The Billionaire's Gamble

“What the hell?” I say. I’m suddenly acutely aware of the fact that I’m in my sister’s pajamas with no make-up and no bra. Are you kidding? Kelly could have given me some kind of warning. Jacob is standing as far away from Nolan as possible, the expression on his face a cross between awe and anger.

Nolan grins at me. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?”

He stands up, straightening his suit. “I was in the neighborhood, thought I’d drop by.”

“Uh-huh,” I say, “I totally believe that.”

He glances at Jacob and Kelly. “Can we talk somewhere private?”

“Sure.” I head back up the stairs because I don’t want wither Kelly or Jacob listening and I certainly don’t want to go outside in my pajamas. He follows me into the guest room and I shut the door. I’d forgotten just how…big he is. Tall and broad. He dominates the room—there’s just nowhere to look but at him. He’s still got that wry little smile on his face.

“I’m surprised to see you,” I say.

“Bad surprise or good surprise?”

I run my hand through my hair, subtly trying to comb it, to make it look less like I literally rolled out of bed. “Can I be honest and tell you that I’m not sure?”

He chuckles. “That’s fair.”

“Why are you here?”

Nolan doesn’t answer. He doesn’t answer because he’s looking at me…at my body, at the pajamas, at every little detail. I flush what I’m sure is a horrendous shade of red even as my body roars to life under his gaze. I never knew that it was possible for someone to make you feel sexy just by looking at you. Nolan is looking at me like I’m the best thing he’s ever seen, and there’s a stirring in my gut at the way that makes me feel. “How is it possible,” he says, taking a step towards me, “that you can be the hottest woman I’ve ever seen even while wearing something like that.”

I can hear my heart beating in my ears. “You don’t like the pajamas?”

“I like them,” he says, taking another step closer. “I’d like them even better if they were on the floor.”

Our bodies are close now, and I feel the distance between us like it’s alive, pulling us towards one another. This stare that we’re sharing right now feels more intimate than everything we did together, and I know that the second he touches me I’m going to lose all mental clarity. And the way he’s looking at me, I know he’s going to touch me. “Nolan you have to tell me why you’re here.”

He sighs, and for the moment the spell is broken. “I was worried about you.”

“I said I was all right.”

“I know.” He grabs the back of his neck, pulling against it like he’s trying to get rid of a knot. “I believed you. I just needed to see you. I wanted to see that you were okay because I couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened. I know that this is all my fault.”

“It’s not. What that guy did wasn’t your fault.”

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me,” he says, dropping his hands to his sides. “I wanted to see you, to tell you in person how sorry I am.”

His words are so true that it almost hurts. I can see that he’s been tearing himself up about it since our call last night, even when he’s trying to flirt with me. I reach out and take his hand. “I accept your apology,” I say, knowing it will make him feel better, “but you’re not responsible. And I chose that night just as much as you did.”

His fingers grip mine, fierce and tight. “There’s something else.”

“Oh?”

He pulls me to him quickly, and I’m off balance for only a moment before I’m between him and the wall. His fingers still tangle with mine, the other curving around the back of my neck, stroking my jaw with his thumb. “Even before I knew what happened, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I kept checking my phone, hoping you were going to call.”

He presses his body against me and I can feel all of him. My head spins with the sheer sensation of being close to him again.

“Did you think about me?” he asks, his lips pressed against my ear.

“You know I did,” I say, grinning as he pulls back to look at me. I watch as his eyes go dark. “Many times and in many different ways. And my body still didn’t have enough.”

Nolan’s lips are on mine before I finish speaking and it feels like I’ve been struck by lightning. Every nerve in me sizzles as he wraps his arms around me, gathering me up for what might be the kiss of the century. He groans into my mouth, pressing deeper, taking more, and I let him. I let this kiss consume me and any other thoughts that I have. It’s just him and me, locked together, stealing each other’s breath.