Dazzle: The Billionaire's Secret Surrogate

“Are you as worn out from all this as I am?’ Archer asked, as he unlocked the door and the two of them stepped inside.

“You have no idea,” she replied. The panicked midnight run, combined with the uncomfortable park bench that had served as her bed for the night, had all left her exhausted. Not to mention everything that had happened during the day itself. It was a wonder she was still standing at all.

She was starting to feel nervous now that they were here, wondering what Archer would have in mind. He reached for her shoulders and drew her backwards so her back was pressed to his chest, kissing the top of her head again. The sweet, innocent gesture had those stupid butterflies erupting again, but this time in flutters of pure desire, despite her aching tiredness.

He was so much taller than her, she thought, comparing the softness of her body to the hard male body pressed close behind her. Kady was on the short end as far as models went at only five feet six inches, but Archer had to be at least a foot over that. She liked it.

“We should get some rest,” he commented, stifling a yawn. “You’re welcome to come snuggle in my bed with me if you want, although I suspect you’d rather go back to your own. I’m just not sure I want you to, since I already had to go get you back once as it is. I don’t have it in me to make a second run right now.”

“I said I wouldn’t run away,” Kady grumbled, stifling a yawn of her own. “I always keep my promises. By the way, if I had been in any kind of mood to join you, that comment just killed it, you know.”

“Sorry,” he said softly, the tenderness in his voice wrapping around her heart and giving it a painful tug. “Shall I try again? I want you to come to bed with me. And not for sex, either. I just want you near me.”

“Why?” She wondered just as softly, not even aware she had asked the question out loud until he answered.

“I want to hold you and maybe talk a little,” he replied. “Maybe discover your favorites or pick your brain about computer stuff or something. There’s really no motive beyond that. I promise”

“I-I’m sorry,” she said, apologizing. “I’m not used to somebody being nice to me unless they’re trying to get something out of it.”

“Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart, I would love to—get something,” he chuckled. “I’m just too tired to initiate a virgin right this minute. That takes—a lot—of effort.” He paused between words to kiss the back of her neck once, and then again on the other side. “Come with me—please?”

Kady’s insides did a little flip at the gentle contact as he trailed his mouth down along her shoulder. One of his hands slid down to caress her thigh, and it made her jump. Both of them laughed at this.

“Ticklish?

“Maybe,” she admitted. “That’s new info for me, though.”

“Maybe we’ll discover some more of those spots sometime,” he replied, as he let her go. He held out his hand, waiting to see if she’d work up the courage to take it and come with him to his rooms. With a deep breath and desperately hoping she wasn’t making the wrong choice, she took it, and together, they headed for the stairs.

Dee saw them walking together down the hall and hid a smile as she watched them pass. As soon as they couldn’t see her, she crossed her fingers and happily shook them in the air. What could be more exciting than seeing Archer Devonshire actually on the verge of falling in love?

#

“Want some jammies?” asked Archer as he grinned up at her. He had just pulled out a pair for himself, but hadn’t yet shut the drawer. Then he pulled out a pair for her and shut it, handing them to her.

Kady laughed as she compared his very tall, very muscular body to her much smaller frame. She took the pajama top and shook it out, holding it to her body. “I thought I was trying to go to sleep, not swim in your clothes. If I put on something of yours, I might get lost inside there and you’d have to go on a search and rescue mission just to find me in the things.”

“Does that require any slow, languid unbuttoning, along with tasting anything that I might happen to find there?” he teased. “Because if so, I’m more than willing to oblige.”

Kady giggled shyly at this statement, a flush spreading rosily at his husky words. But then she gasped as Archer began to unbutton his shirt, preparing to don his own pajamas. “Wait, you’re going to just get undressed? Right there?”

“I am,” he grinned back at her unabashedly. “Thought you might li

ke to catch a glimpse of what you’ve been bargaining for.”

“You’re trying to entice me?” she inquired with a sudden grin of her own, wondering where this bold temptress had been hiding.

“Baby, I’ve already done that,” he said, drawing her into his arms.

Kady’s heart thudded hard in her chest as she rested her cheek and one hand on Archer’s naked chest. Her fingers found a few tendrils of dark hair and she smoothed them over, prompting him to kiss the top of her head again. She was beginning to think he liked doing that a lot. She knew for a fact that she did. Every time he did that, it made her feel cherished in a way she never had felt before.

No sooner had she thought this than his hand came down to cup her chin and tilt her face up. His gaze went from sweet to sultry in a matter of seconds, right before he dipped his head towards her. He kissed her tenderly on the lips, making her belly do a little dance. The kiss wasn’t overly long, nor did he try to deepen it. It was just—sweet, it really was sweet. If he kept doing things like that, he really would entice her. He would really entice her a lot!

“Get dressed and into bed, sweetheart,” he encouraged, the roughness of his voice testament to the fact that she wasn’t the only one affected by his kiss. “I’ll finish changing in the bathroom—this time.”

“Thanks, Archer,” she whispered softly.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, smiling broadly as he headed for the bathroom door. “Try not to miss me too much while I’m gone.”