Bidding On The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 8) (16 page)

With all her brain functions busy processing the gentle way he’d kissed her hands, she couldn’t form a proper answer, so she nodded.

He smiled and kissed the top of her hand again. “Do you need anything from the car?”

Her common sense perhaps, because she’d definitely left it behind. “I have a bag with my stuff in the trunk.” Since he’d mentioned a possible day on the water, she’d come prepared.

“Pop it open and I’ll get it.” He let go of her and walked to the back of the car.

She’d been with Derek when he first looked at the condo three years ago, and she’d visited countless times since. However, thanks to the extra-snowy winter, her busy work schedule, and then all the preparation for Paris and Seth’s wedding, she hadn’t visited since January. As soon as she walked inside, she noticed the changes he’d made.

“Someone’s been busy.”

“I needed a change. What do you think?”

Brooklyn took in the newly painted walls around her. On her last visit, they’d all been a light cream. Now dark blue paint covered the living room walls and all the black furniture had been replaced with dove-gray pieces instead. He’d also added in a third sliding glass door leading out onto the deck, increasing the amount of light streaming into the room as well as giving visitors an even more incredible view of the water. The kitchen had also undergone some renovations. From here it appeared as though the stark white walls had been painted a deep red and the once beige tiles had been ripped out and replaced with slate-colored ones.

“It looks great. Did you do anything upstairs?” She loved color. Plain cream and white bored her. When she’d purchased her own apartment at the Hillcrest, painting had been the first thing she’d had done, before moving in a single piece of furniture.

“Addie went through the whole place.”

“Maybe I should give your sister-in-law a call in a few months. I’d love to see what she could do in my apartment.”

“Do you want to see upstairs? The master bedroom came out incredible. I had the balcony expanded and new french doors installed.”

Other than when they’d toured the condo before he’d purchased it, she’d never stepped foot in the master bedroom. She’d never had any reason to. Today didn’t seem like the time to visit it. “Maybe later.” She crossed the room and walked out through the sliding glass doors.

The view from the back deck never failed to take her breath away and de-stress her at the same time. This afternoon was no exception. Something about the untamed ocean mesmerized her. Made her want to give up everything and spend her days sailing around the world.

“Can I get you anything?”

Brooklyn jumped and turned.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

She swallowed and shook her head. “Nothing.”

His palms covered her shoulders while his thumbs rubbed the skin along her collarbone. “Something’s bothering you. Your expression reminds me of the first day we met.”

His gentle caress had her wanting to lean in to him, circle her arms around his neck and kiss him the way he’d kissed her yesterday. “And how did I look then?” Conversation and not kissing struck her as the safer way to start their visit.

Derek’s hands stilled. Then they moved, his fingertips grazing up and over her neck until both palms cupped her face. “Lost.”

“I
was
lost the day we met. I didn’t know where anything on campus was except my dorm.”

“Unsure. A little scared.” He kissed her. “Please try not to be either. What I told you yesterday is the truth. And I plan on proving it to you.” Derek’s hands cradled her face as he kissed her again. “Relax and enjoy our time together. Okay? If I do or say something you don’t like, tell me. If I make you angry, let me know.”

The combination of his tender touch and verbal reassurance chipped away at the apprehension drowning her. “I always have.”

“You’re one of the few. You may not have noticed, but most people go out of their way to make me happy.”

She’d seen firsthand how so many people tried to impress him in the hopes of getting in good with him or his family. “And you hate every minute of it.” She tickled a spot just below his rib cage. A spot she’d tickled countless times, so she knew just how sensitive it was. “Admit it. You’d rather have me criticizing you instead of kissing your butt.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” He grabbed her hand, making it impossible for her to torture him any more. “But I do want us to always be honest with each other. No matter what.”

Every word and gesture made it a little harder to recall the reasons being here with him like this was a bad idea.

“Stop thinking so much, Brooklyn. Go with it.”

***

The salty ocean air and sunscreen mingled together, creating a one-of-a-kind scent. He inhaled deeply, loving the combination the way some people enjoyed the smell of flowers, and considered his next move. They’d gotten past the initial uncertainty bothering her when she’d arrived. However, the comfortable companionship they usually shared remained elusive. Eventually it would return, but it would take time and patience.

He hadn’t anticipated her disbelief or her insistence he had love confused with some other emotion. In hindsight, he should have. He’d never shown her anything but brotherly affection. He’d discussed his past relationships with her the same way he would with his sister. A man didn’t do that with the woman he loved.

The past no longer mattered. He couldn’t change it, so he’d move on from it.

Inviting her over today had been his first step in convincing her he’d been an idiot all this time. Alone on the beach, away from distractions, they could both relax and not worry about her parents or the media. The longer he managed to keep those two things away, the better.

“Are you going to sit there all day?” Brooklyn called as she exited the water and paused to wring out her ponytail. She’d jumped in the ocean not long after they’d walked on the beach, leaving him to think and watch her. Neither of which he minded.

“I’m enjoying the view.”

She cast a quick glance over her shoulder before looking at him again. “You see it every day. And the water is perfect today. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

Propped up on his elbows, he followed her movements across the sand from behind his sunglasses. Today she wore a dark-striped Brooklyn-style swimsuit. Although technically two pieces, it covered her figure as well as any one-piece would—her other favorite style of swimwear. He knew why she preferred them, although he considered her reasons absurd because she’d rock a bikini, which was an opinion he’d always kept to himself.

He waited until her toes, with their bright purple-painted nails, touched the edge of his towel before he responded. “Wasn’t talking about the ocean view.”

Brooklyn managed an eye roll but nothing else because he tugged her arm, bringing her down next to him. Wet skin pressed against his bare chest, heating it rather than cooling it off. “Whatever you were about to say, I don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re too bossy.” She swallowed, her gaze dropping to where their chests touched before her eyes snapped back up to his face.

“Perhaps. But I like getting what I want.”

“Please. Tell me something I don’t know about you.” She moved the hand resting on her thigh and brushed it along his arm and up to his shoulder. “I bet you can’t.”

“Are you daring me? We both know that’s not a good idea.”

“More like stating a fact. I know everything about you. There’s nothing you could share I don’t already know.”

Soft fingertips made circles on his shoulder, the innocent touch conjuring up all the ways he’d rather have her touching him. Ways that would have to wait until another time.

“You sound confident, but are you willing to test your theory, risk being wrong?”

“What do you think?”

“Okay then, how does this sound? If I share something about myself that you don’t already know, I take you shopping for a new swimsuit. And not only do I pick it out, but you have to wear it next time we’re on the beach like this or out on the water.”

“And if I already know what you share with me, what do I get?” she asked, sounding too confident.

“What do you want?”

She didn’t even pause to consider. “I get to do the same. And I already know just the kind I’ll get.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “In case you’re curious about what I’m envisioning, picture the men’s Olympic swim team.” She gave his shoulder a pat. “One of those tiny swim briefs would look great on you while we’re out here. Don’t you agree?”

“Only if you plan on making sure I get covered in sunscreen.”

“To see you in one of those, it’d be worth it. Shopping is going to be so much fun. Maybe I can find a pink one. No, even better, neon yellow.” Brooklyn moved away from him and rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait. I’ll go this week and pick one out.” Her smile widened. “Okay, I’m ready. Out with it. Tell me something I don’t already know about you.”

The last thing he needed was a yellow—or any other color—swim brief. Since he wouldn’t be losing this particular bet, her threat didn’t bother him. “I’m allergic to pomegranates and grapefruit.”

She shook her head, her smile fading away. “What?”

“If I eat either, I break out in a rash all over my body. Not only does it itch and burn at the same time, but it looks horrible.”

“Pomegranates and grapefruit. Seriously. You’re going with a supposed allergic reaction.”

“I can prove it, but I’m warning you, I’ll be a miserable grouch for days. You won’t want to be around me. No one will.”

“Don’t tempt me. I thought you were going to share some deep dark secret. Like you sucked your thumb until you were ten or you wet your pants in the first grade. Even telling me you were deathly afraid of clowns would’ve been better than allergies.”

“I’m not a huge fan of clowns.” For the first time since she arrived, the easygoing relationship they had was once again in full force. “And you never specified what type of information you wanted.”

“Technicality. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

He watched a droplet of water slide down her neck toward where her exposed skin ended and the swimsuit top began. Leaning closer, he licked the salty droplet away, and he sensed her quick intake of breath. “You taste good.”

Since she didn’t push him away or ask him to stop, he pressed his lips against her skin and kissed her once before working his way toward her neck, leaving a trail of kisses behind him. The closer he got to her lips, the faster his own blood raced. When he reached her mouth, he captured it, using his lips to caress and communicate the love he felt.

It caught him by surprise when the tip of her tongue ran along his bottom lip, a clear invitation. He didn’t hesitate. He opened for her, their tongues mating tentatively for a moment or two. Then she touched his back and pressed her breasts into his chest, causing his blood to boil and his erection to demand a chance to join the fun. Their kiss changed, became a frantic meeting, and he fell back against the beach towel, taking her down on top of him.

She stiffened, but then her body again became pliant against his and she straddled him. He groaned, grabbed her ass, holding her against his erection, and wondered how far she’d let him take things today.

Brooklyn moved against him and he tore his hands away from her ass and reached for the knot holding her swimsuit top up. It took some work, but finally he got the wet material undone. Pulling her top off meant ending their kiss. So instead, he reached between their bodies and tugged it down. The bathing suit had hidden the evidence, but with it out of the way, her pebbled nipples pressed into his chest.

“You’re killing me,” he ground out, reaching up and cupping one breast, letting his thumb rub against its nipple and loving the way it tightened more as he did.

“Am I too heavy?”

“Christ no. That’s not what I meant.” He reversed their position and pressed his hips into her as he took a nipple in his mouth.

Fingernails dug in to his shoulders, all the encouragement he needed. Slowly, he sucked on one nipple before circling it with his tongue. When she arched her hips into him, he switched his mouth to her other breast, taking his time and making sure it got the same amount of attention.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said against her skin. Her body stilled under his even though her chest continued to rise and fall rapidly. Evidently telling her the truth had been the wrong thing to do. Who would’ve guessed?

As if she only then realized her breasts were exposed, she yanked at her top with one hand. The wet material had its own ideas and stuck to her skin, forcing her to grab it with both hands and tug it into place. “Derek, I don’t think you’ve ever lied to me. Please don’t do it now.”

He’d had people call him a liar before. Just never when he’d told a woman she was beautiful. “You’re right, I never have and I’m not now.”

People on the other side of the bridge probably heard her sigh. “Come on. Let’s be honest. I’m not hideous or anything, but I’m not like my sisters. I’ll never win any beauty pageants.”

Derek ground his teeth together. “Then you haven’t looked in a mirror, because you’re beautiful, hot, sexy. Should I add more adjectives? I can. Right now, there’s nothing I want more than to strip you naked and make love to you. If this place was a little more secluded, I would too.” His condo was part of a small gated community that consisted of six condos, and everyone who lived in it had access to the beach. Although he hadn’t seen any of his neighbors this weekend, it was no guarantee they weren’t around.

Color that had nothing to do with the sun filled her face and exposed skin.

“Don’t tell me you doubt it. You can feel the state I’m in.” He pressed his hips into hers again. Before he changed his mind and risked a nosy neighbor catching them, he rolled off her. “Besides, when we make love, I plan on taking my time. Something else I can’t do out here.”

She took the opportunity to adjust her top and tie it back around her neck. When she finished, she opened her mouth as if about to say something, then snapped it shut again.

“What? Don’t tell me you still plan on disagreeing with me.”