The TROUBLE With BILLIONAIRES: Book 1 (8 page)

“Do any catch your eye?” Rawn asked, standing very close to me, enough that I could feel the hard lines of his body pressed into mine.

“This one,” I said, indicating the fresco in front of me.

It was in bad need of repair, but through the cracks in the plaster, I could make out the image of a woman in bed with a man. He was propped up against pillows, his cock fully erect, waiting. With one knee on the bed and one knee raised, she had her legs spread out in front of him. Her crevasse was wide open, and she was about to slide herself over his cock. It looked like she was in control of their lovemaking, but the way she looked shyly to the side, a blush upon her cheeks, I got the feeling that though she was a willing participant, he was in command. “What is this place?”

“Some say the work of Cupid, the god of love and desire. The artifacts in this room were found in Pompeii and Herculaneum amidst the ruins.”

“Pompeii…that was the town destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius so long ago.”

“Yes. It’s not far from here. It would seem the citizens of Pompeii and Herculaneum embraced sexuality and were unashamed to revere it, knowing it represented the fertility necessary for life to exist. Since being found during more modest eras of human history, these artifacts have been locked away and banished into secrecy, seen by only a select view. But not anymore. Now anyone of age can visit the
Gabinetto Segreto
.”

“So it’s not really a secret. Not anymore.”

“Rightfully so. These frescos were never meant to be shunned or labeled obscene. The artifacts in this room should be celebrated, as they were in Pompeii and Herculaneum. It’s tragic that so many people perished under the fire of the mountain, but at least they lived without shame of who they were, or of what they desired.”

He kissed my bare shoulder, sending shockwaves down my body.

We’re not going to fuck in a museum, are we?
I worried, certain there were security cameras around.

His lips continued to press against my skin, trailing away from my shoulder to my neck. “I trust you,” I moaned softly, my willpower fading.

“Then, I better get you back to the hotel,” he said, depriving me of his kisses. My skin felt unnatural without them.

The cool breeze of the night helped pull me from my trance. “Who’s driving?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“I am,” Rawn asserted. “I’m taking control.”

***

              “I’m still angry with you,” I said, standing in my bedroom in the hotel suite. I was suddenly very much aware of just how much man Rawn was and how much I still had to learn about the world.

              “And why is that?” he asked, circling around me, running a hand lightly across my neck.

              “Why did you really leave me alone in the woods? You say it was to avoid any awkwardness, but I know you were lying. I trust you, but not fully. If you want my full trust, tell me the truth.”

              “Sex with you was…more than physical. Gazing upon you naked in the wildflowers of the meadow, your skin illuminated by the moonlight…it turned my soul. I couldn’t have that. I’m not the type of man who comes with heartstrings. I can’t give you what you deserve.”

              And neither can I.

              “Then why are we here?”

              “When I found you in my office yesterday morning, it took all my strength not to take you then. You do something to me, Madison. You’re…undeniable. I have to have you, even though my better senses tell me to leave you well alone.”

              “Why?”

              “Because you’re dangerous. I feel unsteady around you. Out of control.” He continued to circle me. “Even now, with you standing here in that flirty dress…the way the loose skirt hints at what’s underneath…” He stopped and grabbed me, his arms strong around me. “All I want to do is rub a hand up your thigh.”

              He did, lifting the hem of my dress, his hand like fire against my skin. My body responded, pressing against him. My mind allowed it because it didn’t want to think. It didn’t want to admit that what Rawn said was true. I was dangerous for him.

              “Take me,” I breathed and reached for his zipper, but he stepped away.

              “You trust me?”

              “I do,” I confirmed.

              “Then do as I say. I want you to unbutton your dress, but slowly. Allow me to see every inch of you.”

              “Too late for that,” I said, remembering how his tongue had circled my clit.

              “Shhh… Just undress.”

              Bit by bit, I undid the buttons at the front of the dress, allowing the navy cotton to fall off my shoulders, and then to the floor, leaving me in nothing more than my bright yellow bra and panties.

              “Like the sunshine,” he uttered with approval.

              I waited with anticipation, eager to see just how much of a man Rawn was. I knew he was large, but I wanted to see the stiff shaft of his cock.

              But he didn’t undress. Instead, he came up to me and kissed me hard, bruising my lips. It made my body rev into full gear. Beneath his touch, I purred.

              “Feel how much I want you,” he said, sliding my hand down to the bulge of his pants. I took his cock into my hand and caressed it. “See what you do to me,” he growled.

              “I see,” I said, staring straight into his amber eyes.

              He stepped back, and my hand dropped. “Go lie in the bed,” he ordered, tracing the lines of my body with those eyes.

              More than happy to, I crawled onto the soft mattress, the satin quilt an added sensation against my skin, which was hot with the urgency of my desire. I made myself comfortable, and by the time I turned to face Rawn, he was already naked. Fully. Naked.

             
My god
, I thought, enjoying the bulge of muscle on his arms and how his abs looked more like those of a Calvin Klein underwear model than a corporate overlord.

              In his usual casual manner, he joined me on the bed, his body hovering over mine. He hadn’t touched me yet, not in the way I wanted, but already my body was fully aroused, my panties saturated with my yearning. Being in bed with Rawn was nothing like being with the boys I dated in college.

              Sensing the way I craved him, he stuck two fingers straight into my panties, causing the puddle to grow.

              “I like how wet you are,” he rasped, withdrawing his fingers—much to my dismay.

              Settling on the mattress between my legs, he ran his tongue over my panties, drinking in the moisture, and up across my naval, stopping only when he reached my breasts. Seizing the strap of my bra with his teeth, he pulled it down, revealing my nipple, which he expertly flicked his tongue across, causing a flush to form, uniting my core with my tits. Moaning, I arched my back, allowing him to take more of me in his mouth. As he sucked, he began to grind his hips, pressing his growing cock against my thigh. So close…

              It was good. So good. But it wasn’t enough. My body cried for him—for the feel of his cock inside me, taking me over the edge.

              Trading his teeth for his hands, he tore my bra away, then my panties, leaving me as ripe as he was. With the weight of his body against me, he nibbled at my ear, teasing me, prolonging my release. Then he grabbed me around the waist and rolled me over so that he was propped up on the pillows, and I was on top.

              “Let me see you,” he insisted. “Show me your flesh.”

              I understood. The fresco. The one I had pointed out. The woman in the fresco had been positioned in a way that fully exposed herself to her lover.

              “I can’t,” I whispered. Yes, Rawn had seen all of me the night in the woods, but it had been dark. The lights in my hotel room were warm and calming, but they were still lights.

              “You can,” he encouraged. “Think back to the fresco. Mimic her position.”

              Experiencing firsthand why the woman had a blush upon her cheeks, I lifted my leg so that my knee was raised, and I slightly parted my lips. It was the furthest I could go.

              “Stunning. Now slide yourself over the tip of my cock.”

              Relieved the show was over, I obliged, moving over him so that his cock massaged the outside of my crevasse, my wetness flowing over his rod. His warm flesh against mine triggered my need further.

              “Can you stand it?” he asked. “To be so close to full satisfaction but have it withheld?”

              “No,” I admitted. “It’s agony.”

              “Do you trust me?”

              “I told you that I do.” I didn’t understand all the talk. With my body screaming to the heavens, all I wanted to do was fuck.

              Reaching forward, he maneuvered my hips away from his so that we were both lying on the bed facing each other. I was confused, my body apprehensive, waiting for the release I was entitled to. I had shown him what he’d wanted. I’d exposed all of myself to him. Now, I wanted all of him.

              Rawn smiled. I had never before seen a smile full of so much warmth and wickedness at once. “Caress your breasts,” he instructed. “Pinch those pink buds of yours.”

              “What about—”

              “Trust me,” he interrupted, using my words against me. “I want you, Madison. More than I’ve ever wanted a woman before. But I want to show you that I know what’s best for you. Now caress your breasts.”

              When I did, it was more than my body could handle. A wave of bliss rocked through me, making my head light. But my body had more pleasure to offer. Knowing this, Rawn stroked the tip of his finger lightly around my clit, as if he were finger-painting my sex.

              “Keep going,” he encouraged. “I want you to come harder so that I can see what you look like when you touch the stars.”

              His touch felt like a feather, making complying with his wishes easy to do. Another current of glory ripped across my body. I rode with it, letting it overcome my entire being, moaning loudly, my song of joy.

              As I recovered, he pulled me close into his arms. I could feel just how much he enjoyed the show. “Watching you was unforgettable. It makes being naked in bed with you torturous. But I like the torture. It’ll make taking you next time we’re in bed together all the more euphoric.”

              “So you don’t plan on abandoning me in Italy?” I teased.

              “No,” he promised, nuzzling my hair. “I promise, you’ll never be lost in the woods again.”

              Rain. I should be used to it. It always rained in Portland. I was born in it. But it washed away the dream Italy had been. Sitting in the car that was driving me home to my apartment, with Rawn by my side, I was suddenly very much aware of my reality.

              I was out of my depth with Rawn. I was only twenty-one. I should still be hooking up with doe-eyed boys who organized anti-war protests and visited their moms on Sunday. I wasn’t ready for the torment any type of relationship with Rawn was sure to bring.

              And then there was my sister…

              Fate did not determine who loved whom. It only decided who lived and who died. Who got to experience the rain, no matter how dreary, and who lived far beyond the rain, perhaps in nothingness.

              “I hate the rain too,” Rawn said, interpreting my frown.

              “I don’t hate it,” I mumbled, wishing the driver would hurry up and reach my apartment. “It just makes me think.”

              “About what?”

              Reluctantly, I faced him. “I can’t do this. This can’t continue.”

              “Because you’re worried about your career?” he asked patiently, his expression revealing nothing.

              “Yes. And my integrity. This will only end in flames—the bad kind. Better we end it here. Italy was brilliant, but what happened needs to stay in Italy.”

              “Now who’s leaving who abandoned in the woods?” His words were harsh, but his tone was gentle.

              “You can handle it.”

              He looked me over. “With you, I’m not sure I can.”

              “You know it’s for the best. It’s like Mount Vesuvius. Even that which is breathtaking is capable of destruction.”

              He nodded. “I do know, but I don’t want to.” He paused, hesitant to acknowledge the truth of my resolve. But he did. “You’re an asset to the company, Madison. The way you conducted yourself with Dr. Giordano showed me that. I don’t want you to feel like you have to leave. I won’t allow it. So I’ll let you go, if that’s what you want. But know I am always here, waiting for you.”

              My heart was torn, but I knew it needed to happen. “Thank you,” I said, suddenly very tired. I had slept on the plane ride back in sheets that I still couldn’t believe were cotton. They were so soft, but I suddenly no longer cared for all that was lavish. I wanted my t-shirts and my jeans, my hoodies and my scratchy
Vampire Diaries
sheets that I’d had since high school.

              “You’re exhausted,” he noted. “Take tomorrow off.”

              “No, I don’t want to be treated any differently than the rest of your employees.”

              “You’re not. With the product launch out of the way, many in the company will be taking some time off to catch up on sleep. It’s probably been days since some of them have seen their beds.”

              As overwhelmed as I was, and with the jet lag from traveling, a day off did sound good. It was the time I needed to regroup. “Okay. I will. But if Ms. Goldstein needs me for anything, please tell her to call, and I’ll come in.”

              I wasn’t sure if he would. If Rawn thought I needed rest, he would see to it that I got it. But I had to say it, for my sake if nothing else.

***

              “Like I said before, with a stranger, sex is just sex,” Annie said, hitting the puck with her pusher, aiming for my goal.

              “Except that Rawn is no longer a stranger. He’s my boss,” I reminded her, defending my side of the air hockey table, which also balanced my half-finished tray of nachos.

              We were at the student union of the university. There was a lot of chatter and bustle around us, which I found comforting. It was nice being back, feeling like a student again. A techno-dance folk band founded by one of the students performed nearby. A group had formed to listen, cans of soda in their hands, along with their books. It was all so carefree. Limitless.

              “He might not be a stranger anymore, but he’s an asshole. All bosses are. Yours just happens to be an über big one. A man does not leave a woman alone in the woods, whether he thinks she knows her way back or not.”

              “He seemed pretty guilty about it,” I said, not sure why I was defending him.

              Annie went on the offense again, hitting the puck against the side of the table so that it spun wildly towards my side. I didn’t have time to reach it. “Goal!” she shouted triumphantly, throwing her hands into the air.

              With good humor, I threw a nacho at her. The yellow goop landed in her red curly hair. Bullseye.

              “You bitch,” she laughed, using a napkin to wipe it out. “Don’t be a sore loser.”

              “I haven’t lost yet,” I said, pushing all thoughts of Rawn out of my mind.

              We played several more rounds of air hockey, not really keeping tally, except for a few victory dances here and there when a goal was scored. The crowd around the band grew, and soon the student union was in party mode, a daytime rave with no alcohol but a lot of energy. By the time we retired the puck, we had to push our way out of the game area amidst a sea of rattling bodies.

              “I guess no one wants to go outside to play,” Annie said when we escaped the crowd. “Let’s get a mocha.”

              Thinking of the drink served to me on the jet, I revised Annie’s plan. “Actually, let’s stop by the grocery store and then go home. I’m supposed to be resting.”

              Annie rolled her eyes. “It’s not like your boss is keeping tabs on you.”

              Knowing Rawn, I wasn’t so sure. “Please. I just want a day in my pajamas. We’ll drink mochas—special mochas—and watch scary movies.” Scary movies were Annie’s favorite.

              “Damn. You mentioned scary movies. I have no choice but to agree,” she said. “Plus, I’m a little intrigued about these special mochas. Do they involve alcohol?”

              “Of course.”

              “Then I’m definitely sold.”

              Back in our apartment, one movie and three special mochas in, I changed my mind about spending the day in my pajamas. For reasons unknown, other than the Bailey’s Irish Cream in my system, I felt restless, my fatigue gone. I wanted what had been denied me before. I wanted my night under the stars.

              “Hey, let’s go back to the student union and listen to the band,” I suggested, turning off the TV. “I want to meet some cute boys.”

              Annie threw a pillow at me. “Would you make up your mind? I was just getting comfortable. Plus, we have a dozen movies to watch. This is supposed to be a marathon.”

              “Alcohol makes you lazy,” I goaded. “Zombies or cute boys?”

              “There are a lot of zombies that are cute boys,” she countered.

              “Do you mean in the movies or real life?”

              “Both,” she said, standing. “The band isn’t at the student union anymore. Wanting to make it a real party, they’ve moved down to the abandoned warehouse. I got a text from Luke.”

              “Luke is there?”

              Stumbling slightly because of the mochas, Annie meandered away from the couch and towards her room. “Luke has had a crush on you since freshman year, but you’ve never given him the time of day. Why the interest now?”

             
Because it isn’t the day I want from him. Just the night.

              “He’s cuter than he used to be,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “He’s been working out.”

              “That he has,” Annie said, grinning. “You should fuck him. Get over that controlling boss of yours by getting under tall, blonde, and handsome Luke.”

***

              “So you’re a Luke. Does that mean you’re hung like a bull?”

              Wait. That didn’t sound right. I could barely hear my own voice with the numbness in my head. Perhaps it had been a bad idea buying a bottle of vodka to bring with us to the party at the warehouse. Almost as bad of an idea as letting Annie dress me. The black mini-skirt barely hung past my ass, and the blouse may have been loose with long sleeves, but it was so sheer, my sapphire-blue bra could be seen underneath. I may as well be walking around with no shirt at all.

              At least the ballerina slippers were comfortable. That had been my one stipulation. I needed something practical to walk through the woods in. Tonight, I was going to make my fantasy come true.

              With Luke.

              “Am I hung like a what?” he asked, surprised. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

              “Oh, you heard me,” I said, moving closer into him. “Want to grab a taxi? I need some fresh air.”

              His face lit up. “Really?”

              “Really.”

              Throwing his beer can to the ground, he grabbed my hand and escorted me out of the building. The warehouse was near the docks of the river, but taxis weren’t usually far, not even in a city as tame as Portland. We rounded a corner into an alleyway, heading for the main road, but Luke stopped and pressed me against the brick of the closest building.

              “Is this good?” he asked, placing a hand on my thigh.

              “No. Not here,” I insisted, my head less foggy now that we were outside. “I want to fuck you under the stars.”

              “We’re under them, baby,” he said, tilting his head towards the sky.

              Sure enough, now that the rain clouds had passed, the night was clear, allowing the stars to sparkle at their brightest, even amongst the litter and graffiti of the warehouses around the docks—beauty shining upon dirt.

              It wasn’t the ideal place, but it would have to do. Judging by the bulge in Luke’s jeans, it would be hard to convince him to wait until we reached the woods. If I was going to fuck him, it would have to be now.

              “Okay, cowboy,” I said, unbuckling his jeans. “Let’s do this.”

              He moaned at my touch. “I’ve waited so long,” he decreed, running his hand up my thigh as I worked his buckle. “I’ve wanted this since I first saw you walk into Physics 101. Something tells me you’ve been worth the wait.”

             
Know I am always here, waiting for you.

              No. I would not let the memory of Rawn’s words ruin this for me. This was my fantasy. I wanted to be touched in the starlight—and not blindfolded. Luke was a friend. He wasn’t a stranger. He wouldn’t abandon me afterwards. He wouldn’t try to dominate me.

              Determined, I pulled down Luke’s jeans, revealing a set of boxers underneath. And a highly erect cock. It was perfectly pleasant, but it didn’t turn me on, not the same way Rawn…

              “Fuck me,” I said to Luke. “Fuck me hard.”

              “I will,” he promised, and then reached his hand fully up my skirt and pulled my thong down to my feet. Turning me around, he ran his hands across my bare ass. “God, your curves are irresistible.”

              I didn’t want to hear it. I just wanted him to get it over with. I reached behind me, feeling for his cock so that I could guide it inside, but Luke had another idea. He began kissing my neck, trying to be seductive and make the moment last. He wanted it to be special.

              I may as well have been watching zombies munching on the unlucky.

              “I’m sorry,” I said, pulling my thong back up and straightening my skirt. “I can’t do this. It’s not fair to you. Or me.”

              “Don’t worry, it’s fair,” he said. “Don’t leave.”

              “I have to,” I said, facing him directly. “Forgive me.”

              And then I ran off to find a taxi. I wouldn’t be heading to the woods. Just back to my apartment to crawl into my pajamas—exactly how I should have been all night. There had been nothing wrong about the way Luke touched me. He was perfectly pleasant. My impatience to get back home had nothing to do with Luke at all.

              He just wasn’t Rawn.