The Billionaire's Proposal (Scandal, Inc Book 4)

by James, Avery

  “You say that like you’re surprised,” she said. “I thought we could light a few candles.”

  “I think we can do whatever you want,” he said. There were candles on the bureau, and Harry wrapped his arms around Maggie as she lit them one by one. He ran his hands over her stomach and slid them between her legs, spreading her thighs apart. He could hear the excitement in her breath as he pressed his fingers against her sex. He felt her heat and the slickness of her arousal. He knew she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

  Maggie gave a soft moan as he rubbed. She braced one hand against the bureau as she lit the remaining candles. Harry let his free hand wander up to her breast, teasing her as he rubbed between her legs. He felt her nipples harden as she got more aroused and he pressed himself against her. He was fully hard, and he wanted to be inside her, but he knew he needed to savor every step. Maggie pushed herself against him as Harry slid a finger inside her core.

  “Why am I the only one here who’s naked?” she asked between moans. “I was hoping we could be more equitable.”

  Harry laughed and slid his shorts down his thighs, but he panted with excitement when Maggie slid her hand around the heat of his erection.

  “Shirt too,” she said as she placed the candle down on the bureau. He pulled the shirt off with one hand and tossed it across the room. Then he leaned in and kissed the back of Maggie’s neck.

  He needed her. His cock throbbed in her palm and he wanted to be inside her. He wanted to lock his body against hers. He wanted to feel that connection, that rush. He wanted to hear her cries of delight as they drove each other to climax.

  “Condom,” Maggie said. Harry tore the wrapper open with his teeth and pressed the condom into her hand. She rolled it down his length in three smooth motions. He pressed himself against her and held himself there on the brink. “I need you,” she whispered.

  He needed her, too. In ways that went far beyond physical, he needed to feel her, to be with her. As he sank inside her, he kissed her neck and slid his hands on her hips. Maggie’s cries of delight begged him forward with a passion that rivaled the storm outside.

  He rocked against her, with her, over and over again as he lost himself in his desire, pulling closer and closer to climax with each motion. He tried to remind himself that he wanted this to last, that he had wanted to take things slowly, tenderly, but there was no denying his need, and there was no depriving Maggie of even more. She delighted in his every move, sighing and moaning and trembling, and God, did it feel incredible to give her pleasure, to feel the way she fit against him.

  She took him by surprise when she pushed him back and straddled him as he sat on the bed. This was the best sex he’d ever had, but he knew it was more than sex. It was so much more than that. No one had ever driven him wild the way she did. No one had ever made him feel so right. Everything that happened with her—every kiss, every sigh, every breath—felt like perfection.

  He just knew that perfection couldn’t last.

  But with Maggie on top of him, her hips locked against his and her every motion driving him wild, he couldn’t care less about the future. For now, she was his, and he was completely hers. She sped up the tempo, demanding even more from him as the pleasure grew and grew. He knew he could only last a few moments longer. He knew he’d have to give in to the pleasure.

  “Tell me exactly what you want,” he told her as he tried to hold back for just a few more seconds.

  “Everything,” she cried between hurried breaths. They raced against each other, driving each other to climax, leaving Harry dazed and content and breathless. Maggie lay against him and ran her fingers through his hair. His heart was pounding, and he could feel Maggie’s heart beating, too.

  He thought back to what she had said. She wanted everything. Harry couldn’t have agreed more. Everything, Maggie. I want to give you everything.

  ***

  Harry stared up at the ceiling, watching the candlelight flicker. A few of the candles had burned out in the hours since Maggie had lit them, but the room was still bathed in a soft glow. “How will we ever go back?” he asked. He wasn’t sure if Maggie was awake or asleep, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how perfect things seemed to be between them. Even though they were stranded in the middle of a storm, he’d never been happier. He didn’t want to think about what it would be like to pull himself away from Maggie. He didn’t want to think about the sham marriage he’d be forced into or the job he didn’t want.

  “Hmm?” Maggie mumbled. She shifted slightly and rested her head against his chest.

  The wind was howling hard enough to shake the house, and Harry wondered if he was crazy not to be afraid. He wondered if he should have been more worried about dragging Maggie out to the middle of nowhere and getting caught in a storm, but really it seemed like fate. He wanted the storm to go on for days. The longer it kept them in this place together, the better.

  “What?” Maggie said. He could tell that she was barely awake. She yawned and arced her back slightly.

  “How do we go back to normal life?” Harry asked. He meant it. How was he supposed to accept a sham marriage when he had finally found everything he wanted in a woman? How was he supposed to pretend that this had never happened? He wanted to know. It didn’t seem possible.

  “When we get back…” she said.

  Maggie rested her head against Harry’s chest. She had fallen asleep midsentence. He wondered what she had been meaning to tell him, but it could wait until morning. Her slow, rhythmic breaths were a direct contrast to the howling storm outside. Even while sleeping, she had a way of relaxing him, a way of making him feel complete. Her breaths almost sounded like little sighs, resting on her lips for a moment as she exhaled.

  Time seemed to slow down and speed up while he was with her. A day felt like a week, a minute like a lifetime. And yet it felt like barely any time had passed since the moment when their eyes first met. He knew that their week together would be over before he knew it, passing as quickly as a single breath. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. Its rhythm overlapped with Maggie’s breaths, slowly moving apart until the two pulled back together close enough to seem like they were perfectly in sync.

  Maybe that’s all this trip was—the briefest moment when everything aligned before pulling apart again. Harry’s pulse quickened when he thought of losing his chance with Maggie. One week with her would never be enough. He needed more time. He needed her. He’d promised her that if she came along, he’d willingly go back to D.C. with her. He’d also promised that he’d do whatever she asked of him. He knew she thought that they should go back. She didn’t see a future for them while he was struggling to imagine one without her. It was simple, then. All he had to do was change her mind.

  Chapter 16

  Maggie looked down at her feet, trying to remember how she had gotten onto the crowded street. She was in Havana. She knew this was Havana, except something had changed. Everything was white. The sun was shining, and the wind was blowing, and all around her people where whispering. Harry, she thought. Where is Harry? I have to find him. She looked around, but she couldn’t see him anywhere. All around her, there were people dressed in white. The sun was shining overhead. How did it get sunny? she wondered. I was far from Havana. It was raining. I remember now, it was raining. This is a dream.

  Maggie tried to wake herself, but nothing happened, so she kept walking. She tried to remember why she was alone. Harry is getting something. I have to find him, she thought. Already the fact that she was dreaming had started to fade. Why is everything so white? “Harry?!” she called out. Her voice echoed off of the buildings. “Where are you?”

  “American,” she heard a voice call from behind her. Then all around her. “American. American.” There were other voices, whispering, almost hissing in a tongue she did not know. Everything was bright and white, and there were children running by her. Through a window, she caught a glimpse of color, and she knew that there were more colors hiding
just beyond view. She could see the color starting to reflect against the sky.

  Why am I here? she wondered. Then she felt the weight on her shoulder. The bag. Harry’s bag. She could tell by the weight that it was full of money. She had to find him to give him his money. She had to make sure he did what he had come for. This is a dream, she reminded herself. You’re somewhere else. But the thought faded as she felt someone tug on her arm.

  “American?” the man asked.

  “Yes,” Maggie said. “I’m looking for someone.”

  “I’m looking for someone too. Maybe we can look together,” he said. “I’ll help you find your someone.”

  Maggie looked at the man. His teeth shone brightly, and his eyes were fixed on the bag slung over her shoulder. His hair was slicked back, and he was wearing a navy-blue Brooks Brothers suit. He looked like he belonged in a board room or on a trading floor. As she looked at him, she wondered where he had come from.

  “I’ll carry your bag,” he said.

  “I can manage,” Maggie said. She looked around. She didn’t like this man. She didn’t trust him. She wondered where Harry had gone. Why is he taking so long? He promised not to leave me.

  “Who is this someone you’re looking for?” the man asked.

  “My…” She froze as she tried to figure out what to call Harry. My friend? My boyfriend? My client? My lover? None of them sounded right. “His name is Harry,” she said.

  “I am looking for someone named Harry, too,” the man said. “Perhaps it is the same Harry. I was told he would help me practice my English.” The man grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. “Let’s find out. He is this way.”

  “Your English seems fine to me,” Maggie said. How does he know where Harry is? she wondered. The man pulled her through the crowd and she could hear more whispers.

  “I know a… what do you call it? I know a quick cut. This way,” he said. He pulled her towards an alleyway, and Maggie tried to stop, but no matter what she did, he kept pulling her forward. As they went deeper into the alleyway, she couldn’t see any other people. The sky above was still bright and white, but the alley was covered in shadow. She needed to do something to save herself.

  “Harry!” she cried out. Harry would know what to do. He’d see her fear and overpower the man, or he’d charm him into being their friend. She didn’t know what he’d do, but she knew Harry would find a way to fix the situation. He would protect her. She was willing to bet her life on it.

  “He is just ahead,” the man said. “I am very nervous to meet him. Perhaps you can help me practice my English first.”

  “Okay,” Maggie said. She was looking around.

  “What is that you are holding, that bolsa?” he asked.

  “The bag?” Maggie said. “It belongs to Harry. I’m bringing it to him.”

  “What is inside the bag?” the man asked. “Did I say that right?”

  “Yes,” Maggie said. She zipped the bag open and reached inside. She ran her finger against the edges of the stacks of bills. As they flicked against her skin, she felt the bills dissolve into sand. Bill after bill disintegrated until the bag was full of only sand. She raked her fingers through the sand. “There’s nothing in the bag,” she said.

  “Why are you lying to me, Maggie?” he asked. She tried to figure out how he knew her name. “There are a few words I need to practice before I see Harry,” he said. He let go of her arm and reached into his pocket. Maggie saw the light glint off the blade before she realized what it was. She tried to take a step back as the man brandished a knife. “Money,” he said, pointing the knife at the bag, “now.”

  The hairs on Maggie’s arms stood on end. She felt like her heart had frozen solid. She watched the flash of the blade as the man stepped towards her and slashed at the bag. Sand poured out of the hole, slowly at first, but then faster and faster. It just kept coming, and Maggie just held on as the man dropped to his knees and dug his hand into the sand. But it just kept coming, and soon he was half-buried. Maggie tried to climb up the mound of sand. She had to get above the roofs of the city to find Harry. She had to get herself up into the light. If she couldn’t see him, she was sure he’d be able to see her.

  She took her first step up the sand. Then she took another. She started climbing higher and higher. She knew just a few more steps would bring her to where she needed to be. The pile was still growing.

  “Maggie!” Harry shouted from the base of the sandpile. It seemed like he was a hundred feet away. As she turned toward him, she felt something hit against her foot. Then she felt it again as a hand rose from the sand to pull her down. Maggie turned and tried to kick herself free, but she lost her balance and started to fall.

  Maggie jolted upright and woke to the sound of wind shaking the little house back and forth. Her heart was racing, and she tried to catch her breath. She tried to retrace the different steps of the dream and tried to make sense of it. In the entire time she’d been on the island, she hadn’t worried once about getting robbed. Maybe it was the bribe. She’d gone to bed wondering what she could do to protect Harry from getting caught or losing all of the money. All she could think of now was the man grasping at the sand.

  Of course, she thought. It was so simple. Why didn’t I think of this before? She knew how to help Harry. She was so excited that she wanted to wake him up, kiss him on the lips and tell him the good news, but she knew she should wait for morning. How do you keep someone from taking away your money? Give them sand. She lay back in bed and listened to the rain and the wind. As far as she could tell, the power was still out. Harry was fast asleep, and she knew that she too would be asleep again soon. When they ask for money, give them sand, she thought. If this is going to work, Harry will have to trust me. It had taken her a few days, but finally she knew what she had to do. She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

  ***

  Maggie woke to the muffled sound of men talking in Spanish in the other room. It took her a full minute to realize that one of them was Harry. His laugh had been the dead giveaway. The only part of the conversation she could make out was someone saying “thank you” again and again. She rolled over in bed and searched for clothes to pull on. When she was finally dressed, she made her way out into the main space of the house. Harry was alone, and the screen door had just slammed shut.

  “Who was that?” Maggie asked.

  “Jorge,” Harry said. “The shopkeeper’s son. He was seeing if we had made it through the storm alright.”

  “Was he thanking you for something?” Maggie asked.

  “I told him we were heading out of town this morning,” he said.

  “That glad to see us go?” Maggie said.

  “I guess the damage out there is pretty bad. He said a tree fell on a transformer, and it should be a few days before they get power back to this part of town. Jorge’s house was damaged in the storm. I told him he could use this one until his was fixed.”

  Maggie shook her head and smiled. “You didn’t.”

  “What? Why wouldn’t I?” Harry said. “Anyone would have done the same.”

  “Most people wouldn’t even have considered helping,” she said. Harry wasn’t like most people. He wasn’t really like anyone she’d ever met. He was kind and generous without being self-righteous. He was exciting and intriguing, and he constantly found new ways of surprising her. “Are you campaigning for sainthood?” she asked.

  “I think you and I have done a few things during this trip that would disqualify me,” Harry said. “If not, we could always give them a shot.”

  Maggie felt the warmth in her cheeks as she started to blush. Selfless and shameless—it was a strange combination.

  “You want to go see the damage?” Harry asked.

  Maggie looked down at her t-shirt and shorts. She was barely dressed to leave the bedroom, never mind the house, but she knew Harry couldn’t care less. “Sure,” she said. She took his hand and followed him out to the beach. The storm surge had gutted the san
d, leaving tracks of larger stones across the beach. Along the street, tree limbs were scattered. Their leaves rustled in the morning breeze.

  The ocean still looked ominous, and Maggie tried to recall how calm it had been when they’d first arrived. “Amazing, isn’t it?” Harry said. “So much can change so completely in such a short time. One night can make such a difference,” Harry said. He squeezed her hand tight, she felt a pang deep in her chest, and she felt almost short of breath.

  Maggie wondered if Harry was talking about the storm or the way they had kissed. What had seemed like it would be a onetime thing was turning into something more. She wondered what would happen once they got back to Havana. She didn’t want to imagine what would happen once they were back in D.C.

  She had to take her mind off of that for a while. Whatever was going to happen in D.C. would be beyond her control, but she did have something she could do on the island.

  “I have a plan,” she said.

  “For…?” Harry replied.

  “Keeping you out of jail, mostly.”

  “Let me guess, you don’t want me to make the bribe.”

  “Right,” she said, “I want to make it for you.”

  Harry halted to a full stop. Maggie watched the confusion on his face. “No,” he said. “This is something I have to do myself.”

  “Do you trust me?” she asked.

  “Of course I trust you. I trust you completely, but I’m not going to let you put yourself at risk for me.”

  “I need you to trust me on this one,” she said. “I’m not going to put myself at risk, and I’m going to make sure you don’t put yourself at risk either.”

  “If I hear you out, that doesn’t mean I’ve agreed to this,” he said. “What’s the plan?”

  “I need you to have some plausible deniability,” she said.