Healing Love: A Billionaire Romance (Forever Us Book 2)

by Bianca Borell

  “This is a great welcome.”

  I slide down his body and say, “I’m just happy to see you.” I bend from my waist and pick up the bag he dropped when he caught me, and we set the table together.

  He scans the room. “Are you alone?”

  His question catches me off guard, my subconscious gnawing at my nerves about keeping the secret from him. But it’s not the right moment to tell him. “Yes, Alex has other plans.”

  “For someone who’s been glued at your side all the time, he sure doesn’t act on it.”

  I glare at him, and he raises his hands in surrender.

  “We just had each other before, but now things have changed in a good way for both of us.”

  His teeth dig into the croissant, and some crumbs stick at the corners of his mouth. I crane my neck and kiss his lips clean. His eyes fall on my uneaten croissant and gestures to it. I bite down in protest, as the steel in his eyes light up in amusement.

  ***

  It’s small moments that define our lives, the burst of euphoria or the tumbling to despair that alters, makes, and breaks us. His presence, the feelings he ignites in me by just breathing, and a sudden sense of intense déjà vu crashes over me. I’ve loved him and will love him long after I’ve lived. Falling in love with him repeatedly though, it’s why I’ll never doubt that life is a gift.

  “It’s a beautiful day. I thought an escape would do us good.” He turns to me and pulls me out of my trance. I set down my cup of coffee and tilt my head to him.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “A boat trip.”

  “I would love that.”

  It has always been one of my favorite things to do. I smile, basking in his love, in him being so close. I feel his heart rooted and beating next to mine.

  I draw my hair into a side braid and pick up my sunglasses and purse. All the while, his eyes focus on me. The sheer intensity ripples through me. When we reach the door, he pins my hands above my head, his eyes trailing down my face until they lock on my lips. “You are . . . you look beautiful.”

  Warmth blossoms in my chest at the look of adoration I glimpse in his eyes as he slams his lips to mine, a moan parting my lips.

  We spend the drive to the lake with our hands intertwined and him kissing my knuckles every few minutes. The silence of our intimacy is the loudest form of love yet as we enjoy our togetherness.

  He pulls the car into a parking lot. All the memories of us play in my mind while I force the tears back in at this sudden assault of emotions.

  I search for one particular boat. I hope he still has it. When I discover it docked, pure gratitude, love and joy gather, layering on my heart.

  “You kept it.”

  He lifts my chin with his thumb, his eyes gleaming with emotions, and he confesses, “I kept everything that had something to do with you.”

  The boat wobbles as I sprint onboard. I duck down the stairs and inspect the two rooms inside. The bed is crammed to the side. I drop on it, and it squelches, all the images of us rolling in it playing in my mind. The cream leather couch turned to a yellowish color. I spot pictures of us on the fridge, and I gasp.

  “It’s all here like time stood still. Everything’s the same.”

  He leans on the door, emotions transforming his face. It’s a monumental moment for both of us.

  “Yes, it is. This is how I spent my birthdays. I’d come here, take the boat out, and go to our place. Once a year, it became a tradition.”

  “From now on, we’ll create better memories and start new traditions.”

  His kissable lips quirk up. “I’m sure we will.”

  The dreamy expression I wear reflects in his. “Take us on a tour.”

  The wind blows through my hair and the swans pass us by while I feed them crumbs of bread. I tilt my head to catch his steel blue eyes trapped in a devastating sadness. He forces a smile on his lips, and I narrow my eyes at him, questioning what caused this sudden pain. He shakes his head as if dragging himself out of his misery. His soft, full lips turn up, and my heart eases in my chest. Whatever held him prisoner, he escaped it. But what caused the short-lived agony?

  The houses on the shore hide behind rows of thick trees. Zürich transforms to home again, and the lake becomes one of my treasured places in the world once more. With the sun shining on my face and Damien pressed to my back, we maneuver the boat.

  The day rushes to meet the dusk, but I don’t want to go home yet. All the years I’ve missed demand of me to live, love faster and more intensely. I peer at Damien, and smile, our being together is akin to intense and fast anyway.

  ***

  The lake remains a spot in the mirror, and the city lights spring to life on our drive back to my place.

  “Did you bring something to change into? You said you’d stay the night.” I scan the back seat, but there are no clothes, and he answers, “The clothes are in the trunk, baby. Even without them, it wouldn’t have stopped me from staying the night.”

  The love and desire reflecting in his eyes warm my heart, and my lust spirals at hearing his husky voice.

  We bolt inside the flat, and my gaze lands on a blue handbag, one as rare as they get. My heart speeds up. Sophia must be here. Their moans echoe in the space. I’m torn by both wanting to cry and laugh. Damien follows my glance, and his eyes widen when he discovers the bag. “What a coincidence. It’s the same bag Sophia wanted for her birthday. It’s a limited edition. I’ve never pulled so many strings in my life to get her that bag.”

  I want to say it’s anything but a coincidence. Instead, I curl my arms around his and usher him to the door, giggles echoing in the space surrounding us.

  “At least it seems they’re enjoying themselves. Can I say I’m relieved he found his entertainment somewhere else? This is what I call a relief.”

  He’ll regret his words once he knows. The relief will make him choke on his own words.

  “We should go somewhere else, I’m sure they need some privacy,” I hiss, giving away that the relief is only one-sided, and he misreads it.

  His eyes narrow at me and bitterness laces his words. “You act as if you have a problem with it.” I roll my eyes at him and purse my lips. “Aren’t you happy about it? Because you’ve turned pale.”

  “Damien, you’ve no idea how stupid you sound right now.”

  Alex emerges shirtless, and his jaw drops. The color vanishes from his face when he spots us, and our conversation halts. He prevented a huge fight, but I’m sure his relationship with Sophia gives us the material for another one.

  “What’re you doing here?”

  “I live here too, remember?”

  “You said you were spending the night at his place.”

  I shut my eyes and groan. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have forgotten if I said any such a thing. You said you had plans. I thought you would spend the night at her place.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yes, Alex, it is fucked.”

  “What now?”

  I have no time to respond as a semi-naked Sophia appears, puts her arms around Alex’s midsection and asks, “What’s taking you so long?”

  We freeze, the four of us stare at each other, shock muting us. I wouldn’t be this good in my job if I weren’t calm in a crisis.

  “Please, put on more clothes. I’m trying to prevent a murder here, and the two of you aren’t helping.”

  “Not so fast—” Damien starts and stops when I grab his hand, pierce him with a look, and wave them to leave.

  The moment we are alone, incredulity transforms his face. “You knew it, didn’t you, and you didn’t say a word. I can’t believe you.” He paces around, his hands clasped behind his neck.

  “I only found out yesterday, and damn it, it’s not my secret to tell. Now I get why Sophia kept it from you. You’re freaking out.”

  He halts, turns his head toward me, and raises his hands. “This can’t fucking happen!”

  I stride to him, grip his chin and ou
r eyes lock. “Baby, look at me.” With him, only blackmail works in a situation like this until he’s calm enough to be rational again, and I use it with no shame. “If you don’t behave, I hope you’ll enjoy lots of lonely and sex-free nights.”

  He backtracks and a pang of guilt strikes me.

  “You too? Unbelievable.”

  I cup his face, kiss him, and his features soften.

  “Damien, it’s not your choice nor your life. She can do as she pleases.”

  “That’s my sister, Bria, with the guy I saw sticking his tongue down your throat not that long ago. I haven’t seen her with anyone, and then she’s with him.”

  This isn’t going according to plan. Plus, whatever Sophia’s love interest has been, no one knows. Except my brother, but those two would die before snitching on the other, which adds to the importance of this moment.

  “Don’t exaggerate. We were saying goodbye,” Alex says, his hands cross as he leans on the wall, but it backfires, and Damien’s nostrils flare.

  “I’m exaggerating what, exactly . . . you pinning her to the wall, kissing her. WHAT exactly?”

  I roll my eyes at him while Sophia tilts her head away. “Our mouths barely touched.”

  “That’s not the point, Bria.”

  “Hi, brother,” Sophia interrupts, her voice soft, and she waves at him.

  “I would say what a nice surprise if this wasn’t such a fucking nightmare. At least now you’re dressed.”

  “Come on, it’s not like I was naked. Don’t be like this—”

  “Again, not helping. From all the men you’ve met, you choose the one in love with another woman. What’s wrong with you? You deserve better.”

  I just blink.

  Alex fists his hands at his sides.

  Sophia’s body twitches, a second later, her electric blue eyes shimmer with rage. I’ve never met someone who could turn from sweet to lethal in one second—well, her brother. I guess it runs in the family.

  She steps in front of him, her jaw set, color spreading up her cheeks. “Stop yelling. I’m not a child.”

  “You behave like one, so if you want me to treat you differently, act accordingly.”

  “This is about my life, not yours.”

  A headache throbs behind my temples at their verbal sparring. “Both of you, stop.”

  “Hi, Bria. Nice to see you again.”

  “Likewise, Sophia.”

  “You two together. Here I thought miracles don’t happen.” Melancholy passes her face. She shuts her eyes, and it’s gone. I dwell on what that was.

  Damien runs a hand down his face, and exasperation marks his words. “This isn’t about Bria and me.”

  “We started off all wrong. I’m not the bad guy here, I care deeply for your sister, and our relationship has nothing to do with you.”

  I close my eyes, pinch my nose, and Sophia smiles.

  “Not helping, Alex.”

  “What do I care? Everyone treats you two with kid gloves. I’m done.”

  His harsh words ring with truth. Our eyes catch each other, we don’t need words to communicate. We’ve done enough, took too much, and gave nothing in return. Alex gathers Sophia in his arms, and their eyes are filled with hope.

  “I’m happy you found each other. I’m sorry if you thought otherwise,” I offer and elbow Damien. He grumbles, “Soph, give me some time.”

  “I wanted to wait until you two adapted to life again. It wasn’t that I planned to keep the relationship a secret, but you two have had enough to deal with.” She pauses, and some of Damien’s temper melts. “Have I told you how glad I am you found a way back to each other? You’re still my favorite couple,” she cheers, but there’s something about her, the secrecy she hides behind a perfected act. From her tone to the sway of her feet to her shoving her temper behind a smile . . . but what? I can’t shake the impression she lives a torn life.

  “Is this how you sort your family issues? I expected more drama,” Alex says dryly.

  “Shut up, Alex,” I reply, but rush to them and pull them into an embrace.

  Occasionally, some awkward moments sneak in, but all in all, it’s like friends hanging out together. By the end of the evening, even Damien loosens up.

  “What now, you two?” asks Sophia, her elegant fingers wrapping around the glass of wine, and my eyes fall on her tiny scars on the inside of her arms. She never covers them, and every time she stares at them, a trace of a smile passes her lips. That’s something else no one knows about, how she got them except that it was during an accident on a holiday. With every minute, I realize it may feel familiar, but the years that went by we’ll never get back. Like who is she now, will I ever find out?

  “Next week, we’ll unleash the ghosts of the past.”

  A shiver rocks her body.

  I sip on my glass and say, “They deserve to know the truth.”

  “They love living inside their ignorance bubble. When Alex showed me that video, I cried the entire night. I couldn’t believe it.” She shelters my hands on hers, and her eyes well up. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” Sincerity shines in her eyes, and I squeeze her hands, the old Sophia peers through the adult and refined version of her.

  “Hey, Soph, it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

  Both Damien and Alex gnash their teeth, sharing a knowing look.

  “Monica.”

  “She deserves far worse than being cast away. And you idiot, you wanted to marry the woman responsible for your personal hell.”

  Damien winces and hisses, “I was blind.”

  “Stupid too.”

  Siblings, fascinating how they insult each other, but if you dare to insult one, the other will rip your head off. I glance at Alex, and we smile at each other over the table. These are happy times for us. We have each other, and our hearts are complemented.

  ***

  Damien tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, and whispers, “It’s late, baby, you should sleep.”

  I tilt my head to him and whine, “I’m not tired.”

  Love shines in his eyes as he counters, “Schedule, Bria. You promised.”

  “I feel like a baby.”

  He dips his head and kisses me. “You are one. You’re my baby.”

  I beam as his expression turns dreamy.

  From the corner of the couch, Sophia darts her eyes from us to Alex and says, “These two can be so sweet together, sickening actually. It gets worse with time.” Alex slams his eyes shut, and a low growl escapes his mouth.

  “Have you any idea how it was to live with her for six years?”

  I stand up, grab Damien’s hand, and leave, ignoring them.

  “I’m not happy about it.” His eyes scan my room. He drops on the bed, not even acknowledging the fact I shed my clothes. I suppress a smile at him not noticing. The news threw him off. But as he comes to his senses, he snaps his head in my direction and halts. His eyes size me up as everything else that occupied his mind vanishes.

  “I’m taking a shower.”

  I glance at him over my shoulder, his steel-blue eyes turning black, and my skin prickles in anticipation. My hand wraps around the door, and he appears behind me, embracing me, his hot breath caressing my earlobe.

  “Where do you think you’re going without me?” Seduction pours out of his mouth, and goose bumps spread over my skin.

  “To shower, like I already told you.”

  His fingers trace my spine, and I bite down a moan.

  “You don’t mind if I join you, do you, love?” He nuzzles my neck, and words elude me, as I arch my body in response.

  “I take it as a yes, then,” he adds and squeezes my waist.

  Water spills over when he slides in behind me, his body caging me in. I smile, it’s the first time I’ve taken a bath with another man in my home.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “It’s silly. I thought it’s the first time I’ve shared my bath with another person.”

  “To another
first.” He burrows his face in the crook of my neck and nibbles at my sensitive flesh. I tilt my head to grant him even better access and moan.

  “All my firsts I’ve had with you. I want all my lasts to be with you, too.”

  “I’ll make every one of your wishes come true, baby. Just keep believing in me and trusting in us.”

  He shampoos my hair, then lathers and caresses every inch of my skin with his touch. I love being spoiled like this, and a huge grin stretches across my lips. He finishes cleansing me, and I stand immobilized as I observe him rinse himself. Porn for my eyes and dirty thoughts surface in my mind. Back in the room, he yanks the towel off me and kisses me. His dexterous touch and the heat he stirs inside me turns my insides to jelly. I beg for more, but more will never be enough. Nothing with him will ever be enough. His head pops up behind my legs, and he smirks.

  “Are you ready for a new first?”

  “And that would be?”

  “Me taking you on your bed.” My breathing halts at glimpsing the desire burning in his eyes.

  He spreads my legs, climbs on top of me, and we spend the next hour with me trying to keep quiet as his amusement grows with every suppressed moan. He bites down on his lip in sheer satisfaction. “So bad my poor baby can’t shout her pleasure out loud. It must be hard.”

  “You do it on purpose.”

  “Understand now how vital it is for us to have our own place, to enjoy our privacy?” He thrusts into me, and the bed frame bangs against the walls.

  “You’re convincing at the moment.”

  “And I’ll keep convincing you until you give in.”

  “There’s always an agenda with you.”

  “I’m a businessman, love. Of course, I have an agenda.”

  He keeps up his sweet torment of sliding in and out of me. I sink my teeth into his chest as the pleasure rolls over me, and my orgasm rocks through me. Satisfied, my frustration from keeping silent flies out the window. He props himself on his elbows on each side of me.

  “Was it good, baby?”

  “You know it was.”

  He draws one nipple in his mouth and says, “I’ll keep fucking you until I come.”

  “Damien, wait . . .” But it’s too late as he thrusts into me, and I bite down on my tongue. I snatch a pillow and cover my mouth in a desperate attempt to silence my cries of pleasure while he rocks me from within. Satisfaction and a smirk transform his smug face. By the time he spills inside me, my muscles liquefy.