The Billionaire Next Door (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) (17 page)

“Mmmh.”  Solie moaned into his mouth, her body stiffening
at his entry but Ransom stayed still, not moving, giving her the time she
needed to adjust to the feel of him inside.

When he broke the kiss it was to lower his head to
nibble on her ear.  “Move with me, baby,” he whispered as his hand slid down
her body to cup her bottom.  “You feel so damn good.”

Emboldened by his praise Solie raised her legs to wrap
them around his lean hips and then she was moving under him and as she moved he
thrust into her, slowly, smoothly then faster until her breath came in quick
gasps to the rhythm of his moves.

“Yes, honey, just like that,” Ransom said in a throaty
whisper.

“Ooh, yes.  Please don’t stop.”  She was begging again,
pleading, but it felt so good.  As he thrust deeper and deeper into her,
Solie’s fingers moved up to tickle his spine then as the passion soared inside
she raked her nails up his back, drawing a guttural groan from his lips.

Like she’d pulled his trigger his body spasmed, jerking
like he’d lost control, driving him deep inside her.  “Aah, God.  Solie…”

In perfect tandem with him, Solie felt the first fiery
sparks and then the fireworks shot through her body, making her wrap her arms
around Ransom, clutching him close as her body splintered into a million pulsating
pieces.

It took several seconds before their bodies stopped
quivering and then, gently, Ransom withdrew and lay on the pillows beside her. 
He gazed at her, his breath still shallow, his hair falling wildly over his
forehead, looking so sexy that Solie fingers itched to pull his face down so
she could capture his lips once again.

Before she could give in to her desire he reached out
and brushed the damp tendrils from her face.  “Happy New Year, honey,” he said
softly.  “What a way to start a brand new year.”  Then he gathered her in his
arms, stroking her back as she laid her cheek against his chest.

Contented, Solie drew in a deep breath, inhaling the
seductive scents of sex and man.  And then, remembering when he'd said she'd
never need the word but finding the perfect reason to call him so, she raised
her lips to his ear.  “And Happy new Year to you,” she whispered, “my sweet,
sexy baby.”

When Ransom chuckled and kissed the top of her head
Solie snuggled into him again and as she did she whispered a prayer that the
coming year would bring her even closer to this man she loved so much.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“No, the black one.”

“Are you sure?”  Solie held up both dresses, the black
one in her right hand and the red one in her left.  “I want to look really hot
tonight.”

“Trust me, in that slinky little thing, you will.”  Kyra
dragged the black dress from Solie’s hand.  “Come on.  Let’s go pay for this.”

Solie groaned as she stood there watching Kyra head for
the cashier.  “I don’t know,” she said, her brows knitted in a frown.  “I
really like this one.  The color red suits me.”

With a hiss of exasperation Kyra turned and marched back
to Solie and ripped the second dress from her hand.  “There’s an easy fix for
that, Solie.  Just take both of them, why don’t you?  Jeez.”  And Kyra would
not have been Kyra if she didn’t roll her eyes for emphasis.

Ten minutes later, the dresses paid for and their arms
filled with shopping bags, Kyra and Solie headed for the parking garage where
they filled Kyra’s Kia Sportage with all the elements of their shopping spree. 
They got in and Kyra started the engine.  “I’ll take you straight home,” she
said.  “No more stops, I promise.  You need the time to get yourself all dolled
up.”  Then she tilted her head, her eyes full of curiosity.  “So where’re you
going this time?”

“Ransom’s taking me to Barton G. in Miami Beach.  Have
you ever been?”

Kyra chuckled.  “Me?  Lord, no.  You’ve got to have
bucks to eat at a place like that.”  Then she frowned.  “Speaking of which,
this guy’s been taking you to some really fancy places.  I thought you said
he’s in construction.  How is he able to afford all this?”

“I…I guess he saves his money.”  Solie sounded lame and
felt even lamer.  Why hadn’t she thought of that?

Kyra looked at her askance.  “Yeah, right.  He’d have to
be a darned good saver to be able to afford all this rich stuff.  Are you sure
this guy’s on the up and up?”

“What do you mean?”  Now it was Solie who turned
narrowed eyes on her friend.

“I mean,” Kyra said, pausing as if for effect, “is the
guy legit?  He could be running a drug ring for all you know.”

“Of course he’s not.”  Solie drew back, offended on
Ransom’s behalf.  “That’s a terrible thing to say.”

Kyra shrugged and put the vehicle in drive.  “Just
reality, sweetheart.  You have to be prepared for anything these days.”

“But Ransom isn’t-”

“Ransom, Ransom.  Everything Ransom.”  Kyra drove out of
the parking garage and onto the road.  She didn’t look at Solie as she spoke. 
“He could be the head of the Mafia.”  She shook her head and sighed.  “So
naïve.”

“I’m not,” Solie said, her mouth rigid.  “And take back what
you said about Ransom.  He’s nothing at all like that.”

Kyra shrugged.  “I know you like him, Sol, and I don’t
want to spoil it for you but you’ve known him how long?  Six months?  And you
still can’t tell me how he’s able to afford all these fancy restaurants?  Give
me his last name, Solie.  Let me check him out.”

Solie gave a hiss of frustration.  “I told you already,
from the time we started dating.  His name is Ransom Kent.”

“You told me that?  I must be getting old.”  Then,
looking like her brain was going a mile a minute she repeated the name, rolling
it off her tongue.  “Ransom Kent.  Cool name.  Sounds sort of familiar. 
Ransom…” Then suddenly she stopped.  As she peered down I-95 she bit her lip. 
When she spoke again she was frowning.  “Somehow that name rings a bell. 
Ransom Kent.  And he’s in construction?”

“Yes.  Why?  Is something wrong with that?”  Solie
frowned.  If Kyra was going to knock Ransom for being a blue-collar worker
she’d kill her.  “What do you have against-”

“Oh, my God.  Oh.  My.  God.”  Kyra was staring straight
ahead, her fingers clutching the steering wheel.

Solie jerked forward.  “What?  What’s the matter?”

“Ransom Kent.  That name.”  She slapped the steering
wheel with her hand.  “I knew I’d heard it before.  How could I have been so
dumb?”

“What are you talking about?”  Solie glared at her
friend.  Kyra could act crazy sometimes but this time she was past weird.

“You said construction and you said Ransom Kent. 
There’s this big shot guy who was featured in the Chamber of Commerce
newsletter.  He owns a billion-dollar construction business and his name, for
your information, is Ransom Kent.”

Solie’s frown deepened.  “Since when do you read the
Chamber of Commerce newsletter?”

Kyra shook her head.  “That’s beside the point.  Don’t
you see?  The guy you’re dating is a billionaire.”

Solie could only laugh.  Kyra and her insane ideas. 
“Please.  Ransom lives next door to me in an ordinary house in an ordinary
neighborhood and he drives an ordinary car.  If there’s a billionaire whose
name is Ransom Kent it’s not this one.”

“Wanna bet?”  Kyra glanced at her, looking for all the
world like the cat that swallowed the yellow canary.  “How much are you
betting?”

“A hundred dollars.  And you’d better get ready to pay
up because you’re gonna lose.”  Solie smiled as she thought about this
wonderful turn of events.  “I know exactly what I’m going to do with that
hundred dollars.  Remember those blue suede pumps we saw at Macys?”

“Don’t start making plans just yet, honey child.”  Kyra
gave her a smirk.  “You’re going to see the man tonight.  Ask him.”

Solie chuckled.  “He’s going to laugh himself under the
table.  I can just see it now.”

“Fine,” Kyra said with a shrug.  “But tomorrow morning
first thing you report to me.”

“Deal.”  Brimming with confidence, Solie grinned at
her.  “Just make sure you have my money ready.” 

***

“You look stunning in red.”  For a moment Ransom could
do nothing but stare at Solie, so elegant and poised as she stood in her
doorway, so sleek and sexy in a dress that hugged her curves in all the right
places.

“Why, thank you, sir.”  She gave him the sweetest of
smiles then she took his hand and walked with him to the car.

It was hard to believe that he’d known this woman all of
six months yet every time he saw her she made his heart pick up pace.  She grew
more and more lovely with each passing day.  God bless the day she’d barged her
way into his life.

For more reasons than one…

It wasn’t just that she was beautiful.  The whole world
could see that.  The fact was, Solie had become such an important part of his
life that he could not imagine being without her.

They’d been out together to so many places –
restaurants, the movies, the beach.  They’d even gone grocery shopping
together, occasions which were, to him, the most meaningful of all.  More than
that, they’d shared intimate moments, moments when he’d been able to hold her
close and show her how much she meant to him.

But now that wasn’t enough.  At least not for him.  Now
it was time to take things to a whole new level, which was why he’d asked her
out. 

They soon got to Barton G. where the maitre d’ escorted
them to a private lounge.  The food, as expected, was excellent but Ransom was
too distracted to fully appreciate the scrumptious fare.  Tonight his entire
focus was on the woman who sat across from him, the soft light from the candles
making her cheeks glow, her lips glisten and her eyes sparkle.  She was so
goddamn beautiful.

The meal over, Ransom reached for her hand.  “Solie,” he
said as he gazed into her eyes, “there’s something I need to ask you. 
Something really important.”

She gave him a soft smile and squeezed his fingers. 
“What do you want to ask me?”  Then she raised an eyebrow and her smile turned
crooked.  “Hey, wait.  There’s something I need to ask you, too.”

Now it was his turn to raise his eyebrows.  “You do? 
Okay, ask away.”

“You’re going to think this is so crazy,” she said,
shaking her head as she grinned at him, “but I mentioned your name to Kyra. 
You know my friend from work?  I told you about her.”

“Yes,” he said, nodding.  “You mentioned her a few
times.”

“Well, when she heard your last name she came up with
this crazy idea that you’re Ransom Kent, the billionaire construction tycoon. 
Can you believe it?”  Solie’s grin spilled over into a laugh.  “Kyra’s got an
imagination that would put Walt Disney to shame.”  Her body shook with laughter
and she pulled her hand away to lift her napkin and dab at her eyes.  “Poor
girl, she even made a bet on it.  Right now she owes me a hundred bucks.”

Ransom drew in his breath and sat back in his chair. 
Shit.  He’d meant to tell her about that but the time just never seemed to be
right.  Now everything was out in the open and he hadn’t been the one to tell
her.  How would she react when he confirmed her friend’s suspicion?  She’d been
known to fly off the handle for far less.  Well, there was nothing to do now
but spill the beans.

He grimaced then sighed.  “Sorry, Solie, but you’re the
one who’ll have to pay up.”

That got him an even bigger burst of laughter.  “You’re
just as bad as she is.  You’re having fun with this, aren’t you?”  Her laughter
died to a chuckle as she shook her head.  “You have a sense of humor, I’ll give
you that.”

Ransom tightened his lips.  How to break this to her
without embarrassing the heck out of her?  When he spoke his voice was low but
firm.  “I’m serious, Solie.  I’m the Ransom Kent your friend thinks I am.”

The smile froze on Solie’s face.  For a full five
seconds she just stared at him then the smile faded from her lips.  In quick
succession her brow furrowed and confusion filled her eyes.  “You’re serious.”

Again, he grimaced, not enjoying this, then he nodded. 
“I’m serious.”

Solie’s face fell.  “But…how could this be?  I…you’re a
construction worker.  I see you head off to work almost every day in your hard
hat and vest.  It doesn’t make any sense.”

Ransom sat forward and reached for her hand but she
pulled it away.  “I’m sorry, Solie. I didn’t mean to mislead you.  I was going
to tell you.  I just didn’t think it was that important.”

“Not important?”  Her brows shot up then fell right back
down as she glared at him.  “How could it not be important?  You lied to me.” 
She shook her head.  “I don’t even know who you are.”

“But you do, Solie.  The guy you see going to work,
that’s the real me.  That’s who I am.”  Ransom struggled to find the right
words.  How could he make her understand?  “I may have some money now but I’m
no different from the guy who started out in a humble farmhouse in Iowa.”