The Big Billionaire

by Lexi Aurora

  “I can see that,” I said, not so harsh this time. “What else was I supposed to do? I didn’t have a fallback. School was where all my talents lay, and it was a safe option above all else.” Before I could say anything more, I suddenly realized what the gap between our understanding was.

  “Adrian…” I continued. “I didn’t have billions of dollars behind me, okay? I didn’t have much of anything growing up, and what that does to a kid… well, you learn from a very young age that you have to have realistic goals. You have to choose a career that will carry you through life, make you money, and keep you afloat. So, you find what you’re good at and make a job of it. I just had my work cut out for me.”

  Adrian, for once, seemed to be at a loss for words. Meanwhile, I was turning red and trying to disappear into the couch. I couldn’t believe how much I’d revealed to him all at once. What happened to my professionalism? Did it all go out the window when I spent the night before so sexually frustrated because of him? I had to get my head on straight and practice what I’d been preaching about business and focusing on the task at hand.

  Adrian and I said nothing else to each other until we landed in Barcelona, taking naps in shifts and amusing ourselves in other ways the whole trip. But by the time the wheels touched the ground in Spain, I was jumpy with excitement for the first time in a very, very long time.

  Chapter Six

  ADRIAN

  The conversation on the plane with Scarlett had left me a little shaken, as much as I hated to admit it. It wasn’t that I was naïve to the workings of the rest of the world, but I tended to surround myself with people who lived my kind of lifestyle, and mine was the sort that required a lot of money. I knew I’d sounded stupid, but it wasn’t like I could apologize to her. I technically hadn’t done anything wrong, and though I was enjoying our constant scramble for power, apologizing would put us on a different level. There was nothing sexy about going to her like a kicked puppy with my tail between my legs, begging for forgiveness.

  I decided I would just play it cool and let her come to me first, if she did at all. Once we were in Spain, though, she seemed to forget all about what had happened between us on the plane. I watched her take in our surroundings with wide, bright eyes, and wondered if she’d ever had a chance to travel before. I figured she wouldn’t have, unless she’d been on a study-abroad program or something.

  We met a guide, a fellow scholar, in the airport. She was a middle-aged woman named Constance who introduced herself in English, Spanish, and French, then led us to a car and explained our lodging arrangements, as well as our schedule for research. Scarlett listened to her with rapt attention, and I figured she’d remember every detail, so I didn’t pay too much attention. I knew I’d just end up following Scarlett wherever she needed to go, sending periodic updates to my mom and sister when I could.

  “So, any questions?” Constance asked a few minutes later, and I realized I must have been doing a better job of pretending to listen than I thought.

  “Nothing that I won’t learn in action, I suppose,” Scarlett shrugged. “You will be accompanying us to the historical library tomorrow, correct? I’m afraid I’m not too familiar with the layout.”

  I noticed Scarlett’s Ivy-League vocabulary was making a strong appearance. She seemed simultaneously at home in the environment and completely out of her element. I’m sure being in a different country, tired and probably jet-lagged, was taking a toll on her, but there was no denying she knew what she was doing in this field.

  “I will,” Constance assured her. “I will stay on the premises, but once you have what you need, I will leave you both to conduct your research privately.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Scarlett said quickly. “I mean, I will be doing the research on my own. Adrian is here only to represent the Oliver family.”

  I felt like she was trying to distance herself from me, but for whose benefit?

  “Ah, just one problem with that,” Constance said, looking from Scarlett to me and back quickly. “Mr. Oliver, I’m sure you know your family has graciously given the library a large grant in exchange for unlimited access to our more…sensitive documents. I do mean that quite seriously; some of what you’ll be seeing cannot be touched without gloves, for it is so old and delicate.”

  Scarlett nodded emphatically. I, on the other hand, was not at all aware of the grant. I’m sure it was my mother’s doing. She had a way of making things happen.

  “Therefore, you must be with Dr. Quinnes at all times when she is inside the library,” Constance continued. “It is the only way she will be able to view some of the pieces.”

  “We understand,” I said firmly. I’d unconsciously moved closer to Scarlett as I listened to our guide, and found myself able to put an arm around her shoulders. I wondered if she was as hyper-aware of every part of our bodies that were touching as I was.

  “Of course,” Scarlett said, mustering up a smile.

  The hotel was a swanky joint, even by my standards. Scarlett looked ready to shrink into herself, but I took her arm in mine and made sure she couldn’t. Any awkwardness that may have passed between us on the plane was gone. I was the one familiar thing she had there, and while I didn’t want to take advantage of that fact, I enjoyed the way it felt.

  Our rooms were across from each other on the top-most floor; individual suites that boasted every amenity imaginable.

  “Well…” Scarlett looked like she didn’t want to leave my side, and I was somewhat startled by it. “I guess I will see you in the morning.” It was a statement, but she posed it like a question open for discussion.

  “Right. And if you need anything between now and then, you know where to find me.” I smirked. “I can make you a map, if you like. You seem to be more comfortable with those.”

  Scarlett rolled her eyes, but there was no malice behind it. “Just keep it down, alright? I don’t want to have to call in any noise complaints on you.”

  “I’ll do my best, but no trip to Spain is complete without a good old-fashioned champagne-and-bourbon-filled orgy.”

  The immediate horror that crossed Scarlett’s face was enough to make me laugh and break my serious expression.

  “I’m kidding, Scarlett. No, that’d be France. Which, coincidentally, is right around the corner, if we finish early here and you want to see what all that’s about-”

  “I’m sure I’ll be all funned-out by the time we’ve done what we have to do, thank you very much,” Scarlett said. She’d removed her arm from mine, but we still stood close, neither making a move towards our own door.

  Without even thinking about it, I started to say something I wasn’t prepared to hear coming from my own mouth. “Hey. If what I said on the plane earlier… I mean, I kinda was a dick.”

  “I know you didn’t mean anything by it,” Scarlett sighed. “I said a little more than I meant to, anyway. I know at the end of the day, we come from two very different worlds, and, you know, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

  “I can buy you nice things and you can help me get my head out of my ass?” I suggested, only half-joking.

  “I don’t need you to buy me things.” Scarlett’s face was neutral and she kept her voice even, but her eyes were sad. I didn’t see much of the fire that I’d seen there before, and I missed its warmth.

  “I kind of need you, though.” I didn’t say anything else, but leaned in towards her.

  “Sorry.” Scarlett put both hands firmly on my chest to stop me and looked into my eyes. “We’ve overstepped professionalism a little too much already.”

  “God, Scarlett, when was the last time you let yourself enjoy anything?” I asked, exasperated. I put my hands over hers, holding them gently. “I’m not talking about week-long benders and group sex and crashing motorcycles and whatever else, I just mean letting yourself breathe and have fun and have desires and-”

  “You don’t think I want that?!” she exclaimed in a burst of emotion, yanking her hands away. I was take
n aback, but let her keep going. Clearly, this was a long time coming.

  “I have to be the perfect picture of a scholar if I want to be taken seriously, despite the exemplary work I’ve already done. Any misstep reflects directly on my merit, and it’s indicative of my failings as a woman, a student, a historian… that’s so much pressure, Adrian. It’s so much and it’s been on me since I was a kid.” Though her voice didn’t waver, her throat tightened and I saw tears pooling in her eyes.

  “I get pressure,” I told her. “I mean, no, I don’t get it like that, but… my dad, okay, he was a really good, smart guy. He died in a helicopter crash when I was thirteen – he was bringing medical supplies to an orphanage in Haiti. Every guy my mom got involved with after that was a disaster, and Alison pulled away from the family for a while, finishing school and starting her business. I figured she could keep the family legacy going fine on her own, so I took the pressure off myself. I established a strong reputation as… you know.”

  Scarlett nodded, pushing her hair away from her face. I put one hand gently on her waist, slowly, so as not to startle her. She reminded me of a deer caught in headlights, unsure of which way to turn, not knowing where she would be safe. But I no longer saw this as submission, or saw her as something to catch.

  “This is going to last a week, tops,” Scarlett said. “This job, I mean.” She spoke softly, but we were close enough that I could feel her breath on my lips.

  “There aren’t any stuffy, pretentious men in tweed jackets here to judge you. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy yourself. This assignment will look good on your transcripts –not that they aren’t already really impressive– and this can just be something to remember fondly.”

  “This?”

  I released Scarlett and walked backwards to my door, sliding the key card and opening the door. I hadn’t been so excited, anxious, or full of anticipation in a long, long time. She pocketed her key card and never let her eyes leave my face.

  Chapter Seven

  SCARLETT

  I couldn’t say I let Adrian talk me into coming to his room, because I knew damn well what I was doing and I could have left at any time. I knew that without a doubt. There was no intimidation at play, and I didn’t feel that it would affect the job. Being halfway across the world with him almost didn’t feel like reality, so maybe my inhibitions were lowered because the consequences seemed less likely to actually come to light.

  Adrian made me feel sexy and desired, and even if it could only be for this trip, it was nice to remember that I could feel that way. So I let him close the door behind us as I stepped close to him, putting one hand on his shoulder and the other on the back of his neck, ready to pull him to me.

  His hands moved to my waist again, but now they were firmly set, and stroked up and down to my hips and back. It seemed like he was waiting for me, so I closed the distance between us and kissed him. His lips were soft, but the kiss was full of heat and escalated after a moment when he nipped my bottom lip and held me flush against his body. Through our clothes, I could feel the muscles of his abdomen –the ones I’d seen the night before– and even the erection that was forming.

  “If you change your mind,” Adrian murmured against my mouth, “you say the word, and we’ll stop, and you can go back to your room, and we won’t ever mention this again.”

  I could have melted. “You’re a good man, Adrian,” I whispered. “And I won’t be changing my mind.”

  Adrian put his hands on the backs of my thighs, just under my ass, and I took the cue as he picked me up to wrap my legs around his waist. Still kissing, he moved us over to his king-sized bed, letting me fall onto it as he took off his shirt.

  Laying on my back and watching him, I thought that bed must be the most luxurious thing I’d ever felt in my life. He’d only taken off his shirt when he came back down to me, kissing me again while he undid my blouse. My hands were tangled in his hair, pulling slightly, and he groaned and dropped his head to my neck when my shirt was off. While he set to work unfastening my bra, he kissed and sucked along the sensitive areas of my neck, licking the spots he set his teeth on and focusing on the places that made me whimper.

  When my bra was off, his strong, warm hands slid up my torso and cupped my breasts, and he ran his thumbs over my nipples. My back arched up as I keened under him, and he kissed from my cleavage down to my skirt-clad waist, quickly remedying that by pulling the skirt’s zipper down and tossing it to the floor. I kicked my heels off before crawling up on the bed so I could put my head back on the pillows, and Adrian followed me up.

  He settled himself between my legs, kissing my thighs but not coming close enough to where I really wanted him to be. I was so drunk on sensation that I barely felt him take my underwear off, but suddenly his mouth was on my pussy and I yelped.

  “Too much?” he asked, his voice hazy with lust and longing.

  “No no no no no,” I said rapidly. “Perfect.”

  He chuckled and kept going. He alternated using the firm tip of his tongue and the more gentle, flattened licks, eventually staying in one space and using his fingers to open me up while his tongue focused on my clit.

  When my legs started shaking, he gripped one of my thighs with his free hand so hard that I thought he might leave bruises. No… I hoped there’d be bruises.

  “A-Adrian,” I choked out, starting to feel tension in my lower stomach that I hadn’t felt so strongly in a long time.

  “I know,” was all he said before continuing his ministrations. It was only a few more moments before I was shaking uncontrollably, holding onto the bedsheets with a tight-fisted grip, and moaning without a care in the world for who might hear me.

  When I came, my thighs squeezed around Adrian’s head, but he kept going until I was completely done, gasping and spent. I didn’t have time to be at all embarrassed for nearly suffocating him with my legs – he wiped his mouth and was back to kissing me again. My hands, almost of their own accord, moved down to Adrian’s pants, and he smiled against my lips and helped me by unfastening them and pulling them off, along with his boxers.

  I pushed on his chest and he understood my meaning, rolling over so I was on top of his naked body and had a full view of the ridiculously fit man in the bed with me. I licked my palm and began to pump his fully-erect cock with my hand while he closed his eyes, let out a sharp breath, and tossed his head back against the pillows.

  I was prepared to lower my head and put my mouth around him, but he stopped me with a grunt. I looked up questioningly, and he unfolded a hand to show me a condom wrapped in gold packaging. I took the condom from him and tore it open with my teeth, putting it on him quickly. If he couldn’t wait to get to the main event, I sure as hell couldn’t, especially since I’d already climaxed once and was more than ready to do it again.

  I lowered myself onto him, both of us moaning quietly. It took me a few tries to take him fully; he was bigger than I’d expected, but he stayed still, holding onto my hips and letting me take my time. Once he’d bottomed out inside of me, I was so euphoric I couldn’t help giggling. Adrian watched me, smirking in a way that was even sexier when I saw his dark blue eyes were so blown with arousal.

  When he started moving his hips, though, I stopped giggling and bit my lip, feeling every little sensation coursing through me. I met his thrusts with my own, riding him while he held onto my waist and guided me in a way that was equally pleasurable for the both of us. I never once stopped to think about how long we were going, just how good it felt.

  When he reached up to rub my clit with his thumb, moving in small circles, I gasped and threw my head back. My inner walls were tightening again, so I knew he could tell I was close. I was trying to hold back a little, knowing a second orgasm would probably overwhelm me and I’d have to stop, but Adrian kept going and, if anything, went faster.

  “Come for me, Scar,” he said, his voice strained. “I’m right behind you, baby.”

  That was all the affirmation I needed to l
et go and climax a second time. I was panting as my heart pounded inside my chest, but when I saw Adrian’s eyes shut tightly and his jaw clench, I was filled with adoring emotion, dropping my head to his chest as he came inside me.

  We rested like that for a second, Adrian relinquishing his grip on me and sighing. He stroked my back gently until I no longer felt quite so wobbly, and then pushed up and off him, collapsing at his side. I felt him pull the condom off and toss it out as I made myself comfortable. I was far too hot to crawl under the covers, but not so hot that I wouldn’t take Adrian’s outstretched arm as an invitation to curl up against him.

  “Thanks,” I said, still catching my breath.

  “Right back at you.” Adrian already sounded more put-together than I did, but I figured he had more experience in this area. He knew how to make a quick recovery.

  “No, really,” I said. “I wasn’t even sure I could still enjoy sex like that.”

  “A good lay will change your life,” Adrian said, a smug smile on his face. “A really good lay reminds you that you are alive.”

  “Do you always get philosophical after sex?” I asked, looking up at him.

  “Only when it’s great sex,” he replied, kissing the top of my head.

  I didn’t end up using my own room key the whole rest of the trip.

  Afterword

  ADRIAN

  I couldn’t have asked for a better punishment than going to Spain with Scarlett.

  What could I say? We kept our money thanks to her thorough investigation, during which she proved that at least one document was falsified by William Sarajevo’s ancestor, and that multiple claims were mixed in with similar traders, so there was not enough concrete evidence to prove we owed the guy anything. I didn’t understand the fine details, but I left that up to Scarlett’s genius.

  Sarajevo later apologized to us personally – me, my mother, my sister, and Scarlett. He said he was sorry he’d wasted our time and ensured us he was only trying to do what he thought was right, explaining his only real motivation behind making the claim was to send his four daughters to college, but if he’d known any of it was false he wouldn’t have pursued it. Obviously, we weren’t going to hold a grudge.