The Billionaire Bull

by Romi Hart

  She ran her nails lightly over his back as they came down from their high, drawing goosebumps up on his flesh. She used the last of her strength to lift her head enough to kiss the top of his. "I love you, Marc."

  "I love you, too," he muttered against her chest. She grinned languidly, not caring how long they laid there, not even caring if Jordan and Kylie walked in and found them this way. Hell, for all she cared, they could fall asleep and spend the night just like this. All she cared about was keeping him close, physically and emotionally.

  Something inside her broke in that moment, and it made her breath catch in her throat. The snap didn't hurt, but it surprised her, and as she assessed the damage, she found none. In fact, she felt free, as if she'd just broken a chain that held her down. The fear is gone.

  All these years, she'd carried such a heavy burden left behind by her ex, and it held her down, imprisoned her, and she had never even realized how much she'd lived in a cage. Now, she felt like she had wings to spread and the strength to fly.

  "Marc?" Her voice came out as a whisper, and he shifted on top of her, trying to move and failing. She waited, let him slip out of her, and with great effort, he pushed up on his hands, rising above her enough to look down at her in question. "Thank you."

  He gave her a lazy smile that crooked up one side of his mouth and made the dimple appear in his cheek. "I've been told I'm good in bed, but no one's ever thanked me before."

  Reesa rolled her eyes and smiled. "You and your ego! That's going to get you in trouble one of these days." Taking a deep breath, she let the smile fade and grew solemn. "Really, thank you. You've changed my life, my whole perspective, and that's something I can't repay."

  He planted a sweet kiss on her nose. "You've already repaid it because you've changed me, too. You make me happy and selfless. I'm a better man because of you."

  It was everything she needed to hear, filled with emotion and truth. She held his gaze for a long time, letting the peacefulness of their situation settle over her. Then, Marc shifted again and got to his feet. "Where are you going?" she asked, not quite ready for the separation. A chill ran down her spine as the heat of his body left her.

  "I have to go to the bathroom. And then, we should probably get dressed and let our friends know everything's alright. Don't you think?" As he spoke, he turned and searched for the door to the bathroom before running on the balls of his feet in that direction.

  "I suppose you're right," she agreed reluctantly, pulling herself up to a seated position and reaching for the panties and jeans on the floor. Kylie would be proud of her, at least. And Jordan wouldn't rip her head off for breaking Marc's heart. The thought made her smile, and she knew she was settled.

  Monique the Liar, as Kylie had dubbed her, held a press conference the next evening, looked ashamed and still pretty roughed up. Reesa sat with Marc to her left, leaning against his side, and Kylie on the loveseat to the right, snuggled up in Jordan's arms as they watched the scene unfold.

  "I made false accusations against Marcus Winters, claiming he physically and sexually assaulted me. The truth is, he turned me down when I made a pass at him, and I was angry. When I went home, my ex-boyfriend was waiting, and we got into an argument. He beat me, and then we made up and had sex. Mr. Winters was nothing but a gentleman, and I apologize for trying to ruin his reputation."

  Kylie threw popcorn at the television, then blushed. "Sorry, Marc."

  He shrugged, scowling at the screen. "I don't care. I'll buy a dog. He'll clean it up." He waved a hand at the television. "She's a miserable person."

  Reesa shuddered. "I don't need to hear anymore. Anyone who stays in a relationship like that is bound to be miserable. At least I never took my sorrows out on anyone else."

  "Yeah, well, not everyone is as good a person as you are," Jordan piped in, flipping to a different channel, where some reality show star whined about much less serious circumstances.

  It meant a lot to hear something like that from him, and Reesa tucked away the compliment for a later date, when she needed to bolster her morale. In the meantime, she turned her head and puckered up, earning a kiss from Marc. "So, Mr. Winters, you're a free man. What are you going to do now?"

  "How would you like a trip to Disneyland?" he asked, chuckling.

  She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I wouldn't mind a vacation, but I don't think Disneyland sounds right. Maybe we could go somewhere tropical, escape the New York winter for a few days."

  "That sounds like an excellent plan to me," Kylie agreed. She raised a brow at Jordan. "We could all go. You don't start playing again for a few months. There's plenty of time."

  "I'll call my travel agent," Marc said, clapping his hands. "Consider it done." He stood and stretched. "I'm going to get a beer. Does anyone else need anything from the kitchen?" The three of them shook their heads, and then Reesa thought better of it, following at his heels. Marc smiled at her. "What can I do for you, my love?"

  Wrapping her arms around his waist, Reesa rested her head against his chest and listened to his heart. It always soothed her when he held her, when she could feel the force of his life against her cheek. "Just love me."

  "Well, that's easy. I thought you were going to ask me to buy you a beach house or something." His soundless laughter rumbled in his chest.

  "I'm serious, Marc. Everything else could go to hell in a handbasket, and knowing you loved me would be enough to make me happy." She meant every word of it.

  Marc took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Same here, Reesa." He reached between them and crooked a finger under her chin, lifting it and bringing her gaze to his. "I will love you for the rest of my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you."

  "You've already done that," she argued. "Let's just live for the moment, okay? Not for the past or the future, just for right here and now." It was something her best friend had taught her, something she still needed to thank Kylie for. And with Marc, she was eager to put the advice to good use.

  "That sounds like a plan, as long as we can future trip about marriage and babies and vacation homes and...hey!" She cut him off with a playful slap on the arm. "Okay, I get it. Right here, right now. What do you say we kick our friends out and I make love to you on the living room rug, right here and now?"

  Now, that was an idea she could get behind one hundred percent.

  Epilogue

  Reesa watched her friend carefully as she spoke to Jordan, trying to gauge what exactly was between them. Marc had warned her that Jordan had commitment issues, and Kylie claimed to know that. But Reesa knew her best friend like the back of her hand. Kylie wanted to settle down, with a house full of kids, a loving husband, and the picturesque house to hold it all together.

  If Jordan couldn’t give her that, why did they seem so intimate?

  As Kylie kissed Jordan and said goodbye, she turned toward Reesa, a giddy smile on her flushed face. Quirking an eyebrow at her, Reesa noted, “You look like the cat who rolled in the cream.”

  Kylie giggled. “Things are good in life. You know, I’ve told you for a long time to live in the moment, but I’ve been so busy trying to plan a future I didn’t take my own advice. Jordan forces me to do that.”

  “And you’re okay with not naming your children with him, planning your retirement, and talking about your honeymoon?” Who was this woman standing in front of her?

  Kylie scowled. “First of all, things wouldn’t happen in that order. But I’m concerned. Am I really that bad?”

  Reesa rolled her eyes. “Please! You’ve practiced signing your married name with every guy you’ve ever dated. You’ve talked about the right wedding and the perfect dress for each ceremony.”

  Kylie jutted her chin out defiantly. “So what? There’s nothing wrong with that. And I’m not in a place where I need to do that now. Things are different with Jordan. We’re having a good time, and that’s the important thing. If it stops being fun, we cut things off, clean and simple.”

/>   Pursing her lips, Reesa crossed her arms and considered her friend with narrowed eyes. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” When Kylie didn’t respond, she sighed, putting a hand on her arm. “Come on, I’m not trying to put a damper on things. I just want you to be happy, and I see this thing going all wrong. You’re already starting to have feelings for him. It’s written all over your face. If those feelings aren’t reciprocated, you’re going to get burned, and you’ll have a hard time recovering from this one.”

  “Why do you say that?” Kylie asked.

  Why? Kylie had a number of devastating failures in her past, but she’d never thrown herself in headfirst and fallen in love. She’d never looked at a man the way she looked at Jordan, and Reesa recognized that expression, the glow on her face and the light in her eyes. It was how she’d looked with Ethan, and the way she felt when she was with Marc. It meant Kylie was already head over heels for Jordan, and though she could see that there was something special between them, she also sensed Jordan holding back.

  And then there was Marc’s warning.

  “I just worry about you, Kylie. No matter how much you want a relationship to work, you typically hold back. And I don’t see you doing that this time.”

  Kylie scoffed, and her growing anger manifested in squared shoulders and jaw. “Where has holding back gotten me before, Reesa? Where did it get you all these years? You almost lost out this time because you couldn’t make yourself let go and commit fully to something. I’m better off taking my chances and learning a thing or two about myself and what I want than sitting around, manifesting a future that doesn’t exist. Look, maybe I’ll fall in love with him, and my heart will get broken. But I’ll know what that feels like, and I’ll be able to use it to find hope for the future. And there’s always the possibility that Jordan will come around, too. I know it’s a longshot, but it’s still something I can think about, if I want to, and since I don’t expect it, I won’t be disappointed when he doesn’t.”

  Reesa wanted to be happy for her friend, but her concern shoved it down in her chest. Still, she forced a smile. “If you feel that way, really believe you’ll be okay, then I support you, just like you’ve always supported my decisions.” She reached out to hug Kylie, and she gave a silent plea to the universe that things would work out for Kylie, one way or another. She may have found her happiness, but her best friend was still waiting for hers, and if anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Kylie.

  Addiction

  Chapter 1

  Gazing around the posh lounge of the swanky hotel, Kylie Michaels hugged herself against her discomfort. "Why am I here again?" she asked her best friend, Reesa. Of course, she knew the answer. She would support Reesa in any endeavor, especially one aimed at growing closer to the man she'd been seeing for a while now.

  And what a man Marcus Winters was!

  Reesa gave her a small smile, her nerves obviously on edge, too. "Because you love me, and I'm here for Marc's press event. He told me to bring a friend, if I wanted. And I know I haven't exactly been around as much lately."

  Guilt laced her voice, but Kylie couldn't blame her. She still couldn't fathom how a woman like Reesa, so dead set on bashing men with reputations like Marcus Winters', had somehow ended up dating the soccer star. Of course, in Kylie's eyes, he was a god, everything a woman could want in a man, and she'd been following his career for some time now. In fact, she had to admit to feeling a tad jealous of her friend. It was obvious to anyone who bothered to take note of the two when they were together that Marcus worshipped the ground Reesa walked on.

  Kylie loved Reesa, and again, she couldn't blame Marcus for his feelings, either. But she also wished she had some luck with men every once in a while. She had a successful career as a graphic designer, had plenty of friends and an active social life, lived in a pretty nice – if small – Upper Manhattan apartment, and didn't feel she lacked anything in terms of looks and personality.

  But unlike Reesa, who hadn't cared a bit up till now if she ever found someone to spend her life with, Kylie wanted nothing more than to settle down with a man who adored her and whom she could likewise cherish. She wanted a family, and she had started to grow impatient. She'd gone through a string of potentials, but every guy she dated turned out to be all wrong for one reason or another. Take Brad, for example, the guy she'd met the night Marcus Winters had strutted into their lives. He was nice enough, and he was loyal. But he was also a puppy dog, needy for attention and bordering on codependent. And he was a little too nice.

  He'd at least lasted three weeks.

  "There he is." The excitement in Reesa's voice brought Kylie back to the present, and despite knowing Marcus belonged to her best friend, she couldn't help but ogle his rugged handsomeness. But as she let her eyes roam his body, something caught her attention from her peripheral. He wasn't alone. He was talking to someone else, and as she turned her gaze to the other man, Kylie felt like a half ton weight had just slammed into her chest.

  The guy's smile radiated, showing gleaming white teeth framed by a sunbathed face that was smooth and angular with perfect symmetry. His blond hair was just shaggy enough to make him look like the quintessential bad boy, and if she wasn't mistaken, he had the brightest blue eyes she'd ever seen. She let her eyes wander and take in the rest of him, which only added to the instant attraction. His broad shoulders showed strength, and his narrow waist drew her attention. She wanted him to turn around so she could get a good look at his rear in those tight jeans, but she noted the strong legs and realized he had to be one of Marcus' teammates.

  Kylie knew the moment Marcus spotted Reesa. His eyes lit up, and his smile spread slowly over his face. He nudged his friend – Kylie should have known his name but couldn't seem to grasp hold of it - and they changed direction, heading toward her and Reesa. That probably wouldn't have been intimidating, except the blond god chose that moment to take note of her. His eyes locked with hers, and his smile faded slightly before spreading again with a very different expression surrounding it. One she couldn't read.

  She reached back and fiddled with her dark brown ponytail, suddenly wishing she'd taken a little more time with her appearance. Then again, at least she'd worn a pair of leggings that hugged her curvy hips and a v-neck shirt that accented the swell of her breasts. "Who's that?" she asked, trying not to move her lips.

  Reesa shot her a curious scowl and then made an 'O' with her mouth. "You mean Jordan?"

  Jordan Dennison. The name came to her just as the two men joined them, Marcus leaning into Reesa for a kiss. She didn't know him well, but she'd made it her business to memorize the names of all the Seattle Sounders simply because they worked with Marcus on a day to day basis. She really was a big fan.

  Now, she thought her hero worship might have to shift.

  "Hello, Kylie, it's good to see you again." Marcus gave her a devastatingly charming smile and leaned in to kiss her cheek, very European. Her heart beat a little harder and faster, and her cheeks heated at the attention. But she shifted her attention quickly to Jordan, who gave Reesa a cordial hug and kiss on the cheek. Marcus seemed to notice and slapped a hand on Jordan's back. "Kylie, meet my best friend and teammate, Jordan Dennison. But you probably knew that." He chuckled as she felt her cheeks flush hotter. "Jordan, this is Reesa's best friend, Kylie Michaels."

  Marcus stepped back toward Reesa, and Jordan came toward her, taking her hand and brushing his thumb over her knuckles as he lifted it to his lips, never losing eye contact. "It's a pleasure to meet you." The words rolled off his tongue with a thick Australian accent, and Kylie nearly swooned at the feel of his breath tickling along the back of her hand.

  Knowing she was grinning like a fool, Kylie cleared her throat and managed, "I think the pleasure is all mine."

  "Shall we?" Marcus winked at her as he offered Reesa his arm, and Kylie wondered what that was all about. The guy had charm oozing out every pore, and it tended to cloud her thoughts so she could never quite read him.
/>
  He started walking toward the large conference room with Reesa in tow, and Kylie took a step to follow them. But Jordan's hand curled around her bicep lightly and stopped her. Even if he hadn't held her back, the way his touch seared her skin would have made it impossible for her to keep going. "Wait, darlin'. Allow me to escort you." The twinkle in his eyes reminded her of the sun peering out from behind a cloud when an early morning storm cleared. And as she realized how badly she was romanticizing it, how poetic she made that sound in her head, she wanted to slap herself across the face.

  But she didn't balk at his offer. Even if Kylie knew better than to expect someone like Jordan Dennison to show any interest in her, she would take what she could get. And at the moment, it thrilled her to walk into a place full of press cameras on the arm of a sexy, famous sports star.

  And a girl could have fantasies, couldn't she?

  "Marcus is really into your friend," Jordan said lightly, keeping a short distance behind the other two as they entered the bright lights and loud noise. He leaned in close to her ear to be heard, as if he wasn't several inches taller than her, and the warmth of his breath made her shiver with delight. "Do you think she's as over the moon as he is?"

  Granted, this was not the conversation she'd imagined having with a man she couldn't stop stripping with her mind, but it would do. At least they were talking. "She is. She just doesn't know it yet." She glanced at the scowl on Jordan's face and added, "Reesa has some trouble admitting her feelings sometimes. She's very quiet and composed, and she doesn't like feeling out of control."