What the Billionaire Wants

by Lila Lacroix

  “Tina?”

  “Here,” Tina said, pulling her head out. Her hair had come lose from its braid, and she knew she probably had dirt on her face from the way Ryan smiled at her. “Just thought I'd clean a little before we left.”

  There was something like pride on Ryan's face and she flushed. He shouldn't need to praise her for cleaning. “Good plan. We're probably not going to want to do that when we get back from Europe.”

  “That's what I thought.” Tina scraped her hair back and wrapped it in the hair tie. “So. When do we leave?”

  Grinning, Ryan rounded the counter and leaned against it. He looked good; Tina could appreciate that more know that she was feeling better than she had in a long time. “You know we can leave any time. It's not like we have to wait for a flight time.”

  Tina frowned, and then remembered that Ryan had a private jet. She felt a thrill run down her spine knowing that there was only going to be her and Ryan on the plane, and swallowed down the urge to cheer. “I love you.”

  Ryan's eyes softened. “I love you too. Now what's say we finish packing and get out of here?”

  Closing the cupboard, Tina climbed to her feet and pulled Ryan to her. “I can't think of anything I want to do more.”

  Ryan leaned in, lips brushing over hers in a poor imitation of a kiss. He didn't say anything, just kept looking at her for a while and taking her in. Usually Tina would shy away from the attention, or at least push into a kiss to save the embarrassment of the scrutiny, but for the first time she let him look, relishing the thought that someone loved her enough to want to do it.

  Tina knew about Ryan's jet, but this was the first time she had seen it in person. She didn't know much about planes, but she could appreciate that it looked sleek and expensive. She cringed. Not that she cared whether or not it looked expensive. Someone had already taken their bags aboard, and Ryan was guiding her towards the boarding stairs with a hand on the small of her back. She was excited for the trip to begin; knowing that they would soon be in Europe was enough to keep her grinning right up until they took their seats. Ryan kept throwing her little looks that she didn’t think she was supposed to see. He was pleased and appreciative, and she pretended she hadn't seen, looking out of the window at the airstrip tarmac.

  “So where are we going after Rome?”

  Ryan made a face, almost as though he was contemplating telling her. “How about you guess?”

  “That's not fair!” Tina punched him in the arm.” Europe is a big place and I'm as likely to get it wrong as I am guess right!”

  “And,” Ryan informed her with a grin. “There's no guarantee that I'll admit to it if you guess right.”

  Tina mock-glared at him. “That's playing unfair.”

  Ryan shrugged and then laughed as Tina slugged him again. Tina's face felt like it was going to split in half with the amount of time she was spending smiling.

  It was less awful to think she was travelling for seven hours if it meant that Ryan was going to be going along with her. They passed the time eating, talking in low tones even though they were the only ones on board, and napping from time to time. Tina had her head resting on Ryan's shoulder, and a blanket pulled over her knees. It was comfortable despite the occasional turbulence, and she couldn't wait to begin the holiday.

  “I've heard so many great things about Rome,” Tina told him, playing with the edge of the blanket. “So many places to visit.”

  “We'll do them all,” Ryan promised. “Including eating by candlelight on a terrace.”

  Tina snorted. “Isn't that Paris?”

  Ryan shrugged. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that he had gotten it wrong. “I don't know. Eating pizza and pasta by candlelight seems inherently Italian to me, am I wrong?”

  Laughing, Tina shuffled further down under the blanket. She imagined the sunset evening, sitting on an Italian veranda and eating pasta and pizza by candlelight. It was a wonderful image and she let out a soft hum of satisfaction.

  “Thinking about it now, huh?”

  “You know I am,” Tina told him, tipping her had back to smile at him. “So. Are we there yet?”

  Ryan pinched Tina's arm gently and she laughed.

  “You so walked into that one,” Tina laughed.

  While they were flying, Ryan finally let her see the brochure for the hotel where they were staying. It was less hotel and more resort, and definitely looked like the kind of decadence and expense that Ryan was about, while still being understated enough that Tina fell in love with him all over again. It was the perfect place to stay and she couldn't help but lean over and kiss Ryan full on the mouth.

  “Like it?”

  “Of course I do!” Tina said, thumbing through the brochure again. Appia Antica Resort was beautiful and everything that Tina could have dreamed of.

  The rest of the flight couldn't go quick enough and the longer it took, the more restless that Tina became.

  “We'll be there soon,” Ryan said, kissing Tina's temple.

  Ryan was true to his promise. They landed in Rome an hour later, and while Tina was tired and ready to sleep the Rome evening away, she wasn't out of it enough that she couldn't enjoy the sights Rome had to offer in the low light. Ryan's hand was warm on the base of her spine and she curled one arm around his back, holding close beside him.

  They were out of the airport in no time, and in a private car on their way to the resort. Tina settled back into the passenger seat and had her nose so close to the window that she was almost pressed against it. Rome rushed by but she could still see enough that it took her breath away. She knew she was behaving a little like a kid on holiday for the first time, but she hadn't been abroad very often at all – twice as a child that she could remember – and this was her first real holiday.

  Pulling herself away from the vision of Rome, she smiled. “So where are we going tomorrow?”

  Ryan smiled, though he kept his eyes on the road. “I thought you were eager to get to bed.”

  She flushed, knowing how that sounded, but shrugged. “I'm still excited.”

  Though Ryan shook his head, Tina could still see him smiling so she wasn't worried that he was getting exasperated with her. “I know. Don't worry, I have our days in Rome planned.”

  Willing to wait and see just what Ryan had planned for the two of them, Tina spent the rest of the journey curled up against the door of the car.

  The Colosseum was beautiful. Tina stood at the top, looking down into the bowl. Part of it was boarded up, warnings about collapsing rocks, but that didn’t detract from the beauty of the place, or of the history seeping from every brick and rock. When they looked down over the wall to see Rome stretching out beneath them, Tina didn't know how to say anything about the view. It was wonderful; they could see over the road towards the ruins across the way, and even as far as the old chariot grounds to the left.

  “It's hard to believe so much happened here, isn't it?”

  “I don't know,” Ryan said. He squeezed her side gently. “I think it's easy to believe that something so small could have experienced so much.”

  Tina pretended not to know what Ryan was talking about and raised her eyebrows. “The Colosseum isn't small.”

  Ryan snorted and squeezed her none too gently this time. “You know what I mean.”

  She did. It was getting easier to think about everything she had been through and not feel crippled by it, and the fact that she was in Rome and enjoying the beauty of another country was more than enough to stop the clench of her heart.

  “Do you want to see the rest of the ruins?” Ryan asked, guiding her away from the edge of the Colosseum and back towards the stone staircases littered around the circle. “We could go across the road and check those out.”

  “Obviously,” Tina said. “And then we could get back on the metro and go find somewhere to eat.”

  Ryan raised his eyebrows. “You want to eat for lunch and dinner?”

  Tina grinned up at him, shouldering her p
urse so that she could get a better grip on his arm. “You're supposed to be treating me, remember? So go ahead and treat me.”

  Tina almost didn't say it, worried that she would be crossing some kind of line, but Ryan didn't seem bothered. He laughed. “I guess I can manage that. If I really have to.”

  “You do really have to.” Tina poked him in the side, and the two of them walked out of the Colosseum. Navigating their way around people selling photos, umbrellas and all manner of things that Tina and Ryan decidedly not want, they made their way across the road. Rome was easy to stroll around in; though it was busy, there was plenty of time for people to just amble down the roads and pathways and keep to themselves if they wanted. Though people bothered them occasionally trying to sell things, Ryan managed to divert them away from places easily enough.

  The rest of the day passed in a blur of sights, happiness and food. In the evening, Ryan told her to dress up nice, and let her have the bathroom. The entire time she was showering, Tina wondered where she was being taken, but it wasn't until they were leaving the room, Tina decked out in a dress Ryan had bought her for just this holiday, that he promised her the candlelit night he had spoken about on the plane.

  “Are you serious?” Tina asked, clutching at his arm.

  “I told you that this holiday was going to be good for you and I meant what I said.”

  Tina didn't know what to say. “You don't have to do all of this you know.”

  She felt like she was going to cry, and the feeling only got worse when Ryan took her face in his hands, rubbing her thumbs under her eyes and smoothing them away. “You are worth everything I want to give you and more. I know I've told you this before and I will continue to do so until you believe it. I love you, Tina, and I just want you to know how much.”

  “If a holiday to Europe didn't prove it,” Tina managed, smiling at him warmly. “Then I think a dinner in the moonlight might just.”

  “Well then,” Ryan said, pulling her in for a hug. “I think we should go, don't you?”

  Tina didn't answer for a moment, content enough to stand in Ryan's arms for just a while longer.

  Rome passed quickly. They spent a week looking over the history and experiencing every corner of everything the city had to offer, but eventually they exhausted things to do, and Ryan told her they would be leaving the following morning.

  “Where to next?”

  Ryan pretended to think about the question as he packed his bag back up, though the two of them had been living mostly from them, so there wasn't much to put away. “I don't think I want to tell you.”

  “Surprise after surprise?” Tina made sure that all of the electronics she had brought were safely in her bag. “Aren't you afraid that they'll wear off after a while?”

  “I don't know.” Ryan straightened, zipping up his bag and giving her an assessing look. “Is there any danger of that happening?”

  Tina knew the answer to that, but she was fairly sure that she wanted to keep Ryan guessing. “I don't know. You're going to have to find out.”

  There was a pause as Ryan helped her put the rest of her clothes in the suitcase. “I'll just have to keep surprising then, won't I?”

  Tina nodded, so that she didn't have to say anything, but laughed as Ryan pulled her into another kiss. He had been more affectionate since they had landed in Rome, and Tina hoped that it would continue, especially when they made it back home. He kissed her easily, and was more prone to hugging and holding her. She loved it, and it was obvious to everyone around them that they were a couple.

  “I love you, you know,” Tina said, because he had told her many times, but she hadn't done so enough. Not lately.

  Ryan looked at her warmly, fingers curling around the back of her neck as he moved in to kiss her again. “I love you too.”

  The flight wasn't terribly long, so Tina knew they hadn't gone far, and as they flew in over the city, it was obvious to tell where they were.

  “First a candelit dinner in Rome, and now a candlelit dinner in Paris?”

  “I did promise you.” Ryan looked over her shoulder, peering down at the stretch of Paris below them. Tina grabbed for his hand, and curled their fingers together, not looking at Ryan. She didn't know what to say, only knew that this trip through Europe was going to be one of the best things that had ever happened to her.

  While Tina thought Rome was beautiful, Paris was even more so, the opulence and history of the city obvious throughout the entire downtown core of the city.

  They stopped for a while in the main city on their second day, and Ryan treated her to an afternoon of trying different French cuisine. The waiters were welcoming and friendly, and they cracked jokes in English and French that Tina didn't always understand, but she couldn't help laughing anyway, simply because they were so friendly and inviting. She was sure she wouldn't be having much of this kind of food again, but some things she took away and was determined to put in their cupboards.

  Ryan didn't eat a lot; he seemed content to watch her, and feed her sometimes too, mostly because she liked it more than she thought it would, accepting delicacies from his fingers and holding his hand as she chewed and swallowed. She had always thought romantic things like that, like hand feeding and holding hands and everything was something to aspire to, but never expected to like it so much. She was more than pleased to discover that she was getting it and so much more.

  She wanted to save the Eiffel Tower until last, and Ryan seemed happy enough to let her, guiding her to different places and though they passed the Tower a couple of times, he never demanded that they go inside and see it.

  It wasn't until the fifth day, driving down towards the Tower for another day in the city, that Tina reached for Ryan's thigh. “I want to go and see the Tower today.”

  “Are you sure?” Ryan took his eyes away from the road momentarily to glance at her, and Tina squeezed his leg to let him know that she was.

  “There's not a lot of the city left to see and I want to spend the day around here for a change.”

  Ryan nodded.

  There was a small market a short walk away from the Tower, so the two of them made their way through the stalls, examining trinkets and jewellery, scarves and clothes that fit Tina's taste but that she wasn't entirely sure would fit with Ryan.

  “You like that?”

  Tina was running a scarf through her fingers, a soft material that felt a lot like silk. She shrugged and put it back on the stall. “It's lovely.”

  Ryan picked it up and wrapped it around her neck, smoothing it down and then using it to draw her closer. “Do you want it?”

  “You don't-”

  “Do you want it?” Ryan pressed.

  Tina smiled, nodding, and wasn't surprised when Ryan handed over the Euros and the scarf was hers. “Thank you.”

  He ignored her shyness, and took her hand once again. “You don't have to thank me for buying you things. You look good in it.”

  “I do, huh?” Tina ran her free hand over the scarf. She had to agree that it did look good on her.

  They moved on from the market just after noon, and Ryan took her to a small café near the base of the Eiffel Tower. It was beautiful; she could see the Champs de Mars stretching out in front of them, and the shadow of the Tower gave them relief from the sun. They ate croissants and had coffee, and Tina kept a hold of Ryan's hand in between bites. She titled her head back, letting the sun filtering through hit her face and she knew how wide her smile must look.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “You know I am,” Tina told him, eyes crinkling in the corners as she smiled.

  Ryan nodded, satisfied, and then turned back to people watching. There weren't that many people around, and Tina appreciated the quiet. She didn't know how much longer they were staying in Paris, but she was trying to enjoy every minute of this holiday, and the quieter their surroundings, the better she felt.

  “I thought maybe we'd change hotels for the night,” Ryan told her. />
  Tina frowned, looking at him over the top of her sunglasses. “Why?”

  Ryan gestured at a small building a few feet away, garden stretching out beneath the shadow of the Tower. “How about that?”

  Tina didn't know what to say. “I think it would be amazing, but isn't that-”

  “We don't have anything with us, though,” Ryan warned.

  It was daring and Tina liked the idea of what she would have called the walk of shame back in college. Still, nobody here knew them and they could always go and change once they left the apartment the next morning. “Fine.”

  Ryan squeezed her hand and then tugged her up and away from the table. He paused momentarily to throw some Euros down on the table, but then he was pulling her towards the building, hand on the small of her back. She was beginning to expect the possessive gesture – longed for it, even – and she was only too happy to let him stake his claim. It wasn't as though she was ever going to want anyone else; Ryan was it for her now.

  The building owner was only too happy to take them, and though Tina suspected it had something to do with the amount of cash Ryan was willing to pay, she didn't much care when she saw the room. It was beautiful, fit for a princess, and when she said so, Ryan told her she was on, swallowing down her protests in a kiss.

  Pausing only to throw open the windows so that the sun could filter in, Tina could see the Eiffel Tower when she looked out the window before Ryan’s hands were on her hips.

  She moaned with pleasure as his fingers lightly pressed against her skin, sliding under the hem of her shirt and moving upwards slowly, ever so slowly towards the soft mounds of her breasts. When he reached the underwire of her bra, Ryan began to slide his fingers along the edge slowly, moving backwards, until he found the clasp. Undoing it with a single swift motion, Tina’s breasts fell free as she slipped out from the bra, letting it fall to the floor, the light fabric of her shirt now the only thing shielding her skin from the open air.

  Tina leaned back into Ryan as his fingers continued their roaming. She could feel herself melting into him as his hands circled her breasts, slowly moving in towards her nipples that she could feel hardening by the second.