The Billionaire's Secret (Tycoon Billionaires 5)

She burst into laughter at his Freudian slip. “Oh really?”

“Down to the foyer… to my car.”

“Just stay for a coffee?”

He gazed at the couch. It looked invitingly comfortable, with a cream throw draped over it – probably disguising how decrepit it was.

She smiled sweetly. “It’s okay, I don’t bite.”

He chuckled. “Shame.”

He strolled over to the couch and sat down, making the springs beneath him boing – and making them both laugh. She sat next to him. “Jake, when you kissed me earlier…”

He gazed into her innocent eyes and realized he needed to put a stop to this right now. It didn’t matter what he wanted – he wasn’t what she was looking for, even if she didn’t yet know it.

He shrugged coolly. “It was just to make Graves think we were together.”

Disappointment flashed across her face. “I know. That’s what I thought. Thank you.”

She stared at him for a moment, and he tried to harden himself against her. He shifted position to get up and leave, but his heart melted with tender affection as her lip twitched with the onset of tears – which was quickly followed by a gushing sob. Oh shit… Crying women were his weakness – they had him in chains…

“Oh god,” he said. “Please don’t cry. Come here.” He wrapped her up in his arms and she crumpled into his chest, letting out her emotion and soaking his shirt with a deluge of tears.

He soothed her, holding her close and gently rocking, wishing he could take away the pain induced by Graves, his brothers, and her ex. All those men were making her feel bad, but for some reason she trusted Jake enough to break down in his arms like a vulnerable child.

The Scotch had probably helped. But really, she didn’t know him. He didn’t want to hurt her, so this couldn’t happen.

But she seemingly needed this release, and he was happy to oblige for now… There was another type of release he was keen to give her too, but he had to be strong and resist. He held her tight and kissed her on the head as her tears slowly faded, then she lay there on his chest, breathing peacefully. He glanced down and realized she’d fallen asleep, so he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the tiny bedroom, where he pulled back the covers and placed her on the bed, like a sleeping beauty.

She snuffled and smiled gently through half-closed eyes. “Goodnight, Jake.”

Unable to resist, he kissed her on the lips and watched her for a moment. “Bye, Astrid. Nice knowing you.”

He turned around and went back down to his car, trying to shake off the gnawing feeling of disappointment from knowing he could never have her. He climbed back into his Ferrari, then gazed at himself in the rear-view mirror, trying to figure out whether he was a class-A sleaze for what he was doing to her, or just a minor one for not taking advantage.

He shook away his guilt and drove to his own apartment back in Manhattan. It was a gorgeous place to live – better than he could’ve ever imagined he’d end up. The rent for this luxury pad was crazy money, and he was grateful he could afford it, but it was like living in the pages of a home-furnishings catalogue. The huge squashy couches were like sitting on a cloud, but the cream fittings, beige carpets, and angular furniture made relaxation difficult. It was bland and impersonal, and far too big for him rattling around here alone.

And it didn’t have Astrid in it.

Jake padded into the luxury marble bathroom and turned on the powerful shower, then he undressed, feeling the lust in his cock throb hard. He stood under the flow of warm water and lathered up the soap in his hands, then he gripped one hand around his erection and the other around his balls. It was such a relief to be able to touch himself. He’d wanted Astrid so badly, but there was no way, not while she was drunk and emotional. Or – in fact – ever. There was too much at stake to get close to her. Even if they weren’t both involved with the Quinlan Brothers investigation, she was far too sweet for a guy like him. She’d just have to stay as his fantasy…

He slid his soapy hand up and down the shaft of his cock, and imagined he was out in the tropical rain, standing naked on a secluded luxury beach. Astrid was there, dressed in a negligee, looking incredible. Her body was curvy and her breasts were plump, and she was more confident than usual – something had changed in her and he hoped it was something he’d incited.

“Hey, baby,” she purred, walking towards him. “Let me take care of you.”

She kissed him and took his cock in her hand, fondling him and rubbing soap suds into her silky negligee, which was becoming wet from the warm rain.

“So good,” he whispered, touching her breasts through the silky material.

She threw him a mischievous grin, kissed him hard, then dropped to her knees in front of him. “Allow me to blow your mind.”

Her red lips wrapped around the tip of his cock and she licked off the pre-cum. Still pumping his shaft in her fingers, she moved her face away and teased his balls in her lips, making horny grunts as she licked and sucked.

“Mmm… tastes so good,” she purred.

She knelt up and gazed into his eyes, then she moved his throbbing cock toward he

r cleavage and rubbed it between her breasts.