The Billionaire's Craving

Her head was lowered. He reached out and lifted her chin with a gentle finger. Her eyes still sparkled with unshed tears. And if he wasn’t mistaken, something else was in those eyes. Desire.

Perfect.

His own desire threatened to swamp him. He flashed on an image of grabbing her around the waist and pulling her in tightly, of kissing her, thrusting his tongue inside her hot mouth, claiming her as his own again and again until she was breathless, her breasts heaving against his chest.

He wanted to suck on that satiny neck then pull down her dress and suckle her breasts. He’d turn her around and yank up her skirt and sink his fingers into her —

Fuck. He needed to cool down. He looked into Sabela’s dark brown eyes and wondered what she was thinking. Undoubtedly, whatever it was, it wasn’t about being ravished on a stairwell by a madman.

He willed himself into control, something accomplished quickly, if not easily, from so many years of practice.

Finally, he spoke. “It’s been a long day. You may go to your room now. I’ll send Marie up with food. Eat, and then get some rest.”

She almost seemed hypnotized. She nodded and turned away. He watched her go, her shapely ass swaying, the motion natural and unaffected.

In fact, she herself was natural and unaffected. He hadn’t anticipated that, and he’d been thrown off his game, had almost blown everything.

It was all wrong. The plan wasn’t supposed to go this way.

Beyond frustrated, Colin clenched his fists as he watched her turn the corner. As soon as she was out of eyesight, he stalked back down the stairs, wanting to slam his fist into a wall for some relief from his frustration.

But Colin didn’t give in to such emotional responses. He never did. He kept his mind clear and focused on the objective. Sabela nearly bested him because of his attraction to her.

Why now, after four long years, was he feeling this way?

Frustration simmering, Colin returned to the dining room. He made a quick call to Marie and told her to take a plate to Sabela’s suite.

He lifted a fork and began to eat his own meal, now mostly cold. But he didn’t care.

He assured himself the plan would go on, he would reap much-deserved justice.

And if in succeeding with his plan, he got to sleep with one of the hottest women he’d ever met, then he wouldn’t complain.

She’d be all his, in more way than one.

Chapter Thirteen

THE BED DIDN’T FEEL THE same.

Sabela woke with a start, squirming and twisting beneath the soft sheets. The mattress was too soft and giving, the pillows too plush, the blankets too warm and full. In short, she was far too comfortable.

Where was she? She could barely tell it was light outside from the bits of sunbeams that squeaked through the slim cracks between the wall of closed curtains. It was morning.

Memories of the previous day returned. Meeting the man in the suit, the tense ride to the private airport, the jet trip across the ocean, and then the drive to Haberlin Chalet. Sabela took a deep, grounding breath and let it all out slowly.

She was here with Mr. Morgan, and he wanted her to pay back her debt by using her as an escort.

But she wasn’t sure she could trust him. He was unpredictable, and some members of his staff seemed afraid of him. And he made her feel the most unnerving things when he spoke to her, in particular when he was physically near her,

She curled up under the covers and recalled the previous evening. Colin had said he wasn’t looking for a whore, but there was a suggestive tone to everything he said that made her doubt his promise.

If she was to play his perfect girlfriend, why wouldn’t he want her in his bedroom?

Thinking about it only stressed her out further. While Colin was undoubtedly attractive, she wasn’t going to sleep with a man in order to have her debt forgiven. She wasn’t that kind of girl.

So what kind of girl was she? Last night she’d primped and pruned until she didn’t recognize herself, all because she’d wanted to be someone else. Was that someone else a woman who wanted to sleep with Colin?

There was a troubling overlap between want and need that Sabela didn’t know how to quantify.

She looked around the room. It had to still be quite early, from how the sunbeams were slanting. The storm was over. Everything was exactly how she’d left it when she’d gone to sleep.

Except for a folded white paper slipped beneath the door.

Sabela rose from bed and donned her warm robe, securing the fabric belt around her waist. She moved across the room and scooped up the paper. It read:

Dress warmly and meet me on the slopes. Ask Marie if you have any questions.

Colin. The neat, angular handwriting matched that on the letter the suited man had given her. Sabela studied the words and frowned.

She didn’t know how to ski.

Sabela hit the intercom button by the door.

“Marie? Good morning. How do I get to the kitchen?”

“Good morning, Ms. Vaughn,” Marie said brightly. Her light accent warmed Sabela’s heart and put her at ease. “Let me bring you some breakfast.”

“Oh, um, only if it isn’t any trouble.”

“You will never be any trouble, dear. I’ll be right there.”

True to her word, Marie arrived in no time at all. Sabela helped her wheel in the small tray filled to the brim with pastries, coffee, and granola. It was more than Sabela could ever eat alone.

Food delivered, Marie turned to leave. Sabela stopped her.

“Before you go, Marie, I have a question.”

“Yes, Ms. Vaughn?”

“Where are the slopes? I’m supposed to meet Colin there.”

“Once you go out the front door, simply follow the path around to the lift. It’s hard to miss.” Marie gestured out the window in the direction she meant.

“I don’t know how to ski. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Mr. Morgan will want to teach you, I’m sure,” Marie said with a smile. “You’re in good hands. I wouldn’t worry. He’s an expert.”

She left the room as quietly as she’d entered, leaving Sabela alone with her thoughts and her breakfast.

Did Colin expect her to learn to ski as part of their agreement? What a bizarre thing. She supposed it had to do with getting to know him better.

A big part of her wished she didn’t have to know him at all. Another part longed to know every deep secret hidden behind those dark eyes.

She picked at her breakfast in an attempt to prolong her departure. She didn’t want to go. But what would happen to her if she didn’t do as Colin asked?

She recalled the way she’d done his bidding on the staircase. How had he done that? And why had she allowed him to do it?

With a sigh, Sabela pushed the tray aside and moved to her closet. She might as well go to the slopes and see what Colin had in mind.

Towards the back of the closet was a jacket and thin snow pants matched with boots and gloves. It was clear he’d been expecting to take her onto the slopes.

“Let’s get this over with,” she whispered to herself.

Before slipping into her outerwear, Sabela dressed in a simple shirt and a pair of jeans. All done up, she felt too warm, but once she left the chalet she’d appreciate the insulation.

And the thick layers meant that her inevitable fall wouldn’t be so painful.

No way to procrastinate any longer, Sabela stepped out into the maze of hallways and headed for the front door.

Even though she had only been in the chalet a short time, she was starting to get used to some of the different nooks and crannies. A man like Colin could hide in here and never be found, she thought. It was probably why he liked the place so much.

Sabela wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but there was something. She wasn’t blind.

Colin wasn’t a normal man. He was battling demons inside himself.

But the existence of those demons cou

ldn’t excuse his behavior at dinner the night before. What had started as flirtatious and quirky had turned ugly with his talk of whores. What did Colin really think of her?

If he had noble intentions, he wouldn’t have hesitated to lay out more specific groundwork for his expectations. Instead, he’d been deliberately ambiguous.

Perhaps he didn’t actually know what he wanted from her. Or perhaps he was too ashamed to admit what he really wanted.

Everything about Colin was confusing, including the attraction she felt toward him. Either he boiled her blood or he made her wish he’d kiss her.

There was little in between.

If he wanted repayment for her debt, then that’s what she’d do. If he wanted her to pretend to be his girlfriend, she’d play that part.

He’d said he wouldn’t stipulate sex from her. He’d said if they had sex, it would only be because she wanted it, not because he demanded it.

Right now, Colin wasn’t the kind of man she could trust with her body. She’d not slept with many men, and didn’t do so lightly. She wouldn’t change now, and she wouldn’t be with Colin until she knew more about him.

Once outside, she made her way around the chalet and followed the path. The way was clear. There was an immense hill, large enough that it could probably be called a mountain itself, behind the chalet, and she could see a small lift that would take skiers to the top.