Billionaire's Trust (Billionaire Erotic Romance: Never Never Man Series Book 5) (2 page)

MADDIE

I don’t know why I expected anything else from Grey.

After all, it wasn’t as if he’d ever told me I meant anything to him. Of course I was grateful he’d stepped up and agreed to fulfill his obligations. Even so, this was one instance where I would have gladly traded words for actions. But, he couldn’t bring himself to say it, assuming he even believed it.

I’m not sure what else I had to do to convince him I loved him. If risking my life to carry his child didn’t stir him enough to utter the words to me, I really wondered what, if anything, would.

It wasn’t long after our talk I was able to return home from the hospital. As promised, Grey had arranged for a nurse to care for me while I recuperated. When he wasn’t around, she was there looking after me. Of course, Katy came by as well.

I told her about the conversation I’d had with Grey in the hospital. To my surprise, she was actually a bit more supportive of Grey than I expected she might be. When I pressed her on it, she explained that perhaps this was his way of showing love for me, in spite of not being able to verbalize it. I mean, I understood where she was coming from, but three little words cost way less in time and energy than the hundreds of thousands of dollars it would take to raise our child. Even so, he couldn’t find a way to make them come from his lips.

In any case, I hadn’t seen him for about a week. He was coming back into town and due to arrive at any minute. I’d been feeling quite a bit better in recent days as my recuperation continued. So much so, I wanted to do something extra special for him as a way of showing him how much I appreciated everything he’d done.

I’d spent, I don’t know—the better part of two hours getting myself ready. I put on the sexiest outfit I could still manage to squeeze myself into from my ever-dwindling wardrobe selection. A snug-fitting bit of lingerie put all my curves on full display. What can I say? It had been a really long time and uh, now that I was recovering, I’d been crazy horny.

I took one last look at myself in the bathroom mirror and hustled down the hallway towards the living room. Grabbing my phone off the kitchen counter, I glanced at the time.  Just then, I heard the key jiggle in the lock and in the span of few seconds, I must have assumed twenty of the most seductive poses I could conjure.

“Maddie!” Grey called out as he closed the door and began to walk down the hallway towards me.

As he did, I angled my body in a way that accentuated the curve of my hips and fullness of my tits. I mean, come on, pregnancy did have a benefit or two and Grey was about to get an eyeful of it. Leaning against the kitchen counter, I stood with my arms straight, palms flat on several random pieces of mail.

Grey rounded the corner and arched a brow in my direction.

“Maddie,” he began, as he glanced around. “Where is the nurse? What are you…”

I noticed his glance draw towards my tits. As his eyes made their way to my ample bosom, I pressed my straight arms together, swelling my breasts even more. Grey stood wordless, admiring them for a moment. But just as my plan appeared to be working to perfection, the uneven, slippery stack of envelopes shifted under the weight of my palms. Horrified and on the verge of panic, I tried to play it off and instead challenged Grey as he leered at me.

“Like what you see?” I cooed.

Grey nodded and started to reply but before he could, the bottommost envelope slid out from the pile, shaking my unsteady grip loose. I shrieked as I lost my balance. Grey disappeared from my line of sight as I went crashing to the ground with a hard thud. I slammed against the cold tile floor, jiggling and bouncing as I did.

“Maddie!” he yelled as he came around the corner and squatted down next to me. “Are you okay?”

My pride hurt far worse than any physical pain I experienced in that instant. I cleared my throat and did my best to adjust my once-sexy attire as Grey helped me to my feet.

“What are you doing?” Grey asked as he lifted me. “Why are you up? You need to be resting.”

He leaned away from me and narrowed his gaze. Continuing, he asked, “And why are you dressed like this?”

With elbows and knees still throbbing, I limped towards him.

“Dressed like what?” I asked, as I tried to mask the pain from the fall moments earlier. Swallowing my discomfort, I leaned into him with all the sexiness I could muster. Grey fell silent as he held onto me. He raised an eyebrow of suspicion once more.

“What?” I asked.

“Maddie…”

I tossed my hair back away from my eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck. Uh, he smelled so goddamn good. A woodsy musk wafted into my nostrils as I inhaled.

“Yes?” I purred.

Grey thinned his lips and drew his eyebrows together. Reaching up, he unhooked my arms from behind his neck.

“Come on,” he began, as he gestured back towards the bedroom.

“Yay!” I squealed.

But no sooner had I started to turn the corner and head down the hall than he finished his thought. And, it wasn’t what I’d hoped to hear.

“No, no. You are going to get back in the bed.” Grey said, as he gestured past me. “This foolishness will have to wait."

I stopped and looked at him. Dragging my tongue across my lips, I stepped in his direction. I reached towards his chest and grabbed his tie, crushing the fine silk in my palm. Stone-faced, Grey remained motionless. I tugged the tie with a pull and wasted no time in pressing my mouth to his. Already wet and desperate, I moaned as I leaned my body weight into him. I didn’t care how it came to pass, I wanted him and nothing was going to stop me.

Nothing that is, except Grey.

For no sooner had I begun, than he gently, but firmly, grabbed hold of my arms and pried me free. He shook his head as our eyes met.

“No, Maddie.”

After the initial shock of rejection wore off, I frowned as I looked at him.

“No
what
, Grey?” I demanded.

“Not right now. I’m beat. And, you’re… in no condition for it either."

I looked at him in disbelief for a moment before averting my eyes. A sudden chill fell over me. I crossed my arms, rubbing them with my palms. Before Grey could say another word, I turned and headed back towards the bedroom. Shame trailed right behind me, mocking me with every step I took.

“Maddie…” he moaned. “Come on. Come back.”

I slammed the door behind me when I entered the room. The rush of wind sent a whistle of cool air up my backside as I ambled towards the bed, collapsing in it and swaddling the sheets around me. With my back to the door, I looked across the room for an instant before my eyes flickered closed. A subtle discharge of warm tears escaped from my eyes as I squeezed them tight.

Just then, I heard the door open behind me.

Grey walked across the room and sat down on the bed. For a moment or two he remained silent before attempting to touch me on the shoulder. I grumbled when he did and rolled further away from him.

“Maddie,” he began. “What’s going on with you?"

I swallowed hard and smeared away the tears from my cheeks.

“Maddie?”

“Nothing.” I muttered.

“Well, it sure seems like something to me. Why are you upset?”

“If you have to ask, then it’s not worth discussing.”

“What?” Grey said, as he grabbed my shoulder once more and tried to roll me back towards him.

“Don’t!” I yelled, yanking myself free of his grasp.

He exhaled and continued, “Maddie, I really don’t have the energy for this. I’m going to the kitchen to get something to eat. Do you want anything?”

“No,” I whispered.

I felt the mattress shift its position once again as he got up. Listening in disbelief as he walked away, I wondered what the hell just happened. Not once,
ever
, had he rejected me. As he exited the room, it was as if the passion we once had left with him. If things were like this now, what would they be like when the baby arrived?

Would we ever have sex again?

He hadn’t said a single word about the fact I’d dressed up for him and made an effort. No, he seemed more focused on his appetite for food than my hunger for him.

What was happening to us?

Didn’t he want me anymore?

GREY

I don’t know what the hell had gotten into Maddie tonight.

Look, I got what she was trying do and I understood she was feeling neglected. She looked fucking beautiful tonight and we hadn’t had sex in a long time. A lot goddamn longer than I wanted, of course. Turning her down hadn’t been easy, but I wasn’t in the mood. Not tonight. Not with what we had to discuss.

I finished the last of my meal and my beer, tossing it back with a long pull. The grassy hops flavor rolled across my tongue and slid down my throat. Hitching up my pants, I walked back towards the bedroom once again and as I entered, I noticed she’d gotten up and disappeared.

“Maddie!” I called out as I craned my head in the direction of the bathroom. “I need to talk to you.”

I heard her slamming doors and making the general sort of racket a person makes when they’re pissed off. Sliding my hands into my pockets, I decided to wait it out rather than get into it with her. She ignored me for a few more minutes, until at last she reappeared in her bathrobe. Her eyes looked puffy and swollen. She passed by me with a handful of wadded up tissue pressed to her nose and plopped down on the bed.

I thinned my lips as I looked at her.

“Maddie,” I began. “We need to talk.”

She nodded. “Yes. We sure as hell do.”

I paused and wrinkled my brow at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Uh!” she exclaimed as she lifted her arms in the air before slamming them down, palms flat on top of the mattress. “You can’t be serious, Grey!”

“What? About the sex thing?”

“Jesus Christ, Grey!” she yelled. “No, it’s not just about that. It, uh, never mind! You wouldn’t understand and you obviously don’t care, so forget it.”

I licked my lips, moistening my mouth for a response. But before I could get a word in, Maddie continued. Her eyes started to glaze over with a shine as she moved the tissue back to her face.

“D-Don’t you w-want me anymore?” she sputtered. Her shoulders started to rock back and forth as tears began to flow.

Oh hell.

Shaking my head, I walked over towards her. I lowered my arms, hooked them together around her upper body and tugged Maddie into me. She resisted for an instant before relenting and leaning into my thighs while I stood in front of her. After a moment or two, she wrapped her arms around my legs.

“Maddie, shhh…” I began as I tried to calm her. “You’re being silly. Of course I still want you.”

She sniffled for a few more moments before at last releasing her grip on me. Maddie looked up towards my face and as she did, I brushed her hair away from her eyes.

“You do?” she said with a whisper.

I nodded. “Yes. Absolutely.”

She leaned away from me. Maddie’s shoulders slumped as she dropped her hands in her lap and interlocked them. She remained still for a moment or two before looking up towards me once again.

“Well,” she began. “Why did you reject me in the kitchen earlier?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t reject you Maddie. That’s not it at all.”

“It’s okay,” she replied. “I know how unattractive I am right now. I just thought if I dressed up and made an effort, it would change your mind.”

“Maddie, look, the reason I’m not interested in having sex right now has nothing to do with the way you look. I’ve got something on my mind. It’s something we need to discuss. Before it’s too late.”

As I finished my thought, I looked down at her.

“Too late? For what exactly, Grey?”

I ran my fingers through my hair and sputtered an exhale. This wasn’t something I wanted to put off any longer. There was only one correct path for the two of us and it was about time I got Maddie on board. After all, it was what she wanted anyway. There was no question in my mind about it. I glanced down at her for a moment before clearing my throat.

“Maddie,” I began. “With the baby coming, I think it’s time for us to take the only logical step left.”