The Billionaire's Gamble (10 page)

He laid her down in the middle of his bed and Sabrina looked around, fear welling up inside her. She looked around at the darkened room and shivered, but this time it wasn’t from what he was doing to her since he was busy unbuttoning his shirt.

He saw the shadow pass over her eyes and stopped, his hands freezing on the buttons of his shirt. “Sabrina, what’s wrong?” he asked, leaning down over her with his arms keeping his weight off her slender body. “Tell me why you’re afraid now when moments before you were crying out for me, begging me not to stop.”

Sabrina bit her lip and reached up to touch him again. “I’m sorry Sid. If you’ll just keep kissing me, I won’t be nervous,” she explained, her fingers caressing his cheek.

Sid watched her, a thought moving through his brain quickly, only to be discarded as too preposterous. But when he continued to watch her, the thought popped back to his head. “Sabrina, you wouldn’t happen to be a virgin, are you?” he asked, his voice gravelly as the reality hit him. He tensed, waiting for her answer.

“Is that so bad?” she asked, her voice not very strong. He looked like he was going to explode when she confirmed his suspicions. “I’m sorry,” she said, a tear forming in her eye and she started to wiggle away, embarrassed.

Sid was having none of that. He was too stunned by both the realization that no man had ever touched her the way he wanted to right at this moment, and every other moment of the day. As well as the knowledge that she was entrusting him with her first time.

He pulled her back underneath him and put his weight down on her when she continued to struggle. “Sabrina stop,” he demanded when she started to push him away. “Don’t do that,” he said and pulled her hands up over her head.

Since she couldn’t get away from him, she turned her face to the side, unable to look him in the eye with the embarrassment tormenting her. “Please let me go,” she whispered. She’d always thought her first time with a man would be incredible and wonderful. And with Sid, she’d been anticipating just that. Had, in fact, been heading in that direction. Good grief, she told herself between sniffs, if she’d just been able to hide her silly nervousness, she might not be in this horrible situation now.

“I’m not letting you go now or ever, Sabrina,” he growled and kissed her gently on the lips.

Sabrina couldn’t deny him when he was so gentle and her head turned back just as a flower needs the rain and sun. “Then we’re still going to….” She started to say but couldn’t speak the words.

Sid only chuckled at her inability to use sexual conversation. “Yes. We’re still going to make love.” He waited until her eyes lit up again and her body relaxed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’re going to wait until we’re married,” he finally said.

She stilled completely and opened her eyes. She looked up at him, her mouth still swollen from his kisses and her body vibrating with need but he looked serious. “You’re kidding, right?” she demanded, worried that he wasn’t.

Sid shook his head and smiled at her stunned expression. “Didn’t you hear me earlier when I asked you how soon we could be married?”

She thought back to moments earlier. They’d been on the couch and he had said something, but it hadn’t broken through. The words slowly came back to her and she looked up at him. “Married?”

“Yes, will you marry me?” he asked, and pulled a small, square box out of his pocket. “I’d like you to be my wife, Sabrina.”

 

She looked at the ring, then up at his eyes. “Because I’m a virgin?” she asked, terrified of his answer.

 

“No,” he chuckled. “I want you because you’ll be the perfect wife and I want you beside me. I’d be proud to have you as my wife.”

It wasn’t a declaration of undying love but would Sid ever be able to say words like that? She couldn’t see him uttering words of love but did she really need that? He cared for her, obviously or he wouldn’t have stopped tonight. And he definitely wanted her. She could feel that on her leg right now.

Sabrina looked at the incredibly beautiful ring, her smile growing as her own love for him started to blossom out of control, welling up inside her and threatening to choke her. And if that’s the way she had to die, she could expire happily.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly. “Oh, yes!” she gasped, wanting to laugh out loud with her happiness. “Oh, Sid! I can’t believe this! You want to marry me?”

“This is what I’ve been trying to get you to understand for the past week,” he said, accepting her laughter and affection. He pulled her on top of him, enjoying the way her body fit perfectly against his. He gritted his teeth when he felt her soft, voluptuous breasts pressing against his chest. She had no idea what she could do to him, he realized. That was a good thing though. He didn’t want her to ever have the upper hand in this relationship. It was bad enough that he’d have to wait until his wedding night before making love to her.

“No long engagement though,” he warned her. “I want this thing done with all due speed. Understand?” he said and rolled her back underneath him, unable to take that position for too long without acting upon her enticing wiggles of excitement.

“Oh, yes! Of course,” she laughed. She glanced at her new diamond ring once again and then reached out to hug him. “Oh, Sid! How amazing! I can’t wait to tell my parents. They’ll love you.”
Chapter 6

“Sid?” she whispered into the receiver?

 

“Sabrina? What’s wrong?” Sid demanded, instantly awake.

 

“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to share something with you if you’re up for it,” she said through the phone, still whispering despite the fact that he was obviously awake.

Her words relaxed him somewhat but he was still tense, wondering why she would be calling him so early. And frustrated. Just hearing her voice made his body react instantly and he was aching, hard and ready for her. The soft, husky whispers of her voice were only compounding the problem. “What time is it?” he asked, glancing out the window. “It’s still dark outside, Sabrina.”

“I know. It’s a little before five in the morning. And if it’s too early for you, I’ll understand.”

Sid pulled himself to a sitting position and pushed the pillows behind his head. He normally would be waking in a half hour anyway. What was a little less time sleeping when he had a beautiful red-head to wake up to? If only she were next to him instead of snuggled in her own bed miles away. “Okay, I’m awake. What’s going on?”

“Oh, I can’t tell you. I’ll pick you up.”

 

“What for?” he said, smothering a yawn as he smiled indulgently at her still whispering voice.

 

“It’s a surprise.”

Sid sighed. “Okay, let me get this straight. You want to take me somewhere, but you won’t tell me where or why and it’s still dark outside. I’m guessing it has to be illegal, otherwise, there’d be no reason to get up this early.”

Sabrina chuckled at his quip. “Nothing illegal about it, I promise. Now get out of bed and I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

 

“You have to do me a favor first.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Tell me what you’re wearing,” he said.

 

There was silence on the other end of the line. “Sabrina? Are you still there?”

 

“Yes,” she said hesitantly. “What are you wearing? I need some sort of motivation to come get you at this ungodly hour of the morning.”

 

“I can’t. And I’ll come get you.”

 

“Oh, this must be good, and you must tell me,” he said, his voice turning husky and his body instantly alert to all the possibilities. “And don’t lie.”

 

“Sid, really, there isn’t time.”

 

“Exactly so you’d better hurry up and tell me, in detail.”

 

“You’re a very naughty man, do you know that?”

“Yes, and all of my thoughts are centered around picturing what you’re wearing. So tell me quickly before my mind comes up with something far worse than you could possibly be wearing.”

“Sid…”

 

“You’re stalling. Is it a sexy negligee that’s split up the side in flaming red silk?”

 

Sabrina laughed again. “No. Absolutely not.”

 

“Hmm…pity. So what is it? What does the lovely Sabrina sleep in at night?”

 

“Sid…”

 

“I’m going to find out sooner or later. You might as well let me know now.”

 

“Just a camisole,” she finally said.

 

“Nothing else? Any underwear?”

 

“Of course!” she gasped.

Sid chuckled and it was a deep, throaty laugh that warmed her skin through the lines, actually making her blush. “Okay, that’s good enough for now. I’ll pick you up in a few minutes,” he said and hung up the phone.

Sabrina rushed out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. She only took enough time to run a brush through her hair and run down the stairs to make some coffee for the two of them.

She was just putting the tops on two thermos’s of coffee when she heard the soft rumble of his Maserati pull up in her driveway. She rushed outside, pulling a sweater over her shoulders as she jumped into his car.

“Where to?” he asked, taking a grateful sip of the offered coffee. He was surprised when he realized that it was his favorite brew. He considered it very thoughtful of her to have gotten and made it for him. “Thank you,” he said, feeling awkward but touched.

“You’re welcome. Head out highway nine, going East,” she said, smiling broadly.

 

“East?” he asked, waiting for additional information on their destination.

 

“Yes,” she said, smiling but not giving him any more details.

He looked at her cute, impertinent expression and had to laugh. She was becoming relaxed enough around him to challenge him. That had to be a good thing, he told himself. Turning back to the road, he shook his head, stunned that he would want a woman who would challenge him like this. “East it is,” he said and put the car into reverse. They headed out of the city, the powerful car eating up the miles quickly. She gave him directions to a smaller road off the main highway she’d found several months ago.

“Just park right here,” she said softly, pointing to a small turn in the road. The sky was just lightening slightly by this time. “We’re right on time.”

Sid pulled off the road and took another sip of his coffee. “What are we on time for?” he asked, looking at his watch. He’d been up for less than thirty minutes and he realized that even this early in the morning, he wanted her with an intensity that shocked him. Perhaps it was the idea that she had been sleeping in nothing more than a skimpy cotton top and panties only thirty minutes ago. Or maybe it was her fresh face with no makeup that looked alive and vivacious. Whatever the reason, this tiny woman’s body sitting patiently beside him was more temptation than he was able to withstand.

“You’ll see,” she said evasively.

 

“So we have a while before something happens?” he asked.

 

Sabrina nodded and took a sip of coffee.

 

“Well, then, if we have time to spare,” he said and turned to her, bending slowly down to her, gently touching his lips to hers.

Sabrina had been waiting for this to happen ever since he’d turned off the engine. She’d known it would happen. Was even hoping it would. But even previous experience couldn’t hide the shock she felt each time Sid kissed her. It was as if his lips were filled with electricity and it sparked through her mouth and flared to life inside her body each time he touched her.

Sabrina could feel the desire spring to life in her stomach and groaned, one hand reaching up to touch the side of his face, his hair and to feel the warmth of his skin under her fingertips. She moaned slightly when he deepened the kiss….

Sabrina pulled away when she felt the light coming over the horizon. “It’s happening,” she whispered.

 

Sid raised one eyebrow, not understanding her meaning.

 

“The sunrise,” she explained, smiling shyly at him.

 

“Ah,” he said, not bothering to look in front of him, enjoying the view of her lovely face instead.

Sabrina sat back in the soft leather seat and was almost holding her breath as she watched the sun creep over the horizon. The desert flared to life, the rocks and plants seeming to dance as the sun shattered the darkness, bringing light and life to the barren land.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, not taking her eyes from the horizon.

Sid glanced out the front windshield and had to admit that it was amazingly dramatic. He saw the sunrise each morning while he worked out but it was different here in the desert without the lights of the strip to hinder the drama. The light fragments created a scene that was indescribable. He watched with hidden awe as the sun rose over the horizon and lit up the night, changing it to soft morning.

As the scene unfolded, he turned and was more mesmerized by the changes in Sabrina. She was quiet and awestruck by the scene unfolding. When the sun lit up the rocks in front of her, a tear trickled down her cheek. She tried to circumspectly wipe the tear away but he’d already seen the telltale sign and a lump formed in his throat.

She turned to him, the tears brimming over the edge of her eyelids and she gave him a watery smile. “Isn’t it fantastic?”

 

“Sure is,” he replied, but he was talking about her and not the sunrise, although it was pretty spectacular.

 

Once the sun was higher over the horizon, she took a deep breath, pulled a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her eyes. “Okay, now we can start the day,” she announced.

Sid nodded his head and turned over the engine. He was just about to put it into reverse when he stopped. Glancing at her profile, he leaned over and gently kissed her soft lips. “Thank you for sharing this with me,” he said.

Sabrina’s face seemed to light up and she glowed with pleasure at his comment. “You’re welcome,” she said, slightly breathless. “Thanks for coming with me,” she laughed.

“Let’s get some breakfast.” He put the car in reverse and got back onto the highway. Within minutes, he was pulling into a diner that he knew from his past served great meals. “Ready?” he asked.

She glanced at the name of the diner and shook her head. “How do you know about this place?” she asked, her surprise apparent on her face. “This is one of my favorite restaurants. I didn’t think many people from the city knew about it.”