S*x and Secrets: Alpha Billionaire Forbidden Romance (7 page)

“Is that right, Mr. Barrington?” I teased, letting the tension go with a long outward breath as we got into the elevator. “There are cameras everywhere,” I warned as he took a step closer to me, “and twenty-four/seven security.”

Levi held up his hands. “Okay. I’ll behave. But only this once.”

As soon as we reached my office he closed the door and locked it. “Surely there aren’t cameras in here?”

I bit my lip. “I honestly don’t know. I would hope not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were either. Keep it together, Levi; you’re acting like a sex-starved teenager.” I kept my voice light and low.

He took a step closer and caged me in with his body, even though he wasn’t touching me. “What was that with Beckham Drake earlier?”

“None of your business, that’s what,” I retorted.

His index finger lifted my chin and he stared into my eyes. “Montana, don’t shut me out.”

“I’m not—”

He leaned in closer with his mouth only inches from my ear. “You know you’re going to pay for making me jealous, don’t you?”

What? He’s admitting to jealousy?
Wow.

“Not that I can blame the poor bastard. You’re so fucking hot, Montana—of course the man wants you. But I have news for him.”

My breath hitched. “Yeah, and what’s that?”

“Your pussy is mine, baby. And only mine. Never forget it.”

“Levi,” I groaned. Those words made me all flustered and sent a tingle straight to my groin.

“I bet you’re as wet for me as I’m hard for you. I could fucking eat you alive right now.”

If only he knew how much I wanted that. Squirming, I squeezed my thighs together. My office was getting hotter by the minute.

“I’m not coming to dinner and watching Beckham try to get into your pants or else I could probably kill him.” His voice was low and croaky.

Disappointment washed through me that Levi wasn’t going to be there tonight. We’d never been to a public place together, and I would’ve loved to see him in a different environment.

“Be on time on Saturday,” Levi whispered into my ear. “I’ve got special plans for your birthday.”

He took a step away and ran a hand through his hair. I used the opportunity to get my heartbeat back to normal and grab my purse.

––––––––

T
yler Sinclair still hadn’t returned my call, so I scrolled through my contacts and pressed his number again. Hopefully he’d answer.

I paced my apartment, regretting that I’d turned down the dinner invitation with Drake and his company. At the time I’d thought it was smart, but I ended up fretting about what the hell Beckham might be getting up to in my absence.

“Hey, motherfucker, I thought you dropped off the face of the earth,” Tyler greeted me after five rings. “I haven’t heard from you in a while.” Tyler and I liked sparring with one another.

“Hey. I’m just checking that you didn’t lose
my
number, and that’s why you haven’t returned my damn call. Or are you too busy screwing the rich fucks and their wives?” Tyler was a shrewd stockbroker on Wall Street who’d gone from nothing to millions in a matter of years by using his body and his brains. He wasn’t shy to admit it either.

He laughed. “Not funny. I’m thinking I’ll permanently delete your contact details after this conversation.”

“Hang on. You know I’m kidding,” I snorted. “Life’s busy and even though we both live in New York time just runs away sometimes. We should catch up for a drink soon.”

“Yeah, we should. I work insane hours and I know you do too. Comes with the territory . . . you wanna be successful in this business, it takes time and dedication. And screwing a lot of people,” he said with a chuckle, referring to my earlier tease. I liked a person who could laugh at themselves and Tyler was cool like that.

Even though I meant it as a joke, there was some truth in it. Tyler Sinclair was renowned for his canny ability to pick the right stocks that were on the rise and everyone with money wanted him to invest for them and multiply their fortunes. He was picky with his customers and drove a hard bargain when negotiating his cut. I had firsthand experience—even as his cousin he insisted on a large commission, but it was worth it because I was still way ahead even after making him richer.

I remembered one of the reasons I called him in the first place. “Hey, I saw you’re doing an interview on ABN next week. Just wanted to wish you good luck with Jake Monroe and warn you to watch out. The man has a reputation for being a snake.”

“Yeah, I know. But last time I interviewed with him I had more new clients than I knew what to do with afterwards.” Someone in the background spoke, and he excused himself for a moment. I sat on the sofa and crossed my ankle over my knee, drumming my fingers on the armrest as I held on, eager to continue the conversation and tap into his vast experience with women. Maybe he had something I could use to help me get closer to Montana.

“Sorry about that interruption,” he said. “By the way, I watched Montana Marx’s interview, and Jake sure had a few probing questions. She’s one hell of a smart woman . . . gorgeous, too. I’m surprised she isn’t taken, but she appears married to her career. Pity—she seems super sexy.”

My blood ran hot. I didn’t like other men talking about her that way—not even my cousin.

I changed the subject away from Montana. The less I said about her, the better, or else I might have said something I shouldn’t. “You always were a ladies’ man, Tyler. You have a good eye too. Any tips?”

“You have someone special you’re seeing?”

“Yeah. And I’d like to take it to the next level, but she’s resisting.”

Tyler made a coughing sound on the other side of the line. “That doesn’t sound too good, man. Usually it’s the women who push for more, you know?”

“Yeah, that isn’t news to me. Come on, you must have some pearl of wisdom to share.” I hoped I wasn’t sounding desperate, but his earlier reaction wasn’t exactly encouraging.

“Um, let me think.” He paused for a moment. “My number-one gem?” I could practically hear the gears change in his brain. “What I know for a fact is that women like to be treated well. Do something special for her that you’ve never done for anyone else before. Something so unique that she’ll know you put time and effort into it.”

“What you’re saying is to treat her like a queen?” Hell, this was too easy. If that was all there was to it, I was on a winning streak.

“Exactly. Every queen needs a king. If you treat her like she’s important to you, she’ll pay you back one-hundred-fold. Not to mention blowjobs, hand jobs—basically anything you want, she’ll give willingly just because you made her feel special.”

I was awestruck. Tyler was a fucking genius. “No wonder they call you Mr. Debonair. You should do a masterclass for guys like me who eventually wanna put a ring on the finger of a special woman.”

“Fuck, I didn’t realize you were that serious. She must be quite a babe for you to fall that fucking hard.”

“She is. And she has brains, too. She’s an eleven on a scale of one to ten.”

“You’ve got it pretty serious, cousin. You better get to work and snatch her up before someone else does.” He paused for a moment. “Do I know her?”

“Maybe,” I growled, “but she’s mine, and I’m not telling you her name until you get an invitation to our engagement in the mail.”

“Jesus, Levi. Lighten up, buddy. I didn’t mean it like that. I’ve got my hands full with my own woman driving me crazy. I just thought if I knew her, I could somehow put in a good word for you.”

I laughed sheepishly, but I had to admit I was relieved as fuck. Tyler Sinclair wasn’t named Mr. Debonair for nothing. Women loved the bastard, and he usually had a bevy of beauties vying for his attention. But he was like me—a workaholic—so I knew he was picky as fuck when it came to dating.

“She must be some woman to keep your attention,” I said dryly.

To my surprise, he didn’t argue. “You know what, Levi? When you meet the right woman, it’s as if your cock wants only her. I never thought it would happen to me. Shit, I used sex more than anything to get where I am today. But this woman . . . she has me by the balls, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Are you telling me that you’ll be giving up your well-earned title then?”

He chuckled, long and hard. “With her, the only titles I want are
married
and
taken
.”

“How did you meet her?” This woman had to be something extra special to snare my cousin.

“She’s an intern at our firm. You know I always get what I want—much the same as you—so on that score we’re pretty much the same. It must run in our bloodline.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, agreeing with that assessment. “Well good luck, and thanks for the pointers. I’ll be racking my brain. It’s Mon . . . um, her birthday soon. I have an idea that I think will blow her mind, and I’ll have to get to work immediately.”

“Sounds like you’ve worked it out already. Have fun and send me an invitation to the wedding.”

“Sure, if you don’t beat me to it.”

We both fell silent for a moment. I bet neither of us were as confident as we made out that we’d actually achieve our plans of getting the girls of our dreams.

M
ontana’s birthday was something I was really looking forward to. Since she didn’t have any family in the city to spend time with, I’d convinced her to swap our Friday-night session for Saturday instead. At first she’d protested, but I’d noticed a glint of sadness in her eyes, which made me think that she wouldn’t enjoy being alone anyway.

With a few surprises still up my sleeve, I’d planned a night she’d remember for a long time. Tyler would be proud of me.

Arriving early at the loft, I checked that Montana’s special gift was in place before I showered and changed into the black satin leisure pants I wore sitting low on my hips, fully aware that Montana couldn’t take her eyes off the deep
V
that cut into my groin. I was fucking proud of my toned body—I’d worked hard to get it into this shape, and even harder to stay fit and maintain it.

It was my job to please people, and I excelled at it. Call it a natural gift, but I usually managed to put most people—young and old, male and female—at ease in my presence. My fuck buddy was no different. I loved pleasing Montana, and seeing the admiration shine in her gorgeous blue eyes was my biggest reward.

Thrilled by a knock on the door precisely thirty minutes before Montana was due to arrive, I let the caterers in and led them upstairs to the rooftop terrace, watching as they quickly laid the table with the gourmet food I had ordered.

The open space was already filled with pink and white peonies in dozens of large glass vases scattered around the perimeter of the deck. I inhaled deeply, enjoying their sweet fragrance that filled the warm summer air. Soft lighting from the paper lanterns dangling overhead and the fairy lights wound around the trees in huge pots I had planted only a week ago added a whimsical touch.

I leaned against the wall, arms folded over my chest, and watched as a tall redhead who was in charge of the catering team lit the candles in the hurricane vases. She kept glancing at me, her curiosity clearly getting the better of her.

I made a mental note to thank my personal assistant for doing such an excellent job of organizing most of the decor. Wilson was the only other person on the planet who knew about my arrangement with Montana, and for the hefty salary I paid him, I expected him to carry my secret to the grave. I trusted him, but I was no fool; I’d made sure he was tied up with a watertight confidentiality agreement that if ever breached meant the man would pretty much never find another job in the USA. Yeah, maybe it was extreme, but I wasn’t taking chances.

“Thank you,” I said to the busty redhead as she gathered her team and sent them away to the van. “Your service has been excellent.”

She held out a business card, and as I took it, she laid a hand on my arm and smiled up at me, her dark brown eyes filled with lust and an invitation. “If your lucky date doesn’t arrive, that card has my personal number on it. Call me—I guarantee I can be of even better service.” She leaned in closer, brushing her tits against my chest, and spoke into my ear while her fingers ran down my chest. “Call me anyway. I’d love to play with your cock.”

I chuckled softly and read her card.
Red Lancaster. Catering Manager
.

Ballsy. Smoking hot. Definitely not shy.

If I didn’t already have a fuck buddy, she’d be great. But there was only one woman on my mind tonight, and I had to get rid of Red in the next five minutes or risk her bumping into Montana.

I removed her hand from where it had rested on my chest and was moving down toward my package. “Sorry, but my cock already has plans for tonight. You gotta get out of here. Now.”

Disappointment flitted across her face. She lifted her chin and met my gaze.

“There aren’t many men who turn my services down, you know. I hope she’s a good fuck and that she’s worth missing out on me.”

Wow. Talk about direct. I’d had many women flirt with me on a daily basis, but this one meant business. “Listen, sweetheart, this woman is worth every fucking second of my time, and she’ll be here any minute. You’ve done a great catering job, but I need you to leave now. I won’t be calling you any time soon.” I shrugged and handed the card back to her. “Just the way it is.”

“Your loss,” she hissed, crumpling the card in her fist before disappearing down the stairs, huffing.

Fuck. That was exactly the reason I liked the arrangement with Montana. No fucking drama. 

I
f there was one thing I hated with a passion, it was running late. But that evening, everything seemed to conspire to delay me. First it was choosing the right dress; I changed three times until I was happy with what I was wearing. Ironically, I was fully aware that I’d most likely be out of the dress in the first ten minutes after arriving. Levi had a voracious appetite for sex, and sometimes when we’d missed a night because one of us was away on a business trip, we’d practically rip one another’s clothes off and fuck like wild animals the first time we met up again.