Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part Two (BWWM Romance Serial) (6 page)

JADA WRAPPED HER SMALL HAND around Ian’s, achingly aware of
how large his hand was compared to hers. With a seductiveness she didn’t know
she possessed, she drew his hand forward and licked the droplet off, then
gently sucked the tip of his finger into her mouth. Mmm. He hadn’t lied when he
said it was sweet.

Ian watched her lips purse around his finger. He made a
noise, a slight one that was barely audible, a deep bass rumble edged with the
understanding of shared desire. He pulled his finger out of her mouth and
traced the edge of her trembling lips.

He wanted her. She wanted him. And it seemed like this had
been coming for hours and hours. Ready ... set ... go.

He set their glasses aside and pulled her into his arms.
Then he kissed her and she wrapped her own arms around his wide shoulders and
gave herself up to his demands.

And they were demands. His kiss was intense, all-consuming,
leaving no doubt he’d take what he wanted. His passion pushed Jada’s own
desires to new levels. He held her tightly, her chest crushed against his, and
while one of his hands controlled her behind her neck, his other squeezed her
around the waist.

It was like being whirled up in an unstoppable force, and it
should have frightened her, his strength, his implacable will, demanding her
surrender. But whatever fright Jada felt was from her own need soaring to
unprecedented levels within seconds of Ian’s lips claiming hers.

He kissed her until she was breathless, then he blazed a
path of kisses over her jaw and down her sensitive neck. His warm breath raised
goosebumps on her arms and she ran her fingers through his silky hair, tangling
and tugging where it was longest.

She flung her head back and gave herself over to his kisses,
to the tickling flicks of his tongue on her earlobe that made her sigh and
moan. Then he raised up, released his hold on her and, gently holding her face
in both of his big hands, he looked into her eyes.

“Look at me,” he commanded, and she couldn’t have ignored
him even if she’d wanted.

She locked her gaze onto his. Jada didn’t think, or move, or
wonder what it meant. She simply felt the moment, felt his alpha heat, the
potency of his hunger, of her own, and she understood on a soul-deep level that
whatever they did, it would be together, whatever he wanted, she would also
want, whatever he took, she would freely give.

His tongue flicked out and he licked quickly over the line
of her lips. He released her face and leaned back.

His speech came deep and gravelly, his blue eyes flashing
and fierce. “I want to watch you unbutton every single one of those little
buttons on your dress. Do it now.”

Her palms went instantly damp and something twisted down low
in her belly. She reached for the top button. It was tiny and slick in her
fingers, causing her to struggle to push the pearl through the fabric loop.

Then it popped free, and Ian watched with a predator’s gleam
in his eye as one by one, she worked her way down the front of her dress.

She never looked away from Ian, and sometimes he spared a
moment from watching her hands and met her eyes, always at the right moment,
just when Jada’s courage began to falter, when self-consciousness nipped at her
certainty. His gaze renewed her confidence.

The sides of Jada’s dress pulled apart the lower she went,
revealing the transparent white lace of her delicate bra. The dress spread
wider as she moved over her stomach. When she hit the stretchy lace that lined
the top of her panties, Ian reached out and covered her hand with his.

“That’s enough, for now,” he said.

Slowly and deliberately, he swept the dress off her
shoulders, pushing it down around her elbows. He toyed with her bra straps,
running his fingers beneath them, tugging them slightly to either side until
they dropped over her shoulders, clinging to her upper arms.

He traced a fingertip over the top of the lacy cups, sending
shivers of delight across Jada’s skin. “Exquisite,” he said.

Jada watched his strong, tanned hands move over her soft,
coffee-creamy skin which contrasted with and peeked through the snow white
lace. She could have watched him touch her forever.

Ian touched her not only with need; any man could touch with
need. But this man, Ian, touched her with the boldness of owning that need,
both his and hers. It was a level of control Jada had never experienced. And
his control freed her.

In a quick motion, he slipped her bra down further, fully
revealing Jada’s breasts. He fell on her then, pushing her backward until she
lay flat, rising over her and lowering his head to her breasts, tasting and
enjoying her body at will.

She moaned, closed her eyes, ran her hands over his hard chest
as best she could with arms still partly restrained by her dress. She sought
out his buttons, and quickly opened his shirt so she could glide eager hands
over the hard, ridged contours of toned pecs and abs.

Ian’s skin shivered as she touched him, and she was thrilled
with her power to please him the way he pleased her.

One of his hands roved down her side, over her hip and
played along the edges of her skirt, tickling her upper thigh.

“Oh,” she gasped, as he lightly nibbled her nipple.

He licked and sucked, and played feathery kisses across her
sensitive skin. His other hand slipped higher under her skirt, seeking and
finding the lacy edge of her panties.

He ran a finger under the stretchy fabric, moving toward her
hip, then back in, toward her center, toward the overheated part of her that
was aching to be discovered. Then he reversed course, back toward her hip, and
back again.

Jada closed her eyes and moaned at the tease.

“Is this what you want?” he whispered, moving his finger
under her panties so close to his ultimate goal that she almost couldn’t find
the wits to tell him, “Yes, yes that’s what I want.”

And then it didn’t matter what she said.

They heard it at the same time, a rustling coming from the
underbrush in the woods. Ian and Jada froze. Several more snapping twigs and
crunching dry leaves followed. It sounded like footsteps.

Ian’s head snapped up and his eyes searched the forest while
Jada struggled for enough space to try to grab the sides of her dress together.

Ian felt her struggles, mumbled a sorry, then lifted up
slightly to help her pull up her bra and yank her dress back together.

“Hell,” he said, dropping down onto her, ensuring that
whoever came out of the woods wouldn’t see more than the side of a small woman
squished under a big man. No naked flesh to see here, nope. Move along, please.

Jada squinted into the dark forest. She thought she saw
movement. They heard more rustling.

From behind a particularly ancient and large tree, out
stepped the intruder—a whitetail doe.

“Seriously?” Ian asked, loud enough that he startled the shy
creature.

The deer raised her head, sniffed the air, then turned and
bounded away, white tail flashing, crashing through deadfall into the forest
interior. The sound of her flight faded quickly.

Ian lifted himself off of Jada. “We’re going to forget that
ever happened.”

She nodded, then realized she was still clutching her dress
together when Ian pulled her hands away.

“It never happened,” Ian said. “Never happened.”

And in a few moments, it felt as if it hadn’t. Once more,
Ian was attending to her breasts, she was delighting in his firm chest and
stomach, his hand crept ever closer to the point of no return, and then—

More rustling.

“Son of a damned—” Ian sputtered, jerking his head toward
the woods again. He dropped quickly onto Jada, shielding her. “If it’s that
deer again, so help me, I’ll ...”

A bush at the tree line shook, and a multi-colored furry
head poked out between the leaves. It looked straight at Ian and Jada.

Jada blinked, and blinked again. Her initial reaction was to
throw a rock to run it off, but she knew she’d never do it. She shot a nervous
glance at Ian, who was glowering sourly enough to make a Mongol warrior cower
in fear. Oh boy.

It was Ms. Kitty.

The little tabby cat slipped out of the branches and trotted
toward the blanket, tail high and proud. She pranced up to Ian, nuzzled against
his arm, then lowered her head and rubbed a furry ear against Jada’s cheek.
Having marked her ownership of the humans, she turned and sauntered over to the
picnic basket, sat beside it, looked at Jada and Ian and meowed loudly.

“If we don’t move, will she go away?” Ian asked out of the
corner of his mouth.

“Um, I doubt it,” Jada answered reluctantly. “She wants
what’s in that basket.”

“If I give her all the fried chicken, will she go away?”

“You can’t give her the bones. She could choke.”

“Okay, what if I pull all the chicken off the bones and
give—”

Ms. Kitty meowed again, impatient.

Ian sighed long and loud, and dropped his forehead onto her
chest. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance we could just keep going.”

“In front of Ms. Kitty?” Jada asked. “Ew, no.”

“I didn’t think so. Would’ve hated myself if I didn’t ask
though.” He sighed again, then hoisted himself off her, groaning as if he
weighed five hundred pounds.

Jada hid a smile behind her hand.

“I know what you’re doing,” Ian said, sitting up then
helping her sit up, too. “You have a little dimple that you’re not quite
covering.”

“Oops.” Jada dropped her hand. “I can’t help it.”

Ms. Kitty meowed again.

“Hold your horses,” Ian said, “I’m getting to it.” He pulled
the basket closer to himself and opened it.

Jada laughed while she squirmed to get her clothes back in
order, Ian watching her efforts with regret etched on his handsome features.

In all, Ian was a good sport about everything, a better
sport than Jada felt at first. He gave Ms. Kitty healthy helpings of meat and
cheese, and refilled their own champagne flutes with cold bubbly and
strawberries.

Ms. Kitty ate until she had her fill then leaned against Ian,
licking her paws and grooming her face like the tidy cat she was.

“Lydia’s going to be disgusted when she finds out a cat got
past her perimeter. I recall her saying a chipmunk couldn’t do it,” Ian said.

He never had re-buttoned his shirt, and it was hard for Jada
to ignore all that bronzed goodness. “Don’t tell her,” Jada said. “I don’t want
to turn Ms. Kitty into the enemy.”

“Trust me, no one will make an enemy out of that cat. She’s
too friendly. When I was in the kitchen picking up the basket, she was sunning
herself on a new window seat that Mrs. Best had Trevor build last night.”

“I bet that’s why Ms. Kitty’s here. She followed the scent
of the picnic basket,” Jada said.

Ian scrutinized the small feline. “I don’t suppose she’ll go
away after she’s done cleaning herself, will she?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s only that I wouldn’t mind another try at—”

Jada’s phone, which she’d tucked into a side pouch on the
picnic basket, began to chime. Ian’s brows lowered.

“Sorry,” Jada said. “I was worried about Marina and afraid
something might happen, so I didn’t turn my phone off.” She gave a dismissive
shrug. “I’m sure she’s fine. I’ll ignore it.”

The phone chimed again, and again. Jada had to fight hard
not to pull out the phone and see if it was Marina. She should have set up
ringtones so she’d know without looking.

Ian looked up at the sky in surrender. “Go on. Answer it.”

“No. It would be rude.”

“It’s not rude. You’re worried. Go on. Please.”

“Thanks.” Jada smiled and leaned over, snatching the phone
from the pouch. The number was unknown. She answered.

“Hello?”

A familiar voice said loudly, “Jada? Hello? Jada? Is that
you? I don’t think it’s her. Jada?”

“Yes, it’s me, Mom,” Jada said, sending an apologetic glance
toward Ian.

Ian, upon hearing the word “Mom,” had an expression that
said he understood there was no longer a chance in hell of reclaiming their
earlier intimacy. He buttoned up his shirt then relaxed on the blanket, propped
on his elbows.

He petted the cat, who curled beside him and settled in for
a nap. Jada’s chest tightened at the sight of him. He’d never been more
handsome than he was right then.

She should have turned off her stupid, stupid phone.

“JADA? ARE YOU THERE? JADA?” her mother asked loudly,
making Jada wince.

She looked away from the Adonis reclining on the picnic
blanket, the only way she’d be able to maintain a coherent conversation at the
moment. “Yes, Mom. I said it’s me. How did you get this number?”

“Marina gave it to me. She said you lost your phone. Is that
true? Did you lose your phone? Never mind. I don’t know. Hold on. Your father
is driving me crazy asking me questions while I’m talking. What? What do you
want me to ask her?”

Jada waited. There was nothing for it. They were always that
way, though her mother sounded more keyed up than usual.

“Okay, honey,” her mother said after a lengthy pause. “I’m
going to put you on speaker phone so I don’t have to harm your father for
interrupting me. Hold on.”

There was a click and the line went dead. Jada rolled her
eyes and looked at the screen. Sure enough, the call was lost.

“Done already?” Ian asked.

“No. Give it a second.”

Sure enough, the phone buzzed. Jada answered. “Hello, Mom.”

“What happened? Did you hang up? Jada?”

“No, you ended the call. You must have pushed the wrong
button again.”

“I don’t think so. But whatever. Hold on. I’m going to put
you on speaker now. Don’t hang up on me.”

Jada expected her to lose the call again, but this time she
lucked out.

“Can you hear me, Jada?” her mother asked.

“Hi Jada!” her dad called.

“Yes, I hear both of you. You don’t have to talk so loud.”

“I told you I could do it,” Jada’s mom said. “Something must
have happened on her end, Monty. You should be less critical.”

“So anyway,” Jada broke in, “what’s going on? Why are you
calling?”

“If your phone was stolen,” her father said, “you need to
report it to the police right away. And did you call the phone company?”

“It wasn’t stolen, Dad. And I didn’t lose it either. I just
switched over to this one for now. Don’t delete my old number, okay?”

“Too late,” Jada’s mother said. “I replaced it with this
one. Why did you get a new phone if your old one still works? I don’t know.
This is all very strange.”

“Tell her why we called,” her father said. “We want to know
about the TV.”

Jada flinched. She hoped this wasn’t what she thought it
was.

“Right, exactly,” Jada’s mother said. “So we were at a truck
stop this morning, getting fuel. It was a good price, which is why we stopped,
even though we weren’t going to stop for another few hours until we got to the
truck stop with one of our favorite buffets. I think I’ve told you about it,
Jada. It’s the one with all the fancy jello molds and a bar of desserts.”

“Mmm-hmm. You’ve told me, Mom.”

“Would you get to it, Kenya?” her dad asked.

“This is important,” she said. “We might have never seen
Jada on TV if we’d gone on to the other place. They don’t have a TV in that
store like they do at the other one.”

Jada heard her father sigh.

“We saw you on television,” her dad said. “An announcer said
you’d married some rich man. Got your mother all worried.”

“Please, honey. I’m so worried. It can’t be true. You would
never have kept something like this from us, would you?” her mother asked.

“No, of course not, Mom. It’s not true, Dad. It’s a big
mistake. A huge misunderstanding.”

“I told you, Kenya. How would one of our girls meet a
billionaire, let alone marry one? It’s ridiculous.”

“But it’s on the news,” her mother said.

“That doesn’t make it true,” her father said. “I always say
you can’t believe most of what you see on TV.”

“Well, it’s not really the news,” Jada said. “It’s more like
gossip. Anyway, it’s not true.”

“We saw all those reporters outside your house, Jada,” her
mom said. “Are you still trapped in there?”

“No, I’m not. I’m hiding out.”

“Good girl. Tell us where you are. We’re coming to get you,”
her father said. “The press will never be able to find you if you’re with us.
Hard to hit a moving target.”

Jada grimaced. “Actually, I’m perfectly safe where I am.
Thanks though.”

“We’re already on our way,” Jada’s dad said. “We’ll be in
Springers Glen tomorrow.”

“No, don’t do that. I’m not in Springers Glen. I swear, I
couldn’t be more safe where I am.”

“Where are you?” her mom asked. “Please tell me so I won’t
worry.”

Jada steeled herself. There was no getting around it, not if
she didn’t want them showing up in Springers Glen and banging on every door in
town looking for her. “I’m at Ian Buckley’s lake cabin.”

Silence on the other end of the phone. It stretched on.

“Hello?” Jada asked finally. “Are you there?”

“Soooo,” her father began, “you actually do know this Ian
Buckley person?”

“Oh, honey. What do you mean, a cabin?” her mother asked.

“It’s not actually a cabin. It’s more like an estate with a
mansion and everything. They just call it a cabin. It’s a rich people thing,”
Jada said.

Ian grinned and turned on his side, watching her.

“A rich people thing. What does that mean?” her mother
asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” her father said.

“Anyway,” Jada said, “Mr. Buckley has been kind to me and
has assured me he’s got his people working on figuring out what happened, how
this story got started and how to stop it. They’re going to get it all sorted
out tomorrow when the courthouse opens.”

Ian raised a brow at her and mouthed silently, “Mr.
Buckley?”

She waved him off.

“You mean to say, you’ve met this man, this ... this ...
billionaire?” her mother asked, her voice an awed, half-whisper.

“I have,” Jada answered.

“Is he with you now?” The identical question came from her
parents at the same time, but with very different tones. Her mother said it
with longing uplift at the end, clearly hoping the answer would be yes. Her
father, meanwhile, said it deep and low, with suspicion, and obviously wanted
the answer to be no.

“He is here, at the estate, with me,” Jada sad. “We had a
picnic today.”

Again, silence fell on the line.

“Well,” her mother finally said, her voice cheery now, “I
see no reason to hurry home, Monty. Jada is obviously well-cared for, safe and
sound.”

“I don’t know,” her father said. “Nothing about this seems right.
Are you people aware that Monday is Memorial Day? What kind of billionaire
doesn’t know the courthouse won’t be open on Memorial Day? And what about you,
Jada?”

A short laugh burst out of her. “Oh no! I forgot about that.
I was going to go into the office anyway, so that’s probably why I didn’t
realize it. Ha!” Her spirits soared with the knowledge that the holiday might
guarantee her one more day with Ian.

“None of that matters, Monty,” her mother said. “Listen
honey, you have a good time. Enjoy yourself. Get to know the billionaire. I
mean, get to know Mr. Buckley. Ian. It was Ian, right?”

“Fine,” her dad said. “But remember, Jada. You’re a good
girl. Don’t let some high-flyer take advantage—”

“Shh! Don’t be ridiculous,” her mom interrupted. “I’m sure
Ian is a lovely man. And we’ve got to take advantage of opportunities when they
present themselves.”

“Kenya!”

“Ignore him, Jada,” her mother said. “We love you, honey.
Enjoy your picnic. And have fun.”

“But not too much fun,” her father added.

“I love you both, too,” Jada said. “Drive safely, back to
wherever you were going before you had the idea of coming to get me. Okay?”

Her mother laughed, her father grumbled, then they all said
goodbye. Jada ended the call relieved it had gone as well as it had.

“How are your parents?” Ian asked, sitting up. “Are they
worried?”

“They were, but I think they’re okay now.”

“You going to tell me what was funny?”

“Funny? Oh yeah. So, I think we may be stuck together a
little longer than we’d thought.”

“You don’t say. How so?”

She searched his face, hoping he’d be as pleased with the
news as she was. “Well, it’s kind of silly that we both forgot. The courthouse
won’t be open tomorrow. It’s Memorial Day.”

A big smile stretched across his handsome face. “You don’t
say.”