Billion Dollar Bear: BBW Paranormal Billionaire Romance (Bad Boy Alphas) (7 page)

The forty-five minute drive to Chateau
Versailles was the most excruciating ride of her life. Not because of the
traffic, or the heat, or the never-ending radio commercials that bored the
ever-living hell out of her.

      No, it was
the fact that Jericho seemed to take up every spare inch of space in the
compact confines of her vehicle with not only his body, but his presence. His
spicy, masculine scent filled the air along with the raw, masculine energy that
always seemed to pour off of him in hot waves, making it difficult to draw a
single breath that wasn’t filled with want. He was wearing some kind of sweet,
sandalwood-scented cologne today, which only made his scent that much more
addictive – as he no doubt already knew.

      Damn him.

      She
breathed a sigh of relief when she finally parked the car in the lot designated
for tours, then hefted her purse over her shoulder as she waited for Jericho to
squeeze himself out from the passenger’s side.

      “Wow.” Jericho’s
eyes glowed as he surveyed the Castle, seated at the heart of a sprawling
garden that boasted fountains and statues and a dazzling array of trees and
flowers and plants that stretched as far as the eye could see. “King Louis must
have had a grand old time here.”

      “Which
one?” Becca said lightly, leading the way. They traversed a large fountain with
a series of bronze sculptures rising up from the center of the water, and began
walking down one of the paths on either side of the stretch of lawn that ran
all the way to the castle entrance.

      Jericho
screwed up his nose as he thought about this, and she fought back a giggle.
“The tenth?”

      Becca
wagged a finger. “Someone needs to brush up on her history,” she told him. “It
was Louis the Fourteenth who built this castle. It started out as his father’s
simple hunting lodge before he turned it into what it is today.”

      She
continued relating the history of the castle to Jericho, confidence in her role
as a tour guide settling her nerves and distracting her from his raw sex
appeal. They breezed past the line and into the Hall of Mirrors, and for a time
even Jericho seemed too caught up by the opulence of their surroundings to
remember that he was supposed to be seducing her.

      Or so she
thought.

      Jericho
allowed her the comfort she took from her role as tour guide, pretending to be
wholly absorbed by the castle – which in truth wasn’t too hard as he met
fascinating pieces of history, art and architecture everywhere he looked. Gold
and gems and crystal dripped from everything from the furnishings to the art to
the décor itself, the sheer amount of wealth and opulence staggering even to a
man of means as he was.

      But not so
staggering that he didn’t have one eye on his feisty little tour guide at all
times.

      She
probably thought he didn’t notice that she’d dressed up for him, he thought.
Rather than the company t-shirt and jeans she wore yesterday, she dressed in a
lacy white top that bared the skin at her collarbone and her arms and clung to
her curves like a second skin. Her jeans were tucked into knee-high boots of
brown suede with silver buckles that caught the light with every step she took.
It was entirely possible the choice was subconscious, and that if pressed she
would simply tell him this was what she typically wore when she ran out of
uniform shirts… but if she truly didn’t want him making advances, she was going
about it entirely the wrong way as far as her wardrobe was concerned, because
he couldn’t stop tracing the curve of her breasts with his eyes, or staring at
the way her jeans molded to her ass every time she turned around to point out
another fascinating detail about the palace.

      He began
closing the distance between them little by little, touching her elbow as he
helped her down a set of stairs, placing his palm against the curve where her
back met her perfect little derriere as he urged her along ahead of him through
a doorway. She stiffened at the touches at first, her body heating in response
beneath his hand every time he placed it against her, but eventually she
relaxed, acclimating to his touches no doubt because she believed they wouldn’t
go any further. “

      And they
wouldn’t, for now.

      Becca took
a deep breath as they exited the castle and stepped into the Jardins du château
de Versailles. “These gardens took over forty years to plan and create,”
she said, spreading her hands to indicate the vastness of the grounds. “A
testament to the extravagance of the French royalty… as well as their eye for
true beauty.”

      “Are we
going to explore the whole thing?” Jericho asked, his eyes scanning the vast
terrain. “Not that I’m against the idea… but I imagine it could take us quite
awhile.”

      Becca
shook her head. “We don’t have time for that, unfortunately. But, if you’re
interested… I’ll take you to my favorite spot in the gardens,” she said with a
coy smile.

      Jericho
cocked his head, intrigued. “Lead the way.”

      She took
him past several parterres – formal gardens laid out in symmetrical
patterns on a level surface, fountains and sculptures, pointing them out along
the way and giving him a brief history of each, remaining steadfast in her tour
guide roll. Except somewhere along the route, when he’d taken a misstep, she’d
taken hold of his forearm in order to pull him along so she wouldn’t have to
worry about him getting lost. He smiled at the sight of her long, elegant
fingers wrapped around his dark leather sleeve – it was a sign she was
getting more and more comfortable with him.

      “Here we
are,” she said as they emerged into another copse of trees forming geometric
patterns around a fountain that was identical to the many fountains spread out
across Versailles. Jericho frowned as he looked around, wondering what was so
special about the place, and then he noticed the boxes around each of the
trees. Looking up into the foliage, he saw clusters of small, white blossoms
hanging from the branches, and understanding dawned on him.

      “This is
an orange grove.”

      “The
Versailles Orangerie,” Becca confirmed. A dreamy smile floated across her face
as her dark eyes drifted across their surroundings. “The oldest part of the
gardens, built well before even the castle had truly started it’s
reconstruction.”

      She led Jericho
to a white stone bench near the fountain, and he drew himself down to sit
beside her so they could enjoy the Orangerie together. “I always try to take my
clients here if there’s enough time in the day,” she told him, looking out at
the grounds. “It might not be as fancy as some of the other places at
Versailles, but there’s something so peaceful about it… and I love the scent of
the orange blossoms.”

      “Mmm… yes,
I see what you mean.” He closed his eyes and inhaled their sweet fragrance,
which held just a hint of the fruit they would one day blossom into. His nose
was quickly distracted by Becca’s own addictive scent, though, and he
instinctively drew closer, wanting more of her. “You’re an awesome tour guide,
Miss Donaldson,” he said quietly, drawing her hair off her shoulder to expose
the creamy nape of her neck. “I can feel your passion and love for this beautiful
city.”

      Becca
shivered as Jericho leaned down and nuzzled into the side of her neck, inhaling
deeply. She felt a shudder rip through his own body, and the idea that
something as simple as her own scent could affect him so much only made her
want him more.

      “Jericho…”
his name came out as a plea, though whether or not for him to stop or keep
going, she truly did not know.

      “Don’t,”
he growled, his lips tracing the words against the sensitive flesh of her
earlobe. “I know I shouldn’t want you, that it would be easier for the both of
us if we just kept this professional… but I can’t help myself and quite
frankly, I don’t fucking want to.”

      “I… I want
you too, Jericho,” Becca whispered, fisting her hands in her lap to keep from
touching him. His intoxicating scent was fogging her mind up this close, making
it hard to keep hold of the rational thought she so desperately needed. “I
just… I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get you out of my head
afterwards.”

      “So don’t,”
Jericho replied, pressing a kiss to the spot just below her earlobe. A drop of
heat slid through her skin and down into her nerve endings, making her tingle.
“Just give into it,” he whispered, “Stop wasting time and just let me have you.
You know you can’t resist me for much longer anyway.”

      Becca
turned toward him, arching a brow as a smirk covered her face. “If you think
that kind of bullshit is going to get you what you want, you’ve got another
thing coming.”

      Jericho
grinned, then took her hand and pulled her from the bench. “We’ll see about
that.”

They tumbled into the hotel suite with
their lips already locked, and Jericho’s hands sliding up beneath her shirt to
cup her breasts.

      Jericho
growled with desire, nipping at her lip as he kicked the door shut behind him.
Gathering her up in his arms, he savaged her neck with his teeth as he headed
for the stairs. “What were you saying about my not getting what I want?” he growled
between bites. “You should know sweetheart… I always get my way.”

      Becca
managed to smirk at him. “So do I.” She moaned when he suddenly squeezed her
ass before he tossed her unceremoniously onto the bed. He grinned evilly when
she glared up at him. “You want this just as much as I do,” he replied
matter-of-factly, as he removed his jacket and placed it on the back the desk
chair located in the corner of the room. Locking eyes with her, he gripped the
hem of his t-shirt and slowly rolled it up, exposing inch by decadent inch of
tawny skin and carved muscle. Her mouth watered as his abs came into view, two
pack, four pack, six pack, and then his wonderfully formed pecs, lightly dusted
with a smattering of hair. As he pulled his shirt over his head, she watched
the muscles of his back ripple in the full-length mirror behind him, and she
licked her lips.

      Jericho
raised a brow at the gesture. “See something you like?”

      Becca
managed a haughty look. “Sure. At least enough to keep me entertained.” Her
cheeks burst into flame when he reached for the top button on his jeans, and
she had to force herself not to fan herself as he slowly drew the zipper on his
fly down. Her mouth fell open when his cock popped out of his jeans. “You’re
commando.”

      He gave
her a sexy grin. “I don’t like underwear. It makes me too hot, especially in
warmer weather.” His eyes slid to half-mast as he wrapped his fingers around
the long, hard length jutting out proudly from his jeans, and her throat went
dry as she watched a bead of moisture slide out from the tip.

“I did this last night, when I was
thinking of you,” he rasped, sliding his grip up and down his cock. Becca
wanted to tell him that he wasn’t done, that his pants and shoes still needed
to come off, but she was riveted by the sight of Jericho touching himself. All
that hot, hard, gorgeous length in his fist… and soon it was going to be inside
her, just the way she wanted it.

“Come here,” she demanded, sitting up.
When he didn’t move, she reached out and hooked a finger through one of his
belt loops, then pulled him forward so that he was standing between her legs.
Up close, his cock looked even more magnificent, the mushroom tip glistening
with moisture, the veins standing out as they ran up and down his powerful
length.

Licking her lips again, she took him into
her hand, and then closed her eyes as she slid her fingers along the length.
“You feel so good,” she whispered.

Jericho nearly came right then and there.
The sight of her mouth hovering a mere inch from his cock while she slid her
fingers up and down it, was incredibly erotic, and he felt his balls tighten in
preparation for the climax. But as tempting as the impending release was, he
didn’t want it to be over so soon, so he bit the inside of his cheek to
distract himself with the pain.

Pain that was promptly forgotten when she
slid the length of him into her mouth.

A growl rumbled from Jericho’s chest, and
he grabbed Becca by the hair and pulled her closer, forcing more of himself
into her mouth. Bracing her hands against his hips for leverage, she sucked him
hard, and within moments he exploded into her mouth, a primal roar of
satisfaction echoing from his lungs. She swallowed every drop of his hot seed,
then leaned back and allowed him to collapse against her.

Groaning, he buried his face into her
neck. “That was way too fast.”

“It was incredible,” she corrected with a
smile, running her hands up and down the taut muscles of his back. “You have a
gorgeous cock.”

Jericho chuckled. “Gorgeous? That’s an
interesting way to describe it.” His gaze turned serious. “But hey, I should
have lasted longer.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She replied with
a smile, and then turned her head so she could nip at his earlobe, before
running her lips along his neck, breathing in his masculine scent. “It just
means that’s how hot you are for me. I took it as a compliment… and from the
look of things, you’ll be ready for round two soon enough.” She slid her
fingers up the underside of his growing length and was rewarded with a
full-body shudder from him.

“You’re incorrigible,” he growled
playfully, a sparkle in his eye as he lifted his head to gaze down at her. He’d
fully expected her to ridicule him, as any she-bear would, for his apparent
lack of stamina, but instead she’d turned it into a positive thing, which made
his heart soften even more toward her.

Sitting back, he undressed her with care,
baring every delicious inch of that beautiful naked, curvy body, then scooped
her up in his arms. “You’re a little tense,” he murmured, dropping a kiss at
her temple. “Let’s see what we can do to help you relax.”

Becca curled into his chest, warmth
spreading through her as he stepped into a huge bathroom of glass and marble
and crystal. Setting her atop the toilet seat, he bent down next to the
whirlpool tub and cranked the jets, then grabbed a bottle of bubble bath from
the counter and squirted it into the tub.

She giggled when he reached into a
cabinet hanging from above and pulled out two flutes and a bottle. “You sure
are pulling out all the stops tonight.”

Grinning, he handed her a glass and
poured a stream of pale, yellow liquid for her. She took a sip –
champagne
.
“I thought it would help set the mood.”

“You planned this?” She arched a brow,
wondering if she should be outraged. But she’d known all along that he’d set
out to seduce her today, and the truth was the amount of effort he’d put into
it was incredibly flattering.

“I did.” A shadow of doubt flickered in
his eyes. “Is that okay with you?”

“Yes…yes, it is.” Rising, she set her
glass on the edge of the tub and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him
deeply. He moaned into her mouth, pressing his hard length into her belly, and
then lifted her up and carried her into the tub with him.

“You knew where this night was headed,
didn’t you? You had to know how much I’ve wanted you, how I couldn’t wait to be
inside of you. Don’t pretend you didn’t know.”

Setting her on the small step that
hovered just below the water, he scooped up suds and lathered them over her
breasts, squeezing them, covering the peaks of her nipples even as he massaged
them. She let out a sigh of pleasure as she rested her upper back against the
lip of the tub, letting his big hands roam over her curvy body, massaging,
squeezing and rubbing every inch of her. Heat lanced through her when he possessively
squeezed her thighs and then cupped her pussy in his hand, and her head fell
back as a groan escaped her lips.

“You’re so incredibly beautiful,” he
rasped, moving in to cover her mouth with his. He kissed her deeply as he
massaged her clit, sliding his fingers up and down, up and down over the hard
little nub, and then rolling it between his fingers. When he pinched it firmly
she cried out, her body stiffening as her first climax rolled through her.

“That’s my girl,” he said, her cries
egging him on. “So tight…and so wet.”

He kept massaging her, pushing her to the
edge again, then once more, until she was loose and pliant and ready for him,
and only then did he finally slide his cock inside her.

“Oh God,” Becca cried as he filled her.
He was so hot, thick and hard inside her, and she thanked the Heaven’s she was
on birth control because it would have been a shame to not be able to feel him
directly against her. She hooked her legs around his hips, drawing him even
deeper as she pulled him in for another kiss.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted against his
mouth as he moved rhythmically inside her, the musical sound of her voice egging
him on. He loved the feel of her nails scoring his back as he drove into her,
of her breasts slapping wetly against his chest, of her pussy pulsing around
his cock. Wanting to feel her come around him, he reached down and stroked her
clit between them, locking eyes with her so he could watch them go blind again.

“Look at me,” he said roughly when they
started to close. “I want you to look at me when I make you come.”

The fiery knot of tension tightened,
tightened, tightened in Becca’s lower belly until it exploded in a
breath-stealing climax that was better than anything she’d ever experienced in
her life. Clinging to him tightly, she cried out his name as he fucked her
harder, faster, driving her even higher until he finally shouted her own name
as he came inside her with a white hot rush.

And when she finally came back to
herself, he pulled her out of the water and headed to the bed for round two.