Romancing the Billionaire (27 page)

“That's good, because we have a lot of time to make up for,” she told him in a soft voice. Her words broke off into a moan as he thrust into her again, so forcefully that their bodies slid up her sheets.

“I've heard make-up sex is the best.”

She giggled at that, and her giggles turned into gasps when he began a steady rhythm, pounding into her with forceful thrusts. All lightheartedness left and she clung to him, digging her nails into his shoulders and moaning his name in time with his movements. Her heels dug into his ass, her hips lifting with each thrust. Each time their bodies rocked together, Violet felt her orgasm hover closer and closer, but she wanted to come with Jonathan. She'd already come once without him, and wanted to share this. She'd never felt closer to him than at this moment, and she clung to him as if he were a lifeline, feeling every thrust into her heart, her soul.

“I love you,” she moaned as he began to pump harder.

“Keep telling me,” he gritted. “I love hearing you say it.”

“I love you,” she repeated again, and gasped when he swiveled his hips against her own in a circular motion, making new nerve endings flare to attention. “Oh, God, Jonathan! I love you!”

“Again. Say it again.”

She did. Over and over, with every pounding stroke, she told him she loved him, and it seemed to amp up his intensity. Within minutes, she was losing her mind with need, her voice raising into a shriek as he continued to pump harder and harder into her, driving her wild. “I love you! I love you!”

“You're mine, Violet.”

“Yours!”

“And you're going to come for me again.”

“Yes! Come with me!”

He tilted her hips to the side and pinned her by the hip, then began to hammer into her again. It totally changed the delicious friction and made things intensify by a thousand. Her orgasm roared to life, and, helpless to stop it, she began to come. Her legs tensed and she felt her pussy clench and tug around Jonathan's cock as waves of pleasure coursed through her. She gave a small scream—

And someone banged on the wall on the other side of the condo.

Violet's cry of pleasure turned into a horrified gasp. “Oh, my God—”

“Shhh,” he told her. Jonathan's hand went over her mouth and he gave her a wild, almost feral grin. “I'm not done with you yet.” And he began to drive into her harder, sending her shrieking right over the edge again, her screams drowned out by his hand. Even as she screamed and came, he came, too, a wash of heat bathing her insides and filling her with satisfaction as his face contorted with pleasure and his strokes slowed.

Eventually, he lifted his hand and grinned down at her, exhausted and sweaty but utterly pleased. He leaned in for one last kiss and then rolled to the side, panting.

She lay on her back, stunned, staring up at the ceiling.

His hand searched for hers and he twined his fingers with her own as they lay flat on their backs, and the small gesture made Violet's heart give a happy flop.

“I think we scared my neighbors,” she whispered.

“I think you bit my hand,” he teased.

She smothered a laugh.

He looked over at her. “So,” he mused. “Do you love me, Violet?”

She peeked over at him through her lashes. “What, you couldn't tell? I think every neighbor in the building heard me shouting it.”

He grinned. “How attached are you to this building, anyhow?”

“I don't know. Why?” Violet gave him a suspicious look.

He shrugged. “Was thinking about buying a condo of my own here in Detroit, though I'd probably get something bigger. What do you think?”

She considered this. “What neighborhood?”

“Whichever one you want.”

Violet rolled over on her side, amused that his gaze followed her breasts as she did. “Are you asking me to move in with you, Jonathan?”

“I thought that was obvious. Wanna move in with me?”

She rolled onto her back again. “I'll consider it.”

“Consider it?” Within seconds, Jonathan's larger body was on top of hers and pressing her against the mattress. “Do you need convincing? I'm pretty good at convincing.”

She gave him a sly smile, her arousal rising again. Her fingers skated down his chest. “Maybe you show me a little of this convincing, then.”

Neither of them got up from the bed for hours.

Two Weeks Later

Y
ou sure Violet won't mind if I drop in?” Cade Archer, ever solicitous, sounded concerned as the two men exited Jonathan's sports car and headed to the elevator in the parking garage.

“Of course not,” Jonathan said, tucking his keys into his jacket pocket. “Besides, it gave me company on the red-eye back here to Detroit.” He was glad for that, too. He'd been a little tired tonight, since he'd had to fly in to New York City earlier that day for business meetings, then stuck around for the weekly Brotherhood meeting. He'd considered staying in his Manhattan town house overnight, but the thought of getting back to Violet was a greater pull than sleep. “I called her earlier and she's fixing me a late dinner.”

“So how are things between you two?” Cade asked.

Jonathan shot his friend a curious look. “Don't tell me you came all the way to Detroit just because you wanted to see how Violet and I were getting along?”

“Actually, no,” Cade said, a wry smile curving his mouth. “I can see from the hickies on your neck how you two are getting along. I'm going to visit a friend here in Detroit tomorrow, and I thought I'd fly in with you just to say hi.”

“Well, don't say hi for too long,” Jonathan cautioned him. “I plan on dragging Violet into bed at the earliest opportunity.”

“Bluntly put, sir,” Cade said, unoffended. “I shall find myself a hotel posthaste.”

“Well, you can at least have dinner,” Jonathan said with a smirk. “But only dinner.”

They headed up to the penthouse of the most expensive building in Detroit. It was farther away from the school than Violet liked, but she'd loved the apartment when they'd seen it. Jonathan had solved the distance problem for her by hiring her a driver so she could have someone else do the morning commute while she was still waking up and taking in her morning coffee. It was just one of the ways he got the opportunity to take care of her. Luckily, the building was close to his offices downtown, so by the time he left work, she was already home and grading papers for her students. He suspected his Detroit offices didn't know what to do now that he spent more time in Detroit than New York City, but they'd eventually come around. It allowed him the opportunity to observe the Detroit offices and management, since performances had been poorer than he would have liked last year. Really, this was a good thing all around.

Since they'd moved in together, Jonathan found Violet to be a joy. It was incredible to be able to wake up and find her in his bed every morning. Violet, it turned out, was a cuddler in her sleep, and she tended to cling to him, as if worried that she'd let go and he'd disappear. Thus, he tended to wake up with Violet's front pressed to his back and her cold feet pressed against his calves.

He fucking loved every moment of it.

They made love with abandon, talked about the future, and he didn't even care that she tended to throw her shoes off wherever it struck her, and he could follow a trail of dirty clothes back to the bedroom. After all, they could always hire a maid.

All that mattered was that when he climbed into bed at night, Violet's arms went around him. And when he woke up, he'd look over and see her lovely face on the pillow next to his.

Jonathan's heart had never been so full.

Cade kept up a stream of easygoing conversation as they headed down the hall toward Jonathan and Violet's new apartment, but Jonathan wasn't listening. He'd been gone from Violet for almost a full day; he'd left before dawn that morning and was getting back after two the next morning. This was the longest they'd been apart and he missed the hell out of her.

“You sure she's up?” Cade asked, stifling a yawn.

“She said she would be,” Jonathan told him, and opened the heavy wooden door to the penthouse apartment. Immediately, the smell of a spicy stir-fry touched his nose, and his mouth watered. He loved Asian food; he'd developed a taste for it in his travels, and Violet had remembered that.

As if she knew he was thinking about her, Violet padded out of the kitchen, dressed in one of his old T-shirts and a pair of his baggy sleep pants that clung tightly to her generous curves. Her dark hair was rumpled and her eyes looked sleepy, but she held a spatula and beamed at him. “You made it home! I was worried about you.” Her gaze went to Cade and warmed. “And you brought a friend. Hi, Cade! It's so good to see you.”

“Violet,” Cade said, striding forward to give her a quick hug. “You're looking lovely.”

They hugged briefly and as soon as Cade released her, Jonathan dragged his beautiful woman into his arms, kissing her passionately. She returned his kisses breathlessly, then pulled away. “You're going to make me burn the food.”

“You didn't have to cook,” he told her in a low voice.

“I'm glad she did. It smells amazing,” Cade said, leaning against one of the nearby counters.

Violet pulled away from Jonathan's arms with a blush and a quick look of longing, and then she turned back to the wok on the gas stove. “I needed to do something to stay awake while I waited for you. Coffee?” She gestured at the half-full coffeepot on the counter.

“I'm good,” Cade said. “Can I look around while we wait for food?”

“Of course,” Violet said, and winced. “Just . . . excuse the mess. I haven't picked up.”

“I won't say a word,” Cade said with a grin, and disappeared into the living room.

Immediately, Jonathan grabbed Violet and began to kiss her again, pressing her against a nearby counter and grinding his erection against the cradle of her hips. “God, I missed you.”

Her return kisses were equally frantic, her hands clawing at his shirt. “Not half as much as I missed you.”

His hand slid into the waistband of her pants and she whimpered, pulling at his hand. “No, Jonathan, wait—”

“I don't want to wait,” he growled. He'd been waiting all day to touch her again. To feel that sweet slickness pool between her legs just for him. Twenty hours without Violet was too long. How had he ever gone ten years?

“Wow, the ceiling in here is enormous,” Cade called from the living room. “Is the guest bathroom down the hall?”

“Y-yes,” Violet called out, sounding breathless as Jonathan's fingers delved down the front of her sleep pants. She was pinned against the counter, but she wasn't fighting him. Instead, she clung to him, her hips pushing against his hand in a silent plea for more. Ah, there it was. Her clit was already poking out, stiff with need, and her wetness hit his fingers as soon as he touched her folds. God, she was always so wet for him. He began to rub and loved the little whimpers she gave even as she started to ride his hand.

Jonathan's mouth captured hers and he kissed her, hard and fierce, while he rubbed her to a quick, brutal orgasm. She came moments later, clinging to him for support, his palm flooding with her juices, her tiny scream smothered by his tongue. He loved the sight of that, and the glazed, exhausted, replete look she gave him when he pulled his hand away. She clung to him, tucking her head against his chest. “Mmm, I'm so glad you're home.”

He chuckled and took the spatula from her hand and set it on the counter. The stir-fry was burning, so he turned off the stove even as she yawned and burrowed against him. “Let's get you to bed, love.”

“What about food—” she began sleepily.

“I'll eat tomorrow.”

“What about Cade—”

He swung her into his arms and began to carry her toward the bed. “He can go get a hotel room.”

He thought Violet would protest, but she only buried her face in his neck and began to lick and suck on his skin there. He groaned with need. “Hurry up and kick him out, then,” she murmured as he pushed open the door to the bedroom and laid her in the rumpled bed.

Jonathan pressed a kiss to Violet's forehead. “I won't be long.”

He wasn't; Cade discreetly emerged from the back of the penthouse once Jonathan shut the bedroom door behind him and adjusted himself. “You know,” Cade said, “I think I'll just head out, if it's the same to you.”

“Perfect.” Jonathan grinned at him in understanding. “You're a good friend.”

“I might swing by the Lyons offices in a few days,” he said thoughtfully. “Thinking about getting a customized car for a friend.”

“It'll be on me,” Jonathan said.
Just leave in the next few minutes.

Cade nodded, seemingly distracted. “Catch you in a few days, then, man.” He clapped Jonathan on the shoulder. “Got keys I can borrow?”

“My roadster's keys are on the hook by the door. It's yours.”

Cade grinned. “I'll see myself out, then. Tell Violet I said good night, and that it was lovely to see her.”

“Will do,” Jonathan said, and waited for Cade to leave. A few moments later, the blond man was gone and Jonathan went through the apartment, turning off lights and picking up Violet's shoes so she didn't trip over them in the morning. He tossed them into a nearby chair and then headed to the bedroom, stripping off his jacket.

Violet was already fast asleep, her cheek tucked into one palm. That was fine; he'd be perfectly happy cuddling his woman as she slept. Just touching her was pleasure enough. Jonathan stripped out of his clothes, turned off the lights, and climbed into bed.

Automatically, Violet turned toward him and he pulled her against his chest. She yawned when he pressed a kiss to her forehead and settled back into sleep.

At least, he thought she was asleep. A sleepy voice rose from the darkness. “This weekend, I think I want to visit my father's grave.”

“Whatever you want,” Jonathan told her, pulling her closer against him. He admitted to himself that he was curious about what was in the old man's grave, and if his treasured stele and Dr. DeWitt's journals were hidden there, great. But finding those had been less important than getting Violet back, and he was content to wait until she was ready to approach the task again.

Good things came to those who waited, and ten years of patience had won him the best prize of all. Kissing Violet's forehead again, he closed his own eyes, utterly content.