Billionaire on the Loose

  He frowned and headed for the coat closet at the front of the hotel room where his freshly laundered clothing was normally deposited. No socks. “Did anyone come by to get my socks?”

  “I don’t know.” She was watching him curiously, amusement on her face. “Are they that important?”

  They weren’t, but it just illustrated how much he assumed about everything in his life. That he expected something to be there, or for someone to hand him something so he wouldn’t have to tax himself. And now that he was left on his own to handle things . . . he was failing miserably.

  It was a rather ugly realization to have about one’s self.

  “Oh, wow. Are you okay? You look awfully upset over missing socks.” Taylor moved to his side, her hand stroking down his arm. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just . . . frustrated.” Because I’m helpless and I’m just now starting to realize it. “Sometimes I feel like I have less of a handle on even the smallest things than I’d like to think.”

  To his surprise, she gave a little unhappy sigh. “Don’t I know that feeling. Come on.” She took his hand in hers and tugged him toward the couch.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You are going to sit on the couch and I’m going to give you a nice relaxing foot rub, and we can talk about what’s bothering you.”

  “Are you patronizing me?”

  “No, if I was patronizing you, I’d probably be making baby coos right now.” She puckered her mouth and made a few kissy faces.

  He laughed despite himself and let her lead him to the couch. Once there, she grabbed his leg, sat down on the ottoman, and began to rub his bare foot.

  Okay, he wasn’t the type for a foot rub normally, but fuck, that felt nice. Loch’s head fell back and he groaned in pleasant surprise. “How’d you guess that I needed a foot rub?”

  “Um, because everyone likes a foot rub?” Her fingers worked his arch expertly, and then she smoothed her hands up and down the length of his foot in a sensation that was both soothing and decidedly erotic. “I know whenever I get super stressed, I like to go out for a pedicure. Someone rubs my feet and makes my toes look cute. It’s a win-win situation.”

  “Just promise me I won’t end up with pink toes,” he murmured, eyes still closed so he could enjoy the full sensation of her touch.

  “I only use red.”

  He opened an eye to glare at her and she giggled, working her hands over his foot again. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

  “I do like to think so, yeah.” She beamed at him and then dug her fingers into a particularly sensitive spot near his heel and he almost came off the couch with how good it felt. “You wanna talk about what’s freaking you out?”

  Loch blew out a frustrated breath. “If I say it out loud, it sounds ridiculous.”

  “You’re talking to a woman that spends her free time riding a digital dragon in a game and likes to wear a backpack that looks like a cat. How about you wing it past me?”

  His mouth curved in a slight smile. Why was it she always managed to put him at ease, no matter the situation? He was lucky that he was going to have someone like her as his wife. Temporary wife, he amended a moment later. It was much easier to mentally leap in and go forward with his plan if it was just temporary. Then it didn’t seem like insanity as much as gutsiness.

  Of course, he had to get Taylor to agree to the marriage, and right now he couldn’t even get her to kiss him, but he was working on that. Slowly.

  “Spit it out,” she cajoled. “It’ll make you feel better.”

  He sighed. “I’m not going to get away until I do, am I?” Not that he wanted to get away. Not when her fingers were doing such magical things to his feet.

  “That’s right! So you might as well say.” She wiggled one of his toes. “This little piggy says spill the beans.”

  Loch tugged his foot out of her grip. Undeterred, she grabbed his other foot and began to rub it. She really wasn’t going to let him get away with silence, so he sucked in a breath, braced himself for her laughter, and then said it aloud. “I think . . . I think I’m rather helpless.”

  Her brows furrowed, even as her fingers gently kneaded his foot. “Explain?”

  “It’s just that . . . I’m nearly thirty years old and I’ve never given any consideration to fending for myself. At home, I have a valet that picks out my clothing and handles my meetings. I have an accountant that handles my money. I have an estate manager that handles my house. I have maids. I have a cook. I have a stable hand that takes care of my horses. I have a driver. I literally do not have to do anything for myself except roll out of bed. And for nearly thirty years, I’ve never had a problem with this. I travel with servants who handle everything normally, but then I come here, by myself, and I’m starting to realize just how . . . sheltered a life I’ve been living.” He snorted. “A thirty-year-old man, sheltered. Imagine. It’s sad.”

  She patted his foot. “You don’t have someone to wipe your ass for you. It’s not that bad.”

  “Might as well be.”

  Taylor rolled her eyes and stood up. She moved forward and instead of sliding away, she sat on his lap, straddling him. “If you’re trying to make me imagine you as some sort of big man-baby, it’s not working.” She shrugged, stroking a hand down his chest. “You have money. You’re privileged, that’s not a lie. If I had tons of money, I’d hire people to do all that stuff for me, too.”

  “The problem isn’t that I let people do things for me. The problem is that I let them do everything for me.” But it was getting harder to focus on said problems when Taylor was determined to straddle him, her hips resting directly over his cock.

  “So use your time here to assert a little independence. Buy some stupid shit. Pick out your own clothes.” A small smile curved her mouth. “Dare to go sockless.”

  “I’m starting to think you don’t take me seriously,” he whispered. Arousal was flooding through him, heightened by the fact that she’d been standoffish for the last week. Was his complaining going to break through the barriers between them? She was impossible to predict.

  Then again, maybe he should have stopped trying to predict and started acting on his words. He wanted to convince Taylor to marry him so he could go home, and what was he doing? Moping about socks and having lunch with strangers while she poked around on her laptop. This wasn’t him. Normally he was the pursuer; the confident, fearless one.

  It was time to remember who he was and take control of the situation again.

  So he pulled her forward and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close until she fell against his chest, her palms pressing to his shoulders. “I am normally quite the daring man.”

  “You are, are you?” Her voice was a throaty purr. “I don’t know if I can believe that without a demonstration.”

  She was in a playful mood now. He liked that. His cock hardened in response and he slid a hand down her back until he cupped her arse. She had a delightfully rounded one that was just begging to be touched.

  Instead of pushing him away, she flung her arms around his neck and began to kiss him wildly. All right, now he was getting frisky Taylor. He returned the kiss, his hands roving over her body. Her tongue flicked against his and she rocked her hips enthusiastically.

  With a groan, he pushed her down onto the couch, rolling their bodies until she was pinned under him. The kiss continued, hot, wet, and deep. Her leg went around his hips and he ground his cock against her pussy, the friction mimicking all the things he’d love to do to her.

  And then she put a hand to his shoulder, and her mouth pulled away from his. “Loch,” she breathed. “I can’t.”

  He pulled back, studying her face. Was there something going on that she just wasn’t telling him? “What is it?”

  Her cheeks pinked. “Nothing. I just . . . Now’s not a good time.”

>   He frowned down at her, because the signals she was sending didn’t make sense. She kissed him like she wanted him, and then two seconds later, pushed him away. No wonder he was so confused lately. “Is there someone else I should know about? Because I’m not a fan of cheating.”

  Taylor’s eyes widened. “What? No! Of course not!” Her hand smacked his shoulder. “I’m not a fan of cheating, either!”

  He leaned in and nipped at her lower lip, and noticed that her eyes got soft with need when he did. “Then tell me what it is. You saving yourself for marriage now? Because I’ll marry you.” Loch grinned down at her, almost hoping she’d be impulsive enough to take the bait.

  “What?” She giggled and then shook her head. “Now you’re talking crazy.”

  “Am I?” He traced a finger down her cheek. “I’m just trying to figure out why, after we had such a good time the other night, you push me away like a leper every time I kiss you.”

  She bit her lip, and the look on her face was . . . embarrassed? “I can’t talk about it.”

  “Shall I kiss you until I get it out of you?” He traced a finger around the shell of one sensitive ear and she shuddered in response, her breath catching.

  “God, you don’t play fair. It’s that . . . the timing is bad.”

  He gave her a blank look. “Because of work?”

  Taylor smacked her forehead. “Because of my period, if you must know.”

  Ahhh. Suddenly everything made sense—her weird awkwardness around him, her sudden love of baggy clothing, and the fact that she seemed to stiffen every time he pulled her against him. And while it wasn’t his favorite time of the month to be with a woman, he wasn’t deterred. His hand slid to her breast. “I’m game if you are.”

  She made a face. “I might be crazy for saying this because you’re seriously the hottest thing on the planet, but that area’s off-limits for another two days or so.” Her expression was disappointed. “Which sucks.”

  “It does.” Because touching her was making him horny as a schoolboy. He rubbed her erect nipple through her clothing thoughtfully. “It’s truly a shame, because I like touching you.”

  Her squirm of response was rather gratifying, as was the thready little moan that escaped her. “Oh, man, I like it when you touch me, too.”

  That gave him the go-ahead he wanted. Loch leaned down and nipped at her chin, then began to press small kisses along her jawline, even as he continued to tease her nipple. “Then we’ll just keep our clothes on and have a little bit of teasing fun?”

  The little gasp of excitement she gave was delicious. “You drive a hard bargain.”

  “Then I’m lucky you like hard things.”

  “Mmm, do I ever.” Her hand went to his arse and she gave it a squeeze, pulling him down between her hips. “Pants stay on, everything else is fair game. Deal?”

  He’d take whatever she offered. “Sounds good to me.” Then he leaned down and began to move lower, until his mouth was over one breast. “You ever come with your clothes on?”

  “Oooh,” Taylor breathed. “I can’t remember. But the idea of trying is making me incredibly turned on.”

  Him, too. Head down, he nibbled at the tiny, hard little peak of her breast that strained against her clothing.

  She moaned and squirmed against him, desperate, and he felt those exciting, dangerous nails of hers dig into his shirt. He loved it when she marked up his back. It was just a sign of how insatiable she was when aroused, and he loved driving her to the point of madness. It made him feel like a fucking king.

  And he needed that after the week of self-doubt he’d had. He hated that he’d suddenly started questioning everything about himself. That he felt uncertain, and out of his element. Maybe everything could be as easily solved as the problem of Taylor’s reticence. He just needed to trust himself more and ask questions—and more than anything, go after what he wanted.

  Right now? He wanted the woman in his arms screaming his name.

  “I’m taking this shirt off,” Loch murmured, and then licked her fabric-covered nipple.

  She arched her back. “That sounds like the best fucking idea I’ve heard all day.”

  His hands moved up her sides, rucking the shirt up until her breasts were exposed. Ah, damn. No wonder her breasts jiggled so enticingly—she wasn’t wearing a bra. There was nothing but naked, sweet swells of flesh under the shirt. He made a sound of approval and nipped at the tip of one breast. “Hello, my lovelies. I’ve missed you so.”

  She giggled, the sound sweet to his ears. “They’ve missed you, too.”

  “Then allow me to lavish them with attention,” he murmured. He took one nipple in his mouth and began to tease it with tongue and teeth. Her skin was incredibly soft, her breasts full, and he took his sweet time playing with both of them, one hand coaxing one nipple while his mouth worked the other. Below him, Taylor moaned and writhed, her nails digging into his shirt as he made love to her breasts.

  Each time he tongued her skin, she responded with increasing enthusiasm, until she was practically undulating under him, unable to keep still. The soft cries she was making were driving him wild, and his cock was aching fiercely in his pants, to the point that he was regretting their pants stay on deal. Time of the month or no, he wanted to push into her tight warmth and bury himself in her body.

  But if he couldn’t do that, he was determined to make her wild with need.

  While he continued to kiss and tongue the sweet peak of one breast, his hand moved to the vee of her legs, covered by the baggy pajama pants she was wearing.

  She stiffened and pushed his hand away. “Pants on!”

  “I don’t plan on removing them,” he murmured, then pressed his mouth to her nipple again. “But I can touch you through them, can’t I?”

  She moaned a response that didn’t sound like a no to him, and so he pressed his hand there, cupping her mound. He could feel the vague shape of her folds through the layers of fabric, and so he positioned a finger against them and then rubbed hard.

  Taylor gasped and clung to him. “Oh, god.”

  That was more like it. He rubbed again, hard, taking care to try and press down against all the spots he thought might be a bit more sensitive. She pushed back against his hand, her body insistent, and he dragged his tongue over her breast even as his hand worked her pussy.

  Her hips bucked against him over and over, and she started to pant his name. Loch rubbed against her harder, wanting to give her the friction she needed to get off. He worked her with his fingers over the fabric, making sure to rub against her clit. A moment later, she gave a sharp cry and stiffened under him, and he felt a surge of satisfaction as a dazed expression crossed her pretty face.

  “Feel good?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her soft breast.

  She moaned something that sounded like an answer.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He nuzzled the swells of her magnificent breasts, because even though she’d come, he was still randy himself, his cock aching against the increasingly tight fabric of his pants. Might be time for a cold shower—or a quick jerk-off session there, if nothing else.

  Then she wriggled under him, squirming aside until she was sitting up on the couch next to him. He sat back, watching her as she tugged her shirt down and pushed tousled hair off her face. “I feel stupid,” she breathed.

  “Why?”

  “Because we could have been doing that all week instead of me pushing you away.”

  He laughed. “Never get between a man and his hard-on. We’re creative sorts.”

  “Mmm, I’ll say.” The look on her face grew decidedly sultry and she slid her body up against him where he was seated upright on the couch. Her hand went to his groin and she caressed his cock. “My turn to play now?”

  “If you like.” He didn’t want to push her into it, but the thought of her handling him l
ike he’d done to her just moments ago? It made his dick ache even more.

  “Oh, I like.” A teasing little smile curved her mouth. Her fingers danced along the clothed ridge of his cock. “There’s so much of it to like.”

  He exhaled slowly, leaning back on the couch. “Shall I let you do with me as you please, then?”

  Her eyes brightened with excitement. “Can I?”

  As if she had to ask. “Absolutely.”

  She licked her lips and smiled at him, and then reached for the zipper of his pants. “We said pants on, but we didn’t say they had to be buttoned, did we?”

  The little minx. “No, we didn’t.” He shifted in his seat, spreading his thighs apart slightly so he could give her more room to play. He loved that she took it upon herself to push the boundaries. That was part of what made her so exciting in bed.

  She wiggled her fingers along his zipper, then slowly edged it down, revealing his boxers and the bulge underneath them. “Look at that. Someone’s pleased to see me.”

  “Always.” All of him was aching for her touch. “My day is always better with you around.”

  Taylor’s expression softened, and the smile she gave him was shy. “That’s . . . very sweet. You do realize I’m going to blow you regardless? You don’t have to butter me up?”

  “It’s the truth.”

  The pleasure on her face made her glow. “You’re totally getting the best blow job ever.”

  “I certainly won’t say no.” He forced himself not to move as she leaned in and pushed the fabric of his boxers down, releasing his aching cock. It stood up erect from his lap, and she made a small murmur of pleasure before she wrapped a hand around it and stroked.

  He nearly came into her hand right then and there.

  “Look at all this gorgeous cock,” she cooed. “You’re making my mouth water.” Her fingers lightly stroked down his length and then she bent her head, taking the crown of him into her mouth.

  Loch groaned.

  The sweet, wet suction of her mouth was incredible. The breath hissed out of him and his head fell back, and he let her take over. Her hand remained tightly wrapped around his length, and she tongued the head of his cock over and over again, swirling and licking. His fingers itched to bury in her hair, but he didn’t want to take over, not when she was clearly having so much fun being in control.