The Billionaire's Wife (3 page)

"You're ready for dinner?" I meant for it to be a statement. A happy statement. But somewhere in between my lips parting and the words falling out it became a stunned question.

He answered my question first by arching an eyebrow and pushing off the counter. He was just standing there but I could already feel his lips pressed against mine. His hand slipping between my thighs. Jacob Whitmore turned me on by merely existing.

He drew to me with a look in his eyes that told me dinner was the last thing on his mind.

He brushed my hair over my shoulders, his fingertips kissing my skin. “I know tonight is important to you.”  When I bit my lip I saw the need flicker and burn in his eyes. “But you better move like lightning before I change my mind.”

His touch rounded my breasts and I had to remind myself to breathe. To draw the oxygen in my lungs. But all I could breathe was his desire, colliding with the consuming lust that made me ache. When he brushed against my hardened nipples, I arched into his touch.

His voice was thick and wild. “Leila...”

It was a warning. One I had no intention of heeding. “We can be a little late.

Whatever binds were holding him together snapped as his hands went from a gentle whisper to a howl. My blazer was torn from my body, blouse shreds of silk and buttons that pounded the floor like rain.

Jacob washed me clean with his gaze. All the pain he endured, that we endured as we pretended Cole hadn’t changed everything was tangled up in my clothing. Only my bra and panties remained and I reached for his belt.

He gripped my wrists, stopping me. “This isn’t about me. You’ve been there for me through all this mess-”

My heart clenched. “Jacob-”

He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. Lips hovering. Breath mingling. “I want to take care of you.” He hooked my bra straps and drew them over my shoulders. My breasts tumbled out of the cups, but his eyes never left mine. He looked at me like he could live a thousand lifetimes and still not get enough of me.

His fingers grazed down my back, unhooking the bra and setting me free. I gasped as my nipples pierced through his shirt and I could feel the heat of him. The lust.

He took my face in his hands, cradling me, eyes caressing every inch, every pore, every imperfection—but there was only love in his gaze.

“Do you know how breathtaking you are?” He strummed my cheek, his words the sweetest song. A song that spoke to my soul. “Do you know how lucky I am?”

I smirked, feeling the blush set me on fire. “I have some idea.” When he tilted my chin upward and brought me to my toes to meet his lips, I added, “I’m pretty damn lucky myself.”

Our lips met and the storm of emotions in me raged. Desire tore through my veins. Need gusted and whipped through my limbs as I raked my fingers through his hair and tugged him closer. My panties were lost in the wind, the final piece discarded so we could collide. We made love with our mouths, tongues swirling, pulsing, tasting, needing. Lips formed words that hummed and electrified the air. Words like ‘more’ and ‘don’t stop’.

He cupped my ass and lifted me from the ground. The world was a swirl of motion as I clasped my hands around his neck. He sat me on the edge of the dining room table. When he licked his lips, I knew what was on the menu. I scooted backward and he took a knee, pulling my thighs apart. I was so wet, desire soaking me through and through. My clit was a swollen knot that begged for him.

I threw my head back, not caring that I banged my skull against the wooden table top. The slice of pain was forgotten when his thick finger stroked my sex. It swirled around my clitoris, drawing a hot trail toward my quivering core. Just as he pushed inside me, his mouth claimed my hardened nub.

I went from zero to insanity.

I bucked my hips, wanting more of him. My tongue was no longer my own. It was ours and he knew just how to make me lose my mind. I was a bundle of bones and guttural moans, tugging at tufts of his hair. This was a raw and exposed bliss that only Jacob could give me.

I knew I stood at the edge, pirouetting on the verge of shattering when he moaned. His lips were pursed around my bundle of nerves, fingers pumping in and out of me furiously.

I broke into pieces.

I was overwhelmed, babbling, flowing like lava and leaving nothing in my wake. I was coming, my body possessed, falling...and Jacob caught me.

When I went still, breathing without gasping or shaking, he rose. A look of sheer bliss was on his face. Just as I was about to tackle him, take more of him, my cell phone rattled to life. I didn’t need to look at it to know it was Megan.

“Dinner!” I gasped, shooting from the table. I knew checking the time would do me no good, so I focused on pulling my bra and underwear on. I flew up the stairs and picked out a black cotton dress and flats and swiped my jean jacket.

Jacob whistled when he saw me, but I had a feeling I looked like I got ready in five minutes.

We moved soundlessly to his car, the world outside wild and noisy. It wasn’t an awkward silence. It wasn’t technically silence at all. We talked through touch. My hand was on his and he lifted his fingers to stroke mine. The looks we stole said, ‘I love you.’ The heat that flared in my cheeks and the smirk on his lips said, ‘I want you.’ And when we pulled to the curb in front of Jamison's Restaurant and he turned and traced the line of my lips with his eyes, then his fingers, we said, ‘Forever.’

I'm sure the food turned the air into something delicious, but Jacob was still my air as we walked hand in hand into Jamison's. I smiled at the hostess but her words were muted because the only sound was that electric humming. Jacob's lips wrapped around me. Breathing into me. We maneuvered toward the table, one of the ones near the back. A strategic move to be as discreet as possible but eyes still followed our every move. Even if the other diners didn't follow the latest gossip it would be hard to not notice Jacob. He moved like someone important.  He commanded attention with every stride.

And then there was Cade.

Like Jacob, you couldn't take your eyes off of him. His sharp, angular features were made for the big screen. His powerful green eyes stopped most women dead in their tracks. They used to stop me in my tracks, glittering down at me from the ceiling of my dorm room. Now they glittered at me with history. He was my celebrity crush for years, before Jacob, so when we met over a year ago the residual chemistry was confusing. Things between he and I were confusing. But my love for Jacob was as sure as the sun is hot and the earth is round. It took Cade a little bit to come to terms with that fact.

But now we were friends. The golden haired leading man had his leading lady—my best friend Megan.

She wasn't even looking in our direction at first; she was staring at her guy like they were the only two people in the room.

When he nodded in our direction, her emerald eyes shifted toward me and Jacob and cut like diamonds. She waited for us to sit down before she laid into us.

"Did I write the time down wrong?" She feigned confusion, picking up her phone to reveal the time. "We've been waiting here for an hour."

"Sorry Meg," I winced. “We..lost track of time.” I felt the blush tingling in my cheeks and avoided her stern glare.

"I should apologize." Jacob reached over and put his hand on my knee, taking the fall. "I had a meeting that ran late." He flashed Meg a rare, dazzling smile. "My apologies, Megan."

Her face turned nearly as crimson as her locks. "Oh, uh, it's okay. I was just giving Lay a hard time."

I bit my lip when Jacob gave my knee a squeeze when she said 'hard'. I peeked over at him quickly and I was on fire all over again. It was going to be one of
those
kinds of dinners. The ones where he teased me relentlessly with his touch. Made me squirm and grin and pretend like we weren't having our own private xxx conversation beneath the table.

Jacob's fingers stroked my knee, slow, deliberate rotations that took me back to being spread on the table. I cleared my throat, plastering a grin on my face that I hoped didn't give it all away.

"So, your movie is still kicking all kinds of ass in the box office," I said to Cade. “You must be really proud."

"I am," he beamed, sitting up a little taller in his seat. "This project was one of the more difficult ones-"

"And I know that better than anyone," Megan piped, shaking her head. "He insisted on doing all of his stunts."

Cade leaned over and pecked her cheek, his eyes warm with affection. "It wasn't that bad, babe."

"Right." She shuddered, closing her eyes. "I can remember every bruise. Every zombie shuffle because you pulled something. The cut you got beneath your eye..."

He ran a finger beneath his left eye, a slightly faded mark slashing its way from cheek to eyebrow. "But now I look edgy, right?"

Megan rolled her eyes but when he leaned back in, this kiss lingering, she smiled. A smile that made my heart grin in return. Seeing her happy made me happy.

Jacob and I exchanged a look and I could tell he saw it too. His eyes twinkled, relating to the intensity of finally finding your person. If we could channel all the love coursing around this table we could cure the world's ills.

"But it wasn't all me by any means," Cade added, refilling his water glass. "We had an amazing team. From the writing staff to the stunt team...and even our PR people," he winked.

"We only want the best for our clients," Jacob said smoothly. There wasn’t a hint of him just toeing the party line or forcing cordiality. "Complete satisfaction." His hand migrated north, skating toward my inner thigh.

"Right," I blushed, lifting my glass quickly. "To a group effort."

We all lifted our glasses and the wine did nothing to dull my overwhelming desire to spread my legs wide and let Jacob finger me. As if he could read my mind his touch deepened, his fingers flicking the seam of my panties. I didn't let Jacob do anything. Jacob Whitmore took what he wanted.

"So how are things with Cole?" Megan asked brightly.

Jacob snatched his hand away immediately. I shivered, like a cool gust of air chilled me to my bone.

Megan nibbled her bottom lip nervously, an innocent conversation starter unintentionally bringing the conversation to a screeching halt. I looked to Jacob, his blue eyes flashing. It wasn't my answer to give.

"Things with my brother are..." Jacob clenched his jaw so tight that mine ached. "Complicated."

"I have an older brother and let me tell you, he's a royal pain in my ass," Cade offered with a chuckle, trying to lighten the tense mood.

"Did your brother threaten to destroy you?" Jacob snapped, rejecting Cade's attempts at diffusing the situation. I reached for Jacob's knee, but he swatted my hand away. "Because unless your brother has been lying to you from the moment you met, you can't really relate."

"Jacob," I chided him, watching Cade's face fall. Even Megan looked guilty for bringing it up at all.

"If I wanted to be scolded like a child, I would have had dinner with my mother," Jacob said vehemently, his eyes chewing me up and spitting me out.

My jaw dropped. The heat of embarrassment that consumed me robbed me of the ability to say another word. He was looking at me like I was the enemy. That was more cruel than anything he could say.

"There's no need to talk to your wife that," Cade broke the silence, the authority in his voice rivaling that in Jacob's. He squared his jaw, letting Jacob know that it wasn't okay.

I thought things couldn't get any worse...but Cade coming to my defense just dialed Jacob up to 100.

"Part of your statement is spot on—she's my wife. Not yours."

I turned to Megan and she gave me a slight nod and reached for Cade. She leaned in and said something to him. Her words did the trick and the fight drained from Cade. The murderous look in his eyes died down.

He scrubbed a hand over his cropped white gold hair and begrudgingly offered Jacob an olive branch. "You're right, man. Whatever is going on with you and yours is your business." He picked up the menu. "Let's get some food."

Everyone looked to Jacob. Holding our breath.

The next move was his.

Jacob pushed back from the table, not looking at any of us. "Let's go, Leila."

"Really, Jacob?" Megan said incredulously.

"I'm not talking to you," Jacob growled at her. "I'm talking to my wife."

I looked up at him. ‘Wife’. Someone that was supposed to be his partner. Not his property. Not someone that he talked to any kind of way. Someone with a voice. Someone that was on his side...and he was supposed to be on mine.

The angry, cruel man with his chest heaving up and down, throwing a tantrum...it wasn't my Jacob.

I looked up at him, my words calm and measured. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm going to have dinner. If you need to go take a breath and regain control of yourself, be my guest." I did the hardest thing I had ever done and turned my back to him, looking straight ahead. "I'm staying."

There was a part of me that hoped my words were the wake up call he needed. But he didn't sit back down. Explain that things were complicated. That things, to be honest, were downright shitty with his brother—but he shouldn't have taken it out on us.

Jacob didn't say a word.

He turned on his heels and left.

Tears wasted no time rushing in. My vision swam as I looked down at the menu, the letters running into each other.

Megan reached out and gripped my hand. “Leila...”

“I’m fine.” I squeezed it back and breathed until the tears receded and I could smile without it hurting on the outside as well as the inside. On the outside I shrugged off Jacob's departure but on the inside, I was dying.

"So," I said brightly, smiling at Cade and Megan's worried faces. "What's good here?"

"H
ow was dinner?"

I stopped in the doorway, glaring at my husband perched on a bar stool, holding a glass of bourbon.

"I'm barely through the door-"

"By all means, get settled and comfortable," he said in a low, dangerous voice. A voice that told me my comfort was the furthest thing from his mind.