Her Billionaire Secret Part 2: An Alpha Billionaire Romance (3 page)

He hadn’t demanded that she share hers.

All these ‘nice guy’ things challenged every belief she’d had about him yesterday. And to make it worse, even though he’d manipulated her to stay with him for four days; she hadn’t once regretted her lost photography time.
 

He was getting under her skin in a way no man had ever done. And it was getting harder to fight the attraction. Difficult to resist his teasing offers to join him in bed.

Walking over to the window, she gazed out at the view below. The guests were due to arrive shortly, but waiting for Tevis gave Claire the opportunity to look at the buildings around them. This was an affluent area of London. Even on a warm summer evening, there were few people walking down the street. Occasionally an expensive car would exit from a property through remotely operated gateways. This was the lifestyle of the wealthy. Cosseted. Safe.

Tevis exited the dressing room while she was still by the window. She turned and smiled at the sound of his soft footsteps on the carpeted floor.

Deep breath, keep breathing.

Lord, he brushed up well. Wearing a white button down shirt with a three piece suit, he shouted elegant and expensive with capital E’s. Worse, they fit him to perfection, outlining that perfect body of his. If he got any closer she’d be unable to stop herself from flicking every one of those buttons undone.

He took another step forward.

Oh god, please stay back.

“I have something to finish that dress off,” he said softly.

Now his voice was seducing her.

“I don’t need anything else.” Her voice trembled. Why the hell couldn’t she control herself?

“It’s just a little something, perfume and some jewels,” he responded, as he pulled some small boxes from his pocket. “Christine picked them up for me.”

So that was what the secrecy had been about. If she’d known she’d have told him not to bother, there wasn’t any point. She was only there for a few days. He’d spent far too much on the clothes and she’d never be able to pay him back.

“You’ll be able to return them?” she queried.

Tevis laughed. “Not really, besides they are a small gift from me. I wanted to buy these for you.”

He took a small bottle from the box and removed the stopper to dab perfume on her wrists. The aroma of delicate flowers drifted around them. Claire quivered as he touched the stopper to her neck, all the time looking deep into her eyes.

“Beautiful.”

How could he put so much emotion into the way he spoke a single word? Warmth curled slowly down through her body. She tried desperately not to slip into the persona of lover. She couldn’t, mustn’t—even though every emotion running through her cried out for her to do it. They weren’t battling like last night, he was getting to her. This Tevis was intoxicating.

“What is it?” she asked, trying to break the mood. She loved the perfume but knew she would never be able to buy it.

“Clive Christian No. 1.”

“Expensive?”

“Claire, didn’t your parents teach you not to ask the price of a gift,” he laughed. “Let’s just say it’s exclusive.”

He focused on the other two boxes which were elegantly monogrammed ‘Cartier’.

“No!” Even Claire knew the name of the jeweller.

“Don’t even go there,” Tevis warned. “If you refuse these I’ll be deeply offended.”

Claire stared at him. There was no way she was keeping them, but she didn’t have to say it and start an argument. They’d come so far today and he’d made an effort on his part. She’d wear them but not tell him she’d be leaving them behind when she left.

“Okay.”

He looked at her suspiciously, as if he’d been expecting a fight, but continued to fix
 
the diamond earrings on her ears. As he brushed her hair back from her face, he smiled and dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead.

For Claire, that kiss was anything but chaste. Deep inside she wanted him to continue placing little butterfly kisses down her neck. Disappointment flooded through her as he placed his hands on her shoulder to turn her round and fasten the catch of the delicate diamond necklace.

Elated, her body sang as his fingers stroked her skin and he finally dropped a kiss on her sensitive neck.

It was going to be a hell of a long party.

Claire already knew what the outcome of the evening was going to be.

She was going to ask Tevis to fuck her again.

Chapter Four

TEVIS

He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. When they’d entered the room Claire hadn’t complained when he slipped his hand round her waist. She'd moved closer, allowing him to slide his hand down to rest on her hip. He didn’t know if she was enjoying his touch or taking comfort from his support. When he parted from her it had been with reluctance, but he had to mingle with the guests.

From across the room, he watched as she took a small sip of wine, her tongue darting out to catch a drop of the liquid on her top lip. His cock twitched. It was taking all his willpower not to harden when around Claire, most of the time he failed. Here, in the middle of a crowded room of family and friends, he was in danger of acting like a damned teenager in heat. He didn’t know when his control had last been stretched to the limit by a woman. If ever.

Claire was charming everyone she met. Watching her, he felt a hit of jealousy for every person on the receiving end of her smile.

Fuck, he only had three more days. Seventy-two hours. He had to make every minute, every second, count. He’d never lost a prize yet and he wasn’t about to let it happen with Claire. It wasn’t only that he wanted her, and he did with a passion he’d never felt before, he needed her. Needed her in his life.

Instinctively he knew it wasn’t the life she wanted.

Somehow he had to convince her otherwise. Loss wasn’t something he was prepared to contemplate.

Putting his glass down on the tray of a passing waiter, he excused himself from the small group around him with a smile. Determinedly, he walked across the room to stand by Claire’s side, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her tight to him. She looked up and before she could say a word, he dropped a kiss on her lips.

Damn it, he knew he was marking his territory, but the way some of his friends were looking at her, he was doing it whether she liked it or not. Besides, he wanted to touch her again, feel her soft skin beneath his fingers.

“Tevis?”

“Sweetheart, I’ve left you alone for too long.”

“It wasn’t a problem, darling,” she responded with light laughter. “Roddy is keeping me entertained.” She waved her hand at his blond-haired, blue-eyed, cousin who was eyeing Claire as if she was forbidden candy he was about to steal. Which she was. Forbidden, that is. Claire was his.

He tilted his head at Roddy and narrowed his eyes. If he couldn’t read the message then he’d reinforce it later.

Roddy grinned back. He understood alright. After all, he was a Drummond. If he couldn’t read body language he shouldn’t be part of the business.

“I’ve fallen for this beautiful woman but she tells me she isn’t interested. I’m heartbroken.”

Roddy’s eyes didn’t leave Claire’s face, but she wasn’t watching Roddy, instead she looked up at him.

You fucking touch her and I’ll have you transferred. To Outer Mongolia if we have an office there. If not, I’ll create one just for you.

“I’m hoping she’s planning on staying with me,” Tevis responded, but his words were intended for Claire and not for Roddy.

She must realise she was playing with his mind and driving his body to distraction.

“You know how important you are to me, Tevis.” She stood on tiptoe and pulled his head down. He would grovel on the floor for more than the tentative kiss she gave him. Her breath fanned his lips and he wished everyone in the room would disappear.

If the party had been for him he would have cancelled it and spent the evening alone with Claire. But it wasn’t, Boyd and Ellie were the star guests and this kiss from Claire was for their benefit and not his. Her acting was impeccable and for a moment he had a taste of what could be. Then it was gone.

“One day, you’ll find out how much you mean to me.” He hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, hadn’t wanted to rush.

Claire looked at him in confusion and then smiled again as Ellie joined them.

The intimacy was gone. Tomorrow, when they had time to themselves he would build it again. He wanted it back, wanted more of these moments with Claire.

He turned his attention to Ellie who appeared to be asking for something from Claire.

“Say you’ll do it…please!”

God, what had he missed? “Do what?” he asked.

“Take the wedding photos… weren’t you listening?” Ellie accused.

“No. I was thinking.”

“Then stop thinking and back me up. It would be perfect if Claire could take some photographs. She told Boyd she loved photography.”

“I thought you’d decided against it? That you wanted to protect yourself.”

“Claire would never sell them on. She’s family—one of us,” Ellie laughed.

Across the room, his father looked up. The old man didn’t miss much.

He felt Claire stiffen at his side. “I don’t have my equipment with me.”

 “You have a camera with you,” he responded.

“I only have lenses for outdoors work, I’m afraid.” She was still trying to give him a way out.

“No, that’s perfect. The wedding is outdoors. You’ll do it for us?” Ellie looked at Claire expectantly.

He knew Claire was holding back because of him. Because the reason for her being here this weekend was all about the camera in her bag—that, and keeping Ellie’s whereabouts a secret. His actions had implied he didn’t trust her to keep that secret, and on Friday he didn’t. But now?

“Claire would love to do it—wouldn’t you darling?” He looked deep into her eyes. Confusion, hope, anticipation, all flickered across her face. She didn’t understand why he was relenting, but he knew this was a chance of a lifetime for her. Even though she could never share those photographs publicly, she would be known as the photographer chosen by Eloise Grace to record her wedding.

“Yes…,” she responded hesitantly, and he squeezed her hand in reassurance. Her confidence appeared to increase. “Yes, I would,” she said, smiling first at Ellie and then at him.

The look she gave him made Tevis feel like he’d given her the world. Fuck, he’d give her anything she wanted if he could make her look at him like that every day.

***

He’d managed to avoid having a long discussion with his father all evening and he suspected his stepmother had a good deal to do with it. She’d managed to steer Charles away from the argument Tevis knew was now brewing.

His luck ran out at the end of the evening. Claire had gone upstairs, leaving him to say goodbye to the last of his guests. Even Boyd had run out on him, dragging Ellie away before she could witness the inevitable clash.

“So when were you going to tell us about Claire?” The old man raised his glass of whisky to his lips.

“Why do I need to tell you anything? Claire is a guest.”

“A guest you are sleeping with,” his father growled back.

“Charles,” his stepmother placed her hand on his father’s arm. Tevis knew his father loved Emma, but he would ignore her warnings when it concerned Tevis.

“It is none of your business,” he responded firmly. There were times his father forgot he no longer ran the company, and he certainly didn’t have any say over his choices. “I often have a girlfriend at family events and you’ve never had a problem with it before.”

“I’ve watched you all evening, you behave differently around her. I’ve never seen you like this.” Charles Drummond was digging and not about to leave the subject alone. “She’s the one, isn’t she? The one you’re planning to settle down with.”

Tevis didn’t answer. He simply arched his eyebrows at his father’s comment. He could see Emma’s face over his father’s shoulder. Her blue eyes were twinkling and her smile reached her eyes. The issue here was that his father was put out at not knowing about Claire. That, and also wanting a grandchild from his eldest son.

“Planning to settle down with? I think Claire might have something to say about it,” he finally replied.

“Have you asked her?”

“We haven’t known each other long.”

“I knew straight away with Emma.”

“And what about my mother?” Tevis knew it was a low punch as he uttered the words.

Charles Drummond never flinched. “I knew she’d never give up her career. You were the only good thing that came out of that relationship.”

“And what if Claire has a career she wants to follow?”

“Adapt, son. Adapt.” He emptied the glass of forty-year-old malt in one gulp.

Behind his father, Emma raised her eyebrows. Tevis kept the grin off his face. Charles Drummond was famed for his stubbornness. He was fair, but he’d damned well dig his heels in if you wanted something done his way.

“Give me time to work this out.”

“Do you love her?”

Did he? Was this what it was all about? This growing ache deep inside to be with her. Not just for sex, but to get to know her better? To understand the real Claire who distrusted him from the start? To convince her no one else but him would do?

He studied his father, the man who’d fought for him to be born, and then at Emma who loved him equally.

“Yes, I think I do. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

Finally, his father smiled.

“Son, don’t let her slip through your fingers. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“I don’t intend to, Dad. Now go home, you’ve got what you wanted.”

Chapter Five

CLAIRE

Hot water streamed in rivulets down her body, washing away every trace of the evening. Removing the delicate smell of the perfume Tevis had dabbed on her wrists and on her neck, but it couldn’t remove her need for the man himself. Her body was hotter than the water, every nerve ending demanding his touch on her skin.