The Billionaire's Demands (A Boardrooms and Billionaires Series Book) (Entangled Indulgence) (13 page)

Richer.

And as her own pleasure built, impossibly higher, Camryn gave herself permission to fall.

…

Booth rolled over in the large bed to pull Camryn closer and came up with empty hands. They’d drifted off to sleep earlier, but the loss of her warmth pulled him fully awake. “How long did we sleep?”

She turned from the double doors that led out to his bungalow’s veranda. “A few hours. I wanted to open the doors and get some of the night breeze.”

“Good idea.” Moonlight framed her figure from behind and he could see the slender outline of her body, now draped in one of the hotel bathrobes.

“What time do you have to get up in the morning? I should probably let you have your bed to yourself and find my way into mine.”

“Early. I need to be down in the dining room at seven, so I thought I’d get up around six.”

“That is early.” She fiddled with the belt at her waist. “I can get going.”

“I’d rather you stayed.”

“I don’t want to impose.”

Booth pushed back the covers and walked toward her. He didn’t miss her gaze as it roved over his body, before shifting—and staying focused—on his arousal. “You’re not an imposition.”

She lifted her eyes. “I know a lot of people prefer their space…after.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I’m not most people.” Booth pressed a light kiss to her cheek before drifting his lips toward the sensitive flesh of her ear, his actions rewarded with a light shudder. “Which I keep trying to tell you but maybe I need to show you.”

Another light shiver racked her shoulders. “I know but I didn’t want to assume.”

“Camryn.”

“Hmmm?” Her head fell back as she gave him better access to her ear.

“Untie your robe.”

He was amused to see how quickly her head snapped up. “What?”

“Untie your robe.”

“Why?”

He stepped back, giving up the warmth of her body to watch her. “Because I want to see you, naked in the moonlight.”

That cute little blush he was coming to love crept up her cheeks. “You’ve seen me naked.”

“I want to see you again. Now. You know, in case I’ve forgotten a few details.” He kept his gaze on hers, unwilling to break the emotional contact, but could see her hands float to her waist from his peripheral vision. With deliberate slowness, she dragged one tie, then the second, untying the bow.

“That’s not all of it.”

“Maybe you could help me.”

“No,” Booth shook his head. “I need you to do it.”

“Why?” Her voice was breathless, that one word heating his already-sensitized body into overload.

“Because I want to watch you bare yourself to me. Give me that gift. Please.”

Her fingers resumed their place over the tie of her robe and he saw indecision hovering in her gaze before a little spark flared to life. She ran her fingers over the length of material and he imagined those same fingers as they ran over his cock, from base to tip and back. He knew the moment she registered the very same, her gaze dropping once more to focus on his arousal while her fingers plied the silk.

“I’m waiting.”

“I know.” She took a step toward him, her fingers dragging on the single tie still left at her waist.

“You’re teasing me.”

“A little.” She smiled. “Okay. A lot.”

“The sooner you remove the robe, the sooner I can get my hands on you.”

“And where’s the fun in that?” He nearly sputtered at her words before she continued. “Let me amend that thought. While there is a lot of fun in that, the longer you look at me, the more I imagine your hands on my body. Caressing my breasts, dragging my nipples into tight points before your lower your mouth and lick them with your tongue.”

The game he’d been so intent on playing—encouraging Camryn to come to him—had been neatly turned on him. By her words alone, she’d managed to send a fury of need pounding through his system that demanded attention.

“And then what will I do?”

“You mean after you drag so many sensations from my breasts you move me to orgasm?”

“Yes.” The word came out on a strangled moan, the image of her suffused in pleasure nearly unmanning him right then and there.

“Then you’ll run your fingers over my clitoris, which will be desperately throbbing for your touch.”

The taut thread he hung on tightened another notch. “And will you come?”

“No.” She frowned slightly, her mouth drawing down into a pout. “You’ll tease me, drawing me close to the edge but never quite taking me all the way.”

Once more, the image she painted filled his mind with vivid images, full of the most desperate wants of his heart.

“But I finally will give you release?”

“Yes.”

“How?” Booth waited with bated breath for her answer, the only sound between them the distant rush of the ocean as it crashed to shore. “How, Camryn?”

“With your tongue.”

Whatever he’d been about to ask next vanished in the picture that formed in his mind. Camryn spread before him, like a sensual feast. He imagined bringing her words to life, artfully drawing sensation after sensation from her body as she writhed in pleasure beneath him.

Before he could even think to produce a coherent thought, she mercifully put him out of his misery. With slow yet deliberate movements, she undid the belt at her waist. She shifted out of the robe with a sinuous shrug of her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the floor.

Booth gave himself the moment to simply gaze upon her perfect form. The long, slim column of her throat where is descended gracefully into her collarbone. He continued his visual exploration, with high, firm breasts, her nipples pointed with need. His gaze followed lower, over her flared hips and flat belly, then lower to the curls at the apex of her thighs. And still, his gaze continued, over the firm flesh of her thighs, down her slender calves before taking in the small feet with cherry-red toenails.

“You are beautiful.”

“Booth.”

“Hmm?”

“You can touch me now.”

He didn’t wait to be told twice.

…

Camryn lay in the circle of Booth’s arms, the unceasing lap of waves outside the open French doors a counterpart to his heavy, even breaths. She’d spent the last hour vacillating between supreme satisfaction and bone-deep surprise at the wanton things she’d done.

And
said
.

What had happened to her? And where had those things come from?

She’d always believed herself to be a sensual person, but the reality, she knew, was that she was sort of a sensual person on hold. Waiting for the right person to unlock her inner needs and desires.

Clearly Booth Harrison was the one with the key.

On some level, she expected that if she ever found herself in this situation, she’d be confused. Her sisters had certainly dealt with their fair share of bewilderment and misunderstanding on the way to their happy relationships.

Of course, she wasn’t thinking marriage with Booth so it wasn’t a fair comparison.

The pleasant satisfaction that had ridden her limbs for the last hour vanished at the direction of her thoughts. Because no matter how powerful their moments together—or how intimate—there was no way what she had with Booth was leading toward marriage or any other relationship that smacked of permanence.

This was a fling, nothing more. She
had
to keep telling herself that.

Maybe, Camryn hoped, if she said it to herself enough times she’d begin to believe it.

Chapter Ten

The lights in the ballroom went down, and Camryn began her speech at the sales conference. Although she couldn’t see much beyond the first few rows of round tables, she could see Booth, and his presence calmed her, even as her insides did a happy flip of excitement.

If the night before had been a lesson in embracing her inner sensuality, waking up with Booth had been a revelation. She’d awoken in his arms, his mouth hot, fierce, and demanding on hers. Although they both needed to be up and downstairs for the conference, they’d lingered over the moments they did have, then raced to the opening breakfast, telling smiles on their faces as they avoided touching each other.

Okay. As
she
avoided touching him while he kept trying to pull her under his arm the entire walk to the ballroom. She could still feel Booth’s whisper against her ear before she stood to go up on stage. “You’re a bad influence on me.”

The moment gave her another shot of adrenaline and she launched into her presentation, excited and enthusiastic about her material. She could only assume that excitement came through, based on the throng of people who greeted her after the speech.

“Well done, Ms. McBride.” Jeff, the man she’d sat next to the night before, shook her hand after waiting in the line of well-wishers.

“Thanks, Jeff. And please, it’s Camryn.” She glanced around the now-empty room, a wry smile suffusing her face. “That was awfully nice of you to wait for me. It looks like everyone’s taking their midmorning coffee and doughnut break. I’m sorry you’re missing out.”

“Since my wife’s meeting me for a few days after the conference, I figure the good meals and booze will do enough damage.”

His response was sweet and cheerful and Camryn couldn’t help but feel bad for thinking ill of him the night before. “Fair enough.”

“Listen. I was hoping I could get your opinion on something. You were so helpful last night and I thought maybe, well…”

“Of course. What’s going on?”

“I’ve been thinking about what you told me last night. About ad space and editorial.” She nodded and clearly it was enough for him to continue. “This is all new to me and I’m afraid I may have made a few missteps.”

“It’s a learning curve, Jeff.” She voiced the polite pleasantries, but even as she did, their conversation from the night before nudged at her. From what he’d recounted, he wasn’t making advertising choices that were entirely aboveboard and she was honor-bound to correct his misperceptions. “Based on what you explained to me, it sounds like you haven’t been making the distinction between advertising and editorial. It’s an easy enough fix moving forward.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Of course.” Despite her assurance, the man still looked concerned. “Is something else the matter?”

“Well, I can’t help but wonder if I did the wrong thing with what’s already run. I have a copy with me. Would you mind taking a look?”

The subtle nudging at her conscience ratcheted up a few notches as she stared at the folded newspaper pages Jeff thrust in her hands. “You were front page of the business section?”

“Yes.”

She scanned the article, the subtle discomfort that had ridden her since the night before morphing into distinct distress, overlaid with a fair amount of anxiety. “This piece basically endorses your business.”

“Right.”

“I mean no disrespect, but that’s not really the purpose of editorial. For the same reason a journalist shouldn’t tear you down with veiled suspicions they can’t back up, neither should they blithely endorse you, either.”

“Am I in trouble?”

“I hate to pull the ‘I’m not a lawyer’ routine but I’m afraid I need to if you’re that concerned.” She continued scanning the article, flipping to the carry-over editorial further back in the section. “This is only a quick scan, but there doesn’t appear to be anything too bad in here. No one’s suggesting an investor buy with you or go with your firm. But I’d suggest you avoid doing business this way in future.”

“Of course.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Jeff went on his way, but Camryn was still thinking about their conversation a half hour later as the next presenter took the stage.

What were they doing at the
Financial Journal
?

She read the paper religiously and hadn’t noticed anything particularly amiss, but if she were being fair, she also didn’t diligently review their advertisers and bump them against the editorial product. An image of the stack of papers in her home office filled her mind’s eye. And she’d been more distracted than usual over the last few months, between the takeover attempt by Nathan and a heavier-than-usual workload. She was lucky if she had time to scan the front page and a few other key articles, catching up on the rest of her reading via the web or a few quick scans on her tablet.

She hadn’t paid any real attention.

But maybe it was time to start.

…

Booth avoided the temptation to touch Camryn in public…barely. “You were amazing.”

“It’s your team who’s amazing. They were so engaged in the presentation and their questions were really fantastic.”

“They were responding to your energy.”

Her eyebrows rose and she shot him a saucy grin. “You already got me here. No need to butter me up any longer.”

Booth lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. Although you did just give me an idea for later.” He let the comment hang there, pleased when that cute blush heated her cheeks.

“You’re terrible. Besides, everyone here wants a few minutes of your time and you’re spending it all with me.” They’d moved into the hotel’s large lobby bar, the day’s workshops completed, and the jubilant sounds of happy revelers surrounded them like a wall.

“They see me all the time.”

“Well, I don’t exactly live far away from you.”

“Does this mean you’ll keep seeing me when we get back to New York?” Booth asked the question, not sure why he’d chosen that precise moment to probe such a serious topic.

Or why he waited with bated breath, hoping for a yes.

“I’d like that.”

“Me too.” He suppressed the urge to kiss her, instead running his hand once more over the bare flesh of her arm. It was hardly enough, but it would have to do for the moment.