Bargaining for the Billionaire (19 page)

“Guilty as charged.” He grinned and sat up, rolled her over and settled onto his elbows. He stroked his fingers through the strands of hair falling around her shoulders. “Will you stay tonight?”

She nodded and slid her hands up his back, burrowing beneath his T-shirt. Her fingers were warm and supple against his skin. “I'll stay.”

“Good. I want to spend the night making love to every inch of you. I want to see how many times I can make you scream my name before you wave the white flag. I'm going to start with my mouth.” He dipped his head, demonstrating what he had in mind by following the line of her jaw with his tongue.

She shuddered, exhaling a shaky breath.

“Then maybe I'll use my fingers.” This time, he slid a hand over her right breast, thumbing her distended nipple.

She rewarded him with a gasp.

“And my cock.” He arched his hips against her, thrusting into the softness of her belly.

This time, they both groaned. Christ, she felt good. It had only been four hours, but it felt like forever, and he was too aware of how close he'd come to losing her for good. His chest filled with a desperate need to fuse with her, to get as close to her as he could for as long as he could.

“Uh-uh.” Despite her denial, her voice was a breathy whisper, her body already trembling beneath him. “It's my turn.”

That caught him. He paused at the edge of her earlobe. It took a moment for the fog to recede enough for him to recall what she meant. He'd promised her she could tie him up and have her way with him. The thought alone had his cock hardening to the point of pain.

“Not tonight.” He shook his head and closed his mouth over her earlobe, sucking on it gently. “I want to take my time with you tonight. You can tie me up another time. After I've had my fill of you. Next week sometime.”

Maddie went still and silent beneath him. Concentrating now on the curve of her jaw, he waited her out, contenting himself with seeking out every place she'd dotted her perfume. Or maybe it was body wash, because the coconut scent seemed to emanate from everywhere, as if it was embedded in her skin. All that scent did was make him hungry, he yearned to discover the intimate scent of her, to burrow his mouth between her thighs. He had yet to taste her, and God how he ached to.

When she didn't say anything, he lifted his head. Her wide-eyed expression had his breath halting in his lungs. Her gaze roved his face, searching and anxious. It didn't escape his notice that her chest rose and fell at a more rapid pace.

He stroked his fingers over her cheek. “Okay, that look on your face scares me. Tell me.”

“Would you think I was crazy if I said I didn't want to wait?”

He allowed himself to breathe again and stroked her hair back off her forehead. “To get married?”

“Yes.”

“No. The sooner we get married, the sooner you're mine.” He nipped at her bottom lip, but she didn't respond the way he expected. Rather than kissing him back, her gaze remained somber.

One hand slid between them, and her palm settled over his left shoulder. “I've always been yours, Gray. Just took me a while to be able to admit it.”

He brushed a soft kiss across her mouth. “Ditto, baby. Took me three damn years to realize I couldn't live without you. Next weekend?”

She nodded. “Next weekend. We could do Vegas.”

He frowned and shook his head, disgusted by the thought. “No. I'm not marrying you in one of those cheesy little chapels. We'll make something happen, okay?”

She smiled, relief flooding her features, and the tension drained from her body. “I was afraid you'd think we'd jumped too far in the opposite direction.”

“Well, we kind of did, but I'll admit I had the same thought. I've waited three years for you to come back to me. I don't want to wait anymore to make you mine.”

Her hands slid to his waist, caught the hem of his T-shirt, and pushed it up his body. “I'm glad we agree. I was thinking the same thing.”

He reached back and caught his shirt in his fist, pulling it over his head. After worming his way out of it with her help, he tossed it to the floor and bent his head to her neck again, following the trail of her perfume. “Now that that's settled, where we were?”

With a wicked gleam in her eyes, she sat up then rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips. As she settled her heat over the bulge ready to bust the seam on his jeans, she grinned. She picked up each of his hands, threading their fingers together, then pinned his arms over his head. “I believe you were just submitting to me.”

Her breasts were in his face, and the hunger and predatory look in her eyes made his balls ache, but he couldn't contain the laughter that bubbled out of him. Damn, but she was feisty.

He shook his head. “God, I love you. Okay, you win. I give. I'm yours. Have your way with me, baby.”

C
assie, honey, are you sitting down?”

Phone in one hand, pitcher of water in the other, Cassandra Stephanopoulos halted dead center of her kitchen. The coffee she'd been in the process of making went forgotten as ice skittered down her spine, plunking hard and cold in her belly and awakening her sleepy senses. Every bit of bad news she'd ever received seemed to come off the heels of a line like that.

Any other day, she didn't pick up her phone before she'd had a much needed morning dose of caffeine. Things like talking coherently simply didn't happen before coffee. She'd glanced at the screen, though. Who the hell would call her so early? Grayson and the girls all knew she wasn't a morning person.

At seeing Marilyn Benson's number, though, she'd snatched her phone off the counter. Marilyn was Tyler's mother. Cassie had dated him three years ago. She'd done what she swore to herself she wouldn't…she'd fallen for a soldier. And her worst fear had happened—Tyler never came home. Marilyn was her only connection to him now. It was a tiny, stupid little scrap to hold on to. It wouldn't bring him back, but she needed the connection like she needed oxygen.

More to the point, Marilyn had only called her this early twice: the first time to tell her Tyler had gone missing. The second…to tell her they'd called off the search for him. All of which now had Cassie's mind racing with horrible possibilities. Her hands began to shake, sending the cold water sloshing over the rim of the full pitcher and onto her bare toes.

She deposited the pitcher on the nearest counter, pinched the bridge of her nose and forced herself to count to three before answering. She would
not
allow the panic slithering up her spine to take root. “Is everything okay? Are Dean and the girls all right?”

Tyler's older brother Dean and his wife Kathy had two gorgeous little girls with the biggest blue eyes Cassie had ever seen. Every time she saw them they made her chest ache, because she always wondered. If Tyler had lived and she hadn't taken the coward's way out, would their kids have inherited those eyes as well?

“Sweetie, I have news.”

The odd tone in Marilyn's voice had Cassie's stomach sinking into her toes. Now she knew the news was bad. She reached out to grip the edge of a nearby counter, and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “My stomach's in knots. Whatever it is, just tell me. Please.”

On the other end of the line, Marilyn drew a shaky breath. “Sweetie, Tyler's alive.”

Marilyn's voice came out barely above a whisper, but she might as well have shouted the words. Everything inside Cassie skidded to a halt. She stared out the long row of windows on the other side of her penthouse apartment. Despite it being January in Seattle, the skies were clear blue. The beauty somehow added a surreal quality to the moment. How many times had she longed for this exact phone call? Surely she was only dreaming…

“Come again?”

Marilyn laughed, the sound of someone so relieved they were beside themselves. “He's alive. I just spoke with him. He sounds a little shaky, to be honest, but he's alive. Apparently, he was held captive. I'm afraid I don't know the whole story yet, but oh, sweetie, he's coming home.”

Marilyn continued to ramble, her voice a giddy, half delirious murmur on the other end of the line, but the actual words didn't register. The impact of the news struck Cassie like a wayward arrow, piercing her heart. She sagged back against the kitchen counter, staring at everything and nothing, as tears rushed over her, bringing with them a profound sense of relief.

Tyler was alive.

Cassie bee-bopped to the tune playing in her right ear as she made her way down the hotel corridor. The long hallway stood empty, save a few other last minute arrivals. Grayson, her long time best friend, and his new wife, Maddie, walked a couple steps behind, their gates more casual than Cassie's buoyant stride. It was rude to listen to music in the presence of friends, but as newlyweds, Maddie and Gray had gone off in a world of their own, and Cassie needed the upbeat tune to bolster her mood. Maybe if she forced herself to be cheerful, she'd eventually feel it.

She couldn't believe she'd let Gray talk her into this. She didn't want to be here. No, she'd rather be alone in her penthouse with a fifth of scotch, getting so drunk she couldn't remember her name. A week had passed since Marilyn had called to tell her Tyler was alive. Somehow, he'd not only managed to survive being captured in Afghanistan by the Taliban, but had gotten himself home. To say she was relieved would be the understatement of the century.

Except he hadn't come to see her. He'd been home for seven days now and he hadn't so much as called her. But why would he? After the way they'd left things, the things they'd said to each other, she certainly wouldn't come to see her either.

Exactly why she'd allowed Gray to drag her to this auction.

When the too-familiar pain began to wrap itself around her chest again, Cassie refocused on the upbeat music and paused to shimmy out the last strains of the song. She'd have fun tonight if it killed her.

Behind her, Gray chuckled. “I'm glad to see you're in a good mood tonight, Cassie. I thought you'd be pissed when I showed up earlier.”

She pulled out the ear-bud and looked down at her phone, closing the music app.

“You're lucky. I've heard about these shindigs from a few friends. If I'm lucky, I'll end up with two of Christina's hotties.” She shot a wink over her shoulder. “They can make me a Cassie sandwich.”

Okay, so she wasn't really in the mood for company. She'd intended to spend tonight alone, wallowing in her self-pity, but Gray had waylaid those plans. He'd shown up at her place two hours ago, demanded she get dressed, and dragged her out of her apartment. He hadn't told her where they were headed until they were halfway here.

Cassie had known Christina McKenzie, now apparently Christina Blake, in high school. Christina ran a charity auction that had become famous over the last few years. This year, she'd turned the tables a bit. Instead of bachelors, they were auctioning the ladies. Three months ago, Gray had talked her into signing up as one of the bachelorettes. Up until six months ago, this would have been her style. An evening with a potentially hot guy? Yeah, she'd have been all over that. The last three years had been a series of one man after another, because she'd been determined to never again fall the way she had for Tyler. Love only led to heartbreak, and hers had only begun to heal.

She'd changed her entire outlook six months ago, though, determined to release that side of herself. Marilyn's recent phone call left her with a desperate need to fill the void opening inside of her.

Gray rolled his eyes as he came to a stop beside her. “Some things haven't changed, I see.”

“Actually, I've decided you're right, Gray. This is exactly the distraction I need tonight. Besides, you only live once.” She playfully nudged him with an elbow. “You should have volunteered Maddie. You can make a Maddie sandwich.”

“I don't share.” Gray glared at her, but the corners of his mouth twitched with his effort to hold back a grin.

Okay, so it wasn't nice to tease him, but Grayson Lockwood had been her best friend since high school—since that tenth grade English class she'd only passed because he'd taken pity on her. They teased each other as easily as they confided in each other. Besides, that's what he got for storming her apartment.

Luckily for her, the gleam in Maddie's eyes told her she'd gotten the joke. Maddie winked, covered her mouth and let out a girlish giggle. Cassie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She and Maddie might have had a rocky start, but they were fast becoming friends. Maddie had a wicked sense of humor but a heart of gold. She also made Gray happy.

Gray jerked his gaze to his wife. “And what are
you
laughing at?”

Maddie blinked up at him, innocence personified. “What? I kind of like the idea. Didn't you say you wanted to try something different?”

Gray turned his head, shooting Cassie a glare. “Touché, Cassandra. Touché. Consider us even now.” He jerked his gaze back to Maddie. “You, however, I can spank.”

When he backed Maddie against the nearest wall and set his hands on either side of her head, Cassie pivoted away from the newlyweds. She was damn happy for them. She really was. After a long, painful road that had nearly taken them away from each other and the dangerous childhood he'd endured, Gray deserved to be happy. She needed him to be.

Seeing them together, though, made her chest ache. She'd had that once, and every time they nuzzled each other only reminded her how much she missed it. She'd screwed up, plain and simple. She'd held the world in the palm of her hand and gave it up, and for what? So she could prove she didn't need anybody?

“Don't take too long. You guys only have five minutes.” Cassie shot a sassy wink over her shoulder and turned, striding for the ballroom entrance at the end of the hall.

She came to a stop inside and took a moment to gather herself. She'd only get through tonight by smiling and pretending life was a party. If luck found her, maybe she'd fake herself into believing her chest wasn't caving in.

Inside, the place was more men than women, every one of them dressed to the nines. The men gorgeous and debonair in their black tuxes, the women regal and glowing in their finest gowns and jewels. Each face lit up with the promise of the evening. A feeling she wished she shared. The whole evening exhausted her. She wasn't in the mood to put on the act tonight. Her mind had gotten stuck on the fact that Tyler was alive. She wouldn't be able to believe it until she saw him for herself, but that likely wouldn't happen.

“Don't think I didn't see what you did back there.”

Gray's deep voice sounded behind her seconds before his hand settled on her shoulder, warm and heavy and supportive.

Cassie darted a glance at him. “Shouldn't you be whisking Maddie off to a dark corner somewhere?”

As if on cue, Maddie stepped up beside Gray.

“I'm going to go find Christina and say hello.” Maddie lifted onto her toes, kissed him softly, and turned to Cassie. She took one of Cassie's hands, offering a sympathetic smile. “All kidding aside, I'm glad you're here. Don't be too mad at him. This part was my idea. I hated the thought of you sitting home alone, feeling miserable, so I told Gray to go over and get you. Hannah always did that for me, those three years Gray and I were apart. Forced me to get up, to live. It was hard, but she was right.”

She'd come to adore Maddie. Turned out, they had a lot in common. They both had pasts they wished they could change, and like Cassie, Maddie tended to put on a front, to avoid feeling things. More to the point, what Maddie had gone through with Gray meant she understood the moment Cassie had arrived at—knowing she needed to move on, but not knowing how.

Cassie plastered on the best smile she could muster. “Thank you. I'm not mad. I'm just not sure I'm up for this.”

Maddie squeezed her fingers. “Smile like it's the best night of your life. Besides, whoever it is you end up with, you're only required a single date. At the very least, he'll keep your mind off your heart.”

Cassie squeezed Maddie's fingers in turn, watching her fiery hair disappear into the crowd before glancing at Gray. “I really like her. She's good for you.”

She had to admit, she was grateful for a moment alone with him. Only with Gray did she feel comfortable letting down her walls. Even her father put pressure on her to be someone else. Someone more perfect. With her
baba
, nothing she did was ever enough.
“When are you going to get serious, Cassandra? You can't play like a child all your life. I'm not going to be around forever. Who will take over the restaurants when I die?”
Her father had said the words so many times she could hear his Greek accent echo in her head even now.

She was her father's biggest disappointment. He and her mother had opened Ariana's Greek Café before she and her brother Nick were born. Authentic Greek cuisine, with recipes that had been passed down for generations. She and Nick had been raised on those restaurants and Daddy insisted they learn the business, to take over when he and Mom could no longer run them. Now that they'd lost her mother and Nick, the heavy burden had fallen to her. Cassie wasn't a restaurateur. She had the soul of an artist, which displeased him no end.

Gray, though, always accepted her as she was—broken, crabby bits and all.

Gray pulled her against his side. “Maddie likes you, too. I warned her you probably wouldn't be yourself tonight.”

“I appreciate it. Tell her I said thanks. I hope she knows it isn't personal.” Cassie scanned the crowd again and sighed. “Remind me again why I'm here?”

What she needed tonight was a pint of Ben & Jerry's and a really big spoon.

“Because she's right. You sitting at home crying your eyes out doesn't do you any good.” Gray gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze, amusement lighting his voice. “You being one of the bachelorettes gives you a purpose, something to do. Besides, raccoon eyes aren't a good look on you.”

He winked, and she let out a watery laugh, but staring into the room, the weight of the entire evening pressed down on her. “I don't know how to let him go, Gray. I tried for three years. I want to have fun tonight, but I'm not sure I can. It's killing me that he hasn't even called me.”

Nor did she think she deserved the happiness she coveted. She'd told Tyler she'd used him, that he was little more than her latest boy toy. She couldn't forgive herself for that, and clearly, he hadn't either.

“Let me talk to Christina. I'm willing to bet she'd know the perfect guy to fix you up with. If I know her, she knows everyone here personally. I bet she can fix you up with someone who won't expect anything from you.”