The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance

by Michelle Love

  Michelle looks the car over. “What do you think the apartment looks like?”

  “I have no idea. I do know it won’t be a dump, though. Channing has the best taste in everything it looks like.” I run my hand over the butter soft leather seat I’m sitting in. “This isn’t really mine. Just mine while I work for him.”

  “Maybe I should come with you for your first night, Beth.”

  I shake my head. “He told me no sleepovers. Believe me, I want you there with me.”

  “Oh, bummer.” Her hand moves over the dash. “This bitch is so badass.”

  “Yeah it is.” I look at her and we start laughing like idiots. “Am I alive, Michelle? I mean did I die this morning on my way to the interview and this is Heaven?”

  “This is real life, Beth. Your real life. Damn it, girl! Envious doesn’t come close to what I am!”

  I close my eyes and say a quick thank you to the powers that be.

  After I open them, I say, “I need to get going. He said he wanted to start working tonight. He’s going to meet me at nine tonight at the new apartment.”

  “Fuck! Already!” Michelle’s eyes go wide. “Beth, you don’t think he wants to sleep with you, do you? I mean, shit! He’s doing all this.”

  I shake my head. “This goes with the job. He told me the other assistant had the same thing. But her car was a BMW, and she had a family so he didn’t give her an apartment. He said he wants me well rested. That’s why he gave me an apartment.”

  We get out of the car and go to get the couple of boxes I have. He told me to leave my clothes behind, he was having the closet stocked with what he wants me to wear.

  I feel odd, but a good odd.

  It’s insane!

  After I place the boxes in the passenger seat I turn to find Michelle crying again. I grab her up in a hug. “I’ll keep in touch. Don’t worry.”

  Her lips touch my cheek. “Promise. Don’t forget about us, please.”

  I pull back and look at her. “I promise.”

  One more hug then I get into the car and have to take in three deep breaths. “This is real.”

  The sound the car makes when I turn it on sends heat all through me. The heels I have on are not going to work as I work all the pedals.

  I pull them off and put them in the top of one of the boxes next to me. Then I go back to the task of driving this sleek beast.

  The gear shift slips easily into first and my foot comes off the clutch as the other presses the gas gently. And off… No, it died!

  Shit! How embarrassing!

  I can hear the laughter as several of the kids from the dorms have come out to see the spectacular machine.

  Okay, back to trying to seem half-way cool, at least. I turn the car back on and try it again. Taking my foot much more slowly off the clutch and putting a little more pressure on the gas pedal and off I go with a screech of the tires.

  I take several trips around the parking lot to get the hang of it. Then off I go out of the parking lot and onto the road. The sun is setting and when I pull down the visor, a pair of wayfarers falls into my lap.

  I put them on and head down the road as the nice lady on the GPS system tells me where to go.

  My heart is pounding and I roll the window down to let the wind blow through my hair.

  The wind feels amazing!

  Everything feels amazing. Like nothing I have ever even imagined.

  This has to be too good to be true!

  Chapter 7

  CHANNING

  My hand hovers over the dark wooden door of the apartment I set her up in. My heart is pounding like it never has before.

  This isn’t me!

  No one has ever made me feel the way she does. Her laugh falls like silk on my ears as I hear her inside.

  What the hell is she laughing about?

  I knock and wait. The door opens and there she is. A smile covering her beautiful face. “Channing! Oh good!” Her hand takes mine and she pulls me inside. “This is beyond anything I’ve ever lived it! It’s amazing! The jet tub in the bathroom is, well, there are no words.”

  By her wet hair and her attire, a white fluffy robe, I think she used it already. The scents coming off her are making my dick hard as a rock. I smile. “Did they put the soaps and shampoos and things in there?”

  She nods, sending her dark, damp curls into slight bounces. Her face is void of any make-up as she’s scrubbed it clean and still looks amazing. I want to reach out and take her cheek in my hand and pull her face to mine so fucking bad.

  “Channing, this is too much. But I absolutely love it all. The Lambo, the leather furniture, the fancy dishes, all of it. I love it all. I know it’s not mine to keep, but just to have the use of it while I work for you is more than I could’ve ever asked for. Thank you. Thank you so much!” Then just like that she’s hugging me.

  The smell of her hair fills my nostrils as the way her body feels in my arms makes my head spin. “Glad you like it!” I manage to laugh even though all I want to do is take her up in my arms and carry her sweet ass to the large bed in the bedroom.

  She lets me go and steps back. “Sorry! Shit! Oops, I’m cussing in front of my boss. I’m wearing a robe in front of my new boss. Let me run and change. I swear it won’t take me long. Wait right here.” She runs down the hallway. “Or anywhere you want to wait is fine. You own the place!”

  Making my way to the little bar, I find it stocked just like I asked. A Hennessey and a few cubes of ice fill a small glass and I make her one too.

  The leather sofas are something I ordered. I have the same set in one of the living areas of my home. The light’s up too high so I dim it a bit and take a seat on the sofa.

  I grab the remote to the television and make sure the cable was turned on which it is. I find a music channel and set a relaxed mood.

  A smile moves over my face as she comes back out with a pink set of sweats on and bare feet.

  I knew she’d look adorable in pink!

  In her hands is a pen and pad of paper. “Ready, boss.”

  She sits across from me on the love seat. Her legs fold underneath her.

  I push the glass of cold liquor towards her. She gives me a little smile and takes it. “Thank you.” She sips it then puts it back down. “So what would you like to get started with?”

  Getting you out of those clothes…

  Chapter 8

  BETH

  “Are you always like this, Channing?”

  His hazel eyes wash over me. “What do you mean?”

  “You seem a little flirtatious. Is that just your personality?” My hands nervously play with the pen and pad of paper I’m holding.

  He looks away seeming a bit embarrassed. “I’m not always flirting with women, no.”

  “It’s okay. I just don’t know you yet and definitely don’t want to take you anyway but exactly how you are.” I get up and turn the light in the room up which I think he may have dimmed somewhat.

  The music is all soft and sexy sounding and the whole set up is making me think he may have the wrong idea about me. “Am I making you uncomfortable, Beth?”

  Spinning around I look at him. “No! Channing, not at all. I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me. I took this job to be your assistant. Not to get in your bed. I just want that clear.”

  His face kind of falls a bit and it makes me feel awful. I sit next to him and he peers up at me through thick dark lashes. “I know that. I’m sorry. I don’t act like this. I really don’t. I don’t know what’s got into me.”

  “Maybe the loss of your wife…”

  He cuts me off as his finger touches my lips and I nearly die with how hot it makes me. The urge to pull his finger into my mouth and give it a good suck is hard to control, but I manage.

  “It has nothing to do with her.” Those penetrating eyes blink a few times and look so deep into mine it’s insane. “I like you, Beth.”

  What?

  Okay, I’m not going to take that
wrong. “I like you too, Channing. We will make a great team, you and I.”

  His hand trails over my chin and down to my collar bone. “No, you don’t understand. I like you, like you, Beth.” His eyes dart back to mine.

  “Um.. uh… Fuck!”

  A smile covers his face. “And what does that mean?”

  “It means I have to quit this job. I’m not that kind of girl. Sorry.” I get up and try to walk away, but his hand grabs mine and he pulls me back.

  I bounce on the soft cushioned sofa as he pulls me back down. “I know you aren’t. You’re normal and natural. You’re spunky and moral. You’re perfect and I know the timing is so off, but there’s something here. I felt something I’ve never felt before when I saw you. Then when I touched you it felt like I was hit by lightning.”

  “Maybe you had a little stroke,” I mutter.

  His laugh fills the room and my ears tingle with the fantastic sound. “I’m not that old.”

  My head shakes without me realizing it. “I can’t do what you’re asking. It’s not right.”

  His hands run over the tops of his blue jean covered thighs as he sighs then he looks back at me. “I’m going to tell you a little bit about myself, Beth. You see, I was raised without knowing who my father was.”

  I hold up my hand. “I know that. I read about you on the internet.”

  His left brow cocks. “Did it tell you that my father hates me and he had an affair with my wife?”

  Instantly my hands reach for his and take them. I hold them to my heart. “Oh my God! Channing! That’s awful!”

  “I’ve been so alone with that. You’re the first person I’ve ever shared that with.” His eyes glisten as he looks at me. “I feel like I can trust you. Can I?”

  I nod. “Of course.” I let his hands go. “How long did that last?”

  “I think they had something going on before I even met her. I can’t be positive about that, though. See, my personal assistant, Lori, was Jana’s best friend. She thought we’d make a good couple and introduced us.”

  “Wait. Lori quit though, right?” I ask.

  He nods. “She thinks I tossed Jana overboard. See, Jana told her about the affair she had with my father. I didn’t know that until the day after my wife fell overboard. Then Lori came to work and told me she was resigning. She told me she knew about the affair and tried to get me to confess to her I did something I didn’t do. Kill Jana.”

  My heart is nearly bursting with sympathy for this man!

  His hand moves over my knee. I place my hand over his and say, “Channing, I don’t want you to take this in the wrong way, but shouldn’t you tell the police about that?”

  His head shakes. “So far there’s no reason for an investigation. If I let that cat out of the bag, then there will be.”

  “Is there any reason you don’t want an investigation done?” I wait for his answer without breathing.

  The way his face contorts with my question makes me feel awful. “Beth, you don’t think…”

  “No! No, I don’t think you’re capable of that!” I grab the drink he poured me off the coffee table and take a sip. “I just mean, since you did nothing wrong then why not tell them.”

  “The way I look at it is, why open a can of worms no one has asked me to.” His hand grips my knee and I take another sip of the drink.

  His hand runs up my leg, over my thigh, leaving a trail of happy behind it. “So tell me what you did when you found out your wife was having an affair.”

  “I was mad. Not because I loved her so much. More because I felt like an idiot. She made me think I was her world. I married her because she told me things like, life wasn’t worth living if she couldn’t be Mrs. Channing Michaels.” He pulls his hand away and takes a long drink from his clear glass.

  “Well, maybe that was true at that time,” I offer him.

  Dark waves bounce across the top of his head as he shakes it. “No, it was all just to get to me. Just to let her into my life and my world and my bank accounts. I found where she’d given my father thousands and thousands of dollars. He still wanted more, though.”

  “I heard he was in debt pretty badly,” I say and he looks back at me. “So, you did nothing then, when you found out?”

  “I took her off the accounts. But told her I wasn’t going to divorce her. I thought it might be a little payback, a little punishment for messing around on me and trying to take what was mine and give it to the jackass who was never going to come forward and claim me as his.” He looks out the large window which overlooks a very pretty garden when it’s daylight outside.

  “His loss, Channing,” I say as I run my hand along his strong jaw. “Hers too.”

  He turns to look at me and his hand runs over my cheek. He turns it and drags his knuckles across it. Then his lips are all I can look at. All I see is them parting just a little.

  My eyes flicker to find his looking at my mouth.

  He’s been through so much and my heart aches for him. I know enough about him through the media to know he’s not a promiscuous man. Even though his wife cheated, it seems he’s always remained faithful.

  “I can’t see why you find me attractive,” I say.

  “I can’t see why you’d say that.” He licks his lips.

  The sound of my heart pounding is all I can hear as he moves closer and closer to my lips. My hands run up his arms, stopping to feel the large biceps under his blue T-shirt. Which is the softest one I’ve ever felt in my life.

  Then he does it. His lips touch mine and heat zips through me, ending at my personal pleasure zone and making me wet as I’ve ever been.

  His tongue pushes past my lips as my arms go all the way around him. He moves his arms around me and pulls me up to sit on his lap, straddling him.

  My breasts press against his hard chest. His pecs are perfectly formed and stay firm where mine mash and conform to him. I can feel his tight abs press against my soft stomach.

  The way his hands are moving all over my back has me completely on fire. They move under the hem of the shirt and his hands move underneath it. When he finds I don’t have a bra on, he moans.

  His dick is growing under me, pressing against my soft pussy that’s aching for him. He moves his mouth away from mine and I feel empty.

  His forehead rests on mine. “No one can ever know about this, Beth. Not until she’s been declared dead. You understand, don’t you?”

  I can barely breathe. “We should stop then.”

  One hard pull he gives my hair as he pulls me back and looks at me with lust filled eyes. “I don’t want to. I want you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any woman. Once she’s declared dead we can take this out in the open. Until then it can be our little secret.”

  I search his eyes. I want to believe him so damn bad. “So, no one can know about this. I get it. I guess…”

  His mouth crashes onto mine in a heated kiss. My hair is yanked hard as he pulls it back then stands up with me. His mouth leaves mine and moves to bite my neck.

  My body is quivering as he carries me to the bedroom.

  I hope I’m not making a huge mistake!

  Chapter 9

  CHANNING

  Her dark hair fans out across the white pillowcase as my hands travel over her perfect tits. “You’re beautiful, Beth.”

  The way she keeps gazing at me with those deep green eyes has my body tingling all over. I’ve never experienced anything like this.

  My heart is beating hard in my chest and I have to remember to take in breaths.

  “You don’t have to tell me lies, Channing.” She shifts her gaze.

  I don’t know why this gorgeous woman thinks so little of her looks. “You are gorgeous. I’m not lying.” I move my hand to run over her high cheek bone.

  “I’m average. Not beautiful.” Her body tenses and I rub her shoulders.

  “Let me guess. You’ve had an asshole boyfriend or two.” My fingers move over the zipper on the front of the sweatshirt
I know she has nothing under.

  Slowly I ease it down as she looks at me. “A couple.”

  “Neither saw fit to let you know how beautiful you are, huh?” The zipper moves to just between her breasts and my pulse speeds up.

  “Both let me know I was average. Average height at 5’7”, average weight at, I’m not about to disclose that secret number.”

  I smile and look back at her eyes. “And what sane female would?” Then look back at what the moving zipper is about to reveal to me. “But you are anything but average, Baby. You’re hot, smart, sexy, funny.”

  “You’re crazy.” Her giggle peels through the air and goes right to my heart.

  With the zipper completely unzipped, I push the pink fabric away and find a couple of perky, above average tits under it. “Those are not average.”

  Her giggle continues. “Channing!”

  “I have to taste them, Baby.” Her giggles stop and her chest stops rising and falling as she holds her breath.

  She can hold it as long as she wants to. It’s not going to stop me from putting one of those puppies in my mouth.

  Leaning over her, I take one of the mounds of perfection in one hand and the other one I place my lips on.

  The nipple is hard, and it grows as I lick it a little. One of her hands runs through my hair as she makes a little moaning sound.

  “Channing, mmm.”

  It’s been so long since I made love to a woman. Months, actually. And it wasn’t love, just sex with Jana. Quick sex at that.

  I’m going to take my time with Beth. Show her how good it can be and remind myself while I’m at it.

  Her supple flesh under my tongue is like Heaven. With a long hard pull on her nipple, her body arches up. “Channing, yes!”

  If she thinks this is that good she’s sure to be pleased with what I do next!

  Slow circles I make with my tongue around her nipple then give it another hard suck. Her hands tangle in my hair as she groans. I can feel the other nipple going harder under my hand which is squeezing it.

  These are going to be hard to keep my hands off of!