Danny admires the pile of bacon and eggs I place on the table. It’s a sunny morning and the first time I’ve ever suggested we eat in the backyard. Birds are singing, and he stares at me like I’m the most beautiful thing in the world.
He pulls me onto his lap and kisses me, my fingers finding their way into the neckline of his shirt. “This is nice.”
“It is.” I drop a kiss on his cheek laughing at his broad smile. “But sitting out the back always feels so…exposed.”
“And by exposed, you mean outdoors.”
We both laugh, and the sound does something to my insides. Being like this—relaxed and unafraid—is so foreign, and it makes me so happy. Since the first day we discovered Mr. Biggles upstairs in his bedroom, Danny has had an effect on me. I’m happy when he’s near, a little less so when he’s not. The time we spend together is the highlight of my days and I know I’ll never be able to get enough.
If anyone told me I could fall in love so quickly I’d have told them they were mad. Then I’d have made Danny jump online and book them a counselling session.
Online.
That’s a word I haven’t heard in a few days. No doubt the internet is slowly dying without Danny’s extended shopping visits every day. It’s been a whole week since he’s even checked an auction site.
He doesn’t seem bored, which is when he says the shopping happens. If we’re ever awake in the middle of the night, it’s certainly not so we can go internet shopping. I’ll admit, sometimes I’m awake because a lyric has popped into my head and I need to find a pen, but that’s an occupational hazard.
Mostly, though… Well, I don’t think I have to go into the details. Suffice to say the chair he planned to shove in a back room somewhere still has pride of place downstairs. We even made love with the curtains open last night. That’s an enormous step forward for a woman who barely went outside just a few weeks ago. I’m sure at some point we’ll have to endure some lewd paparazzi publishing a sneaky shot they took with a telephoto lens.
We’ll deal with that when it happens. I might even discover that I kind of like it.
Danny nuzzles my neck and speaks into my hair, sending goose bumps rushing all the way to my toes. “So, can I help you move your stuff in?” I want to scream my answer so the whole street can hear, but I keep it in. I’ve been counselling myself to take things slow, since we started off so intensely. The comments from his dad about us sleeping together quickly didn’t help. I’m slowly getting over my hang-up about that.
“One day.” I laugh as he groans and nips my skin. “Don’t worry. That day will come. Why are you so eager to get me into your lair?”
His kisses continue along my throat, and I have to concentrate to understand his words as a delicious feeling swirls through my belly. “I want you in my bed when I wake up in the morning.” He bites my earlobe. “I want to eat breakfast with you. Spend my days with you and curl up with you every night.” His hands slide down my back and he pulls me close.
“Oh, so you don’t want much time with me at all, then?” I laugh, again, when his voice turns whiny.
“Just everything. All day and all night. I think I’ve proven myself, haven’t I? I’ll be a good boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?”
He raises his head and frowns at me. “Yes, boyfriend. Are we on the same page Tina Trudy?” Uncertainty clouds his features and I immediately feel bad that I’ve caused him to doubt. “Don’t you want us to be together?”
I run my hand along the side of his face. “I didn’t mean to put you off. Of course I want that. I just think of you as more than a boyfriend, that’s all. I think of you as more permanent.”
His immediate grin washes all the doubt from his features. “Ooooooh,” he squeals, like a twelve year-old girl. “You want more of Danny. That makes my heart happy.”
I can’t help but laugh at him as kisses rain down on my cheeks. He’s so quirky, and funny. I’ll never get tired of him.
Never.
I tip my head back as his mouth explores. This moment went a little differently in my head. I’m having trouble concentrating with all the kissing going on. When his lips touch my throat, my legs turn to jelly and all my thoughts get jumbled.
“Danny?”
“Hmm?”
“Could I ask you something?”
“Anything. I have no secrets. Not from you, anyway.”
I have to press my hands to his chest to move him back and stare into his eyes. “I want to ask you something important and I want you to consider your answer before you just blurt something out.”
“As if I would ever do that.” He grins and flutters his eyelashes. He really does have a teenage girl trapped in his body, just like Sayer says.
I laugh and run my hand down his cheek, again. “Okay, are you ready?”
“Ready!” He shouts the answer and makes me jump, setting off more giggles.
I shake my head and grab his hands. “Okay, you maniac. Here we go. You know how you want me to move in so you can be my boyfriend?” He nods. “And you know how I have pretty much everything I need? How I don’t need your money?” He nods again and squeezes my hand, urging me to hurry up. If I wait much longer, he’ll start bouncing. “Well, I was wondering if you’d consider something different.”
He cocks an eyebrow and tips his head, waiting to hear what suggestion I have.
I open my mouth but pause as my eyes move across his face. He has the most gorgeous square jawline. We stare into each other’s eyes and for a second, I wonder if suggesting we buy a house together is the wrong thing to do. Is it too soon? Do people who’ve only known each other a few weeks make big decisions like this? Will he laugh and pull away when I ask it of him?
The thought of him pulling away from me causes a sour taste in my mouth. In just seconds I scroll through all the worst moments of the last five years in my head. The lonely nights. The fear of being found. Microwave meals in front of the television. Having no reason to get dressed in the morning. Then my thoughts morph to the present, now that I don’t have to hide anymore. The freedom that this man is helping me discover, can’t be underestimated. I want to be with him.
Always.
In a sudden rush of emotion, I push all thought of a house out of my mind, and instead I keep hold of his hands and wobble as I drop to one knee. His eyes widen and as always when I’m with him I want to laugh.
“Danny Griffin. Would you please accept my hand in marriage?”
He chokes, and I almost do, too. Then a grin spreads lazily across his face and he sinks down to his knees in front of me, his fingers twisting through mine. “Tina Trudy, that’s the greatest idea I’ve ever heard. Will you accept my hand in marriage, too?”
Tears fill my eyes as he leans forward to kiss me, my arms wrapping around his neck and holding him tight. His tongue slides between my lips and my whole body relaxes like it hasn’t in years. We kiss for several minutes, until we pull apart and rest our heads together.
“Is that a yes?” he says, followed by a chuckle.
“That’s a most definite and resounding yes. How about you? Do you say yes?”
His grin is quick, and he kisses me again. “I’m a definite yes. I love you Tina Trudy Faucet Flint. More than you know.”
“I love you too, Danny.” I kiss his nose like he often does to me. “Are you gonna call me that long name forever?”
“Hmm. We’ll see. I think it has a certain ring to it. Maybe we can call our first baby Flint. Since you’ll be a Griffin and all.”
I laugh as he pulls me to my feet. “I’ll have to think about that.”
“Taking my name? Or baby Flint?”
“Oh, I want your babies, but we’ll have to consider that name choice when the time comes.” I slide my body against his, my mouth watering at the thought of the coming night in his bed. The coming years with every night spent in his bed. “I’ll be taking your name,” I whisper to him. “Trust me on that. I want to belong only to you.”
I’m crying and I can’t stop as his lips follow his fingers. His warm mouth moves down and he’s soon on his knees in front of me again. He presses his face to my belly and grins up at me. “I can’t wait to meet our baby. I promise to talk to him, or her, every night. I can’t wait to see you pregnant and glowing.”
My fingers run through his hair, emotion overwhelming me and thickening my throat. “You’ll be an awesome father, Danny. I know you will.”
His brilliant smile is worth every hard moment I’ve endured. He kisses my belly again, and then stands in front of me, his fingers pushing my shirt off my shoulders. The straps of my bra slide down my arms and he drags the cups over my breasts. My warm flesh responds to his touch, and he runs his thumbs over my nipples.
“Can we get married quickly?”
“Why? Everyone will think a baby is already on the way.” I want to laugh, but instead I gasp as his fingers squeeze and knead. “How soon?” I moan, my head falling back.
“A month or two? I want to make you mine as soon as possible.”
“Okay.”
“Yes.” His tone says he’s high-fiving himself in his head. “Once we’re married, I’ve just thought up the most delicious new surprise for the boys. I’m going to switch up the bet, the second that ring is on your finger.”
He laughs and his mouth is quickly on mine, his tongue exploring while his hands dip lower and fiddle with the zip on my skirt. “I kind of wish you were wearing those pyjamas you like to work in,” he chuckles, as he struggles to slide my skirt down. “They’d be so much easier to get off.”
“I’ll get you off, don’t worry.” I hope the grin I’m wearing is as wicked as it feels. “We don’t need to be married to do that.”
Danny kisses along my shoulder as my skirt drops to the ground. He reaches down and lifts me, wrapping my legs around his waist. “I’m going to guess we need to take this inside?”
“Thanks for knowing that. I’m not quite ready for outside nakedness.”
He grins and takes me inside, kissing me with every step as we go up the stairs and back to our room. He carries me toward the bed.
Our bed.
“Tell me you’re not thinking of the boys and that stupid bet, right now.” The heat leaves me a little, but he lays me down and covers my body with his. He grinds against me and I’m immediately putty in his hands.
His tongue draws circles behind my ear before he speaks. “I’m not thinking of them. I’m thinking of you, and of our wedding. Our wedding night. And all the nights that will come after.”
“Promise?” The word is breathy. I can’t think straight when he kisses my throat.
“I promise. No secrets, remember. I don’t need to exchange rings in front of our friends to promise you I’ll always be true.”
Mr. Biggles chooses this exact moment to spring onto the bed. He glances at us, then leisurely walks right over Danny. I wait for him to appear on the other side of the bed, but instead he settles himself in the middle of Danny’s bare back, starts up his purring, and rests his head on his paws.
“I think you have a friend.” I can barely control my laughter as Danny kisses my nose. “Do you think a cat can be in a wedding?” I watch his face, waiting for his horror to show. Instead, he surprises me.
As always.
“If you want Mr. Biggles in our wedding, my love, you can have him.”
“Since when are you two such good friends?”
“Since he led me to you. If he didn’t run past my sex chair all those weeks ago, you’d still be hiding next door.”
“And you’d still be winning auctions on the internet for things you don’t need.”
“That I would. But my auction days are over. I already own the best treat of all.”
* * *
The End
The Billionaire’s Duty
I hope you enjoyed The Billionaire’s Treat. I always hate waiting for the next book in a series to be released, but you’re lucky - The Billionaire’s Duty is already on preorder! You can grab it on the site where you purchased this book to make sure it doesn’t sneak past you on release day!
* * *
Are our secret billionaires hiding more than money?
* * *
Cross Ronstein could be described as a lot of things. Mining magnate. Domineering Boss. Secret Billionaire. He doesn't care what he's labelled, especially when the tax office takes an interest in his business. Their attention is of minor concern to him until he lays eyes on the temptress they send to dig into his affairs.
* * *
Maybe he can turn the secret billionaire's game to his advantage, just like his friends have managed.
* * *
Jessa Collins has her own array of labels. Tax Investigator. Firebrand. Discoverer of secrets. Whatever people call her, she gets the job done. Every. Single. Time. Even when her target dismisses her suspicions as fantasy and promptly leaves the country for a made-up obligation.
* * *
No matter what drastic measures Jessa has to take, this rich businessman is NOT getting away while she's on the case.
* * *
How far is too far to follow a secret billionaire? Can two people on opposite sides of the corporate fence find their way to love?
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The Steamy Sensations Books
Can’t get enough of the Secret Billionaire’s Club? Don’t worry, there’s ten books coming this year!
The Billionaire’s Heart
The Billionaire’s Luck
The Billionaire’s Treat
The Billionaire’s Duty
The Billionaire’s Spark
The Billionaire’s Club
The Billionaire’s Scare
The Billionaire’s Feast
The Billionaire’s Gift
The Billionaire’s Surprise
* * *
The Secret Billionaire’s Club is part of a multi-author project called Steamy Sensations Holiday Love. Check out the other steamy stories HERE.
* * *
10 authors have joined forces to bring you ten steamy holiday shorts. Make sure you look for these other books for Valentine’s Day:
Liz Durano
Melissa Stevens
Callie Vegas
Liz Gavin
Ja’Nese Dixon
Josie Bordeaux
Terra Kelly
Nick Danes
Heather Young-Nichols
* * *
Enjoy the whole series today!
Also by Tracey Pedersen
Finding Sweet Love Series
All At Sea
All Afloat
All Adrift
All About Us
* * *
One Week Love Story Series
Seven Days To Me
Seven Days To Us
* * *
Married This Year Series
Married This Year
Simmering Love
Adventures In Hiring
Ticket To Ride
Married This Christmas
* * *
Men About Town Series
Tap That!
Tempt Me!
Tight Ass!
Thigh High!
Turned On!
Tinsel Time!
* * *
Famous Love Series
Contracted For Love
Contracted For Life
* * *
The Secret Billionaire’s Club Series
The Billionaire’s Heart
The Billionaire’s Luck
The Billionaire’s Treat
The Billionaire’s Duty
/> About the Author
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Tracey xxx
The Billionaire’s Treat: The Secret Billionaire’s Club Page 8