Billionaires On the Beach: The Anderson Brothers

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Chapter 9

  Gemma

  “Grey…”

  Her world was spinning. She’d been so out of her mind with his kisses, she never felt his hand move under she shirt until he cupped her breast squeezing and sending a jolt straight to her core.

  “Can I kiss you here, Gem?”

  “Yes!”

  Her shirt disappeared and her bra vanished into thin air, her back arching when his lips closed over one pink-tipped point. Nothing had ever felt as exciting or as good as when he sucked and kissed first one and then the other rigid peak.

  She shivered when his hand inched under the waistband of her shorts. He stopped and raised his head, meeting her gaze, questioning, “Gem?”

  His hand slid down between her skin and panties and cupped her sex. “I want to kiss you here, Gemma. I want to taste you on my tongue, and I want to drink you down when you explode in my mouth.”

  Gemma’s mouth dropped open. Oh, he was good. No one had ever said things like that to her. She worked to find the words to give him the go-ahead, but all she could manage was, “Ah hm.” Cool air touched her most private area and she marveled at Grey’s skill making unwanted clothing magically disappear. She had a crazy thought wondering how he’d maneuver a sports bra. And that was the last lucid thought she had, because when the tip of his tongue touched her, she grabbed two fists full of his hair, pulled him closer and exploded. The fierce orgasm took her completely by surprise and left her gasping for air.

  Grey froze then slowly raised his head, giving her an amused look. “What just happened?”

  Gemma closed her eyes tight and felt her face begin to flame as she nervously turned her head away.

  “Did you just come?”

  Realizing she still gripped his hair in her hands, she tore them away as if his hair was a hot potato, and tried to scoot away. “I…” She swallowed and tried again. “You…”

  Grey held her hips preventing her from escaping. “Talk to me Gem.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded, then tried again to explain. “I’ve never…I mean, no one has ever…and then you did…and it just happened.”

  Grey blinked trying to unravel the meaning behind her stuttered words. His eyes opened wide with disbelief and then became bright with delight. Much to Gemma’s humiliation, he threw his head back and laughed.

  “And it’s very embarrassing,” she deadpanned, and tried to reach for a quilt to cover her naked body, but Grey was having none of that. He simply refused to move, but he did continue laughing at her expense.

  “That’s not helping, you know.” She folded her arms across her breasts and pursed her lips.

  “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and pulled a blanket over them both. Still chuckling. “Has it been awhile?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How long?”

  She thought. “Three—no four years.”

  “Years? No wonder you went off like a Roman candle.”

  She cut her eyes towards him. “Still not helping. What are you doing?”

  “Snuggling.”

  She wanted to laugh at Grey Anderson snuggling, but instead, she found it quite charming. “Snuggling? Don’t you want to…you know, finish?”

  “Nope. Crazy, isn’t it? I want to lay here with you and watch the stars while the boat rocks us to sleep.”

  That sounded perfect but confusing to her. “I don’t understand.”

  “You know, I don’t either.”

  His arms closed around her tighter. “You’re nothing like what I thought you were.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  She thought. “A little of both. Good because the news and entertainment articles make you out to be a horn dog and I don’t think that’s who you are. Which is bad for me, because I’m starting to like you, Greyson Anderson.”

  “Don’t paint me in too rosy a light, Gemma. While those rags do exaggerate, I’m far from innocent. But you know what? Recently I met this girl who makes me want to be a better person.”

  With the gentle rocking of the boat and the cool night air, it wasn’t long before they both fell asleep.

  Chapter 10

  Grey

  “So, this is where you work?” Grey walked into Fit2Live and found Gemma in the workout studio in his favorite position, bent over. And in his opinion, she turned around from putting the kettlebells back on the shelf much too soon.

  “Hi, Grey. Did you decide to sign up after all?”

  He loved the tight workout clothes she wore. And he loved the way her body melted into his when he pulled her against him and gave her a kiss. “No way. I just stopped by to talk a minute. Can you take five?”

  Gemma picked up a white towel and wiped her face. “Yeah. My next appointment isn’t for another thirty minutes.”

  Since their day in Southport and their accidental stranding episode, things between them had changed. She was no longer fighting their attraction, but he could tell she was still somewhat resistant. He hoped what he had planned would work in his favor and she’d learn to trust him. “Want to go grab a cup of coffee?”

  Grey almost groaned when she picked up a blue t-shirt and pulled it over her head. It was such a shame to cover all that, but then again he didn’t want her showing off what he was coming to think of as his.

  “Tea.” Gemma corrected and tossed her towel in a bin by the door. “I don’t like coffee. Marie has this special blend of tea that she mixes just for me. She’s like a tea whisperer. She gets to know you and then she just feels you and mixes up the perfect blend.”

  “Okay. Coffee for me and tea for you.”

  Grey held the door open and once outside took her hand in his. Walking down the sidewalk hand in hand with Gemma felt like something he’d been doing forever. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her wrist and grinned when she shivered.

  After they’d gotten their drinks, Grey led her to an outdoor table under an umbrella shielding them from the bright sun.

  Gemma pursed her lips and blew across the top of her tea. “So, what’s up?”

  Grey shook his head to clear the image of her lips and focus on convincing her to go with him. “It looks like the yacht will be ready next week, and I would truly like you to come. It’s a week there, and then we fly back.”

  He watched her weigh the pros and cons of accompanying him. From his point of view, there was only one correct answer.

  “Grey…I’d like to but…”

  “Gemma.” Grey interrupted before she could turn him down flat. “A captain and crew go with me. I usually take work with me, but I’d much rather spend that time with you.”

  Grey could see her indecision, much like what he’d imagine she’d look like right before she bungee jumped off a bridge. He didn’t want her to think about it too long.

  “Talk to me, Gem. What are you thinking?”

  “Well, I’ll have to talk to Mellie.”

  “Okay, we can do that when you get back to the studio. What else?”

  “Pops?”

  “Do you think he wouldn’t want you to go?”

  “No. He’d be fine with me going. It’s just that since his heart attack, I like keeping tabs on him. You know, making sure he eats healthy and that he walks every day. He’d sit in front of the television all day if he had his way.”

  He could work with these problems. “Okay. Leave it to me. I’ll make sure he has three healthy meals a day and that he exercises. What else?”

  Gemma’s brows drew closer. “Grey, how can you do that?”

  Grey took her hand. “Gemma. I promise I’ll have your grandfather taken care of. What else is keeping you from coming?”

  Gemma sighed and met his gaze. “I want to be with you, Grey. I do.”

  “Then come with me.” Come on, Gemma. Say yes.

  She swirled her tea and finally looked up. “Okay.”

  He did a silent fist bump. “Thank you. Now let me get you back to work, so you’re not late for your next class.”

&nbs
p; Grey walked Gemma back and thoroughly kissed her goodbye, leaving her with a dazed look in her eyes that pleased him. He whistled all the way back to his car, but instead of going back to work, he knew just the person he needed to see. Thirty minutes later, he pulled up into his parents’ driveway. As he and all his brothers always did, he walked into the house and yelled, “Mom!”

  “Hi, honey.” His mom came from the kitchen wiping her hands on a sunny yellow dishtowel. Grey bent down for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “Sweetie, what are you doing here? Your father is playing a round of golf with Fred Martin.”

  “No, ma’am. It’s you I’ve come to see. If you have a minute.”

  “Of course. Come on, let’s get a glass of sweet tea and sit by the pool.”

  Grey smiled as his mom kept up a dialog about anything and everything as she rushed around the kitchen fixing their tea and putting some of her homemade oatmeal raisin cookies on a plate. He’d be sure to leave with some of those. He carried the tray to the back deck and set it on the patio table.

  “All right, sweetie, what can I do for you?”

  He swallowed a bite of cookie. “Well, there’s this girl.”

  “Praise the Lord! How long have I waited to hear that come out of your mouth, Greyson Anderson? I assume you mean Gemma?”

  Grey’s brow rose. His mom couldn’t have known. “How…?”

  “Come on, Grey. I raised five sons. You think I don’t know a thing or two? Just so you know, I couldn’t be happier. Gemma is such a beautiful girl, inside and out. And the flowers you sent her were beautiful. A little over the top, but lovely.”

  No. His mom had the wrong idea about Gemma. “Don’t get too excited, Mom. It’s not like that. I barely know her.”

  His mom totally ignored him. “You know, she’d make a perfect daughter-in-law.”

  Grey sat his suddenly unappealing cookie down and rubbed his rolling stomach with a grimace. “No, we’re not...”

  “Honey, just promise me you won’t close yourself off from the possibility of marriage.”

  “Marriage?” Grey felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle at even the thought of marriage. “No. Of course not. That’s not what this is. We’re just…” What? What were they? The smirking look in his mom’s eyes gave him the shivers.

  “You’re scared. I understand, honey. Just give it time. If Gemma is the right one, you will know.”

  He swallowed. “How…” Grey cleared his throat and tried again. “How will I know?”

  “Oh, that’s easy. You start acting like a crazy person.” She laughed and took a sip of tea. “With your father, I knew the moment I saw him that he would be it for me. It took your father a little longer to come around. He was a bit of a ladies’ man in his day, and settling down is always a big, scary step to take in life. The more time we spent together made the times we spent apart unbearable. But sweetie, if it’s with the right woman, your life becomes much, much, richer and more complete.”

  Love? He ran a distracted hand through his hair. He had the acting crazy part down. And he was doing everything in his power to make their cruise happen. But…love?

  “Okay, so what can I help you with?”

  Grey wasn’t fooled. His mom might have changed the subject, but she was far from finished with the topic. He wasn’t ready to put too much more thought into it. “I’ve asked Gemma to go with me to Bermuda to deliver a yacht. We’ll leave on Monday, but she’s worried about her grandfather.”

  His mom took a sip of tea. “I imagine she would be, especially after his heart attack.”

  “She’s worried about him eating correctly and staying in the house all day. She likes for him to get his exercise.”

  She patted him on the arm. “You just leave everything to me, dear. I’ll call my ladies’ group from church. Joe Jackson won’t know what hit him when we’re finished with him.”

  Grey chuckled to himself. He hoped Mr. Jackson would speak to him afterward. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “I’m happy to do it, but Grey, I meant what I said. Your father and I aren’t getting any younger. I want to see you boys settled and I want time to enjoy grandkids.”

  She’d skipped right over marriage and moved straight to the kids. A shudder should have run down Grey’s spine at even hearing ‘father’ and ‘kids’ in the same sentence. But it didn’t, and he refused to examine why. “You’ve already got grandkids.”

  “I’d like to hold your sweet baby in my arms, Grey.”

  Grey pushed the metal chair back suddenly and sprang to his feet, the sound grating against the brick floor, much like his mom’s words grated on his nerves. “I’ve got to go.” Grey kissed his mom goodbye and left as quickly as he could.

  Chapter 11

  Gemma

  “Grey, this is beautiful and a lot bigger than the yacht we took to Southport.” Gemma was surrounded by luxury the moment she stepped aboard the Sea Dream.

  “She’s double the size and sleeps twelve guests and thirteen crew members. Come on, let me give you the grand tour. She has four levels with a private Jacuzzi, pool, a wine cellar, gym, and theater.”

  “What’s that?” She pointed to a small rectangular pool.

  “That is a quenching pool. The water is kept cool so if you get hot when you’re sunbathing…”

  “You jump in and cool off?”

  “Right. It’s not big enough to swim in, but there are benches along the edge where you can sit and relax.”

  “So, it’s like a hot tub but for summer.”

  “Right. Exactly.”

  “Are you ready to see your room?”

  Her steps slowed. She’d thought a lot about sleeping arrangements. She grinned and glanced at Grey as he walked beside her, his hand touching her back. To her, the turning point in their relationship, had been the night they’d spent at sea. Stranded. She still couldn’t get the image of Grey’s face out of her mind when he couldn’t get the ship to start. He’d been so sincere in making her feel comfortable that night, and taking the pressure off by removing sex from the menu for the evening by offering her a separate berth. She’d been the one to initiate what had happened between them. And even then, Grey hadn’t pushed and had gone slow, letting her decide. But then, when she’d gone off so quickly, he’d understood and had been happy to just cuddle and talk until they fell asleep under the stars.

  Grey opened the door to a lovely cabin done in shades of blue and grays.

  “Gemma?” Grey asked when she didn’t walk inside.

  She fidgeted with her hands before squaring her shoulders and meeting his questioning gaze. “What if I want to stay in your room?”

  “That’s fine. I’ll just have our things switched, and I’ll stay in this one.”

  Gemma chuckled and put a hand on his arm to stop him from rushing to change rooms. “You misunderstood. You’re blowing your reputation to smithereens.” She bravely looked up into Grey’s eyes so there could be no misunderstanding. “I want to stay in whatever cabin you’re staying in. At the same time.” She clarified.

  Grey’s eyes opened wide. “With me?”

  She nodded and moved a step closer, pressing her breasts into his chest. If she was going to do this, she wasn’t going to be timid about it. She’d take what he could give her and be happy with the time she had with him.

  His arms wrapped around her. “You’re sure, Gem?”

  She loved how he shortened her name. No one had ever called her that before. “I’m sure, Grey.”

  Grey pressed her even closer, and she trembled when she felt him harden against her stomach. “I need you to kiss me, Grey.”

  Gemma’s stomach clenched as he moved his face closer to hers. She wanted this. She wanted Grey.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Anderson.”

  Gemma startled at the voice coming from the doorway. Grey met her gaze but didn’t lift his head. Unmistakable irritation raced through his eyes and the muscles of his jaw tensed in irritation. She bit her lip to keep from sm
iling.

  Grey smiled back at her and chuckled. “Yes.”

  “Your office called, sir—line three.”

  Inside she was throwing a tantrum any two-year-old would have been proud of. “Go ahead.” She smoothed her hand over his chest feeling the tone muscles beneath his shirt.

  Grey let his forehead fall against hers. “Thank you, Harrison. I’ll be right there.”

  Once they were alone, Grey stepped back, putting temptation an arm’s distance away. “I’m sorry. I really need to take this before we get underway. It could be important.”

  Gemma gave a slight nod. “Of course.”

  Grey paused at the bedroom door and glanced back over his shoulder. “Third door on the left.”

  Gemma tipped her head and asked. “What?”

  He grinned and tapped the doorframe. “The room I’m staying in.”

  Gemma’s lips grew into a wide smile. “Oh…I’ll just get unpacked then, while you take your call.

  “Put on a bathing suit and meet me on the front deck in an hour. We’ll have lunch.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  Gemma took her time, unpacked and dressed in the bikini Mellie had talked her into. She shook her head at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She’d been lucky her skin had tightened after her weight loss, but she still carried the thin white stretch lines and a pouchy stomach that would never be completely flat. Her body was far from perfect, but she was proud of every line, and saw them only as accomplishments instead of imperfections.

  Usually, she selected bathing suits that covered more than the coral string bikini which hid only the necessary parts. The three tiny scraps of fabric made her feel sexy, and that was a novel feeling for her. The way Grey looked at her, and touched her made her feel sensual and desired.

  After giving herself a pep talk, she strolled to the front deck, admiring the opulence of the multi-million-dollar yacht. She took a fluffy blue monogrammed towel from the rack by the pool and draped it over one of the dozen loungers spaced perfectly apart on the deck. She chuckled—the loungers were upholstered in navy blue fabric and were as big as a twin-size bed!