Christmas with the Billionaire (Holiday Encounters Book 1) (8 page)

But now it was after. Instinct clicked off and my brain took over. It told me I didn’t want to be just his one-night stand. But how could I want more with someone I knew nothing more about than his name and that he made me feel things in bed even Brandi Silver never thought of?

I heard the water cut off in the bathroom and suddenly became very aware of my nakedness. The moonlight and light seeping in from the street room did nothing to hide me. I looked around frantically for my dress and spotted it several feet away. No time. I struggled to push the comforter down. I wiggled pushing the blankets down and out from under me. I managed to pull the sheets over me just as he stepped out of the bathroom.

He paused for an instant, amusement playing around his eyes and mouth.

I am such a dork.

He stepped toward the bed with as little shame as he’d shown walking away. My mouth went dry. The view from this direction was just as impressive. And looking at him, especially certain impressive parts of him, a shudder ran through me as I remembered how he felt pushing inside me.

He chuckled as his knee hit the bed. “Keep looking at it like that, sweetheart, and you may find yourself underneath me again.”

I raised my eyes to meet his and ran my tongue over my lower lip. He slid across the sheets and over to me. The expression on his face, aroused and amused and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on, stole my breath.

He braced himself over me and did a push-up down to kiss me. Just the touch of his lips had my nipples standing at attention again. How did he have so much power over my body?

He pulled back and reached over to peel my sheet down. I wanted nothing more than to fight him for the edge of the sheet. I wouldn’t mind sitting here and staring at his gorgeous, naked body for...well, forever. And a day. But that didn’t mean I wanted to return the favor. His flawless body with its lean muscles made me even more conscious of all my imperfections.

But he didn’t give me a chance to worry too long. He skimmed the sheet over my body and threw it off before grabbing my hand and tugging me as he backed out of the bed. “Come shower with me.”

My mouth went dry and I crawled forward as he stepped backward. Thoughts of keeping myself covered fled. All I could think of was Nate, wet and slippery with soap.

“Okay,” I whispered.

His sexy smile flashed.

Holy shit.
  Hopefully I’d make it to the shower before I burst into flames.

Chapter Six

My eyes fluttered open and I was instantly, deliciously aware of all the pleasurable aches from muscles that hadn’t had that kind of workout in forever. I smiled. I’d happily hand myself over for this kind of pain again.

A small chuckle came from beside me. I turned my head on the pillow to see amber eyes staring at me, a new warmth there.

“Hi,” I whispered, suddenly shy. Though how I could be shy totally escaped me. This man had pinned me naked to this bed and did a thorough exploration of my body. Afterward, he’d dragged me to the shower (though I’d be a liar if I said I resisted for even an instant), and if there was anything he’d missed in the bed, he’d certainly covered it all there.

I bit my lip as I pictured him kneeling behind me as the steamy water sprayed down on us. I’d braced my hands against the tile wall while he’d used his mouth to bring me to not one, but two shattering, earthshaking, mind-blowing orgasms. And that was before he stood up and pushed his way into me from behind.

“What are you thinking?” he asked me now, a smile lighting his eyes and tipping up the corners of his mouth.

“Thank God for extra large hot water heaters.”

He burst out laughing and pulled me close, bending his head so he could reach my lips. After the searing kiss ended, he shifted me more comfortably into his side, my head resting on his chest.

My eyes widened and I allowed my gaze to wander the room, trying to ward off a complete freak out. At the moment, he seemed perfectly happy to hold me, in no hurry to get dressed and part company. Was this normal for a one-night stand? I didn’t have any experience with them, but I wasn’t naïve enough to think that guys in this situation were big on hanging around to cuddle afterward. Unless…

Was it possible he wanted this to be more than just tonight?

My heart thudded against my ribs and I squeezed my eyes closed. I refused to wish for more than this moment right here and right now. I made a conscious effort to relax into him, opening my eyes and nuzzling into his chest.

I inhaled deeply and held my breath, memorizing his woodsy scent and the feel of his hard body wrapped around my softer one. For just a second I didn’t concentrate on every one of my flaws. Instead I focused on how amazing this felt. More magical even then the winter wonderland downstairs. I didn’t expect it to last longer than tonight. But even if it was just one night, hell if it was just one more minute, I intended to hold onto this for as long as I could.

As if he could read my thoughts, he hugged me closer and trailed a hand up and down my bare back. I tilted my chin so I could look at him. When I did, he rewarded me with a soft touch of his mouth to mine. When he pulled back, I stared up at him, noting the warm look in his eyes. Was it possible he was as unwilling to end this as I was?

Music suddenly blared from across the room. Not just any music, but the lyrics of “Don’t Cha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me” by the Pussycat Dolls. And it wasn’t coming from just anywhere across the room, but from my little black clutch purse sitting on the chair by the door.

Shit. I dropped my forehead to Nate’s chest. Nothing like being made to feel like a twelve-year-old while in bed with a super elegant, sophisticated man. The ringtone blared again and I tried to bury my head even more deeply into his chest.

When I felt his shoulders shaking, I braved a peek out from under my hair. He looked down at me, not bothering to hide his grin.

I raised my head and blew a wayward curl off my forehead. “My friend Paige likes to mess with my phone.”

“So I hear.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than the ringtone went off again. Suddenly I felt like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, about to have my dream man ripped from me so I could return to my boring reality.

But there was no use putting it off. Paige’s repeated texts meant she wasn’t going to stop. And I didn’t want her to worry about me.

“I guess I better see what’s up.” I contemplated sliding out from under the sheets and making the trek across the room under his watchful gaze. My eyes darted around the bed, but no matter how hard I prayed, no articles of clothing were close enough at hand to spare me the mortification of having to make the naked walk to get my phone.

“You stay here. I’ll get it.”

I twisted to face Nate. He slipped out of bed and retrieved my purse, holding it out to me as he approached.

The ringtone sounded yet again as I reached for it. I snatched at it, but in my hurry, I managed to knock it out of his hands and the contents of my purse and my wallet went skittering across the comforter. I sighed but grabbed the phone. Cutting her off before she typed another text was my main mission.

I slid my finger across my phone to see a series of texts demanding to know if I was okay.

Huh
, guess Paige had second thoughts about letting me wander off with a stranger. I debated shutting my phone off and letting her worry for a while. It would serve her right for coming up with this crazy scheme.

I snuck a peek up at Nate, who was picking my things up off the bed, and couldn’t help a small smirk. I guess I didn’t have too much to complain about. Her idea turned out to have its merits.

No worries. I’m fine. More than fine. Be home later
. I hit send on the text and switched my phone to vibrate before turning my attention to the stuff scattered on the bed.

“Sorry, I just wanted to reassure Paige…” I looked up to find Nate standing frozen at the side of the bed staring at something in his hand. “Everything okay?”

He looked up at me, all the warmth gone from his eyes.

“This your press pass?” He held up an identification card one of my editors had made for me. “Brandi?”

Even though I was a freelancer, I needed to meet with the editor of the small alternative press occasionally and having identification made it easier to get in and out of the building. The editor had thought it was hilarious when she handed me the card with my alter ego’s name on it.

I squinched my brows together and reached for the card. “Yes, it’s mine.”

His jaw tightened and he stood straight before reaching for his boxer briefs. He pulled them on and in short, efficient moves, followed with his pants and shirt.

“Are…” I had to stop to clear my throat. “Are you leaving?”

“Did you think I’d be spending the night?” His sardonic tone told me if I’d been holding out any hope for just that thing, I’d been way off base.

“I guess not,” I whispered as I grasped the sheets tightly to my chest.

His cold eyes raked over me as he grabbed for his jacket, making me feel more naked than when I’d been laid bare in front of him.

“Feel free to take as much time as you need. The room’s booked for the night,” he said.

I sank down against the pillows. All I could do was nod as he dipped into his jacket pocket and came back with a key card. He held it up and then placed it on the desk.

“It’s been…fun,” he said, once again moving his frigid gaze over my form. “Thanks.”

Before I could think of one word in response to his chilly parting words, he opened the door.

A resounding thud echoed in the room as the door closed. I felt like the victim of a drive by. Tears clogged my throat and my heart felt battered. Why would I have thought for even a minute that someone like Nate could be interested in more than a fast fuck with someone like me?

A tear streaked down my face as I fought to control my emotions. If this was what living outside of my head felt like, I’d take Chinese food and flannel pajamas any day.

Chapter Seven

“You’re coming with us whether you want to or not,” Jade said.

I sighed. Paige, Jade, and Katelyn had been trying to get me out of the house all week. Hell, I think they would have been happy to see me out of my pajamas. But it seemed to be taking all my energy just to shower and write my columns.

And how ridiculous was that? Since Nate walked out of that hotel room after our night…not even a night. We were only in that room a few hours. But when he walked out the door, he took something with him. Some part of me I couldn’t seem to get back.

How did I explain that to my friends? I mean, they weren’t stupid. They knew something happened. And Paige knew I went from texting her that everything was great to dragging myself through the door of our apartment with my clothes in shambles and tear tracks on my face.

They’d asked, of course. I’d been as vague as possible. The first day they hadn’t let up with the questions. But when I didn’t share more, there seemed to be some tacit agreement between them not to bring it up.

But I had a feeling that was about to change. They seemed to be on a mission to get me to go to brunch with them this morning.

“Fine,” I huffed out. “Let me go change.”

“And shower!” Paige called after me as I headed to my room.

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, but then happened to catch a glance at my coffee-stained T-shirt. Maybe Paige was onto something.

I wish I could say the shower made all the difference. But by the time I was showered and dressed in jeans and my favorite blue marl sweater with the sleeves that came down to all but cover my hands, brunch was the furthest thing from my mind. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

“Ready?” Katelyn popped her head around the door and smiled at me.

I tried to conjure up a smile of my own, but I was pretty sure it was a lame attempt. “I guess.”

“Great!” Not chancing me going back to bed, Katelyn came inside and linked her arm through mine, leading me to the front door.

Before I knew what hit me, I found myself seated at a table at a tiny bar down the street from our apartment. Their Sunday brunches were a secret we all swore to take to our graves for fear we’d have to wait on a line around the block if word got out about their brunch specials.

But not even the cannoli-stuffed French toast held my interest today.

“Shit, this is serious. Emma’s barely touched her breakfast,” Paige said through a mouthful of lobster mac and cheese.

I wrinkled my nose at her.

“Yup, time to fess up, Emma. We’ve given you an entire week to stew,” Jade said. “What happened? We thought you’d be lording it over us that you’re the only one close to winning our bet.”

I stabbed my fork into a chunk of French toast and swirled it through a puddle of syrup. I knew this was coming, but in a week I still hadn’t been able to come up with a logical explanation for my feelings.

I shrugged and looked around the table at my friends. “I don’t know what to say. I had the most amazing sex in the history of sex with a total stranger.”

“See, now here’s the problem. You’re frowning when you say that. We expected you to be glowing or gloating or something,” Jade said. “But instead you seem depressed about the whole thing.”

Paige nodded. “And I saw him. You have no reason to be depressed. He was hot.”

“I know.” I dropped my fork to my plate with a clatter and sat back in my chair. “Don’t you think I realize I’m acting like an idiot? I don’t know why I’m so…out of sorts over the whole thing.”

“Maybe a one-night stand isn’t your thing?” Katelyn suggested, her voice soft.

I nodded. “I’m definitely not a one-night stand kind of girl. But honestly, if it was anyone else, I never would have let things go that far. There was just something about him…”

“There was definitely something about him.” Paige grinned. “And I have the pictures to prove it.”

I gasped as she whipped out her phone and scrolled through her photos. She held out the phone for all of us to see.