Temptation (Billionaire Venture Capitalist #4): A Second Chance Billionaire Romance

by Ainsley St Claire

  “We’ll do a work-up and see what we can find.”

  I nod. “Thank you. I’ll stick around her house for a few days and work from here. I can be here in less than twenty minutes.”

  “How are you doing, besides this?” My mother’s doctor is well aware that since bipolar disorder is genetic, I could develop symptoms, which is my biggest fear. I hate what it does to my mother, and he knows it.

  I’ll always have to care for her, and these kinds of episodes are going to happen. She has no one else. My father couldn’t take riding her moods, taking care of her and fighting with her to take her medications, so he left her for another woman. He’s always worked hard to include me with his new family, but I’m really all my mom has. Her family’s in New York, and they’re all dealing with the same thing with Aunt Gillian—Vanessa’s mom.

  I look over at Andreas, wanting to be careful what I tell the doctor. “No signs yet.”

  “Greer, it isn’t a death sentence. There are many people who live fulfilling lives with the disorder.”

  “Thank you. You have my number.” I turn to Andreas. “I should get you home.”

  He looks up and asks, “Have you eaten? I’m starved.”

  “I could use something, but it’s after ten. I’m not sure what’s open this time of night out here in the boonies.”

  He gives me a beautiful smile that goes all the way to his chocolate brown eyes. I could just eat him up. “I know this isn’t the crazy city, but there’s an all-night diner not too far from here. Would that work?” He shakes his head and chuckles like I’m the country bumkin.

  I’m touched by his generosity of not only today but seemingly wanting to make sure I’m okay. It’s refreshing to say the very least. “Sounds perfect.”

  We drive in silence. I don’t know how to explain what happened, so I just keep my thoughts to myself.

  We walk into the diner, and it’s busier than I expected. We’re shown to our seats in a booth against the window. “I’m really sorry. I’m embarrassed, and I don’t know what to say or how I can apologize to you.”

  “Why do you need to apologize?”

  “She ruined your night. If we’re lucky, that’s all she did.”

  “Greer, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Tell me about your mother’s illness.”

  I’m grateful for his understanding, but the same happened with Mark in the beginning, so I’m not going to let my guard down too easily. Rather than tell him all the stories of my childhood disappointments, I attempt to change the subject. “How did she end up at Bellissima?”

  “You know, I’m not sure. She came about two weeks ago with a few other women. They were a little friendly, but nothing out of the ordinary. But I promise you, your mother and I aren’t dating. Not even close. Today was only the second time I saw her. She came on to me pretty heavily, and when she was rebuffed, she stormed out. I’m glad one of my vineyard workers found her. We water after dark and the temperature drops at night. It could’ve been a real problem for her had we not found her. She’d walked a considerable distance, and somewhere she lost her dress and her underwear.”

  “I love her, I really do, but she can be like a child when she goes through these cycles.”

  He pats my hand, and the waitress comes to take our order. She stares at Andy as if he’s the last glass of water in a hot, dry desert, but he ignores her as we order, barely making eye contact. I get the cheeseburger and fries, and he orders a chicken sandwich and a salad. I feel guilty for eating junk, but I don’t care. I’m tired both mentally and physically.

  “Let’s see. The last time I saw you, you were having a great time at Hadlee’s birthday party. I haven’t seen you at the winery since. Did you decide you didn’t like my wine?”

  “Are you kidding? It’s amazing. It’s been a busy few weeks at work, and CeCe took her company to Fashion Week and now this.”

  “Tell me about your work. What do you do? Besides love wine as much as I do.”

  I’m flattered by his compliment. I was worried when we met that I’d waxed on about wine and sounded pretentious. “I work in public relations for a venture capital fund.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Well, you met most of the team at Hadlee’s birthday party. Mason, Dillon, and Cameron all went to college together at Stanford, and they eventually all went to work for start-ups that went really well. They started combining their money and investing in new companies or ideas, and eventually those companies exploded. Are you familiar with PeopleMover?”

  “Of course. Aren’t they the biggest social media platform these days?”

  “They are. We’re their only investors outside of the founders who created them.”

  He whistles. “That’s huge, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, my job is to work with our investments and help break down the technology to sell it to Wall Street as they go public. And I deal with the PR nightmares that can come up at our own company and our investments.”

  “You have nightmares at your company?”

  I debate for a half second on telling him about our chaos, then figure I can at least give him the generic view of our challenges. “For the last three years, we’ve had someone wreaking havoc. It’s created a tremendous amount of work because their goal was to put us out of business. We’ve had a top-notch security team on it, and we’ve dug into our computers and employee backgrounds, but we can’t figure out who’s the problem child.”

  “That must be really tough. You’re obviously very good at your job. I watched how you managed your mom tonight. You were grace under fire.”

  “Thank you. I have more practice than I’d like when it comes to Eve.” I’m uncomfortable with the compliment. I’ve faced so much criticism over the years because of my mom, and losing my fiancé over it was the icing on the cake.

  “Do you like your work?”

  “Most of the time.”

  Our meals arrive, and my burger looks delicious. Popping a french fry in my mouth, I’m ready to move the conversation away from me. “Now it’s my turn. Tell me how you landed here in Napa with all the success your family’s had in other parts of the world.”

  “I’m one of fifteen kids.”

  I almost choke on my cheeseburger. “Fifteen? Wow. Where are you in the birth order?”

  “I’m the oldest of the last set of five.”

  My cheeseburger is stuck in my throat, so I take a long drink of water and attempt to gain my composure. Finally, I can talk. “Okay, but that doesn’t tell me how you ended up here.”

  “We’re the eighth generation to make wine in my family, and my father has taken the wine to international acclaim, but he wants our brand to grow. Since we can’t get any bigger in Italy, he decided to grow more worldwide. He created Bellissima Holdings, and we’ve bought land in grape-rich areas across the world to add to our brand. We were all raised to go out and build vineyards around the globe. My older brothers were sent to Argentina, Africa, New Zealand, France, Greece, and Hungary, and many of my sisters have done like Sophia and partnered with some of us. When I was twelve, I started learning about grapes and how to make good wines. I spent my summers working and helping not only at home but abroad. Then I was sent to university here in the States, and we started buying land. Sophia and I planted our first grapes almost twelve years ago, and the rest you know.”

  “That sounds very mafia-esque,” I laugh.

  He laughs. “We aren’t that organized.” His eyes sparkle, and he reaches for my hand and holds it across the table as his fingers caress my knuckles.

  My stomach flutters and my breathing quickens. I need to keep us on track or I might leap across this table and try to jump his bones. “Do you like the wine business?”

  “Most days. I think it’s like your job. Some days are fantastic, and others are grueling hard work.” He looks me in the eye, his hand never leaving mine, and the sexual tension builds.

  I nod. “That’s a perfect comparison.” I have an in
ternal debate for a moment, but I can’t hold my question back any longer. “Why didn’t you call me after Hadlee’s birthday party?” I sit back and bite my lip while picking at my nail under the table, waiting for him to answer.

  “I can’t tell you how many times I picked up the phone to call you. My life’s crazy and often not my own. Trust me, I wanted to call you. You’re smart and beautiful.” I begin to blush. “I really liked you then, and I think fate brought us together now.”

  We spend the rest of our dinner talking. He’s an incredibly handsome man, his body buff and in top condition. He looks like a middleweight champion, probably sports an eight-pack, and even when he wears something as simple as a T-shirt and jeans, his physique is still showcased. It’s disgusting the way some women—including my mother, unfortunately—scratch and claw at each other to garner his attention.

  When we finish, I’m actually disappointed the night is ending. He insists on paying for my dinner, which tugs at my heartstrings. After all he’s done for Eve, he’s being a gentleman and treating me when I should be doing at least that for putting him out. As we walk to the car, his hand is at the small of my back, and it sends electrical jolts to my core. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this physical chemistry with anyone before.

  “Where are you staying tonight?” he casually asks.

  “I was going to stay at my mother’s, but when I stopped there on my way into town, I found it was unfortunately in pretty bad shape. I need to call around and find someone to get it cleaned. There’s a bed-and-breakfast I’ve stayed at before, so I’ll go there. They typically have room.”

  We walk to the car, our bodies close, an electrical current passing between us that I’m sure everyone can see. “Would you like to stay at the villa?” he murmurs as he moves my hair from my face.

  “I-I-I couldn’t put you out like that. I’ve already taken advantage of your kindness.” My heart is beating so loud, I’m sure he can hear it.

  “Please. Stay with me. I insist.”

  Before I can give him a reason why I shouldn’t, he pulls me in close, his fingers gentle beneath my chin. He lifts my face to his, meeting my lips in a kiss of wanting and warmth. His tongue darts out to taste me, the movement filled with possession. As if emboldened by my flavor, he groans and pulls me closer with a hand behind my neck, his embrace crushing my arms against his chest. I can’t move, but I feel the power I have over him. The urgency in his kiss, the hardness against my stomach, excites me.

  “I really would love for you to stay.” He kisses me again, more aggressive and urgent, our hands exploring. I want him. I want all of him. “Please, stay with me tonight,” he groans.

  I nod, and we climb in my car and drive back to the villa. My head’s spinning and I’m nervous. I haven’t been with anyone since Mark.

  We’re hardly through the back door when he pins me to the wall, his kisses become hot and feral. I find myself fisting the back of his T-shirt in my clenched hands.

  “Greer, I’ve wanted this for so long.” He looks at me, waiting for permission to continue.

  I nod in response and his lips crash on mine again. His hands are wandering and aggressive. He’s so good that I don’t even notice he has my pants unzipped until they’re halfway down my thighs.

  His erection presses against my stomach, and flutters of desire take off deep within my core.

  My body’s still shaking from the aftermath of his heated kiss. He’s managed to remove his shirt, and all the work he must do in the fields has his stomach just as I imagined, a tight eight-pack. God, he’s beautiful.

  He nibbles on my neck while his hands continue to explore me. “Shall we go upstairs?”

  “Please,” I whisper breathlessly. We’re moving fast, but my pussy is doing all the thinking, and I’m not going to let my brain convince me it’s a bad idea. How can it be?

  Getting on his knees, he helps me out of my jeans, running his hands up and down my legs but never quite touching me in my most sensitive spots. He plants sensual kisses up my body as he stands, then pushes my legs apart with his knee. “You feel that, sweetheart? I wasn’t joking when I said you turn me on,” he breathes as he presses against me once more. “Your pussy’s so wet.”

  Leading me by the hand, he pulls me farther into his apartment. I don’t have the time to take in his space before his lips come crashing on mine. His tongue gently slips in and out between my lips, and I can no longer take the teasing, gentle kisses. I open my mouth wider and lift my head to forcefully take over the kiss in a blind passion. He groans as I work my tongue over his in long strokes. The electricity that sparks through my body from the taste of this virile man has made me lose all reason.

  I want him. All of him.

  We stumble to his bedroom. Frantically, trying not to break our kiss, we pull each other’s clothes off, our hands exploring in our excitement. His chest is hard, and his nipples are a milk chocolate color. I can’t help but want to lick them up. His hard cock poking me in the stomach begs for attention.

  Pushing me to the bed, Andy breaks the kiss to open a bedside table, quickly sheathing his hard cock with a condom. I want to taste it. Heat spreads through my core, and God, how I want to feel him inside me. He enters me quickly and slides deep to the hilt. He’s so big it stings a moment, but I adjust.

  Moving his tongue against mine in tandem with his hips, the only sounds are the slickness and our bodies slapping together. He pins my arms to my side, which only adds to the erotic experience, and I soon feel something building inside me. I’m losing more and more control with each slip of his tongue and our bodies slamming into one another.

  “Take it, baby, and just feel me,” he groans against my lips.

  He knows I’m growing desperate for a release when my own hips start grinding my drenched heat against him, begging for any friction to end my madness.

  “Come for me, Greer.” He deepens the kiss, and for the life of me, I can’t tell where I am right now. He pinches my nipple hard and I scream out. What a perfect end to my current dry run.

  “You look like an angel.” He pulls his head back, stroking my cheek tenderly as he looks into my eyes with wonderment. Sweat beads have formed along his hairline, his chest lightly rising and falling as he catches his breath.

  I want more. He’s opened Pandora’s box, and I crave erotic pleasure.

  Pulling me into him with a tight embrace, he spoons my worn-out body against his. He feels so good, holding me tight. I doze in postcoital bliss and wake when he leaves me, feeling bereft and wanting of his warm body. He gets comfortable between my legs, and my nipples grow hard as his fingers explore me.

  “Look at me. I want you to watch this,” he gruffly commands.

  I lift my head and look down to his eyes penetrating mine, swirling with heated passion. The erotic and vulnerable scene before me that this man has created takes my breath away. As he continues to work me with his fingers, he moves his mouth to my bundle of nerves, never breaking eye contact with me. I watch as he teases my clit by slowly tracing circles around it, still thrusting his fingers inside me. His wet, warm tongue feels deliciously sinful, and I instinctively lift my hips, seeking something more from him.

  “Andreas… I need….”

  He arches a brow and then opens his mouth to cover my clit in its entirety with his warm tongue. He works feverishly, flicking his tongue back and forth over my sensitive nub. My legs continue to shake against my will, and my toes literally curl. “Oh… my… God….”

  Multiple sensations bombard me all at once, coursing through me, and watching him do this to my body becomes my undoing. I’ve been so sexually pent-up for so long that I can’t hold out any longer.

  “Andreas, don’t stop. Please… oh, I’m coming… oh God….”

  I'm in free fall, embracing every second of these exquisite sensations crashing throughout my body.

  My hips undulate with a mind of their own, grinding against his fingers and mouth as he suctions around my clit. I
t’s all so intense, and I hear myself scream his name.

  All too soon, it’s over, and I lie on the bed out of breath in an obliterated mess. “That feeling doesn’t last nearly long enough,” I pant.

  Our legs are entwined in a postcoital glow.

  That was quite a way to break my imposed chastity. I want to do this again and again. He may have lit a fire that may take some time to burn out—if ever.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Andy

  Her slender arms reach for me in her sleep, her body small and pale beneath the soft sheets. There’s an electricity between us so strong it’s as if it was harnessed from lightning in a storm. From the minute I met her months ago, I wanted this to happen, and she’s occupied my dreams ever since. I never thought it was in the realm of any possibility. She lives in the city and has a high-powered career, and let’s face it, I’m a farmer. I may only be a fling to her, but I’m determined to enjoy this as long as she allows it.

  Her long dark lashes fan out beneath her sleeping eyes; she has prominent cheekbones, petite features, and beautiful raven-black hair that must reach to her shoulders spilling out over the pillow. Her skin is smooth and creamy white, not like some women her age who already have crow’s feet at the corners of their eyes from too much sun. She’s enchanting me, even in her sleep.

  I can’t help but reach for her, and she moans her appreciation. I love morning sex. My cock is hard and ready for more as I dip my head and take her nipple into my mouth, pulling and sucking gently at first. My fingers caress their way to her center and her legs open to allow me entry. She isn’t fully awake and she’s already wet.

  Her beautiful blue eyes open and she smiles at me. Her hips are moving, searching for the friction in just the right place. Rolling me onto my back, she reaches for a condom and quickly covers my shaft. I’m ready to take her, but she climbs on top.