back into her body, he pulled off his boxer briefs and grabbed a condom from his wallet.

“Are you okay?” He stretched out next to her on the bed and waited.

Kiera looked over at him, and he saw the glimmer in her eyes.

“Very good.” She wrapped her hand around him. “But I could be great.”

Her warm skin scorched his as she moved her hand, and words failed him.

He withstood her teasing as long as he could. When he feared he’d lose it if she touched him any longer, he slipped on the condom and joined their bodies like he had in his dreams. Desire and another emotion he couldn’t label exploded inside him as he started to move. This was what sex was meant to feel like.

A little while later, Gray stroked Kiera’s bare shoulder and stared at the ceiling. Neither said a word, but he knew she was awake. Her fingers stroked his chest. Although it was a whisper of a touch, it was slowly exciting his body again even though less than half an hour had passed since they’d made love.

Made love.
His heart stuttered on those two words. He’d slept with his share of women, but until today, he hadn’t understood the term
making love
. With the others, it’d been just sex. He’d enjoyed it, but it had remained a physical act. Emotions hadn’t played a role. What he’d experienced with Kiera fell into a category all its own.

Not only had the physical aspect blown his mind, but he’d also experienced an emotional connection with her. Even now, peace and contentment settled inside him as if he’d come home.

An image of him coming home to Kiera every night knocked the wind right out of him.

They’d started dating only a month ago. He shouldn’t be picturing her as his wife and the mother of his children. However, his heart had other ideas. It kept sending messages upstairs, telling his brain that Kiera was The One and he’d been an idiot not to realize it a long time ago.

Even with the contentment and happiness that filled him, his head sent his heart a counter argument. They’d gone on a handful of dates and had had sex once. All that was a long way from a walk down the aisle. His heart had love and lust confused.

Gray toyed with that thought. He’d lusted after women in the past. What red-blooded male hadn’t? The emotions that plagued him now were different. He physically desired Kiera, but he wanted more than just her body. He wanted her friendship. Her love. He wanted to see her every night before he fell asleep and every morning when he woke.

Kiera’s hand slipped down his stomach, stopping above the sheet. “You awake?” She traced a circle around his navel, and any blood left in his upper body flew south.

She moved her hand up his stomach, and he closed his eyes at the pleasure. Thoughts of love evaporated, replaced by thoughts of pleasuring Kiera again that afternoon.

“You tell me.” He grabbed her hand and slid it to his erection.

“I’d say you’re wide awake,” she said, before sliding her hand beneath the sheet and wrapping her fingers around him.

Red-hot lust raced through him, and he rolled on top of her. “I hope you don’t mind spending the whole afternoon right here.”

Kiera smiled, but before she answered, he kissed her. After that, neither spoke again.

***

“Maybe we should go back to your place. We can have dinner with Trent some other time.” Gray turned his car into his brother’s parking garage.

Kiera shot him a have-you-lost-your-mind look. “We’re here, Gray. It’s a little late now. Besides, you were the one who wanted to do this, remember?”

Gray pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. “
Wanted
is the key word in that sentence. I changed my mind.”

His dinner preference wasn’t the only thing that had changed in the past several hours. His view of this new relationship with Kiera had also changed. Or maybe it hadn’t. Perhaps some hidden part of his heart had always loved Kiera as more than a friend, and it had taken all these years for his heart to give up that secret.

“I think we should go in. They’re expecting us.”

“Fine, but we’re not staying long.” He yanked the keys from the ignition.

Gray and Kiera took the stairs up to the building’s main lobby where they passed a familiar-looking security guard before entering Trent’s private elevator.

“I think Jean-Paul, the owner of Mon Soleil, has an apartment in this building,” Kiera said as the elevator carried them up.

“If I lived in Providence, I’d live here, too.” Gray thought for a moment. “Maybe I wouldn’t since my brother lives here. I’m not sure I could be that close to him.”

“Oh, please. I don’t know a family closer than you Sherbrookes.”

She had him there. “That doesn’t mean I could live in the same building as him.”

“Since you live in New York City, it’s not a problem.”

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out together.

“Is your apartment in a building like this?”

“Not exactly.”

Trent’s door opened before Gray could elaborate, saving him from admitting that he lived in hotel suite and not a real apartment.

“Right on time. You’re a good influence on my brother, Kiera.”

Trent’s comment reminded Gray how late he’d been the last time he’d been expected there.

“Come on in.” Trent stepped back so they could enter. “Allison and Addie are in the kitchen.” Trent took their jackets, and then led them toward the kitchen.

Gray inhaled the scent of turkey, and thoughts of Thanksgiving popped up. When he walked into his own place, only the smell of whatever furniture polish the maids used greeted him. He’d much prefer the smell of a turkey dinner. His brother was a lucky guy.

Allison sat at the small round table in the gourmet kitchen while his sister-in-law stirred something on the stove.

“Kiera!” Allison jumped out of her seat and hugged Kiera before giving Trent a dirty look. Then she looked at Gray. “Trent said you were bringing someone, but he refused to say who. When did this happen?”

“After the wedding, and for now, we’re keeping it to ourselves,” Gray answered.

“My lips are sealed. Promise.”

Allison drove him crazy as only a younger sister could, but he trusted her.

Trent returned from putting the jackets away and stopped beside his wife. “I think you two met at the wedding, Addie, but if not, this is Kiera. She spent a lot of time with Gray and me when we were kids.”

Gray watched as Kiera and Addie exchanged the usual pleasantries.

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I made an apricot almond tart and chocolate cupcakes.” Kiera put the two desserts on the table.

Addie looked first at the tart “That looks delicious. I haven’t had that kind of tart in a long time.” Then she glanced at the cupcakes. “Are those gummy worms on the cupcakes?”

Trent laughed and Kiera smiled.

“They’re mixed in with crushed chocolate cookies.”

“Very funny,” Allison said, peeking at the cupcakes.

Addie looked at him then Allison before she looked at Trent. “I don’t get it. What’s the joke?”

Trent handed Kiera and Gray each a glass of wine. “Kiera made cupcakes like these once and convinced Allison they were real worms so we wouldn’t have to share with her.”

“Sounds like something my brothers would’ve done to me, but they would have used real worms not candy ones. How old were you, Allison?”

“Maybe three. I don’t remember exactly.” Allison uncovered the cupcakes and pulled one out. “Since I didn’t get one then, I’m having one now.”

“As good as they look, I’m going to wait. Dinner is almost done.” Addie pulled a gummy worm off the cupcake Trent held and went back to the stove.

“Do you need any help?” Kiera asked.

“All set. Trent can help me serve in the other room.”

Gray took that as their cue to leave the kitchen, and he followed Kiera and his sister into the dining room. While they waited for Addie and Trent, Kiera and his sister caught up. As a child, Kiera had always spent more time with him and Trent, but she’d gotten along well with Allison, too.

Instead of joining the conversation, he chose to listen while he mentally made plans. Randall wanted him to meet with José on Monday morning. In a perfect world, he’d arrive in Cozumel early tomorrow, get a good night’s rest, then handle business with José. He’d need a flight out tonight to accomplish that, and he had no intention of cutting his time any shorter than necessary with Kiera.

That left him with Option Two: fly out tomorrow and sleep on the flight, then meet with José on Monday and spend a day or two there in case anything else came up before he flew back home. How late could he leave tomorrow without jeopardizing the mission?

“What’s your problem?” Allison asked him. “You look mad at the world.”

Gray looked at his sister. “Work stuff.” He reached for his drink. “Are you going to work with Jake?” When he’d last heard Allison’s plans, their father had been trying to convince her to stay in Rhode Island.

His comment got the desired results.

“You’re moving? When did you decide that?” Trent asked.