Mine for Now - The Billionaire's Obsession #2 (6 page)

He gulped, trying to force air into his burning lungs as he molded her sweet body against his.

“Was it good?” she asked him quietly as her mouth nuzzled his neck.

Simon laughed, wheezing as he replied, “Sweetheart, if it was any better it would have killed me.” God, this woman was special. So sweet, so sexy. So…his.

Mine.
 

A hard wave of possessiveness swept over him and his arms tightened around her.

“I actually was coming up to ask you what you wanted for dinner,” she informed him in a matter-of-fact voice, her apparent nervousness about not performing well seeming to have vanished. “But seeing you gloriously nude took away my appetite for food. I wanted to take a bite out of you.”

Her hands swept over his body and his chest ached with the realization that she really did lust for his body, scars and all. “I wasn’t nude until you stripped me of my towel,” he reminded her.

“How do you expect me to resist? You’re a walking temptation. A testosterone menace in a tiny little towel,” she sniffed, but there humor in her voice.

Simon chuckled softly against her hair. He couldn’t help it. Kara was a fucking miracle. His miracle. “How about I take a bite out of you, now?” he murmured warmly, his body more than ready to start rising to the occasion.

She broke away from him and picked up his towel, snapping his abdomen with it as she demanded, “Oh no, you don’t, mister. I’m starving now. Put that thing away. It’s dangerous.” She tossed the towel at him with a delighted giggle that struck him right in the chest. Catching the towel in mid-air, he wrapped it around his waist, his cock already half hard
again
for her.

It was strange, how comfortable he was with his body exposed around her. He was still shaking his head over her obvious delight in seeing him nude, but he wasn’t going to question something that had him happier than he had been in…well…ever. “Come on, sweet thing. Just a tiny nibble,” he growled as he stalked her.

“Nope. No way. Put it away. I need food.” She laughed out loud as she scampered for the door.

He roared and lunged, chasing her down the stairs and into the kitchen, her laughter ringing through every corner of his empty house.

And filling every inch of his empty heart.

What in the hell am I doing in this dress?
 

The next evening, Kara stood in front of a full-length mirror in her room, contemplating her appearance.

Simon didn’t want to go to this party, had admitted that he hated Sam’s annual birthday bash.

Who hated birthday parties?

Kara frowned at herself in the mirror as she turned one way and then the other, trying to decide if she was overdressed. Or underdressed. The burgundy dress was beautiful, but the clingy silk material draped every curve, ending at mid-thigh and leaving a cons
iderable amount of her legs on display. The nude
silk stockings that ended in delicate lace at the tops of her thighs did little to warm her long legs and the drape across only one shoulder left the other one completely bare.

She had flinched when she pulled the dress fro
m the closet, shocked by the
price tag still attached to the garment. Holy crap! Who wore a dress that cost as much as her previous grocery allowance for six months? Seeing the outrageous price had been enough to make her want to shove it back in the closet. The only reason she hadn’t was because she had nothing appropriate to wear.

She slipped her feet into a pair of matching shoes, the stiletto heels high enough to ensure that she would be as tall as some of the male guests.

Except Simon. No shoes would ever put her eye-to-eye with Simon.

Nervous, she shoved her long hair over her shoulder. Leaving it loose might not have been the best plan, but she had no idea how to do fancy styles. Her long, dark hair was generally more of a nuisance than anything else, making her think about cutting it short more than once over the last several years.

Staring back at herself in the mirror, her eyes looked enormous. She had added make-up, something she rarely bothered with because of the cost and time involved, the result not something that she was sure she liked. Was the red lipstick a little too much? Oh hell, she just didn’t know. It wasn’t like she attended parties or gatherings of this type. Actually, she hadn’t been to a party of any type for more years than she could remember; probably the last one had been when her parents were still alive. After that, her life had been a constant cycle of work and survival.

She shoved her sagging shoulders back, trying to tell herself that she would not be intimidated. Simon had asked her to go, wanted her to be there, and she wouldn’t let him down. It would be so much easier to play chicken and tell Simon she wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t go, but she couldn’t do it. Simon was good to her, had literally saved her life.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Kara scooped a small, black bag from the bed and headed for the kitchen. She shifted one hand to her belly, trying to quiet the swarm of butterflies that seemed to have invaded her stomach.

Calm down, Kara. It
’
s just a birthday party. No big deal.

Stopping at the entrance to the kitchen, she saw Simon dressed, ready and none too happy. He was standing near the cupboard, handsome as sin in brown dress pants and a gorgeous cream-colored fisherman’s sweater. Hair neatly groomed, his evening dark whiskers already showing, he looked good enough to eat.

You already did that. Yesterday.

Kara flushed, the room suddenly way too warm, as she remembered the day before. Her behavior had been so out of character. So brazen. But it been difficult to see Simon, in all his glory, looking slightly insecure and trapped. It had kicked in a protective instinct, a bold and audacious behavior that had surprised her. When had she become
such
a bold seductress? She was sexually repressed, totally not the type of woman to come on to a man like Simon. His look of uncertainty had spurred her on, made her determined to show him how incredibly sexy he looked, how tempting he really was. And he was tempting. Sure, he had some scars on his chest and abdomen, some small, some not so small, all white from age and standing out on his olive complexion. But Lord, it had been impossible to walk away, to not touch that ripped, muscular body. The scars did nothing to detract from his sex appeal. Simon was simply…splendid.

“Oh good. You’re here. I was just-” Simon stopped in mid-sentence as he looked up at her.

“I’m ready,” she told him, trying to sound confident as she stepped into the kitchen.

His eyes turned dark, his gaze roaming her body. She wanted to squ
irm when his perusal continued
, his jaw firming as his eyes lingered on her exposed lower limbs.

“D-Do I look all right?” Oh, shit. Maybe she was dressed all wrong.

“You’re stunning,” he answered in a husky voice, his eyes finally landing on her face. “But you’re showing way too much skin. And your hair is down.”

She tilted her head quizzically. “Is that bad?”

“I’m not sure that I want other men to see you this way.” He prowled forward, stopping in front of her. One hand on her naked shoulder, he slowly caressed the exposed skin, making her shudder from his light, sensual touch. “You’re way too much of a temptation.”

Kara let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding, relieved that he thought she looked acceptable. “I think you’re the only one who thinks so, Simon. I think you need your eyes checked,” she told him lightly.

“You’re so fucking beautiful that it almost hurts to look at you,” he rumbled as his lips grazed her temple. “My cock got hard the minute you walked into the room.” He grasped her hand, bringing it to his arousal. He was so firm and erect that her panties dampened and her stomach clenched.

God, he smells so good.
 

Kara kissed his whiskered jaw, breathing deeply, loving his masculine smell. Her fingers spread over his engorged member, totally unable to stop herself from copping a feel.

“Kara, you drive me insane,” Simon ground out as he trapped her wandering hand and lifted it to his lips, placing a warm, lingering kiss to her palm. “If we start this, we’ll never get to the party. Not that I mind,” he growled.

“It’s your party,” she answered with amusement. “You can’t blow it off.”

“Kiss me and see,” he answered provocatively, his arm sliding around her waist.

She could feel his warm breath on the side of her face. His tempting mouth was close, so close, and slipping away from him was almost torture. “Your mom would never forgive me. Let’s go party-boy.”

He pouted like an infant whose favorite toy had been taken away, but the curse that sprang from his mouth was anything but boyish.

“You need a coat.” he told her, his tone protective and demanding.

“I have one. I’ll grab it. And I’m sure Sam’s house is warm,” she mused quietly.

She went to her room, returning quickly to the kitchen w
ith a black, tailored jacket in
hand.

Simon held his hand out, pulling the jacket from her grasp. He held it out and she slipped her arms into the garment, appreciating the luxurious feel of the silk lining.

Turning her around, he did up the large buttons on the front, every single one of them.

He frowned. “Do you think that will be warm enough?”

“Yes. It’s fine. We only have to get in and out of the car. I probably wouldn’t have even worn a jacket if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

Kara sighed lightly as she pulled her hair from the jacket, surprised by her delight in Simon’s little gestures that made her feel cared-for. It had been so long since anyone had cared about her wellbeing that his actions were alluring and heady for a street-smart woman who had been so alone for so long.

“I’m still not sure I like you showing that much skin,” he grunted as she picked up her handbag and headed for the door.

Kara bit her lip as shivers ran down her spine. His sexy voice was so possessive, as though he were claiming her.

Don
’
t even think about it. He doesn
’
t mean anything by it.
 

“It’s not that sexy,” she told him wryly, wishing she were as irresistible as he made her feel.

“It’s way too sexy. Every man there will be thinking the same thing as I’m thinking,” he told her, his expression unhappy as he ushered her out the door and locked it.

She pushed the button with the down symbol for the elevator and turned to him. “And what is that?”

“That I want to fuck you,” he answered bluntly, his hand coming to rest at the small of her back.

Her breath hitched as the elevator bell rang, the doors swooshing open in front of them. Would she ever get used to Simon’s blunt remarks? Her cheeks flushed and her body was way too warm. Hot, actually. Extremely hot. “Simon!”

He shrugged as he entered the elevator behind her. “It’s true.”

“You’re terrible,” she admonished him in her best teacher-like voice.

“Oh, I can be bad. Very, very bad,” he told her in a seductive, low whisper, his hands trapping her against the elevator wall, one on each side of her head. “Kiss me and I might behave. For now.”

Kara looked up into his glowing eyes that presently resembled hot melted chocolate. Oh hell, she loved chocolate, so she did what any self-respecting chocolate lover would do.

She kissed him just as the elevator doors closed, locking them briefly in a silent little world all their own.

Kara released a startled squeak as Simon’s hand reached out and slapped the stop button on the elevator. She’d been lost in his kiss, oblivious to the m
otion of the elevator as he
kissed her into a coma. But the loud, smacking noise of his palm hitting the button and the lurch of the moving elevator car coming to an abrupt hal
t
yanked her out of her alternate reality. Damn it.

“What in the hell are you wearing underneath this dress,” Simon growled against her lips as his wandering fingers stroked lightly over her ass.

“Stockings, panties.” She nipped at his bottom lip as she answered.

His hand reached for the hem of the short dress, lifting it and spinning her around. Momentarily confused, she let him.

“Christ. Those aren’t underwear. Your ass is showing.” His tone was low and husky, his hands exploring the supple cheeks of her exposed backside.

Her cheeks flushed as she remembered pulling on the tiny black thong and matching bra. The wardrobe that Simon’s assistant had purchased for her contained mostly racy lingerie. “You bought it. Matching sets. All very similar to this one.”

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it.” He answered in a slow, sexy utterance as his fingers slid underneath the tiny back strap.

“I thought you said you were going to behave.” She answered breathlessly, her conscious mind slipping away as his fingers slid lower and lower.

“I lied. That was before I felt these panties and had to see them. Now I want to see the matched set.”