Bedding the Billionaire (Book 3) (Legacy Collection) (18 page)

Lil stood
.
“
Alethea
?
Wait.
Abby is having a huge party this weekend in New York and she wants me to go.
”

“
Why does this sound like a question?
You know you should.
”

It wasn’t easy to admit the truth, but Lil was nervous about the party.
First, she didn’t think she could face Jake alone again.
Second,
what did she know about high class events?
Abby may have transitioned to the world of the wealthy with seemingly little issue, but
Lil
didn’t know where to begin
to prepare
it
.
“
Will you come with
me?
I can
’t
go there alone
.
”

Her friend looked dubious and
said, “
You know Abby isn’t wild about me.

Lil reached for
Alethea’s
hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “
I’ll talk to her. I’m sure she’ll add you to the list if I ask.
”

Alethea
returned the squeeze
absently,
her growing excitement
with
some idea quickly overshadowed her concern.
“
Big party at Dominic
Corisi’s
place?
”

“
No
at his…
”

A huge smile spread across
Alethea’s
face. “
Sounds like something that would have the very best security
.”

Oh,
I shouldn’t have said anything.
“N
o,
Al
.
Can’t you just be there for me like a normal friend?
Just this once?
”

“
I’ll be there,”
Alethea
promised in a tone that did not make Lil feel any better.

“I mean it.
” Lil looked her friend right in the eye, hoping her friend would heed her advice this one time. “
Don’t
try to circumvent his security.
He takes
his privacy
really seriously.
You could get hurt.
”

Alethea
straightened
proudly
, tossing her head in a way that reminded Lil of a wild horse. “
Or I could get in and imagine the contracts I would pull in after that.
”

Lil groaned.
“
I’m imagining many possible outcomes and none of them good.”

“
I’ll keep you on speed dial, ok
ay
?
”
Alethea
mimed dialing her number. “
First sign of trouble I’ll pretend I’m lost and I’ll call you.
Does that make you feel better?
”

“
Not really.
” Lil sighed. “
You’re crazy, you know that?
”

“
Lucky for me
,
that was a mutual prerequisite to this friendship.
”

“
Think you’re so funny, huh?
”
Lil pulled her friend close for a one-arm-hug.

Alethea
returned the hug and gave Colby a quick kiss on the cheek.
“
See you in New York, Lil.
”

Conceding to the fact that nothing was likely to stop her friend at this point, Lil said,
“
It’s at
Dominic’s
…
”

Alethea
interrupted
Lil
before she let herself out of the penthouse.
“
Don’t tell me. Y
ou know it’s more fun for me
to
figure it out myself.
Oh,
and
call your damn sister.”

A few minutes past eight
that night
,
there was another knock at the door.
Lil looked down at her
black cotton t-shirt and
matching sweat
shorts.
She wasn’t dressed for company, she was dressed for settling down with the bowl of popcorn she’d just made and watching the sappy movie she’d planned to escape into.

Why
does this place
even
have an intercom if no one is going to use it?
Lil swung the door open.

Jake.

Beautiful, perfectly groomed Jake.
The man had probably been born in a charcoal suit.
Lil’s hand went to
the back of her neck instinctively
pushing at the curls she knew had already broken free of the
loose knot she’d tied them
back in.

He looked as irritated as he sounded.
“I could be anybody. No security system is going to keep you safe if you open the door for anyone who knocks.”

She was tempted to tell him how his “security” had already failed once
that day
, but she held her tongue.
She didn’t bother to curb her sarcasm.
“Hi, Jake.
It’s nice to see you, too. I thought you went back to New York.”
             

He scowled.
“I did.”

“Did you forget something here?” she asked sweetly.
Was it wrong to hope the man wasn’t perfect?

He shook his head and walked toward her with purpose. The hair on the back of Lil’s neck tingled and she bit her lip.
There was something different about him tonight.
Something both dangerous and incredibly hot at the same time.

She
took a step back.

“Where is Colby?”
he ask
ed
softly
, prowling toward her.

“
In bed for the night,”
Lil said hoarsely.
Exactly where I should be
,
she thought
. Alone,
she added for the benefit of her raging libido.

He advanced until they were so close that she could see
the desire burning in his eyes
.
“I have responsibilities in New York.
Meetings scheduled.
Documents to prepare before the weekend.
I don’t have time for this,” h
e said gruffly.

Lil swallowed nervously, feeling desire whip through her in response.
Was he saying that she thought he was saying?

“But I’m here.” He reached out and cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer, tilting her head up to his.

Lil licked her
lips.
Yes
, you are.

“I can’t concentrate in New York.
All I can think about is this…”
His head swooped down
and he claimed her.
His tongue slipped inside her lips and drew an instant and overwhelming response from every inch of Lil.
He was savoring, devouring her and she couldn’t get enough of it.
She welcome
d him passionately.
Her hands slid beneath his jacket and
gripped the rippling muscles of his back
.
He
put a hand on her behind and pulled her against him
, positioning
her against his excitement.
“
And this.”

Oh God, me too
.
Lil sucked in
a
breath as her body clenched and moistened.
Still, she reached for some sanity.
“
Didn’t we agree that this was a mistake?”

He
explored her neck with his lips, t
easing just below her ear with the tip of this tongue. His hot breath
added
to her building excitement
as she remembered how it had warmed her thighs and other areas of her body that were already pulsing and begging for his attention.

“You can send me away.”
His strong hands
negated his words
,
holding her, seeking out the entry beneath her clothing.
“Say the word and I’ll go.”

I should.

Nothing about this made any sense.

He
’d
made no promises to her, but
oddly that was what she found tempting. She wouldn’t have believed declarations of devotion.
This was real.
This was what men want
ed and, at that moment, she couldn’t deny that it was what she wanted, too.
She wanted to lose herself in the overwhelming sensations his nearness elicited, drown in the escape that this level of passion offered.

One
of his hands slid beneath the back elastic of her shorts.
“Look at me,”
he commanded.

Lil had a flash of their first time together.
Wonderful as it had been, he had given very little of himself, revealed even less.
This time she wanted more.
She
woul
d
demand
more.

“I have one condition to u
s doing this,” she said breathlessly
and fingered the buttons on his shirt.

“Name it,” he growled.