Plush Book 1: A Billionaire Romance (7 page)

“Let’s go,” he said to me again, his face back to stone.

I stood and followed as he left the shop, stepping through the door as he held it open. Once we were outside, he grasped my elbow with one hand. He held firm but not tight, and steered me towards his car.

“Get in,” he said after opening the passenger door.

“What is with this caveman, two syllable thing?” I asked, stopping short of the car and anchoring my feet to the pavement, silently refusing to take another step. “Get up, let’s go, get in? I don’t think so. You want to talk? Great! But you can do it right here. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

A flicker of shock flashed in his eyes but he backed down. He slammed the car door and went around to the driver’s side. “If you want to talk business, it will be conducted in my office.” That said, he opened his door and got in the car. “I’ll be waiting for you there, whenever you calm down and drop the theatrics.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “Fine!” I opened the car door and threw myself into the passenger seat. He silently waited for me to buckle myself in before he revved the engine and tore out of the parking lot. We didn’t speak during the drive. I crossed my arms and stared out the window, pressing as close to the passenger side door as possible.

I had never been to his office before, but there was no mistaking it when we pulled up to the gleaming skyscraper in the heart of the city a few minutes later. A huge sign with green letters was nestled against the building on the top: “Brighton Enterprises.” I did my best to mask my impression, wondering why I had never connected the dots before this. I’d heard of Brighton Enterprises.

We pulled up and a doorman raced out to open the door for me. Cooper let himself out and crossed in front of the car to meet the young man, his friendly smile back in place.

“Thank you, Jackson. Would you mind?” He held up the keys.

Jackson smiled and gave a nod. “Of course, Mr. Brighton.”

“Thank you.” He turned back to me. “Shall we?”

I snarled to myself but allowed him to usher me up the walk to the front of the enormous building, waiting only long enough for another man to open the door for us when we got within a few feet.

“Thank you, Tom,” he said with a nod.

As soon as we entered the building, he took the lead and I followed a few steps behind, watching as he interacted with the people who crossed our path. I was surprised to see him greet everyone by name. We got to the elevators and he ensured that the car we took was empty. He entered the floor, number 62, and we stood in an awkward silence as we ascended. The only sound was the quiet whooshing of the elevator and the dinging as we stopped at different floors to let others rotate in and out. All of them going about their daily business, completely oblivious to the volcano of tension between Cooper and me—the frustrated tension that seemed to build with each floor. Cooper was quiet and by looking at him, he seemed normal—or at least what I imagined his normal to be—but the energy radiating from him was like a tightly wound spring, ready to pop.

After what seemed like the longest elevator ride of my life, we were alone when the bell for floor 62 rang out. Cooper ushered me forward again and placed his hand on my lower back for just the blink of an eye to signal me to turn left. I walked forward and stopped a few feet later in front of a large desk where his—I’m assuming—assistant sat, pecking away at a keyboard.

No surprise…she was a willowy blonde, dressed all in black, with yellow gold jewelry setting off her tan and her green eyes.

“Mr. Brighton!” she said as he stepped into view alongside me. The gleam of adoration in her eyes as she greeted him both revolted me and also sent a spike of jealousy through me.

I shook that off and plastered an equally as fawning look on my face when she turned to give me a once-over.

“Good afternoon, Kimberly. Please hold all my calls.”

She nodded and though her smile held, I could see a flicker of disgust flash my way as I passed her and followed Cooper into his office.

He shut the door behind me and I stepped forward into the large room. There were floor to ceiling windows instead of walls that offered a spectacular view of the city. Like a moth to a flame, I stepped closer and couldn’t hide my amazement any longer. This whole thing was starting to seem really surreal. I guess I should have expected nothing less for a millionaire’s, or maybe even a billionaire’s office, but then again, I hadn’t really given it much thought or imagination before now.

“You have my attention,” Cooper’s voice called to me from across the room.

I turned away from the window and found him leaned up against his desk, his arms folded across his chest. His expression was neutral, unreadable.

“I already told you what I want. I don’t even know why you had to bring me here. Just to show off your fancy office and your view, I guess.” I tried to keep my voice sharp, demanding his attention and respect, but his exterior calmness wasn’t leaving me much to work with. I was starting to feel like an impatient toddler, stomping my feet and throwing a tantrum.

He grunted. “Do you ever let your guard down and turn off the attack mode thing you have going on?”

His question surprised me and I fumbled for a response. My fingers started fidgeting with the edge of my jacket sleeves. Cooper stepped away from his desk and crossed the room to me. In an instant, I knew what was going to happen next, but I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—stop it.

“You’re too beautiful to be this jaded,” he said.

I couldn’t stop what happened next. In the blink of an eye, his hands were on my waist, sliding down my hips. His cologne was filling my nose, clouding my senses, his touch warm and hypnotic as his fingertips roamed around to my ass and then up my spine.

“I must have you.”

My voice caught in my throat at his words and I couldn’t speak. My eyes flashed towards the door, suddenly keenly aware of my surroundings, a whole horde of people waiting outside the door probably waiting to speak with him.

His face lowered to mine and his lips found their way to my neck. He groaned as he breathed in deeply, kissing the spot below my ear before his tongue flicked up and across my earlobe, sending a jolt of pleasure through my entire body. My legs felt like they were about to give out and I relaxed my body into his. He wrapped his arms around me and brought his mouth up to mine, backing me up against the wall.

I felt his hands wander up down my back and rested on the top part of my ass, a light pressure grabbing me and pulling my hips toward his.

Our lips melted together and I felt a desperation wake up inside me as I matched his intensity, growing fiercer with each connection. I wrapped my arms up between us and starting exploring his body. My fingertips grazed his stomach, enjoying the tight, firm, smoothness of his flat abs. I frantically started pulling at the fabric of his shirt that was tucked into his black pants. I finally freed it and ran my hands under the edge to touch his skin.

Oh.

Fuck.

He inhaled as my hands worked across his stomach and then slid lower, into the waist of his pants, begging to go lower, my hands promised pleasure to him with each stroke. He broke away from my lips just long enough to furiously throw off his jacket. Instinctively, my fingers went to the buttons on his shirt and started freeing each one, while he worked to slide my jacket down and off my shoulders. Once removed, he tossed it to join his on the floor and he worked at the buttons of my blouse with his fingers, while his mouth continued to kiss and lick at my neck and lower to my collarbone. When I finished the last of his shirt buttons I pushed the shirt away, my hands sliding down his muscled shoulders and arms, practically purring in anticipation.

His lips were back on mine, nipping at my lower lip before he backed away to slide my shirt off. I was wearing a black camisole underneath but once the shirt was slid off my shoulders and down my arms, my entire tattoo sleeve was revealed in the sunlight flooding the room from the huge windows. Cooper backed up briefly and my stomach sank. A flutter of panic jolted through me at the look on his face as his eyes took in the colorful design, inked to my body.

“Wow,” was all he said.

I pulled away, suddenly embarrassed. I started to stoop down to grab my shirt off the floor but he stopped me, setting one of his hands back on my waist.

“No, let me see you.”

I followed his eyes as they traveled over my body and although I was still mostly covered with clothes, I had never felt more exposed. Not knowing his thoughts as he stared at me was filling me with anxiety as I watched him.

“Say something,” I whispered.

“You’re fucking gorgeous.” His fingers reached for the hem of my camisole and pulled it up, slowly, over my head and he held it for a split second before dropping it to the floor to the rest of the clothes at our feet. Without another word, he reached around and found the zipper of my skirt and the only sound was the zipper being lowered as he stared into my eyes, his own eyes darker than I had ever seen. He slid the skirt down to reveal my black lace panties and the garter belt that was holding up my black, thigh-high stockings.

“Fuck,” he breathed out. His fingers traced the large tattoos that started on my left side, on my ribs, and ran down along my side and over my hip, ending on my upper thigh. I held my breath as he took it all in, not sure what he was thinking.

His eyes met mine and they were still filled with desire and longing. In a flash, his lips were back on mine and he pushed me back up against the wall with a renewed passion. His hands slid up my ribs and his fingertips slid under the curves of my breasts. I shivered with anticipation. My own fingers were running along his skin, feeling every muscle as they flexed and moved.

He released the hooks on my bra and I felt my breasts released as he dropped that to the floor. For a moment I wondered what he thought of them, without a push up bra. He placed a palm on each and caressed the skin, sending shivers down my spine and I pressed back against the wall to steady myself. My body was begging for release as he touched and teased me. I wanted him to take me. My mind was reeling, not able to keep up with everything that was happening.

As if reading my thoughts—or maybe he was just reading my body—Cooper reached down and lifted me up off the ground. I hooked my legs around his hips and he carried me across the room back to his desk. He sat me on the edge of it and immediately hooked his thumbs into the edge of my panties. His eyes met mine, pausing for only a moment, before he started to slide the delicate fabric down. I lifted up and he slid them off my hips and then down my thighs. Once removed, he kneeled down in front of me and gently pushed my legs apart.

I hesitated briefly, the vulnerability stalling me, but the urgency, the need to be touched overpowered my shyness. He kissed a trail along the inside of my thigh, both hands resting on my bare hips.

I lifted up, silently begging for him. He traced a finger over my slick, wet skin. His touch was agonizingly light and I moaned. His finger entered me slowly and deeply and I felt myself tighten, craving his mouth. Finally, he brought his lips to me and I exhaled sharply at the sensation. He used his fingers to gently spread my lips and used his tongue to lick at the wetness.

“Ahhh shit,” I groaned out, arching my back and laying my head back.

“Say my name,” he directed.

He lowered his lips back to me and then slid two fingers deep inside me.

“Cooper!” I called out.

“You like that?”

I inhaled sharply and nodded frantically. “More, please keep going.”

He continued, each flick of his tongue sending me higher and higher, closer to the breaking point. I couldn’t stop myself from moaning and panting loudly. My hands rested on his back, my nails digging into the bare skin of his shoulders as I got closer and closer to release. He responded by sucking just a little harder on my clit and I buckled as I crashed over the edge, releasing my nails and starting to shudder as I came hard.

I was still shuddering with each wave of pleasure when he stood and pulled down his pants and boxer briefs, I heard him slide on protection and then without further hesitation, he entered me hard.

“Fuck!” I screamed out. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him closer. He thrust in and out, harder and harder, as I gripped onto his hips tightly. He groaned, gritting his teeth together, his fingertips digging into my fleshy hips as he finished.

I rested my head against his bare chest and neither of us said a word for a minute as we waited for our breathing to return to normal.

Suddenly, I felt uneasy and not sure what to do or say, next. I wanted for him to make the next move, although, I was unsure what move I wanted him to make exactly—anything to break the awkward tension that had settled between us in the aftermath of what had just happened.

After a few more minutes of silence, Cooper backed away and pulled his pants back up. He gave me a long look and I tried to cover my body as best as I could but it was kind of hopeless. No matter which way I sat or what I covered with my hands, I was exposed.

As if sensing my discomfort, Cooper excused himself to the en suite bathroom. Once alone, I frantically dressed myself, shoving my soaking wet panties into my purse. I heard the water turn on in the attached bathroom and wondered if I should leave before he came back out. Wondering if maybe he was taking his time on purpose, in hopes that I wouldn’t be here when he got back.

I gave myself one last pat down to make sure I was as put together as I could possibly get, all things considered, and then reached for the door handle. As soon as my fingers wrapped around it, the bathroom door opened and Cooper stepped out.

“Leaving so soon?” he asked.

I pressed my eyelids closed, wishing I had been just a little faster in my escape. This was so beyond awkward. I mean, the sex had been incredible. I could barely stand without my legs feeling like Jello, but that wasn’t the point.

The point was…I had originally come over to his office to un-complicate things, to make sure that everyone knew nothing untoward was going on. And then….this happened. Ugh.