The Billionaire's Ball: BBW Billionaire Boss Erotic Romance (Vivian's Desire)

"I never meant to come between you and him,” Alexander told her on the drive over. Vivian sat beside him on the sleek leather seats and rolled her eyes with a playful laugh.

“Alex, I should be the one apologizing to you.”

It was just a few months ago that her torrid love affair with Alex’s brother and what was supposed to be her temporary boss, Ben, had begun. While Alex had taken the whole thing rather well and there was no fuss within the company, she continued to feel the urge to apologize for her lack of professionalism.

“You can’t help young love,” he had told her even though the gorgeous blonde hair atop his own head was barely over thirty years old. He was just thankful that Ben was finally starting to settle down. In fact, she often thought about her lover’s reputation of being an ex-ladies man, especially in times of her own insecurity. But, he’d remained steadfastly faithful and quite attentive to all her needs.

“Ah, there it is!” Alex suddenly exclaimed. His outburst brought her back to reality and out of her swirling thoughts of the handsome absent brunette. She craned her neck, taking in the sight of an impressive ship in the distance. The car sped along towards it.

“It’s the largest luxury liner in the world as of now,” her boss informed her, although she’d already read all about it. She never went anywhere without doing research. The white cruise ship seemed angelic underneath the shining sun. It would be their home for the next two weeks as she accompanied Alex. The family company had been a collaborative investor for the liner and now the eldest brother had to accompany them on their maiden voyage.

“I’ve got to bring my best secretary,” he’d told her a week ago.

“I want to go,” Ben had whined, but his brother promptly informed him that he had other matters to attend to.

Two weeks without Ben. She wondered if she could make it, especially since they saw each other nearly every day. She would definitely miss the steamy make out sessions stolen away in the privacy of his office, as well as their torrid date nights in the busy city. They’d promised to call each other on the phone each day, but he’d seemed oddly unconcerned when they parted ways over brunch this morning. She frowned and played with a wavy tendril of her brown hair.

Is he losing interest in me? Or does he have someone in the city to keep him company? Not even the prospect of the cruise spa could keep her mood from souring. She sighed softly under her breath so Alex wouldn’t catch it, reminding herself to be grateful for the opportunity to take what was essentially a paid vacation by the company. She turned her interest to the black leather portfolio on her lap.

“You’ve prepared all your notes?” she asked. Alex nodded. “Would you like me to go over them?”

He laughed. “You read my mind. You can do that tonight after dinner though. There’s no rush.”

They soon pulled up to a valet section. The attendants helped them with their bags while she produced their tickets out of her purse. They’d be staying in separate suites, but on the same level. Alex had been quite sneaky in planning his room, as it happened to be right next to the quickest way to the buffet. His wife, a lawyer and new mother, had cracked down on their eating habits when she’d become pregnant and especially after the baby was born. Vivian could practically see him dreaming of carbohydrates as they walked the ramp up to the massive ship.

She inhaled the salty air and smiled back at the crew in their pressed uniforms. The sound of the water lapping against the base of the ship soothed all of her worries. Perhaps this trip would actually be a much needed stress relief.

While Alex asked for directions to their rooms, her eyes greedily scanned the interior of the lobby. It was massive, with sparkling marble floors, maroon walls, and glittering chandeliers that she suspected had cost a fortune to install. Her gaze fell over the steadily growing crowd of passengers, many of whom were already congregating near a refreshment bar on the far side of the room.

A man was looking in her direction. She had the sudden impression of a wolf among a herd of sheep. He was oddly lanky and pale with only a sparse bit of hair gelled across his shiny head. His grin turned her stomach. She immediately turned back towards Alex with a shiver, feeling as if she’d like to crawl out of her own skin.

“Is everything alright, Vivian?” she was suddenly aware that Alex was peering at her. “Your face looks pale.”

“Everything’s fine,” she lied and smoothed her dress over her shapely hips. He nodded, assured, and they headed off to the elevator.

She could not shake the feeling that the man’s eyes were following her the entire time, but she pushed the thought far from her mind.

By dinnertime, she had checked her phone a dozen times before finally accepting that Ben hadn’t sent her any messages. It left her feeling frightfully disappointed, but she was determined not to overthink the situation. It was easier said than done though, with a vast array of happy couples cuddled up together at the velvety tables in the dining room.

Alex seemed oblivious to her eyes wandering to the phone in her purse as he practically inhaled his first plate of food while glancing over the notes in his portfolio.

“I’d like to change this part,” he mused between bites of seasoned chicken. She finally tucked her purse out of sight underneath the table and leaned over to see the portion he was indicating. She marked the section with a tiny red star with her pen while he ordered something else from the menu.

The shift of the ship beneath them sent a lively rush through the restaurant. She glanced enviously as lovers pressed closer together with smiles. Her boss suddenly cleared his throat.

“Vivian?”

She had absentmindedly dragged her pen all the way across the paper and onto the tablecloth. Her cheeks flushed. “Oh, whoops.”

“Do you miss Ben?” he asked, although his concern seemed to abate briefly with the arrival of a second breadbasket to the table.