The Billionaire's Masquerade: Betting On You Series: Book Two

by Winters, Jeannette

  “Are we boring you, Elaine?” Drew joked.

  Totally embarrassed she’d been caught daydreaming, she replied, “No sorry, I was just thinking about being with Trent after the party.”

  “Well, I can see why my conversation would seem boring then.” Drew laughed.

  Great, now she was giving the wrong impression too. Before she could correct her statement, Jill joined them. She was her normal bubbly self. Elaine couldn’t remember ever seeing Jill without a smile on her face. Guess that is one of the traits I love about her. No matter the situation, she can warm up a room with her smile.

  “Hi, Ms. Manning. Doesn’t Lizette look beautiful? I’m so happy for her. But I tell you, I’m not sure I can keep up with all the wonderful changes going on around here.”

  Soon to be even more changes, Elaine thought. “I agree, Jill.”

  Jill extended her hand to greet Trent. “Hello, Mr. Davis. I didn’t expect to see you so soon again.”

  “Hello, Jill. You’re right. This has been an eventful weekend. Let me introduce two of my friends, Drew Navarro and Ross Whitman.”

  “Hi. Nice to meet you both. I’m Jillian Aragao, but everyone calls me Jill.” Another slow song began to play, and the excitement lit Jill’s face even more. “Oh I love this song.” She reached out her hand and asked, “Ross, care to join me on the dance floor?”

  Elaine shouldn’t have been shocked at Jill’s invitation as she was the most carefree young woman Elaine had ever met. Jill was twenty-six and sporting a short haircut with streaks of rainbow highlights. Not what anyone would expect when entering a business office, but one couldn’t ask for a better admin. Elaine watched Ross freeze for a moment, and when Jill didn’t take his subtle hint, he reluctantly extended his hand to her and disappeared through the crowd to the dance floor.

  “Ross. On a dance floor,” Trent said. “If I wasn’t here I would never have believed it.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t see that one coming. You have to give Jill credit. Pulled off something we both lost money betting on throughout college.” The two men laughed at what appeared to be an inside joke. “Since both you and Ross seem to have found beautiful companions for the evening, I will leave you to get better acquainted. I’m going to go mingle for a while.” Before leaving, Drew turned back to Elaine and commented, “I’m hoping we will be seeing a lot more of you, Elaine.”

  Her only response was a smile as Drew walked away. Thirty days ago she never would have thought she would be personally socializing with this group. Now she had the opportunity to work for them on something as amazing as Takes One. This was all beyond anything she’d ever dreamed of, and a few times that weekend she’d felt the need to pinch herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. Her decision was made. The only thing left to do was give Trent her decision. Alone with him again, there was no better time than now. “Trent, would you like to go find someplace more private?”

  “Hmm. Your offer sounds intriguing,” he said in a soft deep husky voice that sent chills down her spine.

  “It sounds like business,” she responded plainly, hoping her voice didn’t reveal the effect he had on her.

  “Can’t say I’m not disappointed, but you are correct; we do have details we need to finalize.” Trent offered her his arm, and she happily took it. “Where to?”

  “There is a coffeehouse nearby. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds safe,” he murmured as they left the engagement celebration behind.

  Chapter Three

  He thought they were going to a bright, loud donut shop since there was one on every corner in Rhode Island. Instead they entered a small, old, red brick building surrounded by remodeled condos that had once been textile mills. The interior had original hardwood floors and a barista bar in the center, encircled by the small tables scattered throughout the room. There was a sign hanging on one of the walls: “Sit Long, Talk Much.” This was not the ever-so-needed caffeine stop he’d come to rely on. The place reminded him of where he used to hang out to study when he attended Boston University. A quiet, more private place. Good choice, Elaine.

  Even though the coffeehouse was not crowded, Trent led her to a table for two far off in the corner away from the few patrons there. He was done with crowds and wanted to have her all to himself. This was supposed to be business, but he wanted to get to know her on a more personal level, like in bed.

  Elaine sipped her cinnamon mocha cappuccino as he gazed at her. The foam lingered on her lips for just a second before her tongue licked it away. Damn! Doesn’t she know better than to do such things in front of a man in a public place? Watching her was sweet torture.

  He had been with many beautiful women. Actually, more women than he could count. But there was much more to her than just beauty. She was intelligent and confident, which only added to her appeal. Elaine was several inches shorter than he was, with flawless olive skin begging to be touch, and green eyes he already knew could darken with desire. He wanted to tangle his fingers in her long, brown, impossibly curly locks while nibbling the nipples of her perfect breasts, which had been teasing him since their dance earlier. He needed to move this meeting along so they could go someplace more private, like a hotel or her place. He could feel himself growing hard just thinking of her naked on a bed waiting for him. Yeah, this meeting needs to be quick.

  “I’m glad we could meet and finalize the job offer tonight. I’ve thought about all weekend.”

  The last thing on his mind right now was talking business. “I take it that means you are accepting the position?”

  “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So, my answer is yes. You mentioned the need to relocate. Just tell me where and when, and I will be there.”

  How about here and now? “I would say tomorrow, but I realize you probably have things you need to settle here first. Job, family, and so forth . . .”

  “I won’t need more than two weeks. I can update the management team at the Monday staff meeting, and they can fill in until a replacement is found. The timing is perfect since Lizette has returned from her vacation. She can resume her duties and provide what help she can, even from New York. I assume Lizette is aware of Takes One?”

  “As I mentioned before, only the four, now five, of us are aware of Takes One. To my knowledge Jon has not shared this with her. I trust you can be creative in your reasoning behind leaving Another Chance.” She didn’t respond, and he could tell she was uncomfortable with the situation. “Guess we never thought too deeply about a cover story for you. Since you and I will be working closely on this, why don’t you inform them you will be working for me as an acquisition liaison at Davis Enterprises? That way when they see pictures of us together, no one will question it.”

  After a moment she nodded her agreement. “I believe that will work.”

  “Perfect. I will update the others. As I said before, for the first few months you and I will be working closely together until you’re up to date on where we’ve been and where we want to go. Any objections to these arrangements?” There really wasn’t a need for them to work that closely, but there was no need for her to know that.

  “Is there a reason I should object?”

  Oh, if you only knew what was in my head, Elaine, you would have your answer. Without answering her question he raised his coffee cup to her and said, “Welcome to the team, Elaine.”

  Smiling, Elaine raised her cup to his. “Thank you.”

  An awkward silence hung between them for a moment. “So, with business out of the way, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?” He was not ready for this night to end, and was surprised he wasn’t just wanting to bed her. Had that ever happened before? Actually there were parts of him begging to get to know her much more intimately since holding her so close while they danced.

  Her skin had been so soft, and her scent was incredible, though she didn’t appear to be wearing perfume. Instead she seemed to have a natural sweetness, which made him impatient to taste her. If it had n
ot been for Jon’s interruption, he would have kissed her on the dance floor, and even though she might try to deny it, she would have let him. Like in business, he easily read other people’s emotions, and her body was screaming for him—no matter what her words said.

  “I graduated with a master’s degree in business from Bryant University and have been working at Another Chance since I was almost twenty-five.”

  “This is not a job interview, Elaine. I already know your qualifications. I wanted to know more about you.” She said nothing. “So where did you grow up?”

  “You know, it is getting late, and I have an early day tomorrow. Maybe we can continue this conversation another time?”

  Most women he’d been around couldn’t stop talking about themselves. For the first time since meeting her, she actually looked uncomfortable. It only intrigued him more. “Would you rather we talk about me?” he joked, trying to ease the tension.

  She smiled, but he could tell it was not genuine. “Another time perhaps?”

  He was not going to push it tonight. “Let’s get out of here. It’s getting late, and I have a long drive back to New York tonight.”

  As they left the coffeehouse, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. It was pouring rain with strong winds. They made it about ten feet from the door before Elaine was nearly knocked off her feet from a strong gust. Trent quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close to him, then turned so she was against the wall of the building. Using his large frame, he sheltered her from the wind and rain—protecting her—leaving the cold rain pounding his back.

  “You’re going to be drenched.” He heard the concern in her voice.

  “I would offer to switch spots, but I’m afraid you would blow away, leaving me to weather this storm all by myself.” He laughed. The sky lit up and a loud crack of thunder immediately followed. The storm was right above them.

  “Let’s try to make it back inside. At least you won’t get any wetter.”

  He couldn’t get any wetter if he had jumped in a pool with all his clothes on. “A bit too late for that.” He could feel her tremble and pulled her even closer. It appeared the storm was fast moving; the rain was already letting up. “It’s passing quickly, Elaine. No need for us both to get wet.”

  They stood against the wall of the coffeehouse, Elaine buried beneath him as the rain slowed and, as quickly as it started, stopped. Reluctantly, Trent pulled himself away from her. Mission accomplished: she stood dry and as beautiful as when she arrived. He, on the other hand, could feel the water slosh in his shoes.

  “Oh my, you are soaked to the bone,” Elaine said, as he ran his hand through his hair.

  “This is one of those days I wished I traveled with an extra set of clothes.” He chuckled.

  “You can’t drive back like that, and it’s Sunday night. There’s nothing open at this time of night.” Was that genuine concern for his well-being he heard? Besides his family, it had been a long time since a woman had shown more concern for him than the content of his wallet. He couldn’t put all the blame on them, as a lot of it was due to his choice of companionship. His relationship with a woman was a mutual understanding between two consenting adults and nothing more. When it got old, they moved on.

  “It’s only water. I will be fine.”

  “No, you won’t. It is at least a three- to four-hour drive. Wet like this, you will catch pneumonia.”

  “Any suggestions?”

  Elaine was quiet for a moment, and then to his surprise she said, “I don’t live far from here; you can come to my place and dry your clothes.”

  Looking at her sincere unease, he considered his own apprehension about the offer. A gentleman would have politely declined her kind offer. Never claimed to be a gentleman. He contemplated refusing for less than a second. This is what he’d wanted all night. Going to her house and getting undressed was far more appealing than his other option: a long wet drive back to New York. Her intentions may have been innocent, but his definitely were not.

  “To your house it is then. Thank you.” He headed for his car once again when she stopped him.

  “Actually, I live next door in the condo complex.” She pointed to the old mill he had admired when they arrived earlier. “We can walk, and this way your leather seats won’t get damaged.”

  Trent only smiled. He found it interesting she was genuinely worried about the car, but the seats were the last thing on his mind.

  Chapter Four

  When they entered her apartment, it was exactly as he pictured: hardwood floors, brick interior walls, and huge windows. He had been in several before, but not one currently occupied. Remodeling old mills was how he started his business ten years earlier when he graduated from college. He’d scooped up so many old abandoned mills and remodeled them into condos for a quick sale that he’d lost count. He bought the property extremely low, usually due to a foreclosure, spent as little as needed to fix it up, and then sold it high. It had been a very lucrative business at the time but required a lot of hands-on involvement. In the last five years he’d moved from flipping properties to flipping corporations. Same theory. Find a struggling company, pay bottom dollar, reorganize, and resell, making two to three times his investment. Most times he never needed to see the business or meet the employees. It was only a paper and financial transaction. And that was the way he liked it.

  “The shower is the first door on the right. If you leave your wet clothes by the door I will hang them to dry.

  “Towels?”

  “Sorry, the linen closet is opposite the bathroom before my bedroom. You will find everything you need except a robe. Unfortunately I only have one, mine, which is hanging near the shower. But at least you will be dry,” she told him, smiling.

  Trent grabbed the towel and headed for the bathroom. The large glass shower was big enough for two. Under any other circumstances, he would have asked Elaine to join him. He peeled off his wet clothes and left them by the door as requested, before walking into a steaming hot shower. Yes, it definitely was refreshing after the cold rain. It was very kind of her to do this for him—wise, probably not, but kind? Definitely. He heard the door open and assumed it was Elaine retrieving his clothes. Though he couldn’t see through the steamed glass, he had a feeling he was being watched. Interesting. Then he heard the door shut again. Oh yes, she’d been watching him in the shower. This night has potential!

  When finished, he found the robe exactly where she said it was. You’ve got to be kidding me. She hadn’t mentioned it was short and pink with flowers. He was tempted to only wrap a towel around his waist but knew that somehow wearing her robe had been a challenge, and he never backed down from a challenge. Did she think he was so insecure he couldn’t pull off wearing it with confidence? As he slipped it on and looked in the mirror, he almost burst out laughing at himself. It barely closed over his large build. This is what the lady requested, let’s see how she can handle it. He opened the door to join her in the living room. She’d changed into an oversized T-shirt and sweat pants and was sitting on the couch. “Want to switch outfits?”

  She turned toward him and burst out laughing. “Why? Don’t like pink?”

  God, she was even more beautiful when she laughed. It was the first time he had really seen her relaxed. He joined her laughter saying, “Love the color, but I don’t think it goes with my legs.” He opened the robe just a bit more to reveal his right leg to the upper thigh. “What do you think?”

  Elaine’s face turned bright red as he caught her eyeing what he had revealed. “Can I offer you something to drink?”

  Closing the robe again he said, “Whatever you’re having.” She left the living room, still blushing.

  ***

  The refrigerator was quite bare except for milk, eggs, and beer. Beer it is. Her hands trembled as she tried to open the bottles. She wasn’t sure if it was when he opened the robe or the sight of him in her shower, but she was still shaking inside.

  What was I thinkin
g asking him back to my place to shower? Have I lost my mind?

  His reputation was well-known. If anyone found out he was here with her, the speculation alone could ruin her credibility in the business world. It was hard enough to be taken seriously when approaching businessmen for donations. Most were more interested in her looks than her brains. So she’d made it known to everyone she was all business, and only business. It was not going to be easy to pull off that message with Trent. Every inch of her body was begging to be touched by him. And now she was offering him beer? Really? The last thing this situation needed was something to loosen them up any more than they were. Too late!

  When she returned to the living room she found Trent sitting on the couch, the robe barely closed around him, threatening to open again. Don’t look, don’t look! Quickly she handed Trent one of the beers. Thinking he had taken it from her, she let go of the bottle as it tumbled forward, spilling the ice-cold contents down the front of the robe.

  “Holy shit!” he exclaimed, jumping from the couch and removing the robe, leaving him entirely naked in front of her.

  Holy shit is right. Every part of her brain told her to turn away, but she couldn’t. Her eyes followed the wet streak of beer from his chest, to his abdomen, and stopped at his shaft, which was rising with the same excitement she was feeling. The temptation to reach out and touch him was almost more than she could control. “I’m sorry.” Her voice shook with desire.

  Then, as though Trent read her thoughts, he stepped closer to her. He gently touched her chin, tipping her face to look up at him. She laid a soft hand on his chest, instantly becoming distracted by the tight muscles she felt there. He moaned, pulling her against him and leaving little question as to what he wanted.

  His voice almost growled as he said, “I’m going to kiss you, Elaine. If this is not what you want, you better stop me now.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him no, but nothing came out.