I Choose You: A Secret Billionaire Romance

by Krista Lakes

  “Yeah, the drive was good. It went by pretty fast,” he replied. “Driving into town wasn't actually as bad as I remember, so that's good.”

  “I'm so glad you're here.” I snuggled into him a little more. “This is the first weekend I’ve had off from work in a while, so I plan on enjoying it thoroughly.”

  Jacob’s eyes lit up and he faced me. “Speaking of work, did you find out the results of the competition yet?”

  “I did,” I said. I had to struggle to keep my face straight. I didn't want to give it away yet. It was just too good.

  “And…?”

  “Let’s go get lunch and I’ll tell you what happened,” I said.

  It took a lot of effort, but I managed not to smile. I didn’t want to give it away quite yet. I wanted to tell him at lunch about the job offer, that way we could get a proper drink to celebrate.

  Jacob had found a quaint little café at the end of town to get lunch. It was really cute, with outdoor tables and a huge menu with good-looking food. We had the hostess seat us outside on the patio so we could enjoy the California sun.

  “This place is adorable,” I said, glancing around and enjoying being out for the first time in weeks.

  We sat across from each other and held hands over the top of the table. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off of him since he had arrived.

  “You have to try their strawberry and Nutella crepes,” he said. “When I lived here, I’d come here at least once a week to order them. Trust me, you won’t regret it. It's one of the few things I like around here.”

  “They sound divine,” I said. “I can't wait to taste them.”

  “I can't wait to taste you,” he replied with a smirk. “Why are we at a restaurant again? And not in your bed?”

  I chuckled and pushed his shoulder gently. “Because we're waiting for my roommate to leave.”

  “Right,” he said, nodding. “That way you can be loud.”

  “Shh!” I pushed his shoulder again, a little harder this time as I turned bright red. “The waitress will hear you.”

  “Oh, well that wouldn't do,” he said, shaking his head. He grinned, showing me all his teeth. “Then she'd want to join in, and I'm just not sure I'm ready to share you.”

  I rolled my eyes at him and pushed him one more time on the shoulder for good measure. “You're trouble.”

  “You like it,” he assured me. I found that I really did.

  The waitress came up and Jacob ordered everything, including some appetizers, two grilled cheese and tomato soup combos and of course, the Nutella crepes for dessert. When the girl left, Jacob brought his attention back to me.

  “Okay, now that our food is ordered, I want to hear the news,” he said. He pushed up his glasses, ready for whatever I was going to tell him.

  “What news?” I asked, faking a confused expression.

  “Ha, very funny,” he said. “Don’t leave me in suspense any longer, Alicia. You’re killing me.”

  “I don’t know how to tell you,” I said, biting my lip and looking away. I deserved an Oscar for this performance.

  “Just spill it,” he said. “Did you win the competition or not?”

  I took a sip from my water, then my lips curled up into a smile. I couldn’t contain it any longer.

  “I won,” I announced.

  “You won?”

  “Yep. I got the job,” I said, nodding and letting my smile free.

  “You’re kidding me,” he said, his eyes widening.

  “No, I’m serious, Jacob,” I replied. “I got an email this morning from Steve Lynchell himself. He said that my app was the best one out of the bunch. He offered me a full time position with ZephTech.”

  “Alicia, that’s amazing!” He hopped up from his chair and maneuvered around the table. He wrapped both arms around me and squeezed me tight, while kissing me on the cheek. I giggled and turned red, as the other patrons of the restaurant turned to look. He kissed me a few more times and then returned to his seat. I was glowing.

  “It’s pretty exciting, huh?” I said.

  “So exciting. What else did they say in the email?” he asked. His eyes sparkled with excitement for me. “Tell me everything.”

  “Mr. Lynchell basically said that he thought my dating app had everything that they were looking for. He said it was beautiful, easy to use and served a function. I hit all three nails on the head, apparently.”

  “See, I told you that your creativity would get you a job,” Jacob said, proudly. “I didn’t see any of the other entries, but I’m positive that yours looked the best. You did an amazing job, Alicia. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I’m still kind of in shock about it, honestly. It doesn’t even seem real.”

  “I’ll bet,” he said. “What does the job look like? What are they going to have you working on?”

  “It was in an attachment, so I haven't read it yet.” I shrugged and gave him a sheepish smile. “I just kind of wanted to enjoy the high of winning for a little bit before seeing what kind of work I'm in for.”

  Jacob nodded. “You worked hard and you deserve a little bit of happiness. I'm so proud of you.”

  I grinned. His approval meant the world to me. “I don't have to sign anything until Monday, so I have the whole weekend to look at contract.”

  Jacob frowned slightly before pushing at his glasses again. “Be sure you look it over carefully. I've heard some shady things about ZephTech, and I just don't want you to fall prey to them.”

  “Shady things?” A slight annoyance spiked through me. “And you didn't say anything?”

  “I did some research after you got the internship,” he admitted. “It's just things like they demand overtime, extra unpaid hours, and the culture is to go above and beyond all the time. Nothing illegal or wrong, just... shady.”

  My mouth twisted for a moment. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that my experience at ZephTech had been nothing like that, except it hadn't. That was my experience to a tee. It was the culture there to be available for crazy hours and always be running above and beyond for the love of the company. To be honest, the constant drive for excellence was what had initially attracted me to the company.

  “It’s what you want, right?” he asked. He smiled gently. “Because, if it's what you want, then I support you.”

  “Yes, it absolutely is,” I replied quickly. “This is the beginning of my career and if I accept the position, then I've got the world open to me. Even if it's a little rough to start.”

  Jacob placed his hands over mine and squeezed them affectionately.

  “I know you know this, but you don’t have to take the job offer, Alicia,” he said.

  “You’re right, I guess,” I said. “But I’m going to take it. I need a job and this is my dream job. I’m just nervous for the change.”

  “Hey, you won’t be living that far away from home. It’s not like you have to move to the east coast or something,” he replied. He shrugged and looked around. “And the drive isn't that bad.”

  “You promise that we can still see each other?” I asked. “Even if I'm in Silicon Valley and you hate it here?”

  “Of course,” he assured me. “I’m not going to stop dating you just because you’ll be living up here full time. I’ll admit, though, that it might be tough sometimes. The past few weeks have been a struggle for me. But we’ll make it work. It’s worth it.”

  His words made me feel a lot better about the situation. It suddenly felt a little less daunting.

  “Thanks for being so supportive,” I said.

  “All I care is that you’re happy,” he said. “I know you want this job, Alicia. It’s what you’ve been working toward for years. Just make sure that what they are offering is what you want. Don't take it just because it's ZephTech. Take it because it's right for you.”

  “I'll make sure it's what I want,” I promised. “But, for now, I want to celebrate.”

  “Then, I’d say it’s time for a
celebration drink,” Jacob declared.

  The waitress had just walked up with our food as Jacob finished speaking. She set our plates down and Jacob turned to face her.

  “We have some celebrating to do,” he told her. “My beautiful girlfriend here just got offered the job of her dreams.”

  “How exciting,” the waitress said, with a warm smile. “What would you like to drink?”

  It was barely after two in the afternoon and my stomach still wasn’t feeling all that great from whatever stomach bug I had. I shrugged.

  “Ginger ale?” I suggested.

  “Whoa, you’re serious about this celebration,” the waitress said with a wink.

  “That’s all you want?” Jacob asked, frowning slightly.

  “My stomach has been feeling a little off for the past couple of days,” I said.

  “In that case, we’ll take two ginger ales,” Jacob said.

  “Sounds great,” the waitress replied, before turning and leaving to fetch our drinks.

  She was back within minutes to hand us our bubbling ginger ale in tall glasses, topped with one of those little umbrellas. I loved that she had made the drink look special.

  “Here’s to you and your dream job,” Jacob said, holding up his ginger ale.

  “Thank you, Jacob.” I grinned at him.

  We clinked our glasses together and took a sip. The carbonation helped to ease my stomach and eating sounded infinitely more appetizing than before.

  “So, we’ll eat lunch, then what?” Jacob asked. “This is your day.”

  Truth be told, the only thing I really wanted was to spend time with him. I had been without him for six weeks. That meant no kisses, no sex and no snuggles. We could have spent our time walking our Silicon Valley, but what I really wanted was to have him to myself for a little while. Especially since my roommate was currently away from the apartment.

  “Let’s go back to my place after we finish here,” I said.

  His eyes lit up. He knew what was on my mind.

  “Sounds like a plan,” he said.

  Chapter 15

  We went straight back to my place after lunch. The entire drive over, it was all I could do to keep my hands off of him. I wanted to touch every inch of him and make sure he was still real. That this whole day wasn't just a wonderful dream where I got everything that I wanted.

  As soon as he parked the car, I grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs to the front door of my apartment building. For the past six weeks, we'd only been able to talk on the phone. We'd done our share of dirty talk and sexy emails, but it was never as good as the real thing. I wanted to touch him, to taste him- which was just something I couldn't do over the phone or in an email.

  As we walked down the hallway toward my apartment, our hands were all over each other. He walked close behind me, burying his face into my neck and grabbing my butt. I’d reach back and playfully touch the front of his slacks, where his bulge had already formed. His every touch sent my senses into overdrive.

  I poked my head into my apartment and looked around. Then I called out for my roommate, just to make sure that she wasn’t there.

  “Lauren?”

  No answer. I grinned.

  “Okay, come on,” I said, grabbing Jacob’s hand again and pulling him into my place.

  I tossed my purse and sunglasses carelessly onto the kitchen counter, as Jacob shut the door behind us.

  “God, I want you,” he muttered, his eyes moving up and down my body. “Get over here.”

  It wasn’t like I needed his encouragement. I was already halfway there and my hands went straight to the buttons on his shirt. Quickly, I undid them. If it hadn’t been such an expensive looking shirt, I probably would have just ripped it off to save time.

  His hands were all over my body while I worked to remove his shirt. He touched my hips, then wrapped around to squeeze my butt. Then he brought his fingers up the back of my silk dress. By the time he got there, I had undone all of the buttons on his dress shirt. I opened it up and Jacob removed it the rest of the way. He was now shirtless, wearing only slacks and dress shoes. Something about it was super sexy.

  “Help me take my top off,” I said, as I held my arms into the air.

  Jacob growled sexually as he took the bottom of my shirt in his hands and pulled it up over my arms. He tossed it onto the counter-top next to my purse and then immediately began kissing my neck.

  I moaned softly, whispering words of want as he caressed me.

  Six weeks of not seeing him made his touch that much better and more satisfying. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him until he was there with me. I breathed in deep, savoring the scent of his musk and cologne, bathing in the sensation of his lips on my skin.

  Jacob stepped forward and dropped his hands down to my ass. Then he lifted me up and set me on the counter next to the sink. I wrapped my legs around him and cocked my head to the side as he continued to kiss the outside of my neck. It was clear that he wanted this just as badly as I did by the way he never let his fingers leave my skin.

  I unclasped my bra and let it fall off of my shoulders. My nipples were already erect, even though he hadn’t touched them yet. With my bra now off, though, Jacob began to fondle my breasts, gently sliding his fingers over my hard nipples. He pulled his face away from my neck and then move straight to my chest. He kissed between my cleavage, moaning as he did so. Then his hands slid down my belly, as he brought his lips to one of my nipples. My jaw dropped and I breathed in, as Jacob worked the magic of his tongue on the sensitive nub.

  God, I missed this, I thought. We'd had six weeks of foreplay leading up to this moment, and I wanted it more than I wanted to breathe.

  He lashed his tongue against my nipple, flicking it gently but rapidly. I placed my hands behind me on the counter and leaned back a little bit. It felt good to just relax and let him pleasure me. It had been way too long.

  As he gave attention to my chest, I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. Sitting on the counter put his bulge at the same height as my sensitive area. Even through my jeans I could feel the friction as he rubbed against me. It sent a wave of ecstasy pulsing into me, making me want him inside of me even more.

  “Jacob, take me,” I begged. “Don't wait.”

  I wasn’t afraid to show my eagerness. We had both been so patient over the past six weeks. It was time to let loose.

  He pulled his mouth slowly away from my breasts and took a step back. His chest was rising and falling in cadence to his breathing, which had become noticeably heavier in the past few minutes. My eyes moved downward, where they stopped at the bulge in his slacks. I licked my lips when I saw it, practically drooling in anticipation of having it inside of me.

  Jacob kept his eyes locked on me while he got undressed. He didn’t take his time either. He undid his belt quickly and pulled down his slacks and underwear at the same time. He kicked off his shoes as his pants fell down to his ankles, then he stepped out of the clothing.

  I wanted to taste him. I slid off of the counter and dropped to my knees, bringing my hand around the base of his shaft. Jacob let out a moan and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Slowly, I moved my hand up and down his length, feeling the subtle ridges of his dick each time my grip moved toward his crown.

  “Yes,” he whispered, bringing his hands to the top of my head.

  His tip was only a few inches away from my mouth as I slowly pleasured him with my hand. I looked up at him and then brought my gaze back to his manhood and parted my lips, allowing his crown to slide between them.

  “God, yes,” he groaned, as his sensitive tip made contact with my tongue.

  I opened a little wider, allowing more of his length in. Then I began bobbing my head up and down over him. Each of my movements caused Jacob to grunt in pleasure. I looked up again, and this time our eyes met. He was lost in lust, his pupils completely blown and his lips parted just enough so that he could release his short breaths.


  I need him inside of me right now. I feel like I’m going to explode if I don’t get it soon, I thought.

  Slowly, I pulled my mouth away. Jacob took my hands and helped me back to my feet. Standing there naked in the kitchen, he looked so damn sexy that it drove me crazy. My body was tingling all over and I began to throb desperately.

  “We should go to my room,” I said. “Just in case my roommate decides to come home.”

  Jacob nodded and we stepped out of the kitchen into my bedroom, closing the door behind us. We had left our clothes scattered on the kitchen counter, so if Lauren did happen to come home, she would have known what was going on, but I figured it was better than having her walking in on the act itself.

  In the privacy of my bedroom, I quickly pulled off my jeans and panties. Then I stepped close to Jacob. His cock slid between my thighs and I shivered as he touched me.

  We kissed, and as we did, I found myself slowly bucking my hips forward and back. It made me even wetter, as the movement created a pleasurable friction. I was practically panting when we finally broke the kiss.

  Jacob lifted me up and laid me down on the bed, and then crawled over me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. There was no hesitation on his part as he entered me.

  He pressed in, slowly and steadily. I drew in a breath as he inched his way inside, relieving the desperate throb and filling me with ecstasy.

  “I missed you so much,” he said, looking deep into my eyes.

  I lifted my hands above my head and closed my eyes. The waves of pleasure washed over me, and I savored every second of it. Our bodies were entangled once again, after the longest six weeks of my life. It felt better than any other time we had ever made love.

  Jacob continued to thrust as he leaned forward and sucked on my breasts. The combination filled me with even more sensation and soon I was yelping out in cadence to his movements. I felt complete with him there. Complete and lost in a state of bliss, not wanting to ever find my way out.

  Jacob varied the speed of his movements, making each pulse of pleasure unique and intense. When I finally opened my eyes, I soaked up the view in front of me. Something about watching Jacob make love to me turned me on even further. It made me feel wanted and special. I was the center of his entire world as we laid on that bed, and that fact felt just as incredible as the sex itself. But as much as I loved watching him, I wanted to feel him in a different position.