Keeper (A Billionaire Romance)

by Belle Roberts

  Oh hell!

  I knew I was in dangerous territory and that if I didn’t pull away right then, this one kiss could possibly change the whole dynamic of our arrangement.

  If only I was capable of knowing how to stop wanting her. If only I could let her go.

  Kate

  I lost myself completely in his kiss, so much so that I ignored the warning voice in my head. The one that reminded me to put my guard back up.

  I knew I should have. I knew it was imperative to protect myself from the man I knew I was at risk of falling, for but I couldn’t stop myself.

  The way his lips touched mine told me a different story, one that I wanted to believe, but I’d never trusted anyone before and if I was going to start now it certainly wouldn’t be with a man notorious for pleasing women, for making them fall for him and moving on.

  I put my hand to his chest, ready to push him away, but instead I found myself fumbling desperately with the buttons on his shirt. I wanted it off; I wanted to feel his skin against my fingers.

  He took his hand away from my heat and pushed himself up. I felt the raw pull of lust and reached up for him, but he maintained his distance, watching me as he took his shirt off and threw it to the floor.

  I looked over his firm body and taught muscles. Never before had I seen a man built the way he was, every part of him chiseled to perfection.

  Men like that only existed in films and magazine articles, never in bed with me and certainly not about to be my husband.

  “Turn over,” he said gruffly, and it took a moment to register what he’d said. I flipped onto my front, unsure of what he was going to do, until I felt the almost full weight of him on top of me. I heard the zipper on the back of my dress, and with every inch of it he pulled down he pressed his lips to my exposed skin.

  It sent ripples of pleasure through me as he went further and further.

  “Jonathan…” I breathed, never having been on the receiving end before of such sensuality.

  He continued, lower and lower, until his lips grazed the small of my back and he knelt up guiding me to turn over.

  I watched his eyes glide over my bare breasts, taking in every part of my body with a look of hunger, and I suddenly wished the lamp to the side of us was off and that the room was in darkness.

  I wasn’t body confident at the best of times, but with a man like Jonathan above me who’d most probably only ever seen a size zero woman naked, I felt over exposed.

  He caught me looking at the lamp and turned my face back towards him.

  “I love every part of your body…” he scolded gently. “Can’t you get that? Don’t you understand how beautiful you are to me? All of you.”

  He put a hand on my stomach and it sent a tingle of emotion and anticipation through me.

  “Don’t ever feel like you have to hide yourself from me.”

  The words he said were sentimental, but his eyes and face remained hard.

  I ran my hands over his back and round to his front, hooking my fingers into his belt. This time he let me undo it myself and I threw it on the bed beside me. He grinned slightly and eased back off me as he took off his pants, and I watched his sculptured body as he pushed his underwear down and stepped out of it.

  My eyes left his and travelled down his torso, lingering on his large erection. I sat up instantly, taking hold of it in my hand.

  He let out a deep, low groan as I covered him with my mouth, unable to take the full length of him in.

  I felt his fingers tangle in my hair, keeping me against him as I swirled my tongue around his tip, enjoying his taste and the way he moaned.

  I sucked, licked, and tickled him, trying to take him deeper into my mouth, wanting to give him every last bit of pleasure that I could.

  He built up a rhythm, thrusting gently until he put a hand on either side of my face and stepped back.

  “Lay back,” he said, his voice thick and he reached into his bedside table for his condom.

  I did as he said and he lowered himself onto me, bringing his lips to mine, and I felt the energy of his kiss radiating through me.

  I wanted him. I wanted to feel him inside me, and the desire to have him made me run my fingers over his hard body and try to pull him closer against me.

  He pulled away and looked into my eyes, and I saw something else in him as he reached down between us and pushed himself into me.

  I cried out when I received the full length of him, and my body arched upwards with pleasure. I held onto him as he thrust himself in again and I dug my fingers into his back.

  He shuddered as he withdrew and then slid himself in again, groaning against my face. I felt his rhythm build up, and the pleasure in my stomach as he went in deep spread all over me.

  He kept his pace up, running his hand down my body before he took each of mine is his and pinned my arms back to either side of me by my head and laced our fingers together.

  I opened my eyes to see him looking at me, his eyebrows furrowed with the pleasure and tension that he was building up inside.

  He groaned deeply every time I received him, his thrusts shaking my body and making my breasts jump below him.

  He moved his eyes to them and let go of one of my hands so he could touch it to my nipple.

  “Jonathan…” I breathed as it sent new levels of pleasure to our sex. I knew I wouldn’t be able to last much longer. “I can’t…”

  “Come,” he demanded gruffly, his voice deep and low, and the tingle his command gave me spread over my body igniting my orgasm.

  I wrapped my legs around him as I came, as wave after wave of pleasure flowed over my body.

  I felt his movement pick up as I shook beneath him and I knew he was close. I reached down and squeezed his backside against me, making him groan into my ear.

  He withdrew himself from me completely and sat up, his hand clasped around his hard member.

  “Turn over…” he said gruffly.

  I turned quickly, sighing deeply as he thrust himself back into me and I felt the weight of him on my back.

  I gripped the sheets as he pushed himself deeper, and I knew he wasn’t going to last much longer.

  I felt his hands on my back and waist before his body started to jerk against mine.

  “Shit!” he cried out, shaking uncontrollably above me as he came hard, his groans sending pleasure over my body again.

  He collapsed on top of me, shuddering and breathing fast as he kissed the back of my neck and shoulder.

  We lay like that for a moment until his breathing had calmed, and then he pulled himself off and rested beside me.

  I turned to look at him, his eyes closed, and I reached over to kiss the side of his face making him open his eyes and look at me.

  It should have just been sex; that was what the original plan was supposed to be. We were meant to have uncomplicated, enjoyable sex and nothing more. We were two people who were going to enter into a business marriage who also just so happened to find each other sexually attractive, but as I lay there looking into his light green eyes I felt something that I knew was dangerous ground. I knew we’d crossed a line and I wasn’t sure if it was even possible to go back.

  “Why can’t you just have sex with me and get up and leave like you normally do with everyone else?” I asked suddenly, scared of my feelings and what I wanted from him inside. I knew I didn’t really want him to do that, I knew that if he got up and left me now to pretend that didn’t just happen it would completely crush me.

  He touched his hand to my face and then down over my neck to my shoulder, my waist and to my hips, and then he took my hand and brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them.

  “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” he whispered wearily, his eyes staring into mine intensely. “You mean something to me Kate. You mean more to me than I think you realize, than I think I even realize. I don’t know what to make of it, but all I know is that I don’t want to fight it.”

  His words sent shi
vers through my body and I smiled, unbelieving how a normal woman like me could be the one to tame Jonathan Davenport, but inside I felt torn. There was a large part of me that wanted him to want me. I wanted him to need me more than just to make his mother happy, but there was another part of me screaming a warning out deep inside. Warning! Warning! This man is a known serial heartbreaker! If the feelings I had for him were so strong, so deep and so real, why did I have a sudden urge to get up and ran as fast as I could and never look back?

  Chapter Six

  Kate

  The bed was empty when I woke up, and I scraped my now frizzy hair away from my face, glad that he wasn’t around to see the mess that I woke up in.

  Images of the night before came flooding back to me and I rolled over, unable to stop the smile from crossing my face. The words he’d said radiated through me and I replayed the conversation over and over again, trying to be sure that I’d really heard what I thought I did. Had he really said that he had feelings for me last night?

  I sat up, noticing the small note that he’d left for me on the side table, and I opened it eagerly, the giddy feeling intensifying with his first words.

  ‘Morning wife-to-be. As you know, I had to run. I have a big meeting and a few other things to sort out before our dinner tonight. Try not to look at the news until we meet. Tabloids say a lot of shit that’s not true, but that doesn’t make it hurt less. I didn’t want to wake you to tell you this, but you looked mesmerizing this morning. See you tonight. Jonathan.’

  I folded the paper up again and threw myself out of bed, the excitement taking over and causing a spring in my step while I walked over to his balcony and pushed the doors open, letting the morning sunshine beat down on my face. The beach and the sea looked open and inviting below and already, there were a few people walking or jogging along it.

  The idea of having this view to wake up to every morning made me pinch myself and giggle with excitement and complete disbelief.

  My night with Jonathan had given me the confidence to face the tabloids. I was ready for whatever they had to throw at me, because for the first time ever someone in the world actually wanted me. I’d let my guard down and I hadn’t been hurt in the process.

  Yes, I was scared, and yes I didn’t dare to let myself get too caught up in the fact that Jonathan might be developing real feelings for me, but I wasn’t going to let that dictate what happened from now on because we both had an obligation to each other. We both needed to get married for our own reasons, and real love and real emotions only threatened that union.

  It was almost a rule in life to never mix business with pleasure, and the more I thought about it the more it made sense, but to resist falling for Jonathan was going to be harder now that I’d opened myself up and let him in–much harder.

  Jonathan

  The top floor was silent as I walked towards my office, and I knew it was because everyone had spent the morning reading about me in the tabloids.

  Helen saw me coming and came out of her room, hurrying to my side.

  “I need to read the articles,” I said turning to her before she could say anything, and she held up the bundle in her arms.

  “Right ahead of you.”

  She followed me into the room and sat in front of my desk, opening the first paper and spreading it out.

  The photo of Kate was both unfair and intrusive and knowing already what she thought of herself, it made me angry.

  “Get Carlton to overlook these and let me know what stance I can take legally.”

  Helen scribbled it down onto her notepad and nodded.

  “Right, right. Yes. He’s already tried to phone you this morning.

  “Next time he calls, put him through. I’ll give his call priority.”

  She nodded and I kept reading, ignoring the anger that simmered inside me because shady paparazzi and journalists had stuck a photo of my future wife with her dress blown up on the front of a tabloid.

  I went on to read the story, hoping for her sake that it wasn’t anything bad.

  Is this the woman that has ‘tamed’ the notorious DavenCorp Billionaire?

  Sources say that long-term bachelor, Jonathan Davenport has been secretly dating this unknown woman, and things are so serious that it’s understood they are now engaged.

  Jonathan has been known to enjoy the partying lifestyle and has been linked to various models over the years, none of them coming close to getting the coveted name of ‘Mrs. Davenport’, so it has come as a shock to the world that the woman he has finally decided to settle down with and change his ways for is not in the limelight at all and doesn’t currently have any celebrity connections.

  It’s not known how long they’ve been dating or when they are intending to marry, but sources have told us that venues are clamoring to be the ones to host this unlikely pair.

  Disgruntled model and amateur actress, Shelly Lagowski said she was shocked and hurt to find out the man she still considered current was about to marry someone else.

  At her home, she spoke of their time together; “We always had a good time and I felt like I was the only woman in the world when I was with him. He was always passionate, respectful and I thought we had a real future together. One day he just suddenly he stopped calling and that’s it. He’s handsome, but he breaks hearts and he knows it. He’s about to get married and all the time he was with me. I just feel sorry for her, really. He’s not the marrying type, but I wish them well.”

  If you know the mystery bride, call our news desk.

  “Shit. I can’t believe she spoke to the press.”

  I pushed my chair back from the table, thinking back to my altercation with Shelly the other day.

  Helen picked the paper up and put another one down.

  “I think it’s in retaliation. Just ignore her comments.”

  “Did you send her the flowers?”

  Helen nodded.

  “Perhaps it gave her a bitter taste? Damnit, I need to fix that. We didn’t have anything even remotely as deep as she’s described.”

  My phone rang and I picked it up absentmindedly.

  “Hello? Is this Jonathan?”

  “Yes, hello?”

  “It’s Anna…”

  “Anna? As in…?”

  “Yes, that’s right. I was told you were trying to make contact with me this morning, and I’m just so grateful you did! I have no idea how you even managed to find me.”

  I signaled to Helen to go and she got up hesitantly, looking at me.

  “Yes, thank you for getting in touch. I’ve been making a lot of calls this morning and fortunately, I have the resources to do more than most would think possible…”

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain. I’m just happy you found me. I appreciate it. I’ve been wanting to do this for some time and…”

  “Do you understand how important it is that this remains confidential? Kate and I are getting married, and I can’t have anything or anyone getting in the way of that.”

  I lowered my voice and looked over at Helen still hovering by the door. I glared at her and she gave me a long suspicious stare before walking away.

  “Jonathan, don’t worry. I’m not going to the press and I’m not going to come between you both. Can we meet up, would that be okay? I know you’re a busy man and…”

  “I can do tomorrow? Kate and I are out tonight, but tomorrow I’ll make sure she isn’t home and we can talk. It has to be brief though.”

  “Brilliant. Can I bring a few people?”

  I hesitated, not sure whether it was such a good idea, the more people that knew, the less likely it would stay a secret.

  “They’ll be no trouble, Jonathan, I promise. We’re all just…”

  “Fine bring them along, a maximum of three others. Really, I’d just like to talk with you about this, but like I said nothing should get out. Understood?”

  “I understand, I don’t want anything being said to her until we’re a hundred percent sure this
is right.”

  “Good, I won’t breathe a word until you tell me to. I should go now though. I have back to back meetings in half an hour.”

  “Jonathan?”

  “Yes?”

  “I just want to thank you for thinking about me with everything you have going on, and thank you for the offer of help with the paperwork. I’ll get it sorted today, and I’m looking forward to what the future will bring. I just hope Kate will understand when it comes out…”

  “Leave her to me. We’ve done the right thing. Any further questions or help you need from my team, you have my cell. Just call me and me only. If I don’t answer, don’t call my office, I’ll come back to you.”

  “Got it.”

  “Bye now.”

  “Bye.”

  I hung up, taking a moment to think through the conversation I’d just had and Anna’s last words stuck themselves into my mind, ‘I just hope Kate will understand when it comes out.’ The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, especially after she’d allowed me in and trusted me with her feelings.

  I thought back to the night before and how different she’d made me feel. I wanted to show her that I didn’t have to be the man she was afraid I was. I needed her to know that I could be better. I just had to put the Jonathan that was adverse to real commitment aside.

  I couldn’t keep running and leaving the women that had cared enough about me to open up their most vulnerable parts only to be cast aside. I’d seen the damage it had done to them.

  I’d spent most of my adult life enjoying everything sex had to offer. Now I wanted more. After I’d hung up the phone with Anna, it made me realize that the missing piece to my puzzle was Kate.

  She was the one woman who had the ability to change me, but at the same time she could destroy the man I was going to try and be, as she didn’t hide the fact that love, emotion, and a real relationship were off limits. I knew she had her walls built up high, which was how I knew she was perfect for the arrangement, but now that I wanted more I didn’t know how the hell I was going to tell her or how I was going to convince her that I’d changed. The first thing I had to do was wait for confirmation, and then I had to tell her about Anna.