The Billionaire's Masquerade: Betting On You Series: Book Two (20 page)

“What the fuck is wrong with you? If you think she’s going to forgive you for that, you’re crazy,” Drew said.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke to him again.

“So what’s your plan to get her back?”

That was the question he’d been asking himself. What he wanted to do was show up at her apartment and make her listen to his apology until she forgave him. But she’d asked for time and for once, he wasn’t going to try to force or control things. He would respect her wishes, even if it meant she might choose never to see him again. “She said she needed to be alone.”

“Have you called her?”

“No, Drew. I’m giving her some space.”

“So the last conversation you had with her, you basically admitted you’re a fucking idiot. That wouldn’t be the last impression I would want to leave with someone I wanted to be with.”

He hadn’t thought about it that way. Damn, he wished he knew what she was thinking. So far his guessing what she wanted or needed wasn’t exactly on target.

“Drew, you do know you’re not much help.”

“What you need to do is ask a woman. Why don’t you talk to Lizette? They’re friends. She will know what you need to do to fix this.”

Or she’ll just chew my ass out for hurting her friend. And she’d be right.
“I think the less people who know about this the better.”

“Whatever you choose to do, you better do it quickly. We have our conference call for Takes One in five minutes,” Drew said as they ended the call.

He had forgotten all about the Takes One call; the only thing on his mind right now was Elaine. Trent didn’t want the first time he spoke to her since Wednesday to be on a conference call with the guys listening. This was one call he was going to have to miss.

It was only six o’clock, and he had already been at work for two hours. Elaine hadn’t come into work the previous day. That shouldn’t have surprised him. He crossed boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed with a couple.
A couple?
He couldn’t believe it himself. He had never said that to himself or anyone before, but he couldn’t picture being anything but a couple with Elaine. She deserved so much more from him. He wasn’t sure how, but he intended to make it up to her. If he had given her the information Mack had provided right away, there wouldn’t be an issue now. She had every right to be pissed off at him. He was pissed off at himself.

Trent picked up his phone and started to dial her number then paused. What he had to say needed to be said in person. Putting the phone in his suit pocket, he left his office.

***

Elaine got off the elevator and headed for her office. It was almost seven o’clock and the building was quiet. She was grateful she didn’t see anyone today. That wasn’t totally true. Even though she was still upset with what Trent had done, it didn’t stop being in love with him. He hadn’t called or tried to reach out to her. Did that mean he cared for her, but that was the extent of his feelings?

He may have never said the words but his actions were those of a man who was in love. Why else would he have taken her to meet his family? He could have easily made an excuse for her not to go or even more, never told his father about her in the first place. No, she was confident he loved her, and she needed to remove the only remaining obstacle standing between them being together.

Sitting behind her desk, she took out a blank piece of paper and a pen. She pondered the necessary words. Tapping the pen on the desk, her mind was blank. This is what she wanted to do, what she
needed
to do, so why was it so hard to put on paper? The answer was simple: this has been a job most people only dreamt about. If anyone had ever told her she would willingly quit, walk away from this, she would have told them they were crazy.
Maybe I am.
But that was before there was something or someone who meant more to her than a job. She could always find work or even start her own business. But what she felt and shared with Trent was truly a once in a lifetime thing.

Closing her eyes, she smiled as she thought about the first time she saw him in Jon Vinchi’s office a few months ago. How wrong her first impression had been.
Maybe my second impression was not so flattering either.
She laughed softly as she thought back to their first night together when she purposely left him a very feminine robe to wear. She had been so sure he would have just wrapped a towel around his waist, which would have been fine with her as well.

Instead he showed her there was nothing that was going to take the hot and sexy out of him.
Absolutely nothing!
He had spent the rest of the night proving to her over and over again just how damn sexy he was. It was a punishment she would never tire of.

Slowly opening her eyes, she hoped to see him now, standing at the door of her office. Sadly she was still alone.

Looking at the paper again, the words now freely flowed.

Dear Mr. Davis,

I would like to thank you for the opportunity you’ve given me to work at Davis Enterprises. It is with regret I’m no longer able to hold my position as Customer Relations Liaison. Effective immediately, please accept this as my resignation.

Sincerely,

Ms. Elaine Manning

Rising from her desk, she left her office and locked the door behind her. As she passed Wendy’s vacant desk, she dropped off her office keys and headed to Trent’s office. The door was closed and locked.
Thank God he’s not here.
He normally didn’t arrive until almost nine. Bending, she slipped the envelope beneath the door and headed for the elevator. Remorse and satisfaction warred within her.

Leaving the office, she took a deep breath of fresh air; she was stunned at the sudden absence of guilt that had been her constant companion for weeks.
The lies and hiding were over.
It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was free to do whatever she wanted. What she wanted was to confront Trent and tell him exactly how she felt. She contemplated calling him, but she wanted their first words to be in person.

When Elaine entered the car she gave the driver the address to Trent’s penthouse.

Elaine was still new to New York, but she thought it was only a fifteen-minute ride to Trent’s apartment. The driver seemed to have taken the route with the most amount of traffic possible. She was tempted to correct him, but thought maybe he knew something she didn’t. This was one of Trent’s drivers after all. He probably knew every road like he knew the back of his own hand.

Finally they arrived. She looked at her watch, it was 8:00 a.m. Hopefully he hadn’t already left. Elaine was greeted by the doorman, who by now was familiar with her. “Is Mr. Davis in?”

“I haven’t seen him this morning, Ms. Manning. Would you like me to ring him?”

“No, I would like to surprise him if you don’t mind,” she said, giving a sweet wink that implied something more.

“Of course. Have a good day, Ms. Manning.”

The man opened the elevator to the penthouse. As she rode quietly, her hands began to tremble. What was she nervous about? She was going to tell him she loved him, and then he would profess his love, and they would spend the rest of the day making love. At least that was the way it played over and over in her mind.

Despite being a confident woman, Elaine couldn’t deny the butterflies she felt as the elevator doors opened. It was only ten steps across the hall to his door, but the trepidation caused her feet to feel like lead.
Does he still feel the same way as he had on Wednesday? Does he still care for me?
Waiting a moment to gain her confidence, she then pressed the buzzer. Waiting a moment she buzzed it again. Maybe she’d missed him. She was cutting it close.
Maybe once more
. Still no answer.
Dammit
! That didn’t go as planned. This meant he would find her note when he arrived at work. She had no other choice but to take the elevator back to the ground floor and have the driver take her to her apartment.

She caught her breath as the elevator doors opened. He was there.

All the words she had rehearsed on the way were gone. Instead she threw herself into his open arms as he bent to kiss her. He picked her up and carried her into the penthouse, his lips never leaving hers.

“I’ve missed you,” he groaned against her lips.

I’ve missed you, too.
“Trent,” her voice whispered.

His lips left hers only to trail down her neck. A moan escaped her. She wanted him, needed him. But she wasn’t going to be driven by her physical desires today.
Yet.
She had come here to clear the air. She pulled away reluctantly, not sure exactly where to start. Thankfully, Trent began.

“Elaine, I need to tell you something.”

Meeting his serious gaze, she said, “I know, there’s something I need to tell you, too.”

“Let me go first,” he said.

She couldn’t help but be nervous about what he was going to say. She was still trying to recover from the last time they spoke. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “Okay. What is it, Trent?”

He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, and then said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not telling you what I found out right away. I had every intention to tell you, but I hadn’t found the right time. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“There really was no good way to deliver that news, Trent. It was how you obtained the information and when you told me that was the issue.”

“I’m used to crossing the line in business all the time. When I crossed the line with you, I invaded your privacy. I apologize and hope you can forgive me. I promise never to invade your privacy again, like I did with your computer.”

“Next time, Trent, just ask me what you want to know,” Elaine said firmly.

“Would you have told me?”

“Good point, but that doesn’t change anything. I need to feel like I can trust you, and that comes along with knowing you trust me.”

“Elaine, I’m not the man I was when you met me. Being with you has brought some changes in me, slow that they may be.”

She’d noticed changes not just in him, but in her as well. “We’ve both changed.”

“Yes, we have. But what I’m most sorry for is I never told you how much you mean to me.” When she opened her mouth to speak, he laid a finger on her lips. “I love you, Elaine.”

Her eyes glistened with tears as she heard the words her heart longed to hear. “I love you, too, Trent.”

He pulled her to him again. “Say it again,” he said in a demanding tone.

She smiled and said it, almost shouting to the world, “I love you, Trent Davis.” Then she kissed him. She felt his body instantly react to hers. Spending the day making love with him was exactly where she wanted to be.

Feverishly they each stripped off their clothes until they finally stood naked. Then he picked her up and laid her on his bed. She’d watched as his eyes roamed slowly over her nude body. There was no mistaking the hunger in him. She reached up to pull him down to her, but he brushed away her hand. Instead he lowered his head and kissed her abdomen. Her fingers ran through his hair, enjoying the heat of his breath on her cool skin. As he traced his kisses lower, she felt the need between her thighs grow in intensity. She needed him inside her.
Now!
She shivered as his hand opened her legs, and he slipped a finger between her wet folds. Gripping the sheets, she fought to control the building need but once his thumb found her clit, she was lost in quick waves of a climax.

“You’re so wet. I have to taste you.” He parted her thighs farther and flicked his tongue from one thigh to the next.

“Trent, please,” she begged.

He gripped her hips and pulled her closer. Her body squirmed and arched in need. The first touch of his tongue on the sensitive flesh between her thighs nearly made her scream. He was going to give her what she wanted but only when he wanted to. Slowly his tongue darted in her as she moaned in pleasure. Elaine’s body caught fire, and her back arched off the bed in ecstasy. “Tell me, do you like that?”

“Yes,” she cried as his tongue stroked her clit, back and forth, and then he nipped it gently until she thought she’d go insane. When she thought she could take no more, Trent caught her clit between his teeth lightly and increased the speed and pressure of his tongue’s strokes.

“Please, Trent. I need to . . .” she said, then a soft cry, “yes, oh God, yes,” as waves of heat exploded from her belly and pulsated to her core. Her climax hit her stronger than she’d ever experienced before. Moaning and calling his name again and again, she panted for air.

Only then did he crawl up her body. “Elaine, you’re so damn beautiful,” Trent whispered, as he trailed kissing along the nape of her neck. “I’ve missed you so much, my angel.”

“I’ve missed you too.” She needed that short break to sort out things. If she had seen him before now, maybe they wouldn’t have found their way back to each other. For now she was willingly trapped beneath Trent’s muscular body. Elaine could feel the heat of his erection between her legs. Opening for him again he plunged into her. A deep, husky growl escaped his lips as he stayed within her. She raked her nails down his back and cupped his firm butt. His entire body was pure muscle, and she was enjoying every inch of it.