The Billionaires Love Curves 2 - a BBW BWWM Billionaire Romance (2 page)

Cole made their excuses, took Lacey's hand, led her to the elevator and stared at her all the way down. Placing his hand in the small of her back, he walked her to the car. They drove back to her apartment in silence, both stealing quick glances at the other.

At her apartment block, Cole got out of the car and walked Lacey to the front door.

“I hope you had a good time, Lacey,” he said, stroking her face. It was a warm summer evening and she was wearing her purse over her shoulder with her bare arms crossed under her bosom.

“I had the best time,” she said. Then grinning up at him she said, “It felt like a date.”

“I was hoping you would see it like that,” he said. “I know I wanted to be your friend but I'm feeling like I'd like to move this a step further.”

“Really,” she said looking into his eyes.

“Yes, really.” He stopped stroking her cheek and let his fingers run down the side of her neck and along the neckline of her dress. His forefinger stopped just where her breasts met and he pulled her towards him so that her dress gaped a little. Very gently, his lips brushed hers and a shiver came over her, despite the heat of the night.

Their tongues slowly circled each other and eventually Cole put his arms around her tiny waist. She uncrossed her arms and placed them around his neck as their kisses became more intense.

“Do you want to come up?” she breathed, their lips parting for just a moment.

“Only if it's all right?” he said, eyes still closed.

“Yes, Elaine should be asleep by now. If we're quiet...”

“I hope I can do quiet,” he laughed and watched as she took the keys from her purse. He followed her up to her apartment and into her bedroom.

She let her purse drop to the floor as she went up on her toes to hold him and kiss him again. They walked towards her bed while still in an embrace. She fell backwards, him on top of her, still kissing and rolling together on the bed until they were about to tumble to the floor.

Lacey reached out an arm and turned on the side light. Cole knelt on the bed at her feet and removed her sandals. He took hold of the hemline of her dress, moved his hands up her slender legs, up over thighs, and the rest of her body, working the dress up over her head. He stopped to take in the red uplift bra and red silky panties before sinking his head between her breasts.

He removed her underwear and began to kiss the skin around her navel, drawing circles with his tongue, gliding it up to her nipples and feeling her pulling his head closer and closer to her body until his teeth were around the dark area of her nipples and she was crying out.

“Shh...” He put a finger to her lips. “I thought we had to be quiet.”

She giggled. “Not that quiet.”

Lacey sat up and pulled the bottom of Cole's shirt out from his pants before undoing his belt and pulling down his zipper. His aroused state excited her more. She watched him free himself of the rest of his clothes as she lay back. Cole widened her already spread legs and lowered himself onto her, feeling her anticipation rippling in waves beneath him.

They forgot about having to be quiet. This first encounter was overpowering them both and they played it out with more noise and movement of their bodies than either of them could control.

Chapter2

“Damn it!”

“What's the matter, Lacey?”

“I forgot to set the alarm. I'm late for work.”

After a night of lovemaking, Lacey had fallen asleep in Cole's arms and, for the first time since her break up with Nate, she had fallen into a deep, peaceful rest.  Even her internal alarm hadn't roused her, come morning.

“Don't go in today,” Cole said, leaning up on his elbow and pulling Lacey back into bed before she could race off to the bathroom to get ready.

“Cole, I can't just not show up.”

“Why not?”

“I have a job to do.”

“How many times have you taken a day off for anything?”

Lacey stared up at the ceiling, she didn't have to think too hard. Since starting at Holden-Taylor almost seven months ago, she had worked solidly.

“Well,” she said, “maybe once or twice but there was always a good reason.”

“What if I give you a good reason to phone in and tell them you can't make it in today,” he whispered.

“And what could that reason possibly be?” she asked, looking up into eyes that were smiling down at her.

“Well,” he said. “To start – breakfast. I insist it's the only way to start the day.” While he spoke, his fingers caressed her body from the base of her neck down to her chest.

“Then, a long shower while we contemplate what we'd like to spend the day doing.” His fingertips were sending waves of delight into the area of her nipples, her body wriggling with pleasure as he touched the skin on her upper torso and moved on to her tummy. “I suggest a movie or a museum, something like that.” His fingers were now in a tantalizing position between her legs, the pressure of his fingers relentlessly convincing her that a day off work was what she needed right there and then.

“You win, Cole,” she breathed, her back arching, her waist gyrating.

“You better call in,” Cole said, stopping what he was doing.

“In a minute,” Lacey said, grabbing his hand and returning it to the place it was before.

Cole smiled, Lacey closed her eyes and forgot all about work.  Holden-Taylor no longer existed.

Before breakfast, Cole and Lacey showered together. Elaine had left a note, written in lipstick, on the bathroom mirror for Lacey. It read: “Nice to hear you got home safely!”

She was able to wipe it off before Cole came into the bathroom.

“I know exactly where we can have breakfast,” Cole said.

“Oh really, where?” Lacey said as she pulled on a t-shirt and jeans.

“Let me surprise you,” he said.

They jumped into his sports car and he sped across the city with the radio playing loudly and Lacey feeling carefree and ready to just relax and enjoy her day away from the office. They pulled up in a Brooklyn street, busy with passersby and small shops selling fresh food and flowers.

“Are we stopping here?” Lacey was surprised that Cole had not taken her to an expensive hotel restaurant or a more affluent part of New York.

“Yep, this is the place.”

Cole looked across the road to an Italian restaurant with tables and chairs outside where two overweight men sat drinking coffee and reading newspapers.

“Let's go!” he said.

They held hands and ran across the road and entered the little restaurant which had a bell over the door.

“Cole!” A short couple were behind the counter. The woman came around and grabbed Cole's face down to her height so she could kiss his cheeks three times.

“Cole, Cole, Cole, why haven't you been back in so long?” the woman said. She had black hair with flecks of gray, her dress was tight over her plump figure.

“I was only here last week!” Cole said but Lacey could tell he was pretending. The chubby woman just raised her eyebrows and winked at Lacey.

“Come, sit, I make you breakfast,” the woman said pointing to an empty table.

“First, I want you to meet, Lacey. Lacey, this is Mrs. Moretti.”  Cole's smile was broad.

“Call me, Carla,” Mrs Moretti said kissing Lacey on both cheeks. “And that handsome man over by the counter is my Angelo. Angelo bring two coffees for the lovebirds.”

“Lovebirds?” Lacey said as Cole pulled out a chair for her.

“Well,” said Carla. “My Cole never brings anyone here he doesn't think a lot of. He hardly brings a lovely girl, so I'm assuming my little Cole is smitten?”

“Don't embarrass me.” Cole blushed and shook hands with Angelo after he put two cups on the table and poured fresh coffee into them.

Lacey could not believe Cole was blushing. He genuinely liked her, she thought. After just one date he was already taking her to a place that obviously meant a lot to him. She leaned her elbow on the table and stared at Cole while the Morettis bustled around preparing a feast for her and Cole.

“What is it?” he said, looking back at Lacey and her serious expression.

“Nothing,” she said. “You're just full of surprises, that's all.”

“Well as long as you're happy, that's all that matters.” He put a hand on hers. She smiled as the late spring sun beamed into the little restaurant and Cole lifted her hand and kissed it.

Lacey began to see Cole on a regular basis. She was swept away by the good times he showed her, and the way he would invite her out to parties with his friends and introduce her to everyone as his girlfriend. It was a refreshing change from dating Nate and she made the most of every minute.

At work she felt her confidence come back in leaps and bounds. Now that she was no longer being mentored by Nate, the colleagues who were once jealous of the time she was getting from the CEO were more accepting of her and she was able to join them for lunch or nights out. Sometimes she would ask Cole to join her and the new friends she was making at Holden-Taylor and he would happily accept.

Spring turned into summer so quickly and it was a very hot summer in New York. Cole often took Lacey out of the city on the weekend. On one occasion, Cole had insisted that Lacey invite her brother, Luke, to join them after Lacey confided in him about what her home life had been like.

Lacey had never had the opportunity to tell Nate much about her early life and, if she remembered rightly, he never really asked. But Cole had been interested and when she'd told him how she'd practically raised her brother, Luke, Cole insisted on meeting him. Both Lacey and Luke had spent the day on the patio of his large house in the New York suburb where he'd invited them to spend the weekend.

“I like that guy,” Luke had said about Cole in a quiet moment when Cole was out of earshot.

“You do?” Lacey replied.

“Are you falling in love with him, sis?” Luke asked her.

“As a matter of fact, Mr. Nosey Parker, I think I am.”

“Well,” Luke had said, “just be careful of him.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I don't know. He's not like us. All that money he's got. People like that can buy and sell people like you and me. So it kinda makes you wonder what's deep down inside a person while all that money is shining on the outside.”

“It's not like that,” Lacey insisted. “Cole's not like that. It's not all about buying me presents and taking me to fancy places. I think he loves me, too.”

“Just be careful, sis.”

“I will, but just remember who's the oldest around here.” She hit him playfully on the shoulder. “When did you get so smart anyway?”

“I got it from my big sister.” He punched, her back, just as tenderly.

“What did you get from your big sister?” Cole said as he came back onto the patio.

“Kindness,” Luke replied. “So don't you take advantage of her. Lacey has a big heart.”

“I know,” Cole said, reaching for Lacey's hand. “I see what you see, Luke. Don't worry I'll never let her down.”

4

Lacey was singing as she waited for the elevator on her way up to her office at Holden-Taylor.

It was a sunny morning, the security guard had complimented her on the red floral dress she wore. She'd smiled to herself because it was obvious that he had been checking out her cleavage, but with her figure she was used to admiring glances from all kinds of men. She ignored all of them now that she was dating Cole.

Lacey started humming as the elevator made its way down to the ground floor. It wasn't until the doors of the elevator opened that she noticed Nate had walked into the elevator right behind her.

Their hands touched, briefly, as both went to press the button to their floor.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “Didn't see you.”

“No problem,” Nate said, looking upwards and not at Lacey.

Lacey continued to hum and Nate looked over at her.

“Everything all right?” Nate said.

“Everything is wonderful,” she replied, as the elevator door opened. Her step was light and she practically skipped out of the elevator in the direction of her office, not giving Nate a second look. He, on the other hand, stood and watched the cut of her dress, the sway of her hips and the rustling sound the fabric made as she walked along the corridor.

Lacey was fully aware that Nate had been looking at her. She knew that she had filled the elevator with the perfume he'd said was his favorite scent on her. This was the first time since their break up that she was walking with a confidence and Nate must have noticed.

Lacey closed her office door without looking over her shoulder but sensed Nate was still lingering. She ignored this fact, as there was a boardroom meeting for all the staff. Lacey got ready to go, she remembered the first time she attended a staff meeting like this one. All of the writing staff had been there, including Jane, the journalist she had replaced. That was the day Nate had first seen her in action and had become attracted to her.

Lacey collected her thoughts and made her way to the boardroom. During the meeting, she was aware of Nate's eyes boring into her. She could feel them on her body and, for a moment, was tempted to pull at the buttons on the front of her dress, as though his eyes were undressing her.

“...and what do you think, Lacey?”

Lacey became aware that the editor-in-chief,  Ali Russell, whom she'd become good friends with, was asking her a question. Lacey looked at Nate, very briefly, before looking to Ali.

Ali caught the glances between Lacey and Nate but tried not to let it show.

“Lacey, I wanted you to tell everyone about the new look autumn issue you've been working on. In fact, before you do, I just want to inform everyone, and I hope Lacey doesn't mind if I do this publicly, but I have decided to promote her.”

Lacey's eyes widened. Again, she glanced quickly at Nate and wondered if the decision had anything to do with him but his head was down. A thought ran through Lacey's mind that perhaps this was Nate's way of trying to win back her affections. Did he want a second chance?

A little after the meeting, Ali Russell caught hold of Lacey as they passed each other in the corridor.

“I need to see you in my office,” Ali said.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“Not at all, just a quick word.”

“I'll be right along,” Lacey said, turning back to look at Ali and wondering what on earth this could be about. Ali looked serious.

“Come take a seat, Lacey.” Ali said when Lacey joined her a few minutes later. “First of all, sorry about springing the promotion on you without discussing it with you first.”

“Oh, that was fine. I like surprises – good ones anyway,” Lacey said.

“I didn't even stop to ask you if you accept. But everyone started clapping. They all agree, you're good at your job.”

“Thanks, Ali, and there's no way I would refuse. This is what I've been working for.”

“Good, but just make sure you keep it all business, Lacey.”

“I don't understand,” Lacey knotted her eyebrows. “I thought I always did.”

“You do, Lacey, but still I can't help feeling a little worried.”

“What about?” Lacey sat up straight.

“I don't know,” Ali said. “Maybe it's my imagination, but I'm getting a vibe from you and our CEO.”

“You mean Nate?”

“Who else? He spent a lot of time mentoring you so I wondered if you two had become...close.”

“Ali, there's nothing going on between me and Nate.” At least she hadn't had to lie.

“I must just be putting two and two together and making five,” Ali's smile was tight.

“You must be.”

“So there's nothing?”

“No.”

“Good. Office romances don't always work out and you're good, Lacey. I didn't want you getting into something and coming out the loser.”

“You don't have to worry about me, Ali. I'm fine and I know what I'm doing.”

“I'm glad to hear it. And in that case, you need to go up and see Nate.”

“Really, what for?”

“He told me he wanted to congratulate you, personally, on your promotion. That rarely happens here, and I wondered why he's singling you out. I thought it was because he saw you as his protégé.”

“Yes, that's why he wants to see me. There's nothing other than business between me and Nate.”

“Okay, fine,” Ali looked relieved. “Well, that was it. He's expecting you now.”

Lacey's legs were like jelly as she made her way to the executive suite where she would have to be face to face, on her own, with her ex-lover, Nate Horwood. She did not know what to expect. On the one hand she suspected he would act as though it was business as usual, but what if he did want her back? How would she handle that? She was falling in love with Cole. Any advances from Nate would complicate things.

As she got closer and closer to the executive suite, it occurred to her that if that was the way she was thinking, then maybe she wasn't quite over Nate, after all.

Nate's secretary was not at her desk so Lacey took a deep breath and knocked on Nate's door.

His strong voice called, “Come in!”

When she opened the door, Nate had his back to her and was looking out the window.

“Come in, Lacey, take a seat.” He turned and gestured to the sofa.

Lacey shook her head and took a seat on the chair in front of his desk. He sat opposite her and leaned far back in his high-backed leather chair.

“Seems like a long time since I saw you in here,” Nate said, stiffly.

“Well, there hasn't been a reason for me to be here, has there?” Lacey kept her face straight but looked directly at Nate.

“No, not until now.”

“Yes, Ali told me you wanted to congratulate me on my promotion. So I suppose I'm not here for any other reason but for you to tell me you're happy with my work?”

“It isn't your work I'm concerned about, Lacey.”

“Oh?” Maybe her suspicions were right, maybe he'd had a change of heart and wanted to ask her out again. “What is it about, then?” she asked.

“Cole Tyler,” he said, leaning forward in his seat. His elbows came to rest on the desk and his hands joined in front of him, the gold ring on his pinky reflected on the under part of his chin.

Lacey was speechless. This was the last thing she'd expected.

“I know you've been seeing each other,” he continued.

“Well, you say it like it's any of your business. You and I are not together, so who I date is my affair.” Lacey tried her best to sound casual about the whole thing.

“True, but not when it turns out to be a lowlife like Cole Tyler.”

Lacey stood as if to go.

“Where are you going, Lacey. I'm talking to you. This is a serious matter.”

She swung around.

“This is inappropriate, Nate. I thought I came here for your congratulations, not your criticism.”

Her voice had risen in volume and she looked over her shoulder, wondering if his secretary was back. If she was, she was bound to hear every word. She took a deep breath and regained her composure. She leaned forward on his desk, supporting her weight with her knuckles.

“This is so typical of a man,” she said. “He doesn't want you anymore and questions anyone you decide to date. Just back off, Nate, you have no idea what you're talking about.”

“And you have no idea who you're dealing with.” His eyes were flaming but, all the same, she saw very well that he had taken in her cleavage as she leaned towards him, seeming to lose his thread.

“Really?” She stood upright. “I think I know exactly who I'm dealing with. You know why? I'll tell you why. I have found someone who cares about me. Someone who cares about my feelings and has no problem introducing me to his friends as his girlfriend. He doesn't have any reason to keep our relationship under wraps like...”

“Like me? Finish the sentence, Lacey.”

“Yes... like you!” Lacey looked over her shoulder again.

“I had my reasons, Lacey,” he said. “But that's all in the past now. We've moved on. I'm warning you, for your own good. Stay away from that man.”

“Nate, I haven't got time for petty jealousies.” Lacey folded her arms in front of her as an act of defiance. The only other time she'd stood up to him was when she tried to make him be open about their relationship so that she wouldn't have to keep living a lie.

Moments of silence passed between them, the tension in the room palpable as they stared into each other's eyes. She looking down on him like thunder and he looking up, searching for the right words to convince her.

He stood up slowly and she stepped back.

“You think I'm jealous of an idiot like Cole Tyler?” he said. His voice was cold and calculating.

“Well, from where I'm standing, that's exactly what it sounds like to me. You can't just call me in here and make wild demands on me that are nothing to do with my work and concern my private life. Where do you get off on that?”

“Lacey listen to me!”

“No! You have no reason to say these things, the only thing you're trying to do here is make me unhappy again. The way you did when we were dating.”

He paused for a beat before answering this.

“You were unhappy when we were dating?” The tone of his voice hadn't softened but it was lower.

“Not unhappy, Nate. Not if I'm being totally honest. But I was dissatisfied. You know how I felt about all the secrecy. With Cole, that's not an issue anymore. That's the way relationships are supposed to be. With all your brains, looks and your money, you don't know the first thing about making a girl happy. You're older than me, you should have known better.”

“And you want to tell me that Cole is so Goddam mature, a man of the world?”

“He treats me right, Nate. He's even talking about taking me to see his parents.”

“Already?”

“What do you mean, already? We've been seeing each other for months now. The relationship lasted longer than you and I did. And what's wrong if he feels that it's time for us to move things along? He's mature enough to handle it.”

Nate walked around to Lacey's side of the desk. He didn't come up close but he walked past her, back and then forth, as though he was trying for the last time to find the words that would change her mind about Cole.

“Before you go,” Nate said. He was just to the side of her but looked down instead of straight at her.

“Ask yourself why, Lacey. Ask yourself why he's in such a rush to get you under his control.”

“His control?” She spun around and it made him look up to face her. “Is that what you think relationships are, Nate? One person trying to get control over the other? If you do I pity you. Is that why you didn't want people to know about us, because you thought I wanted you under my control? Well, if anyone was under anyone's control, it was me, and you know what – I hated it.”