The Billionaire & The Barfly (Coming Home)

by Adrianne James

  “I think I am going to have to go out there and talk to them to get them to move. I am going to get out and walk toward the front door. When I get them clear, slide over, and then drive the truck in. I’ll be in behind you.”

  “Okay.” Before he could slip out of the truck, Aubrey leaned over and brushed a kiss across his cheek. She could tell that the attention and flashing cameras outside of the truck were bothering him. To be honest, it was a little intimidating. But she didn’t want him to think a few pictures were going to scare her off. Especially, not after she finally accepted how she felt for him.

  Henry gave her a sweet smile, a light dancing in his eyes that made her happy knowing it was because of her. His hand grazed her cheek before he quickly opened the truck door just enough to get out and keep her hidden away.

  Aubrey watched as Henry led the mass of people away like he said he would. He walked over to his front door and stood on the top step. He spoke with his hands gesturing wildly. She watched as he held his audience captivated and wished she could hear what he said to hold their attention so raptly.

  When his eyes locked with hers (intentionally or not, since she knew he couldn’t actually see her through the windows), she remembered why he went out there in the first place. Quickly putting the truck into drive, she parked in the garage and closed the door behind her.

  Aubrey opened the truck door and slid out. She wondered if she should go into the house or wait in the garage for Henry. She looked at the door that led to the house more than once as she perused the shelves that lined the cement walls.

  There were no tools or yard stuff, no bikes or sports stuff, just boxes. Tons and tons of boxes. Each box had a white sticker on the edge pointing out with a hand written number on it. The boxes started at 1935 and went up through 1985. At least on the wall she was looking at. A quick look around showed her that the other walls held similar boxes. Before she had a chance to actually open one and see what was inside, the garage spilled with light.

  Henry stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with an amused smile on his face. “You can come in, you know. I didn’t plan on making you wait out here all night.”

  “I didn’t know if I should go in or not. I mean, it’s your house, and I didn’t want to intrude or anything.”

  “No intrusion, come on,” he said with a jerk of his head toward the open door. Aubrey moved to the steps that lead into the house, following behind him.

  “So what were in the boxes?” she asked, closing the garage door behind her. The kitchen they stepped into was very cozy. It had yellow walls and only one countertop that looked like it had seen better days.

  “Comic books.”

  “All of them?” Aubrey stopped in her tracks and looked at Henry with shock. There were a lot of boxes down there. And they weren’t little boxes. “Have you read them all?”

  “Yeah, all of them. I have been into comics since I was a little kid. The ones out there either are damaged or just not worth much. I have a room set up for the special ones. It’s temperature controlled and everything. Want to see?”

  Henry’s eyes were lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, and he was excited to see what Santa had brought. How could she say no to that? She had little interest in superheroes, but she had a ton of interest in Henry.

  “Sure,” she said. He grabbed her hand and led her through his little house. There was artwork on most walls, all of which was actually framed comic book stuff. Surprise, surprise.

  “This,” Henry said with reverence as he unlocked and opened a door in the hall, “is my comic room.” He stepped in and waved his hand animatedly, beckoning her in. “Please don’t take any out of their protective covers.”

  “I pinky promise. I will keep my hands to myself.” She had to stifle a giggle. They were just comic books. Weren’t they meant to be read? She didn’t understand it, but she did see that it was important to Henry.

  They spent the next twenty minutes wandering the small space. Henry pointed out special editions and figurines he had collected over the years, and finally, he came to a case against the back wall. It had its own lights and was sitting inside of a glass box. He stood before it with tears in his eyes.

  “This one is the most special of them all.”

  “What is it?” she asked, in a hushed tone. She didn’t know why, but it felt like a quiet moment was needed. The cover had Superman on it holding a car above his head and people running around him with looks of terror. In the corner, the price said ten cents. It had to be old.

  “It’s less about what it is, although, just owning it is a wet dream for every collector out there, but more about how I got it. It was an auction.”

  “An auction? How is that important?”

  “Because the money went to the pediatric ward. This one comic was able to fund medicine for fifty kids for a whole year. Every time I look at it, I smile.”

  That warmed Aubrey’s heart. Those kids got another year, their parents got a year without medical debt, and Henry got his comic book. “I bet they send you Christmas cards every year.”

  “No, actually. It was a silent auction. No one knows who won. I didn’t want anyone to know where the money came from. That way, no one feels indebted to anyone. The kids get what they need. I know I helped where I could. Not to mention, I have the first ever comic book with Superman in it.”

  “You didn’t want people to know you donated a lot of money to the hospital?”

  “No. I didn’t do it for publicity. I did it because it mattered. Those kids matter. My money? Doesn’t matter. I have plenty and they don’t. I can spare it. What I don’t need are more reporters asking for more stories and interviews about what and why I spend my money. I would have just donated it, and have before, but I really wanted that comic book.”

  Aubrey was in awe of him. He was starting to turn red, blushing no doubt about wanting the comic book, but she saw nothing wrong with it. He had every right to that book. It didn’t matter if he got something in return for what she was sure was a, generous donation. It was still a very good cause.

  “That is really sweet.”

  “Do you just want to stay in for dinner? I can make something for us instead of going back out into the crazy that’s outside.”

  “Sounds great.”

  Henry smiled at her and reached out for her hand. He gave it a tug before leading her out of the comic room and down the hall. He pushed open the door at the end of the hall to reveal his bedroom.

  Aubrey smiled, knowing the reason she was in his room was actually quite innocent, but the thoughts swirling through her mind were far from innocent. In fact, they were quite sinful. She still wanted to prove to Henry that she was able to forgo sex in favor of a meaningful relationship. She could do it. She could.

  “The shower is through there,” Henry said pointing at a door on the far wall, “and there’s my closet. Pick anything you want.”

  Henry left the room, closing the door behind him. Aubrey turned and took in his room. The furniture was all dark, and besides the stray comic books and novels laying on his night stand, it was pristine. The bed was made, there were no clothes strewn about. Giggling slightly at the idea that Henry might be a clean freak, she opened his closet.

  His shirts were color coordinated, but only after they were superhero organized. Aubrey looked through them, not sure which one to pick. She knew a few of them, of course. She didn’t live under a rock. Superman, Batman, Spiderman. Beyond that though, she was a little lost. Even though they were staying in for dinner, she wanted to look cute. She wanted Henry to drool when he saw her. So she flipped past the tees and grabbed a button down and one of his belts that hung from a hanger before heading into the bathroom.

  Aubrey could hear Henry moving about outside the bedroom door. She smiled thinking of him, pacing and wanting. When she turned the water on in the shower to warm, she decided not to close the bathroom door. She felt like a vixen teasing him so, but if he were to peek into the bedroom, he
would see the open door, and the glass shower, and would be filled with desire.

  She knew they had a no-sex deal going on, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t entice him a bit, reminding him of her more sensual side, as well. Henry may want her to let people in and connect emotionally, and she knew he was right, but she felt the need to remind him how amazing the physical side could be, too. Didn’t he crave her touch the way she did his? If not, he would.

  Standing with her back to the open door, she began to remove her clothing. Slowly, she unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her lace covered breasts and smooth stomach, before slipping it off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. Aubrey took a glance in the mirror, which gave her the perfect view of the bedroom door behind her to see Henry standing there, watching her. She smiled a little at the hunger in his eyes.

  Reaching behind her, she unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts, her dark nipples pebbling from the excitement of being watched. Aubrey licked her lips as she unzipped the skirt she wore and let it drop to the floor. The only time she looked away from the mirror was to drag her panties down her legs, bending over, letting Henry see her in all her womanly glory. Aubrey stepped out of the pile of clothing that surrounded her feet and opened the glass shower door. Steam billowed out, encompassing her in heat. It was nothing compared to the warmth that spread between her legs.

  The hot water sprayed her, soaking her from head to toe. Aubrey could feel that Henry was getting closer. She wasn’t sure exactly where he was, but a quick glance toward the door told her he was no longer in the hallway. Her heart beat faster, and the wetness between her legs was more than just the water flowing from the shower. Him being so close when she was so bare made her need that much stronger. Aubrey grabbed the washcloth that hung on a little hook under the shower head and lathered it up with soap. It smelled like Henry. Aubrey closed her eyes and inhaled his scent.

  The cloth rubbed against her skin. It was rough, almost like she imagined Henry’s stubble would feel like. A moan slipped from her lips as she grazed her nipple and pictured his mouth wrapped around it, teeth nipping at the delicate flesh.

  A loud thud came from just outside the bathroom. Aubrey jumped in surprise from the noise. When she saw the shadow of Henry’s figure dance across the floor in front of the door, she knew she had him. He was there, listening to her, wanting her. She wondered if he was touching himself as she was. She wanted him to.

  Aubrey let her hand travel the expanse of skin to her pussy. Smooth and hairless, the folds between her legs were especially sensitive. She was so turned on that just the slightest graze sent waves of pleasure through her. Aubrey’s back fell against the shower door as her fingers explored, bringing her closer and closer to the edge.

  Images of Henry touching her, licking her, pounding his rock hard cock into her flew through her mind with every stroke of her fingers. The water pounding down on her, hitting her nipples in just the right way was an added bonus. The strangled moan she heard come from just outside her door where she knew Henry stood, cock in hand, sent her flying over the edge she had only thought she knew before.

  Breathing heavily, Aubrey finished her shower as if nothing had actually just rocked her fucking socks off. Her face flushed when she shut the water off. She had to pull it together. She needed to dress and walk out of there as if nothing had happened. She needed to show him that she could be both. She could be the sexual being and emotional. She could let him in and let herself connect in both a mental and physical way.

  Aubrey stepped out of the shower and dried off. She toweled her hair, so it fell in dark messy waves around her shoulders. When she pulled Henry’s button up work shirt on, it fit exactly as she thought it would. The bottom of it fell to just above her knees. Aubrey fastened his belt around her waist and made sure the top three buttons were undone. His shirt made the perfect little dress.

  Checking herself out in the mirror one final time, she left the bathroom and switched off the light, smiling at the memory of the best shower she had ever taken in her life.

  ~*~

  As Aubrey walked through the house, a wonderful aroma filled the air. She had to close her eyes and inhale just to appreciate it completely. She hadn’t eaten a real meal in weeks. With traveling for work, avoiding her parents for Ben, and moving out, her main meals included quick sandwiches from the deli near work, fast food, and twenty cent packages of ramen noodles.

  “What is that amazing smell?” she asked as she rounded the corner to the kitchen. Henry looked up with a slight flush to his cheeks before directing his attention back to whatever was sautéing in the pan. Aubrey smiled to herself. He was just as affected as she was.

  “It’s asparagus risotto with Shrimp in a lemon dill sauce.” Aubrey’s mouth watered just listening to him. That sounded so fancy!

  “You can really cook like that?” she asked in shock. Her mother always cooked from home, but it was things like meatloaf with mashed potatoes or spaghetti. Nothing as fancy as what he was making her.

  “Yeah, I really can,” he said with a chuckle. “I enjoy cooking. It’s kind of a hobby of mine.”

  Henry plated up their meals and the two sat at his little table by the window. Henry watched as she took her first bite. She was pretty sure she moaned as the flavors melded together in her mouth. Embarrassed, she looked away quickly, but when she let her eyes drift back to Henry’s, she saw how happy he was that she reacted that way. His eyes were lit up and a smile stretched across his handsome face.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “It’s amazing. Thank you.”

  “So, how goes things on the home front. I know you were having issues with the roommate situation.”

  “I hate the fact that I see my parent’s point about Mackenna. She is not the person I thought she was. On the up side, Ben is really showing me that he can grow up. He is proving his responsibility a lot faster than I ever would have been able to.”

  “That’s a good thing then. Is there a way to sit them down and talk to them about her behavior?”

  “Without sounding like their mother? I don’t know. I have no idea where to go from here. I told them in the beginning that they would both need to get jobs to help with bills and such. I wasn’t asking for a lot, but I was hoping it would get them started with realizing their life won’t ever be all about fun again. They won’t be handed anything just because they ask for it anymore. They will be the ones doing the handing from now on. They can’t be kids anymore. They will have their own to take care of. I think Ben really gets that, or is trying to at least. Mackenna just sees the pregnancy as another reason to get her way.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you except that maybe you need to be the parent. They are still fifteen, right? I know you don’t want to, but you might have to.”

  Aubrey sat silently for a moment, taking another bite. Henry was right, even though she didn’t want him to be. She didn’t want to be the one to lay down rules and enforce them. She didn’t want to reprimand them or ‘punish’ the poor behavior. But if Mackenna didn’t get it together and do her part, and that was a stipulation of living there, she would have to find a way to live somewhere else. The whole idea of being just like their parents and kicking her out made Aubrey feel like the worst person in the world. She knew it wasn’t because they were stupid and had unprotected sex, but that didn’t make it any easier. Not wanting to sour the mood for the rest of the night, Aubrey switched gears and changed the conversation.

  “So, what happened after high school?” Henry looked up from his own plate of food in confusion for just a moment before evening out his expression. She hoped he understood that she didn’t want to talk about Ben and Mackenna any longer.

  “Well, during high school I was doing online college courses, so when we did graduate it only took me another year to get my degree. If you hadn’t noticed, I didn’t have much of a social life, so I could bulk up on classes and get it done fast. Most people thought I loved school because I got goo
d grades. Truth is I just wanted it over faster. The more classes I took at once, and passed, the sooner I got to say goodbye to the whole thing.”

  She should probably have known that. She knew how badly he was treated. But like the self centered girl she was back then, she thought he liked school anyway. He was the geek after all, and to her seventeen year old brain, school work outweighed the bullshit her friends put him through. Thinking back on it, it made much more sense for him to despise it.

  “I had no idea.”

  “Most people didn’t. It’s a geek thing, I guess. We are all supposed to like school and learning and all that. I must be an enigma.” He laughed a little, but Aubrey could see the slight hurt in his eyes.

  “Let’s see, an extremely sexy man with a thing for superheroes and not spending money when he is probably one of the few people in the country who could do so without worry. Not to mention turning down hordes of women practically salivating at the idea of getting naked with you. Enigma is probably a good word.” She smiled hoping he would see the lightness in her statement. It was meant as a compliment. She hoped he took it that way.

  “I didn’t turn you down,” he said and moved closer.

  “Oh, but you did. Quite a few times, I might add. I thought I had lost my touch.”

  “No, telling you no was the hardest thing I had ever done. You were like a dream come true, but I knew I couldn’t just sleep with you. I knew my heart was involved. It’s always been you, Aubrey. I never really knew you in high school, but you were the one girl I always knew I wanted to know. Every girl that passed through my bed after I made my business profitable, I compared to the idea of you. I had my fair share of women, but it was always just sex, and that got so lonely. I needed more, but the more that those women needed was money. I tried to actually date a few times, but it wasn’t me they cared about. They cared about my wallet. It was easier to just turn them all down then be fooled again. Then I saw you in that bar in New York City. It was like it was meant to be.