How To Marry A Billionaire: A BWWM Billionaire Romance (9 page)

She shouldn’t be perusing the body of the man who would eventually be her boss, but she was enjoying the sights. And the touch of his large hands on her. She imagined what those hands could do and she shivered.

“You cold?”

He pulled the covers over her.

She nudged him away, not wanting to lose the contact, but needing some space. “I’m okay.”

“You were screaming.”

She wiped her face. “That was terrible.”

“I can imagine. I checked on Derek right before bed. He was sound asleep. I put his covers back on.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Ten minutes.”

“I need to go see him.”

He let her go, but followed as she looked in on her son. Derek was asleep, his foot outside of the covers. She tucked his foot back in then left him alone. Not thinking about Colton following her, she went back to her bed.

Colton stood in the doorway. “You going to be okay?”

She swallowed. He looked like a god standing with the light behind him. Tall, dark and handsome for sure.

“Not sure I’m going to get back to sleep.”

“You want to talk?”

The word “no” was on her lips, but she must have autocorrect, because she heard herself say, “Yes.”

She slid under the covers, but put a pillow behind her so she could sit up.

“Can I turn the light on?”

“Sure.”

He did so, then sat on the bottom of the bed. Clearly giving her some space. She wasn’t sure she wanted it. Suddenly making love with Colton seemed like a good idea.

She was alive and so was Derek. She needed to affirm that.

And it had been a long time since she’d been with a man. This man had made her feeler safer in one night than Chance ever had.  He also offered her a future. Even if she didn’t sleep with him.

Which she wanted to do. Right now. She bit her lip.

“You look perplexed, Ellyn. As if you’re struggling with a decision. Are you having second thoughts about the contract?”

“No, not about the contract. I’m looking forward to getting started on that.”

“Then what?”

She sighed. “I’ll tell you when I’ve made my decision.”

He cocked his head. “Can I help with the decision?”

“I don’t think so.”

He moved closer to her, putting his hands on her arms. He leaned down, touching her lips with his. They were warm, soft, and inviting. If she leaned in a little closer, she could deepen the kiss.

Her head buzzed and she went for it.

***

Colton had fully expected Ellyn to reject him. He’d expected her to be mad at him, but he’d wanted to taste those full lips again. Could he kiss away whatever fears she had?

When she deepened the kiss and her tongue snaked out to meet his, his heart skipped a beat. His friend in his pants woke up. God he wanted this woman. In so many ways, but right now, he wanted her in his bed. Naked.

He broke off the kiss. “You sure about this, Ellyn?”

Her “yes” came out as a breathy whisper.

“Let me close the door,” he said.

He did, then returned to where she sat with her lips swollen from his onslaught. She was all woman right now. She gazed at him. She must be sure of her decision.

He shucked off his boxers and her eyebrows went up. He hoped she liked what she saw. It was all he had.

She patted the bed next to her and he didn’t wait another second to slide in beside her.

“Ellyn,” was all he could say.

Here she was. In bed. Not his, per se, but she’d invited him into the one she was going to sleep in. No reluctance.

He saw the passion in her eyes and he hoped he’d never see that in her photos. He wanted that dark look all to himself. Ellyn put her arms around his neck, pulling him close.

“Colton.”

He grabbed the hem of the nightshirt she wore. She let go of him to shrug out of it. She was naked underneath. He’d been talking to her when she had no panties on.

That was hot.

He cleared his throat as his gaze roved over her perfect body. There were miles of smooth, dark skin. Just a touch of hair at the juncture of her legs and then more smooth dark skin. All his for the night.

His mouth went dry and like a little kid at the candy counter, he wasn’t sure what to begin with. Not smooth on his part.

She tugged him back to her lips with one arm hooked around his neck and her hand snaked down to wrap around his dick. Damn.

“I would be careful down there. It might go off.”

She giggled against his lips. Then he kissed down her neck. She tasted of peaches. His lips tingled against her soft skin. He licked his way down to one of her breasts. Weighing it in his hand, he reveled in the softness of the globe before he put his mouth on her nipple.

She arched her back and her breath came out in pants.

“Oh, Colton.”

He hadn’t even gotten started yet and she was already squirming under him. If he didn’t distract himself, he was going to lose it. He wanted this to be perfect. He knew the first time could set the tone for the rest of their lovemaking.

He nipped at her nipple before moving to her other one. Her fingers held his shoulders in a death grip, her nails digging in.

While he worshiped her breast, his one hand went south. She was wet. For him. He found her nubbin and circled it with his finger. She spread her legs, giving him better access.

He rubbed, pushing just a little harder. Her back arched even further. Her breath came out in small pants. She was close. Her fingers dug in further.

Then she went stiff, her breathing stopped, then a “yikes” came out of her. He smiled against her stomach. He loved to do that to a woman.

Her chest heaved. Her eyes remained closed, her mouth slightly open.

“Damn,” was all she said.

He kissed his way back up to her mouth and took control of her lips. His hands ran over her whole body.  He reached into the nightstand, hoping there was a condom. He hadn’t entered her room thinking of sex. Well, he had, but he never thought it would actually happen.

She grabbed the pack from him and he rolled off her to give her access. She rolled on the condom like an expert.

She turned over to her back, bringing him with her.

Then he entered her. It had been awhile and she was so warm and wet surrounding him.

He paused when he was fully in, taking in the sensation of her arms around him and her body around him. This never got old.

Then he moved, bracing his elbows on either side of her head. Her body reached up to greet him with every stroke. What a willing participant she was.

He was not going to last. Think about stock options and prospectuses. Numbers. Oh God. It wasn’t working.

Gritting his teeth, he slowed his rhythm. He gained control of himself. This had to be good for her. Her back arched and she could feel her vagina convulse around him. That pushed him over the edge, light exploding behind his eyes.

He stopped breathing while he thrust into her, then he was done. His body went limp, but he held himself over her, not wanting to crush her.

“Ellyn.”

Her eyes opened to slits. “Colton.”

From the look of pure joy on her face, he must have been good.

CHAPTER 8

Ellyn woke, but took a moment to get her bearings. She wasn’t at home. There was no toddler bed here with a Derek in it.

She wasn’t alone. A very male arm was flung over her body. A strong hand rested on the bed by her stomach. She heard slight snoring behind her, the breath from it wafting across her neck.

Not moving for a moment, it all came back to her. The nightmare. Then Colton waking her and holding her. Next, her libido taking control of her brain and her asking Colton to make love to her.

Oh. My. God.

Derek was in the next room. Was he awake? Why hadn’t he come in here?

“Shit,” she whispered.

What had she done? She had not been thinking as a mother last night. No, last night was about being a woman.

At least he’d worn a condom. Each time, since there had been more than one time. She hadn’t turned him down any of those times.

Holy crap.

Colton rolled away from her and then she could escape. She glanced at him, sleeping, his hair mussed, the sheet barely covering him. Sexy man, for sure. Too bad, there was no future.

She was all about the future. Dressing quickly, she then left Colton, closing the door softly behind her.

She let out the breath she’d been holding. When she looked up, a bleary-eyed Derek was in the doorway to the room he’d slept in. She put a hand to her lips. He nodded, while rubbing his eyes.

He looked better than yesterday. Less ashy.

“Get dressed,” she said when she ushered him back into his room. “We need to go home.”

“Yes, mommy. I’m hungry,” he said.

“We'll get something when we get home. I’ll make you pancakes.”

“Should we say goodbye to Mr. Hamilton?”

“He’s sleeping. Let’s leave him alone.”

“Okay.”

He dressed, while she resisted the urge to help him. She wanted to be out of here before Colton woke up. She could deal with him later. Not right now. She needed some distance from her actions.

She had to formulate what she would say to him. That could wait. Now she had to get Derek home and more medicine into him.

“Will we see Mr. Hamilton again?”

“Not sure, honey. He’s pretty busy.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“He runs his own company. That’s who Mommy will be working for.”

She hoped she would still be working for him. Signing that contract would be her priority come Monday. Hopefully, she could just deal with the Human Resources Department. Then she’d give her waitressing job notice.

How nice that will be.

With Derek dressed, Ellyn took his hand and led him to the living room where her purse was. She gathered their things and went out the door. Going down in the elevator, Ellyn realized that she had no idea where she was. Worse, she had no idea how to get home.

“Oh crap,” she whispered.

Derek stood next to her, yawning. The poor kid still hadn’t woken up fully. She’d rushed him out of Colton’s place, but she needed to get home. She needed to regroup.

More important, she must put her heart away. She could fall in love with that rich man upstairs.

The elevator doors opened and concierge greeted her.

She looked at him sheepishly. “I realized, I have no way of getting home. I’m not sure where I am. Could you direct me to the closest subway station?”

She’d figure out when she arrived there, how to get home.

The concierge, a man in his thirties she was sure, shook his head. “Mr. Hamilton has a car you can use. I can call it.”

She contemplated that. Would it get her before Colton woke up? Would he look for her?

She sighed. The car would be the quickest way home.

“The car will be fine. Thank you. We’ll wait outside.”

“It’s a little chilly. Stay in the lobby,” he said.

The car, not Colton’s usual but an Uber driver, arrived a few minutes later. Did rich people even use that service? Or did Colton use it for his lovers?

The idea irked her as she climbed into the back of the car. She must be one of a long line of lovers that concierge had seen leave with their panties in their purses. Was she the only one with a child in tow?

Thankfully, she’d probably never seen the concierge again.

Now her focus was to get home. The driver was pleasant and chatted, but she didn’t respond. He finally shut up.

She was plotting and thinking about what she would say to Colton. Would he call her?

She didn’t want to say these things on the phone. What had she been thinking last night? How much had she complicated her life by spending the night with the very sexy, very capable lover?

Her body burned with the memory. She’d have to stop thinking about it. It would not happen again.

She hoped he would understand that.

Halfway home, her phone rang, but it wasn’t Colton. Shalia.

She answered. “Hey girl.”

“Hey. Where were you last night?”

“I, uh, had a place to stay. Long story, but please come over for coffee later. I should be home in fifteen minutes.”

“See you then,” Shalia said.

For a few minutes, Ellyn would be spared the embarrassment.

***

Colton woke, but before he opened his eyes, he reached for Ellyn. Maybe she’d be ready for another round. He patted the bed next to him, not finding her. His eyes flew open.

The bed next to him was empty. He could still smell her and their sex, but she wasn’t in his bed.

The dent in the pillow from her head was still there. He listened, but couldn’t hear her in the attached bathroom. Where was she?

He let himself wake up a little more as he pondered this dilemma. Maybe Derek had awakened and she was giving her son some breakfast. He blinked.

Last night had been amazing. That was it. Ellyn was moving in here. She could have her own room if she wanted, but he needed her here.

Never in his life had he ever longed for a family. Until last night. With Ellyn and Derek here, he had felt complete even without knowing anything was missing in his life. He stretched.

Pulling on his boxers, he knew he couldn’t walk out to the kitchen dressed like that. He returned to his bedroom, and pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt. When he wandered out to his kitchen, he realized that he was alone in his apartment.

“What the hell?”

Ellyn had left? She’d run away? Or, slinked away.

What was she feeling? “Oh, crap.”

Colton called down to the doorman. “This is Mr. Hamilton.”

“Good morning, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Did a young woman and a boy leave here this morning?”

“Yes, sir. They left about an hour ago.”

He’d slept in? She had tired him out. “Thanks.”

Hanging up the phone, he rubbed a hand down his face. Damage control. That’s what he needed. He’d have to do it in person. This was not for a phone call.

She probably wouldn’t answer anyway.

He sighed.
“Damn
,” he thought to himself. “
Tactical error. I rushed things. I took advantage when I should have been the gentleman.”

This was not good. Was Ellyn gone for good or could he convince her that he was genuine?  That he wouldn’t hurt her. He did have her best interests at heart. He did.

If he got a lover out of it, all the better.

He showered, thinking about his game plan. She would have had enough time to settle her brain around what happened. Maybe she regretted running out, but she might have too much pride to call him.

He would have to go to her.

With his mission set, he called for his car. Paul arrived a half an hour later.

“Sorry to bother you on a weekend,” Colton said when he climbed in the back seat.

“No worries. Must be important,” Paul said.

“It is. Take me to Ellyn’s house.”

“From the grim look on your face, I’m guessing you have some explaining to do.”

Colton laughed. “You know me so well. Yes, I screwed up and have to apologize.”

“Should I wait for you?”

“No, I think this might take time. I can find another way home.”

“It’s the Bronx.”

“I’ll use another driver. You can have the rest of the weekend off,” Colton said.

Paul gave him a knowing smile in the mirror, then drove him to Ellyn’s apartment.

“Good luck,” Paul said.

Colton nodded, then looked up at Ellyn’s apartment building. She had to move out of this place. Derek needed a safer place to grow up.

He slogged up the three flights to her walkup, pausing a moment to be sure he knew what he was going to say before he knocked.

Shalia answered the door. “Not sure she is ready to talk to you.”

“Well, I need to talk to her,” he said.

He would not be denied. Not even by Ellyn.

Shalia bit her lip. “I’ll take Derek to the park.”

“You’re a gem.”

She frowned. “Glad you think so. Ellyn will be pissed when she comes out of the shower.”

For a brief moment, Colton thought about joining her. His dick agreed, but agreeing with his dick had gotten him in this mess.

Shalia ushered Derek out.

“Hello, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Hello, Derek. Enjoy the park,” Colton said.

“I will.”

Colton settled on Ellyn’s lumpy couch to wait for her. He didn’t wait long and her face spoke volumes about how she felt about him right now. Her lips were a thin line.

“We need to talk Ellyn. The sooner the better.”

“And you charmed Shalia into taking Derek so that could happen?”

“Yes.”

She sighed, then sat on the only other chair in the place. “Here’s how I feel. I don’t want to call it a mistake, but I don’t think it should happen again.”

“Why not?”

“Because you own the company I’ll be working for. Assuming you still want me.”

“Yes, I still want you, but I think we can juggle it.”

She shook her head. “My initial decision to not get involved was the right one. I want to go back to that. Can we be civil?”

Colton’s heart ached. Why did he have feelings for her in such a short time? “Uh, do I have any say in this?”

She frowned, deepening the lines in her forehead. “I’ve made my decision. I need to think of Derek. I need to be successful at what you’ve offered me so that I can make his future better. I want to do that on my own. I’m sorry Colton. That’s how I feel.”

*

Ellyn entered the office building where Colton’s talent agency was, not having seen him since he left her apartment on Saturday morning.

He hadn’t been mad, but he hadn’t been happy, either. Her meeting this morning, to her relief, was with the Human Resources Department. If she had her way, she would get in and out without seeing Colton.

She wasn’t sure she could face him again. She was just not up to it.

The HR person was a young, perky woman with her blonde hair up in a messy bun. Not very chic for a New York Talent Agency, but who was Ellyn to judge. She wasn’t New York chic, either.

“I have one more form I have to print out. I’m sorry, I’m not as ready as I should be. Usually I have a few weeks between hire and this meeting, but this one happened quickly.”

“No problem. I have time,” Ellyn said.

They sat in the woman’s office, which had a picture of a toddler on the wall. He had blond hair like his mother and no teeth in his grin. A cutie for sure.

The printer next to the desk whirred, and then Alice Kean, as she’d introduced herself, pulled a sheet of paper off it. “There. I’ll explain what everything is and how you’ll get paid. Mr. Hamilton probably didn’t mention it, but I’ll need a voided check so we can directly deposit the money into your account when you get your payment issued.”

“No, he didn’t mention it. I can get that to you another day.”

“You can fax it, or scan it in and email it to me.”

As if she had a computer. This woman had no idea just how poor Ellyn was. “Uh, I’ll drop it off in a day or so.”

“Did Mr. Hamilton tell you that we might already have your first job booked? A client liked your portfolio and is eager to meet you.”

“Portfolio?”

“You had pictures taken?”

“I did, but I haven’t seen them.”

The woman’s mouth formed an “O.” “I would bet Mr. Hamilton has that. I think he wants to meet with you after this and go over some things.”

So much for getting out without seeing him. She sighed. “I guess I’ll see it then.”

She signed her name to more papers than she thought possible, then was whisked up to Colton’s office.

His secretary smiled at her as she approached. “You must be Ellyn. He’s on the phone, but he’ll see you as soon as he’s done. Can I get you some coffee, tea or water?”