Stingray Billionaire: The Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire Romance)

by Alexa Davis

  "Well, shall we get down to business?" she asked.

  "Business?" I echoed. "I thought I was here to listen to your explanation as to why you ditched me at Beso after a perfectly nice dinner last night."

  "Well...I...I...oh hell," she said as she blushed crimson and looked down at her hands in her lap. "I can't really explain what happened other than to admit that I got scared."

  "Scared? Of what?" I asked genuinely confused. "Did I do something that scared you? Because in all honesty I thought I was the perfect gentleman last night."

  "Oh, you were," she nodded. "It had nothing to do with anything you did..."

  "Then was it something I said?" I prompted. "Because, again, I thought I was a pretty good conversationalist. I kept up with your intellectual sparring and was as open and honest as one can be on a first date."

  "You were...great," she said as she swallowed hard and looked away.

  "I've got your drinks here, folks!" Billy called as he pushed the door open with his foot and walked across the room. "You want any food?"

  I looked at Brooke who shook her head, and then said, "Nah, man, we're good, but thanks."

  "No problem, just holler if you need anything else," he said then looked at me and added, "I'm gonna lock this door behind me so that you're not disturbed while you're doing business."

  "Appreciate that, man," I said in the most professional manner possible. I knew what he was thinking and, even if it was true, I didn't want Brooke to feel uncomfortable.

  Once he was gone, I turned back to Brooke and said with a playful grin, "Before we were interrupted, you were saying how great I was."

  "This is true," she laughed as she sipped her drink. "You were great last night. It’s just that it was all so...so..."

  "So what?"

  "So, overwhelming, I guess," she reluctantly admitted. "All of this seems too good to be true, and there are a host of mitigating factors at work here."

  "What are you talking about?" I asked. I could tell she was holding something back, but I had no idea what the hell it was. "Let go of the legalese and put it in plain language, please."

  Brooke opened her mouth to say something just as my phone started ringing in my pocket.

  "Shit, sorry," I said as I pulled it out, looked at the screen, saw that it was Kesha again, and tapped dismiss. "Please, go on."

  "Dax, I like you," Brooke said as she carefully weighed her words. Then, looking straight into my eyes she said quietly, "I don't think I've ever been more attracted to a man than I am to you. And last night, that scared me."

  "What's to be scared of?" I asked as I tried to maintain an air of absolute coolness. "You like me, I like you, we like each other. Big deal."

  "You don't know me, yet," she said shaking her head. "And I'm not sure I know you well enough to take a chance like that with someone I don't know very well. Even if I am wildly attracted to him."

  My phone vibrated in my pocket again and when I pulled it out and saw that it was another message from Kesha, I swore under my breath. "Sorry, that won't happen again," I said as I shut the phone off. "Please continue."

  Brooke looked at me for a long time, then reached out and put her hand over mine and said, "If we're going to actually get to know each other, then we're going to have to commit to being honest. Are you up for it?"

  My heart sank as I realized what she was asking.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Brooke

  The air between us was thick with tension as I asked my loaded question and watched as Dax considered the implications. I knew that I was playing a risky game of chicken and that if he decided to back out then I'd be left crossing the road alone.

  "What do you want to know?" he asked.

  "It's more what I want to tell you," I said as I picked up my drink and sipped. The alcohol was doing its job and calming my nerves, but what I was about to do was going to raise my level of anxiety.

  "And what's that?" he said darkly. I watched as his fingers tightened around the glass he was holding and knew that he was waiting for me to drop a bomb.

  "I got a hold of the coroner's report," I began. "It said that Lydia Banks was killed by a shot to the back of her skull. I've been around long enough to know that that's an execution, Dax. Why would someone want to execute your lawyer?"

  "Don't ask me," he said glumly. "Not a clue why she was killed. Maybe for her handbag? Her car? Maybe it was one of her other clients who had a beef with her? Hell, maybe she was running some kind of underworld empire or something? Why are you asking me about Lydia's private business?"

  "Kind of defensive, aren't you?" I asked as I leaned back and listened to what wasn't being said.

  "Well, wouldn't you be defensive if some lawyer was grilling you about a murder?" he shot back as he leaned back in his chair and looked at me defiantly. I recognized the look as one worn by clients who had no idea why they were being questioned.

  "You think I'm accusing you of something," I said trying to back down a bit so that he wouldn't be spooked. "I'm not, you know. I'm simply trying to get at the heart of what happened to Lydia. By all accounts, she was a damn good lawyer and there's no evidence to suggest that she had any under the table dealings. So, her being executed is something completely off the charts in terms of motive."

  "Look, Lydia was a great lawyer and a good friend," Dax said as he looked at me intently. "I liked her and at one time I might have even been in love with her, but she and I were from totally different worlds and it didn't work. I still respected her professionally and I think she respected me."

  "You were in love with her?" I said, not able to hide the surprise in my voice.

  "Yeah, we were an item years ago, before she got hired by the big law firm and got all those big clients," he admitted. I could see that it was difficult for him to admit this to me, but the honesty of the admission gave me hope that we would be able to trust each other eventually.

  "I see," I said taking another sip and carefully measuring my response.

  "Oh, don't go getting all jealous on me," he said in a way that unnerved me. He was adept at reading people's responses, so I knew I'd have to be careful of where I tread next. Dax shrugged as he continued, "She was great, but we came from two totally different worlds and, in the end, there was no way to bridge the gap. I loved her, but she didn't love me back and she was honest about that. I wasn't good enough for her."

  "So she broke your heart?"

  "I wouldn't go so far as to say that," he smiled. "But she definitely bruised my ego."

  "Kind of like I did last night?" I asked.

  "Nah, you just totally confused me last night," he smiled again. I knew he was hiding something more, but it didn't seem wise to push harder.

  "You do realize what this looks like, don't you?" I asked.

  "What? That you left me standing in the doorway of a popular restaurant wondering what the hell had happened?" he replied.

  "No, that Lydia has been executed and you're going to be painted as the heartbroken boyfriend who couldn't let her go," I said. It was a risky move, but I knew that if I didn't get to the bottom of this, we weren't going to stand a chance – personally or professionally.

  "Jesus, Brooke!" he shouted as he pushed back from the table and stood up. "Why can't you let that go? I was not in love with Lydia anymore! I'd moved on and so had she!"

  "But apparently you hadn't moved on far enough," I said. "She was still your lawyer and you saw her regularly."

  "I saw her professionally! That's all!" he yelled as he paced the room. "Dammit, what do I need to do to prove to you that I was over Lydia? I wasn't in love with her, and I sure as hell didn't kill her!"

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Dax

  Brooke's questions had pushed me into defensive mode and now I was furious with her for grilling me about Lydia. I had no idea what had happened, but Brooke was treating me like a criminal. I paced the floor as she peppered me with questions about my relationship with Lydia and whether
or not I had seen her the day of the murder.

  "I don't know, dammit! I don't know anything about it because I had nothing to do with it!" I shouted at Brooke. She was sitting at the table calmly sipping her drink and watching me get angrier by the minute. It infuriated me that she had this effect on me, but I didn't know how to stop all of the stress and pressure I'd been under from bubbling to the surface.

  Brooke suddenly stood up, walked over to me, and stood looking up at me with her hands on her hips. She looked so sexy and beautiful that I had to look away. She read this wrong.

  "Don't be ashamed to tell me what happened, Dax," she said as she put a hand on my arm. I could feel her fingers gripping my skin and shook my head to clear the thoughts that had begun to race through it as I looked at her.

  "I'm not ashamed," I said through gritted teeth. "I didn't do anything wrong."

  "Dax, look at me," she said as she raised her other hand and touched my cheek. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe deeply as I felt a wave of intense desire roll though me. If she didn't get her hands off of me, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself.

  "Don't touch me," I growled. "Get your hands off of me."

  "Oh, I'm sorry," she said withdrawing the hand on my cheek but not letting go of my arm. "I didn't realize that it was so awful for me to touch you. You must still be missing Lydia..."

  "Dammit, Brooke," I roared as I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against my body. "I'm not pining for Lydia, I'm trying to..." Instead of finishing the sentence I bent down and pressed my lips to Brooke's and kissed her hard and deep. She hesitated for only a moment before she wrapped her arms around my neck and returned my kiss.

  I brought my hand up and ran it through her silky blond tresses as I kissed her harder searching out the deep recess of her mouth and seeking the soft warmth of her tongue. Her hands gripped my shoulders as she returned my kiss with a fierceness that fueled my need, and I pushed her backwards toward the table.

  With one hand, I tugged at her blouse, pulling it out of the waist of her skirt until I could push it up over her head. She raised her arms and let me yank it off, leaving her with nothing but a black lace bra covering her substantial breasts. I was desperate to see them completely exposed, so I reached around and quickly undid the hooks and tugged the straps off of her shoulders as I kept my mouth pressed against hers.

  I felt her moaning into the kiss as my hands cupped her breasts and my fingers pinched her nipples. I rolled them between my fingers, feeling them harden as a result of the attention.

  My pulse was racing as I pulled back and looked into Brooke's gorgeous blue eyes. I raised an eyebrow and when she nodded almost imperceptibly, I dipped my head and traced a circle around one hardened nipple with my tongue. She buried her hands in my hair as I licked and sucked one nipple and then the other. I could feel her breath coming in ragged gasps as I ran a hand down her skirt and pushed it up around her waist.

  I inhaled sharply as I slid my fingers up one of her inner thighs and down the other. Her skin was soft and smooth, and I could feel the heat radiating from between her legs as I forced myself to hold back and take my time. Brooke was moaning softly as I traced a path up the inside of one thigh and lightly ran my fingers over her panties, which were already soaking wet. There was no doubt in my mind that she wanted me as much as I wanted her, but I wasn't taking any chances.

  "I want you," I said as I kissed my way back up her collarbone to her neck. "I've wanted you from the minute I saw you sitting on that damn bar stool." I kissed her neck and then traced a path up to her ear where I whispered. "I want you, Brooke Raines. I want you here and now."

  I heard her moan as I lightly licked her ear before nipping her earlobe. My fingers played between her legs as she gripped my hair. She turned her head slightly so that her lips brushed my ear and whispered," Oh God, yes. Dax, yes."

  I felt her hands sliding down my chest and moving lower until she was pressing one palm against the bulge in my pants as she unzipped them with the other. When she reached into my boxers and gripped my engorged shaft, I groaned and slipped two fingers under the crotch of her panties and pulled them to the side. She whimpered as I slipped my fingers between her swollen lips and coated them in her wetness.

  I sought out her lips as we struggled to find a way to contain the fiery need that burned brightly in both of us. I gave up and delivered a brutal kiss. She met my roughness with her own need as she stroked my shaft and moaned into my lips.

  My fingers teased her hard little clit as I stroked her velvety inner lips before slipping a finger up inside her tight entrance. She moaned so loudly that I was afraid Billy would come ask what was going on, but I need not have worried. Billy knew, and he wasn't coming anywhere near the back room until we were done.

  "I need it," Brooke whispered as I drew my finger back and then slid it in again. "I need it! I need you, Dax. Please?"

  "Are you begging?" I whispered into her lips.

  "If it gets me what I want, you better damn well believe I am," she smiled as she kissed me again and thrust her hips forward to meet my probing fingers.

  "You asked for it, lady," I said as I slid my finger out from between her legs and lifted her up on the table where we'd been having our drinks. I added quietly, "I need it, too."

  "Dax..." she begged as I spread her thighs and grasped my cock so I could guide it between her open legs. "Oh God, yes..."

  I spread her slick lips with one hand as I pushed the tip of my shaft between them and slid it up and down. She was so wet and ready that I had a hard time holding back, so when she reached around and grabbed my ass and pulled me into her hard and fast, I gasped as I felt my cock slide deep inside her.

  "Oh fuck," I groaned. "Oh fuck...you're so...so...oh fuck..."

  Brooke looked up at me as I stood between her legs swearing about how amazing she felt, then she grinned, and said, "Stop talking about how good it feels and fuck me, would you?"

  I let out a laugh as I gripped her hips and pulled back enough to tease the edge of her tight, wet opening. She moaned and tried to pull me back inside, but I resisted as I focused on driving her over the edge. I wanted to see this cool, logical woman completely lose control and I knew the only way I was going to get that was to hold out long enough to make her cum first.

  I began a rhythmic slide out and slam back in as I reached down between us and stroked her clit. I grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back exposing her throat, which I teased with my tongue as I continued thrusting in and sliding out. The moans that escaped from Brooke's lips were from a place so deep inside that I didn't think she had any control over them, and I loved the sound.

  The harder I thrusted, the louder her moans, and soon I realized that I was dangerously close to the point of no return. I pulled back and teased the outer edge of her entrance as I stroked her clit a little harder and as soon as I felt her tense and begin to contract I slammed back inside of her and began pounding hard and fast. She cried out as she came on my thrusting cock and I soon followed as I let go and released inside her. I could feel my cock filling her with my thick warm cum as her inner muscles milked it all out of me.

  We clung to each other until I felt her body growing cold, then I pulled back and grabbed her blouse off the chair where I'd flung it. She gave me a tired little smile as she put her bra back on and then pulled the blouse over her head and tucked it back into the waistband of her skirt.

  "Well, now that was quite a surprise," she said as she stood up. I grabbed her arm as she wobbled on shaking legs. "Hmm, I didn't think about the after effects when I put these heels on this morning."

  "They look very sexy," I said as I stroked her hair and then pulled her against me wrapping my arms around her so I could hold her tightly against my chest. I wasn't sure I would ever have the chance to do this again, and I wanted to burn the feeling of her body pressed against mine in my memory.

  "That was amazing," she whispered into my chest.
r />   "It was pretty great," I agreed.

  "Is it wrong that I want to do it again?" she asked quietly.

  "No, not at all," I said as I looked down at her and then bent to kiss her again. "But I've got a business to run and I need to check on it before we do. So, let me run by the club and then I'll come over to your place. How about that?"

  "That sounds lovely," she said in a contented voice. "I'll order some take out and we can eat and then think about how to approach round two."

  "I can't think of anything I'd like more," I said as I kissed her forehead. "Give me an hour to wrap things up and then I'll be on my way."

  "Mmmm," she murmured into my chest. "Has it been an hour yet?"

  "Not yet, lady," I chuckled. "But it will be soon."

  When we finally emerged from the back room, Billy shot me a look that I deflected and told him to call a cab for Brooke. It arrived a few minutes later, and once I'd tucked her into it and given the driver more than double the fare, I stuck my head in the back window and kissed her one more time.

  "I'll see you in an hour, beautiful," I said as I stood up and pounded on the roof of the cab. I watched the tail lights disappear down the block before I walked back to the lot and got in my car.

  The drive back to the club was the last moment of peace I would have for a long time.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Brooke

  When I got back to my apartment, I called and ordered dinner from the Italian place down the street and paid extra to have them rush the order. I wanted everything ready and waiting when Dax arrived. Then, I opened a bottle of wine, poured myself a glass and carried it back to my bedroom where I stripped off my work clothes and slipped into something much more comfortable – and accessible.

  I made a quick sweep of my apartment to make sure that everything was presentable, wiped out the bathroom sink and put the dishes in the drainer away. The food arrived quickly, so I set up the dining room table and then, looking at the clock, tucked the food into the oven and set it on low. I wasn't exactly sure when Dax would arrive, and I didn't want to take a chance that the food would be cold if business kept him at the club longer than he expected.