One Night with a Millionaire (Daring Divorcees)

by Shannyn Schroeder

  …

  When Tess walked into the house, her mind was stuck on Miles and his gentle touches and comforting caresses. While she hadn’t completely broken down crying on his shoulder, she was confident he would’ve let her.

  And the kiss…wow. Every time they came together was a slightly different experience with Miles. There was comfort and pleasure every time, but he continued to add layers. She headed toward the laundry room where a load of clothes would be ready to be switched over to the dryer.

  Zoe stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, eating a bowl of cereal. Tess shot her a look.

  With her spoon, Zoe pointed at the clock on the stove. “You said be in bed by ten. I have time.”

  “Five minutes?”

  “Plenty of time.” She opened her eyes wide. “Did you have a nice walk?”

  “Yes, I did. I feel much better.” At least she wasn’t lying to her daughter.

  The daughter who now snickered at her. “Really, Mom?”

  “What?”

  “Do you think I don’t know you’re talking to some guy when you disappear into the laundry room like every night? A couple of nights might be believable, but every night? The machine drowns out your conversation, but I can hear you laughing.”

  She froze and stared at Zoe. When had her baby grown up and become so observant?

  Zoe set her bowl on the counter. “It’s no big deal. You have the right to go out and have fun.”

  “I don’t need your permission.”

  Zoe smiled. “No, you don’t. But you never date. You and Dad broke up a long time ago. He didn’t sit around. He dated and now he’s married to Margaret.”

  The emphasis Zoe placed on her stepmother’s name was normal. No matter how many times she asked Zoe to be more polite, Zoe wouldn’t give Margaret much of a chance.

  “Your father…” She didn’t know how to continue.

  “He didn’t have us. I get it, Mom. Half my friends’ parents are divorced. They all share stories about who their parents are dating.”

  “I know you’re trying to be nice, but I don’t want dating advice from my fourteen-year-old. I also don’t want to bring a man into your life until I’m sure of him.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to meet him. I’m just sayin’ you should go on a date instead of sneaking around.”

  Tess almost laughed about being lectured by her daughter for sneaking around. “You’re not bothered by me dating?”

  “Why would I? Billy and Andrew won’t care, either.”

  She hadn’t been looking for the go-ahead from her kids. At least that’s what she told herself. But having Zoe’s nonchalant nudge eased the discomfort she’d been feeling about her relationship with Miles. “I’m glad you feel that way, because we’re going on a date as soon as Grandma is free to babysit.”

  Zoe groaned as she picked up her cereal again. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “But your brothers do.”

  “You can leave us alone. God, it’s only a couple hours.”

  Now Tess did laugh. Loud enough that Zoe stuck her tongue out at her. “I’ll leave you in charge as soon as you show me you can talk to your brothers without letting every little thing they do irritate you.”

  Zoe threw her shoulders back and lifted her chin. “Fine. I will.” Then she slurped the milk from her bowl, set it in the sink, and kissed Tess’s cheek. “Good night.”

  “Good night. I love you.”

  “Love you, too, Mom.” She got to the door of the kitchen and paused. “I’m glad you found someone who makes you feel better.”

  Then she disappeared.

  It was a little thing, but Tess smiled. Miles did make her feel better. She didn’t often lean on other people. And he hadn’t hesitated. He’d come over even though she hadn’t asked him to. Even though she wouldn’t invite him into her house.

  She went to the laundry room and pulled the wet stuff from the washer and tossed it into the dryer. Her body went through the motions of her mundane tasks, but her mind was focused on Miles.

  Although she’d pointed out she was far from a teenager, he had a way of making her feel like one again.

  …

  For the past week, Miles had felt mounting pressure from Sabrina to make things happen for the James Prescott Foundation. He’d already retained a team of lawyers to help push through the paperwork. He was in the process of creating a mission statement. In the meantime, he didn’t want to abandon all the charities and people who also counted on the Prescotts every year.

  Between the constant flood of meetings and Tess’s weird schedule, he hadn’t been able to see her since he’d gone to her house. And he was missing her. She’d finally agreed to a date, and here it was, Monday night, and he couldn’t leave the office fast enough. He wanted every moment with Tess that he could steal.

  “I can’t stay out late, you know. It’s a school night,” she’d said when they’d spoken on her break at work. “That was the warning Zoe gave me.”

  He’d dutifully promised to have her home at a decent hour. With every conversation they had, she was opening up more. She’d begun to share stories of the kids, and Miles had learned not to bring attention to it, or she would get quiet again. He listened and drank in every detail so he could know her better.

  As he left his office, he noticed Eleanor’s desk was clear. She had small kids at home, and he never kept her late without warning. He turned off the lights and headed down the hall, trying to think about how he could give Tess both a fabulous date and have her all to himself tonight.

  His phone rang with the ringtone he’d assigned to Tess. “Hello, beautiful.”

  She sighed a little. He loved catching her off guard.

  “How should I dress for our date?”

  “You can wear whatever you want.”

  “No, I can’t. Remember when we were supposed to eat at Agostino’s for lunch? That’s how I normally dress.”

  He leaned against the wall near the elevators and pictured her standing in front of her closet deciding what to wear. “Let me amend, then. Wear something nice, Theresa. We won’t be eating takeout tonight.”

  “Are you going to tell me where we are going?”

  “Nope. It’s a surprise.”

  “I know you’re probably used to women who squeal over surprises, but I’m not one. I like to know what’s coming.”

  “You’ll have to be satisfied knowing that I can promise you’ll enjoy yourself.”

  “Not if surprises are involved.”

  “Trust me.”

  “I’m trying,” she said softly.

  Sabrina turned the corner toward his office at the end of the hall. Damn. He’d almost escaped.

  “Am I allowed to come to the door to pick you up?”

  “Umm…”

  “If I need to text you from the car, I will, but I prefer to be a gentleman and ring the doorbell.”

  “Text when you’re close. That way I can be ready to scoot out the door without worrying about having all eyes on you.”

  “I can withstand an inspection.” How scary could a few kids be?

  “I’m not ready for that yet.”

  While he tried to understand, her stance on him meeting her kids felt like she still wasn’t sure of him, and it bugged the hell out of him. “I’ll see you in about an hour.”

  “See you then.”

  He disconnected and slipped his phone back in his pocket as Sabrina neared.

  “Cutting out early, little brother?”

  “Six o’clock is far from early.”

  She arched an eyebrow.

  “You’re a workaholic. I choose not to be.”

  She tilted her chin at him. “Who are you dating?”

  “Who said I was dating?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t you know by now that I monitor everything to do with this family? Your social media accounts have been quiet lately. No posts or pictures of you drinking with a lady on your arm.”

&nbs
p; “So by not taking pictures with a woman, you’ve deduced that I’m dating?”

  “Absolutely. The people you pose with are unimportant to you. If you’re not using her as a prop, it means you care about her. Who is she?”

  “I think you should go home. You sound delirious.”

  She laughed. “That didn’t work on me when you were a little boy and cute. It’s really not going to work now. Spill.”

  “There’s nothing to spill. I am seeing someone. It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

  “Who is she?”

  “No one you would know. She doesn’t travel in the same social circles.”

  “Where did you meet her?”

  “At St. Mark’s gala.”

  She snapped her fingers. “The nurse. I suspected when you were acting all squirrelly the week after, and Mom mentioned you met a nice nurse.”

  Miles stiffened at her comments. Sometimes having a nosey big sister sucked. “I’m never squirrelly.”

  “Keep telling yourself that.” She eyed him up and down and then nodded. “Do we get to meet her?”

  Miles tucked his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “We’re not there yet.”

  Sabrina smirked. “Yet.”

  Shit. He’d forgotten it was Sabrina who’d taught him to listen to the small details when someone spoke.

  He pressed the button for the elevator, the need to run intensifying. He pointed toward his office from where she’d come. “Did you need something?”

  “I left a file on your desk. It’ll keep until tomorrow. Have a good time on your date. I hope you’re planning something better than getting drunk at a night club.”

  “Te—not the kind of date this woman would enjoy.” He’d almost given her Tess’s name.

  Of course, Sabrina caught the near slip. “I look forward to meeting the woman who has you being discreet.”

  The elevator dinged, signifying his escape. “See you tomorrow.”

  With a wave, he stepped away and tried to ignore the look on his sister’s face.

  Chapter Ten

  Miles had such a good time on his first real date with Tess that it didn’t even bother him to drop her off and only get a kiss good night. She’d finally started opening up to him. They’d had only one more regular date, but they spoke every night, and she even let him come over and sit in her backyard with her late another night. Today, he’d told Sabrina he was working from home. Tess was meeting him at his condo, and he didn’t want to rush their time together.

  Since they’d started dating, they hadn’t had sex, so he tried not to read too much into her coming over now. It had only been a couple of weeks since he’d seen Tess naked, but he suddenly couldn’t wait for her to arrive. She texted when she pulled into the parking garage, so he went down to meet her.

  Maybe he should give her a key. Then again, that might spook her. He waited at the door for her, and she squinted at him as she neared.

  “Is it super casual day at work?” she asked.

  He was wearing basketball shorts and nothing else. Laughing, he said, “Sabrina would never let me get away with this. I’m working from home today.”

  As soon as she was within reach, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. They stood in the doorway making out, relearning each other’s taste.

  When he pulled away, Tess looked dazed. Good. Just the way he wanted her.

  “Hello,” she said, quietly drawing out the word.

  “Missed you,” he responded, pulling her into the hall and toward the elevator.

  “I missed you, too,” she said when they were riding up to his place. She stroked her fingers across his bare chest. “I have some good news.”

  “Yeah?”

  “My client canceled on me for this afternoon. He has a doctor’s appointment, so I’m not needed.”

  He closed his eyes to focus on her words. The elevator dinged for them to get off. “Does that mean you don’t have to rush out?”

  “Not until it’s time to get the kids.”

  “So how long?”

  “Hours,” she whispered as he tugged her into his condo.

  “Excellent.”

  She kissed his throat and then his pecs. His dick rose to the occasion. He yanked at the baggy scrubs shirt that hid her curvy body and slipped it over her head along with the T-shirt underneath.

  Kneeling in front of him, she slid his shorts off until they pooled at his ankles. She looked up with a wicked little grin and licked his tip. Swirling her tongue over him brought a groan from deep in his chest. She leaned forward, taking him in her warm, wet mouth. One hand gripped him at the base and the other hand reached around and grabbed his ass.

  He pulled the band out of her hair to thread his fingers into the wavy locks all the way to the scalp and hold on. She sucked and licked and massaged his balls until he was losing his mind. She felt so good, yet he wanted more. He wanted to be inside her.

  With tremendous effort, he slid from her mouth and pulled her to standing. Her lips were puffy and sexy as all hell. Even as she looked at him, she stroked him from base to tip in the same rhythm she’d used with her mouth. He stepped forward, pushing until the backs of her legs hit his couch.

  Then, in one swift movement, he yanked her pants down and shoved her onto the couch. He knelt and spread her legs wide. She was already wet. He loved that making him feel good made her hot. Lowering his head, he kissed her inner thigh and nipped at the tendon that joined her thigh to her hip. She rubbed his head, nudging him forward.

  “What do you want?”

  “Lick me.”

  He took one long stroke of his tongue over her, and she moaned when he backed off.

  “Miles.”

  “Yes, Tess.”

  “Stop playing. I’ve been thinking about this for days.”

  He massaged her legs, working his thumbs deep on her inner thigh. “Only days?”

  She tossed her head from side to side. “Longer.”

  He smiled. “That’s what I thought.” Another swipe of his tongue. “Every time I saw you, I thought about stripping you naked and making you come.” He lapped at her again, swirling his tongue on her clit. At her moan, his dick thickened. “Do you want me to make you come?”

  “God, yes.”

  “What are you going to do for me?”

  “What do you want?”

  Miles stroked his fingers over her before sliding one deep inside her. Her breath caught. Her eyes fluttered closed as her hips tilted up to greet him and his hungry mouth. A second finger joined the first. He got her worked up until her hips were thrusting, chasing his tongue and his fingers.

  He stilled, and her eyes flew open. She panted, and her gasping breath had her chest heaving.

  “I want more, Tess.”

  “More what? I was blowing you and you pulled away.”

  He pushed his fingers deep. Her eyes rolled back.

  “More of you.”

  “Take it, Miles. Take what you want.”

  That was what he wanted to hear. Sure, it was underhanded and a little unfair, but he’d hold her to it. He sucked her clit hard until her thighs trembled. He quickly sheathed himself with a condom and replaced his fingers with his throbbing cock. He sank deep, and they both sighed.

  He rocked into her twice and then couldn’t hold back. She was wild with need and took him with her. Their teasing lovemaking turned into slapping flesh, harsh curses, and tender bites. At one point, they slid from the couch and fucked on the floor, unconcerned about comfort.

  They lay spent and panting on the small rug in front of the couch. He still covered her with his body, using his last bit of strength to hold himself from crushing her.

  “What…the…hell…was…that?” she gasped out.

  He had no idea. It had started with him wanting leverage to get more from her, but it had turned into a desperate need he couldn’t explain. “Making sure you couldn’t argue that you owe me.” His speech was slurred so it almost sounde
d like he’d said own me. It wasn’t far from the truth.

  “Owe you what? You came as hard as I did.”

  He rolled off, disposed of the condom, and flopped beside her. “You said I could take anything I wanted.”

  “I think you did.” She turned and traced lines on his abdomen.

  “I missed the fuck out of this. But I mean more of you. I love dating you. Going out places. But you’re still keeping me from the biggest part of your life.” He stilled her hand on his heated body. “You should probably pull on clothes if we’re going to keep talking.”

  “Why?” The wariness in her voice stabbed into his chest.

  He rose, tossed her shirt at her, and stepped into his shorts. “Because you told me a long time ago you wouldn’t talk about your kids when we’re naked.”

  She pulled the shirt over her head. “What do my kids have to do with this?”

  “They have to do with everything in your life.”

  She fumbled with her pants, which he’d left in a tangled heap next to the couch. “And?”

  “I want to meet them.”

  She froze and tripped as she tried to get her leg into her pants. He caught her and brought her to his lap. Once her pants were over her legs, she stood and pulled them all the way up. “We talked about this.”

  “Yeah, but they know about me now. And I feel like I know them because of everything you’ve shared.”

  “I can’t, Miles.”

  “Why not?”

  She sat beside him on the couch, clasping her hands between her knees. “My most important job in life is to protect them.”

  “I would never hurt your kids.”

  “You wouldn’t mean to. But this, between us, is still new. They’re not even used to me dating. What happens if they like you and we don’t work out? Then you go back to your party life and my kids are hurt.”

  He sat for a moment and dissected her words. What was she really afraid of? That he’d leave her? She had a point. He wasn’t ready to promise forever.

  “So what? You keep a huge part of yourself separate from them. Shouldn’t they know you as a real person? Not as some self-sacrificing woman? Even if I meet them and we don’t last, would it ruin them in the long run? Or would I become simply part of their life experience? Like a friend who moved away.”