Bidding on the Billionaire (9 page)

She collapsed on his chest, her breathing harsh and erratic, and buried her face in his neck. His familiar, sexy scent filled her nostrils with every ragged breath. He wrapped his arms around her back, crushing her to him.

Then and there, the decision made itself. One night would never be enough to get him out of her system. It would be breaking a rule, but she needed this time with him. Her body responded to his in a way that rocked her world. She enjoyed him, all of him. She deserved to let herself have this time with him? Didn't she?

“Two weeks.” She murmured the words into his throat, unable to bear releasing her hold on him even enough to meet his gaze. “No more, no less. When it ends, you go home and this doesn't happen again. No more phone calls. We go back to what we were.”

She wanted sex, a fling with someone real and solid, but neither was she ready for more. Heck, hadn't he told her that very thing? And if she allowed this to continue, she'd no doubt become attached. She always did. No, it was safer for everybody involved if this was a one-time experience.

Cade went silent for a moment; then his arms tightened around her. “Agreed.”

Several hours later, dressed once again in what she'd arrived in, Hannah tiptoed across the darkened bedroom. She paused in the doorway, one hand on the frame, unable to resist looking back. The digital alarm clock on the nightstand read 2:01. The bright moonlight streamed in through the windows lining one wall, illuminating the space. Cade lay on his back in the bed, naked, the sheets and blankets covering him from the waist down.

She couldn't help a soft, wistful smile. He looked peaceful. She'd woken because of the strangeness of his body beside her. She'd slept alone for so long that his physical presence beside her seemed odd in the otherwise routine of her life.

She left, however, because she liked it. Too much. She ached to crawl back up on the bed and curl around him. His body was large and solid and warm, and lying beside him filled her with an addictive sense of safety and rightness.

They'd made love off and on for hours, pausing to eat and chat or fulfill basic needs. Only to make love some more. His passion roused hers and over the course of a few hours, the uneasy tension they'd started with had dissolved. The comfort they'd found in their online chats opened between them here as well. Talking to him still came as natural as drawing her next breath. She'd forgotten her scars, and for a few blissful hours, he'd made her feel sexy and wanted.

Which was exactly why she was leaving.

She turned back around, moved through the room, and picked up her sandals off the floor where she'd dropped them in the living room. She made sure to close the door behind her as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb him. The silent hallway beyond unnerved her. She hadn't expected their exchanges to feel this natural. So she forced herself to leave, as she said she would. She'd have to be careful with him and make certain to draw her boundary lines. No matter how good or right being with him felt, this was only sex.

Right?

W
ell, good for you.” Several feet down the counter from her, Maddie stuck her leg out, nudging the toe of Hannah's sneaker. “It's about time you peeked outside the box you keep yourself in.”

“I know, but can you blame me?” Hannah kept her gaze on her book. She had no desire to know what played on her best friend's face.

She sat on a stool, a few feet down the counter from where Maddie stood beside the register. The morning had been slow. As usual for early spring in Seattle, dark clouds blanketed the sky, a light rain misting the earth. With such a dreary day, people had kept indoors, and the call of the books around her had become too much to resist. She ought to be doing something more constructive. Perhaps if she'd decided to sort and shelve the new box of used books a woman had donated today, she might have avoided this exact conversation with Maddie.

Maddie, God bless her BFF, had cornered her first thing when she'd come into the shop this morning and pelted her with questions. She played devil's advocate. Any other time, Hannah appreciated Maddie playing the role. Her best friend was a “take no prisoners” kind of person, brave and up front. Where Hannah tended to be shy, Maddie often gave her the kick in the pants she needed. Now, however, it filled her mind with memories she didn't want to think about. Namely, her “date” with Cade the night before.

Ironically, the book she'd picked up was the second in the erotic series that had drawn her and Cade together in the first place. When the shop first opened, they'd dedicated the place to rare, out-of-print, or hard-to-find used books. The website also brought in a lot of traffic, people looking for specific titles. Last year, however, she and Maddie gave up the fight and decided to start carrying some of the new books coming out. More than a few people had requested this exact series. She'd made a killing off of it by advertising it in the front window. Sex sold. And well.

Maddie turned back to the stack of posters laid out on the counter in front of her. “Dane was a selfish jerk. You're better off without a man who doesn't have the balls to end one relationship before starting another. Those guys in college were asshats as well. Boys, the lot of 'em. What you need is a man, sweetie. I've told you that.” Maddie plucked the largest poster from the pile and strode around the counter, heading toward the front window display. “So, is he? I take it the scars didn't bother him if you spent the night with him.”

Hannah's gaze paused halfway down the page as the memory filled her mind. The fifteen minutes or so Cade had spent paying homage to each of her scars flashed through her mind. Her panties dampened, and a luscious throb began. Hannah squirmed on her stool.

Embarrassed warmth rushed up her neck and into her cheeks. The exact reason she tried not to think about him. The mere thought of him had her looking forward to the next time she'd see him. The way she reacted to him was dangerous at best. He made her heart beat a little faster and anticipation fizzled through her blood like a new drug she couldn't get enough of.

Maddie glanced back over her shoulder and grinned, her bright red braid falling back off her shoulder. Her best friend had Irish ancestors. Her grandfather, the man who'd raised her, had come over somewhere after World War I. Maddie had the classic look—pale, almost porcelain skin, dotted generously with freckles, gorgeous deep-red hair, and pale blue eyes. Her luxurious mane had always made Hannah jealous. It was thick and soft and even fresh out of bed, she always seemed to look stylishly tousled. Today, it hung in a neat brain down her back, and those shrewd eyes pinned Hannah with a mischievous glint.

“I'll take that as a no.” Maddie set the poster on the windowsill and moved back toward the counter, reaching for the tape. “I think it was a good move to give in and order these books. They've…”

The front door's digital chime beeped, announcing the entrance of a customer, and Maddie's words trailed off into nothing. Her best friend's sudden cease in conversation told Hannah without a doubt someone of the male persuasion had walked through the door.

Maddie confirmed the thought when she kicked Hannah's shoe again, her voice a hoarse whisper in the space between them. “Dibs.”

Hannah smiled but didn't look up. Nothing turned Maddie on more than a guy who read. If he had good looks on top of it, the poor guy didn't stand a chance. Which meant any halfway decent-looking guy who happened upon their little eclectic store got the once-over and a smile to charm the pants off the pope.

She and Maddie had chosen this particular spot for their shop on purpose. They sat almost dead center of the downtown street, a few blocks from Pike Place Market. Next door was a small bakery. The man who owned it had earned a spot on a local television show for “the best chocolate chip cookies on the West Coast.” Two doors down sat a chocolate shop. The woman had garnered a reputation for making the most divine handmade chocolates. Which put their store in a prime location. Tourists often wandered in off the street in their tour of the city.

Like her, Maddie didn't date. She'd met too many of the wrong kinds of men. It was what had drawn them together in the first place. She'd been lamenting Dane's constant lack of attention. Unlike her, Maddie had taken a firm vow of celibacy. Deep down, her best friend was a hopeless romantic and a shameless flirt. Maddie, of course, hoped Prince Charming would one day waltz in and sweep her off her feet.

“Good morning! Welcome to Second Chance Books.” Maddie shot around the counter like a bee on too much caffeine.

Hannah didn't need to look to know her best friend's smile would put the sun to shame. Maddie's enthusiastic tone said it all.

Hannah lifted her gaze, curious to see the poor unlucky soul who'd happened upon their little store, only to freeze on her stool. Her heart leapt into her throat and beat like a jackhammer. Oh God. Cade. In a full business suit no less. A crisp, white shirt and charcoal-gray slacks topped by a jacket in the same shade of gray, complete with a little splash of blue peeking out the pocket on his left breast.

The sight of him in all his splendor did nothing for the dry state of her panties. She'd never seen him in a suit before, had always pictured him in jeans and a leather jacket, but she had to admit, he looked spectacular. The suit hugged his body in all the right places, accentuating his broad shoulders and long, muscular legs. He looked sophisticated and intelligent, completely contradicting his biker-boy persona online.

His head turned left and right, his gaze taking in his surroundings as he strolled, casually, into the store. As if he were a tourist who'd happened to find them on his way through downtown. “Nice place. Quaint. It suits you.”

Hannah swallowed past the lump stuck in her throat and sat up, closing the book and setting it on the counter in front of her. She ran a shaky hand through her hair. Thank God she always put on makeup in the morning. “W-what are you doing here?”

He fingered the edge of the display Maddie had set by the front windows, then turned to the hardback books seated in their place and flipped open the cover, those shrewd eyes scanning the page.

“You invited me to look you up, so I did. Turns out, you weren't hard to find, either. When you said you were downtown, I didn't realize you'd end up being so close.” He turned his head, finally meeting her gaze, and crossed the space between them in three long strides. He leaned in front of her, his gaze on the book lying on the counter. He tapped the cover before glancing at her. Wolfish delight glittered like diamonds in his eyes. “I haven't read this one yet. Is it any good?”

The heat in his eyes filled her mind with memories of their initial encounters, of the e-mails and chat messages shot back and forth over that first book.
Have you ever been spanked during sex? You should try it before you decide you don't like it.
The heated conversations his questions had led them to made her clit throb all over again.

She swallowed hard and repeated her question. “What are you doing here?”

He turned his hand over on the counter, palm up, and stared at her. “I thought you might like to have lunch with me.”

His scent invaded her nostrils every time she inhaled. Alarm skittered up her spine, and her hands trembled, out of physical need and nerves. After the intimacy they'd shared the day before, she hoped to put some distance between them, reset those boundary lines. He'd changed the rules—again—and it set her off balance. Damn him.

It worked. The gleam in his eye and his suggestive tone had every inch of her sitting up and taking notice. She yearned to lean across the counter and wipe the smug smile off his face by pushing her mouth into his.

She averted her gaze instead and moved down the counter to the pile of paperwork near the register, pretending to busy herself. “We agreed no dates.”

“This isn't a date. It's lunch. We both have to eat, and I'm starved.”

Darting a glance out of the corner of her eye, she found him watching her. The gleam in his eyes, the subtle flash of heat, sent a shiver of the same down her spine. She wanted to send him back out of the shop, but her thighs clenched, her clit throbbing to life and begging for the stroke of his oh-so-talented tongue. It didn't help she had the distinct impression he didn't mean food.

Somewhere off to her left, Maddie cleared her throat.

Hannah swallowed hard, heat flooding her cheeks. Oh God. She'd gotten so caught up in him she'd forgotten Maddie entirely. That wasn't a good sign.

She turned to flash her best friend a sheepish grin, only to get a saucy one in return.

Hannah turned to Cade, extending a hand toward Maddie. “My business partner and best friend, Madison O'Riley. Maddie, this is—”

“Cade McKenzie.” He pushed away from the counter and extended a hand, offering a charming smile. “Mind if I borrow your cohort for an hour or so?”

Maddie slipped her hand into his, shaking it firmly, and flashed him a thousand-watt smile.

“Oh no. Please. Borrow her for as long as you like.” Maddie winked at him. “She could use a break.”

The heat in Hannah's cheeks deepened. Maddie's sassy little wink told her without a doubt she'd caught the hint in Cade's tone as well.

“I appreciate it, thanks.” Cade turned back to Hannah, took the papers from her and set them on the counter, then held out his hand. “It's only lunch.”

Hannah stared at his hand, because if she met his gaze, she'd give in. Obviously, Cade McKenzie didn't take no for an answer. A million thoughts shot through her mind, things she ought to say to him. He'd changed the rules, damn it, and he hadn't discussed the change with her. She would not be a pawn in somebody else's game.

Except the memory of the ecstasy she'd had at the mercy of those large, soft hands and his wicked mouth wouldn't leave her thoughts. Her hand slipped itself into his, and a flood of warmth infused her every cell.

He threaded their fingers, waited as she grabbed her purse, then held their combined hands over their heads as she rounded the counter. He turned to smile at Maddie. “I'll have her back in an hour. Scout's honor.”

He made a gesture with his fingers, making her wonder if he really had been a Boy Scout, then pulled open the door and tugged her outside with him. Maddie flashed a too-pleased grin as they stepped onto the sidewalk and the door dinged shut.

A heady buzz followed them down the street and anticipation fizzled in her veins. When they reached the end of the block and stopped to wait for the light, she glanced at him. “Are we really going to lunch?”

He turned his head and cocked a brow. “Do you trust me?”

She let out a nervous laugh and shook her head. “I don't know you well enough to trust you.”

His smile fell. The light turned, but he pivoted to her instead and took both her hands in his. He used the purchase to pull her close and leaned down, brushing his mouth over hers. “You know me better than you think you do. How much of what you told me during our chats was a façade?”

Caught in the brush of his body against hers and his warm breath on her face, Hannah couldn't remember if she breathed. “Not much.”

Cade was easy to talk to and always had been. The lure of the anonymity of the Internet had pulled things from her she might not have told him otherwise.

“Exactly.” He brushed his mouth over hers again, so light and electric a shiver ran the length of her spine. Her hands curled in his, and she leaned into the soft press of his lips.

Cade flicked his tongue against her mouth and leaned his head beside her ear. He murmured against the sensitive lobe, his breath hot on her neck.

“I know we didn't agree on this, but I made plans for you. I'm hoping you'll enjoy them as much I will. I'm asking you to trust me.” When he pulled back again, heat flashed in his eyes. “I had to see you.”

His kiss made her knees wobble and promised more where that came from. His hot gaze did the same. His erection pushed into her stomach, promising orgasms lay in her future. It would no doubt get her into trouble one day soon, but Cade McKenzie had her eating out of the palm of his hand. She'd follow him anywhere for the pleasure that instinct said she'd have at his hands.

God help her.

Hannah nodded. “All right.”

He pressed another kiss to her lips, this one a hot promise.

“You won't be sorry.” He released her and stepped back, holding her away from him. His gaze flicked down her body. “Though I do wish you were wearing a skirt.”

Fifteen minutes later, Cade sat across from Hannah in a small booth at a pub down the street. She looked gorgeous. Her black and white striped blouse skimmed her body, and her dark-washed jeans hugged every luscious curve. She sat on the other side of the booth and not beside him because he flat out didn't trust himself not to touch her. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her all damn morning. Lunch was little more than an excuse to see her.