This is Love (High Stakes Billionaires)

by C. J. Thomas

  She turned away from the mirror and flashed me a surprised glance. “Does Dad know?”

  I shook my head and kept driving.

  “Nolan,” she gasped. “You have to let Dad know.”

  “You know I can’t.”

  Her chest rose as she bit the inside of her lip. “He’s going to expect you to be there with Audrey.”

  I tightened my fingers on the steering wheel and lowered my gaze. It wasn’t going to happen. Audrey and I were over. She wasn’t doing it for me anymore. I needed someone fresh. Someone new. Someone with spunk.

  Someone like Sophia.

  “And how do you expect to get away with not inviting her?” Charlotte raised one brow.

  When I blinked, all I could see was how Sophia looked at me. The glimmer in her eye. The hint of a smirk that threatened to spread across her plump, full lips that I’d already dreamed about kissing a dozen different times. And when I remembered catching her ducking out of sight in the window, all I could do was snicker—thinking this was going to be fun.

  We pulled into the tiny airport where I saw our family jet waiting on the tarmac.

  “I don’t know, but I have a plan,” I said, thinking that the timer started now.

  I had less than twenty-four hours to make an impression, otherwise I would get stuck with having to take Audrey to the family fundraiser. And that was the last thing I wanted to do.

  6

  Sophia

  As I watched Nolan leave, I instantly regretted assuming that he was available and on the open market. And when the woman glanced up to the condo from the inside of his truck, I released the curtain and stepped back away from the window.

  I padded into the kitchen, grabbing both Nolan’s business card and the bottle of wine to take with me. Then I was back in the front, killing time by browsing the living room.

  I sorted through the lifestyle and sports magazines left out before finding the remote to the gas fire. Clicking it on, the whump from the fire romantically lit beneath the blank, dark flat screen of the television.

  I lowered myself into the overstuffed leather chair, tucking my feet under me, and took a small pull from the bottle.

  Watching the flames dance, I could still smell the boys’ scent lingering in the air. It was a heady combination of sweat, cologne, and masculinity. They were funny. And without them here, the feeling of loneliness crept up on me much sooner than I expected.

  Holding up the bottle, I swirled what little liquid remained in the bottom.

  I pursed my lips and sighed.

  Then I did something I shouldn’t have.

  I looked at Nolan’s business card again, thinking about what he’d said.

  Call me if you need anything. Anything at all.

  I could have sworn that he was offering me an open invitation to call him if I found myself bored. Like he was my way out of this loneliness that he knew would eventually restrict my heart from beating. Flipping over the card, he even had the bravado to include his personal cell number scribbled on the back. Though I didn’t see him write it, I couldn’t stop asking myself why he would give me something so personal if he didn’t want me to call.

  No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that he was there for anything other than guest services, I knew better. Because after seeing the woman he was with, it didn’t make sense why he would make his move on me.

  Unless she wasn’t who I assumed her to be.

  I grumbled and glanced to the fire.

  Tossing the card to the coffee table, I could practically feel the pool of desperation I was swimming in. Now that I had a taste of what kind of weekend I could have, I didn’t want to be alone. And I certainly didn’t want to ignore the longing feelings of wanting to share this weekend with someone else.

  But I also didn’t want to be that desperate girl who would do anything to receive the attention from some hot guys—men like the Foster boys.

  Which had me thinking…

  Maybe a night out with some strange, hot men was exactly the sort of thing I needed.

  It wasn’t like I needed to get laid. I was never one for jumping into quick relationships for fear of having my heart broken. But a night out on town with someone like Nolan Foster? It sounded deliciously fun and totally spontaneous. And I could keep it a secret, too, if I so chose.

  My lips curled the more I thought about it.

  After all, if anybody deserved retribution for putting so much planning into a future that didn’t work out in my favor, it was me. I should have known that keeping my eye on the horizon was no way to live. The fruit of my labor was sour, and it was time to start thinking about now—not the past, not the future—only what was in front of me now.

  I clenched my empty stomach when it grumbled.

  Leaning forward, I reached for the information packet left out on the coffee table. Fingering through it, I glazed over the activity pages and things to see. With my blood sugar quickly depleting and my buzz slowly spinning my head into drunkenness, I needed to find a reputable take-out restaurant, and quick.

  I was starved, having skipped lunch due to being so royally pissed at learning that I would not be the company’s new middle manager.

  Going down the menu, there was a long list of restaurants and world-class cuisine that sounded fantastic. But there was no way I was going to eat out alone, let alone be able to afford what I was sure would cost a fortune. No, I needed to bring my meal back here, so I settled on the best junk food known to mankind—pizza.

  A few minutes later, I put my order in—meat lovers with extra cheese—and told them I would pick it up since it was only a couple blocks away. Then I headed to the shower—knowing I couldn’t go out still smelling like I’d been stuck in my car all afternoon.

  Stripping my clothes off, the tile was warm under my feet from the radiant flooring, and it didn’t take long for the water to be steaming hot.

  I stepped under the stream pouring out from the shower head and began cleansing my body from the day’s activity.

  It soothed my stresses, got my blood flow pumping throughout my body, and as I popped the top open on the body soap, my eyes flew open as my belly fluttered.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I looked to the door I’d left open.

  Peeking my head out of the shower door, I held my breath and listened.

  No one was there. It was the smell that made me paranoid into thinking he was here. And it didn’t take me long to realize why it was such a familiar scent. It was Nolan’s scent. And soon, as I busied lathering my body clean, he was all I could think about.

  I grabbed my slick breasts, teasing my nipples tight while imagining it was him who was touching me. And when I reached between my legs, I grazed my erect clit. My toes curled into the floor and my breath hitched.

  It had been too long since I had been properly sexed up. I had forgotten what it was like to be with a man. And by how quickly—and easily—I managed to get my core spinning hot, it definitely showed.

  Closing my eyes, I continued soaping my body. Soon, my imagination took control of my thoughts. In my head I floated on clouds, knowing that the place my imagination was leading me was nowhere good.

  Nolan stepped into the shower.

  My heart raced and I cast my gaze to the floor.

  Covering myself, I didn’t want him to see me like this—exposed, naked, self-aware of all my flaws.

  He stepped forward and I raised my eyes, letting them painfully rake over his gorgeous body.

  His large legs, firmly rooted into the floor. His tight waist was protected by abs of armor that rested firmly below his thick pectorals that repelled the shower water.

  And when our eyes finally met, I nearly collapsed to the floor.

  The look in his eyes was dark, hungry, something I hadn’t seen in a man in a very long time.

  In one swift motion, he clamped his large manly fingers around my waist and pulled me against him. I could feel his hard cock pressing against the soft section of my
belly I was embarrassed for letting get away from me. And as if being pulled by a magnet, I tipped my head back, stood on the tips of my toes, letting his strong facial features draw me closer and closer to his mouth before he crashed his lips against mine.

  Hanging off his shoulders, his ravenous kiss was dominant as his hands gripped and clawed their way against my body. And as soon as I lifted my leg, hooking it over his, his hand found my aching vagina and he pushed his finger inside of me.

  My lips rounded as I pressed harder on my clit.

  I moaned and braced myself against the wall.

  My muscles flexed and I convulsed through my own self-inflicted orgasm.

  I was in a daze after that. My mind calm, body starved. Nolan was gone from my thoughts, replaced by feelings of shame and insecurity. And before I knew it, I was dressed in a simple pair of running shorts and a hooded sweatshirt, running out the door to fetch the pizza I’d ordered.

  Looking up the block, it was much tamer than what I was used to seeing in Denver. Neither of the Foster boys’ vehicles were anywhere to be found, either. And that was a good thing. I needed to keep my promise to unplug, unwind, and reflect this weekend.

  And I needed to walk this dizzying feeling of alcohol off.

  Suddenly, I felt embarrassed for masturbating over my infatuation with Nolan Foster. It wasn’t like I knew the man, but something about him stuck, and I couldn’t shake the thoughts that kept rearing up.

  Heading up the sidewalk, my mind quickly went back to work. I debated leaving my job, knowing that if I returned I would be the source of water-cooler laughter for months to come. But I wasn’t one to quit, even when times were tough. I was also smart enough to know that if I stayed, I would only be doing it to prove to the current management that they couldn’t break my spirit. But when I thought about the lies and manipulation that went on, I wasn’t convinced that I believed in the company culture as much as I once had.

  Swiveling my head on my shoulders, I reminded myself to focus on the present.

  The sights and sounds of being in the mountains soon had me smiling, and when I inhaled my next breath of fresh, mountain air, I could smell the pizza parlor just up the road.

  A minute later, I was in and out of the restaurant with my pizza box in hand and the sunset was shining perfectly on the mountain tops. It was a simple reminder that this, right here and now, was what was important. Everything else, my career and the salary that came with it, meant nothing if I wasn’t going to be respected by my peers and colleagues.

  Deciding to do a loop back to the condo, I took a turn up a new road. Off in the distance a cloud of mist rose from the electric blue waters of an outdoor swimming pool.

  I kept my eye on it as I walked, quick to notice a lone swimmer doing laps.

  His large arms paddled through the water as his hands sliced the surface. When he reached the wall, he did a flip under the water before pushing off like a torpedo darting to the other side of the pool. He held his breath long enough to keep me impressed.

  I leaned against the metal fence, high above the pool, admiring the beauty of the sport.

  There was something about the rhythm and ripples that spread to the sides that kept me staring for much longer than I should have. Time slowed and my body relaxed. And before I even realized what it was I was doing, the swimmer already had me hypnotized.

  Suddenly, he stopped at the edge and came up for air. I watched him take off his goggles and swim cap and I quickly spun around with my heart thrashing between my ears, not wanting him to see me.

  It was Nolan.

  And once again he had my head spinning.

  7

  Nolan

  Charlotte’s mention of Audrey caused me nothing but distress.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about how Dad would react when I showed up to the family fundraiser without Audrey hanging off my arm. Because that was exactly what was going to happen, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Even with him out of town I’d see the disappointment in his face, hear the whispers follow me around the room But, still, I couldn’t do it.

  My arms paddled and my legs kicked through the warm pool water.

  I pushed myself harder, needing to glide through the water faster, as if running away from the dilemma I faced.

  Diving my head under the water, I flipped around and pushed off the wall for what felt like the hundredth time. Tonight, I wasn’t counting my laps. I just needed to swim. Clear my head and come up with a better alternative than the one I had hinted at to Charlotte.

  Audrey presented a huge problem for myself—to my entire family, really.

  My history with her was complicated. We’d known each other since we were teenagers and our tangled relationship through the years was a series of starts and stops that began far too early—and during a time when neither one of us knew how to properly channel our hormones that were, at the time, totally out of control.

  I gulped back a large breath of air and dove my head back under the water.

  It wasn’t that Audrey was bad looking, or anything like that. In fact, she’d grown up to be a rather attractive woman. It was just that when I was with her, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

  My legs kicked harder as I thought how it wasn’t going to be easy to shed Audrey from my life. Especially since my brother Cooper needed her family’s endorsement in his run for the governor’s seat.

  Unfortunately for me, I was the link to keeping Audrey happy—to keeping Coop on my good side.

  Finally, I had enough. Calling it quits, I stopped at the edge of the pool and peeled my goggles and cap off my head. My chest heaved as I caught my breath and I let my head just hang for a minute.

  I didn’t know what to do. Either decision would leave someone feeling disappointed.

  Rooting my palms into the cool concrete, I pushed myself out of the water just as my cell phone started ringing. Taking my time, I reached for it on top of my towel, grabbing them both at the same time.

  Glancing to the screen, I didn’t recognize the number but was quick to answer anyway. “This is Nolan.”

  There was breathing on the line, but a reply was slow to come. “Nolan. It’s Sophia Monroe.”

  I lifted my head and looked around, feeling a smirk form over my lips.

  “The guest staying in your family’s condo—”

  I thought about the angle I wanted to play with her. She had been so confident in giving me a hard time earlier, I debated whether or not I should give her a taste of her own medicine. “I didn’t expect to hear from you until tomorrow.”

  The line was silent.

  “Either you’re desperate for company or you forgot that washing delicates in the dishwasher does, in fact, harm the machine.”

  That got her to snicker.

  “I can assure you that I didn’t wash my delicates in your dishwasher.”

  I dabbed my body dry as I smiled.

  “But I am desperate.”

  My brows shot to the top of my head, surprise taking over. Then I murmured, “Normally that’s not a quality I find attractive, but with you I’ll make an exception.”

  She laughed. “Let me rephrase before you get the wrong impression.”

  I furrowed my brow, intently listening, hanging on her every word.

  “I’m locked out of the condo and I was hoping you could let me inside.”

  I rubbed my hand over my face, feeling my smile hit the corners of my eyes. “If that’s all it is.”

  “That’s all it is.” Her voice led me to believe she was also smiling.

  “I’m not far.”

  “Then you’re coming?”

  “Give me ten minutes,” I said.

  “Make it quick.” She ended the call.

  Running my hand through my wet hair, I gathered my belongings by the poolside and found myself inside another of our family’s townhouses a minute later.

  Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly jumped in the shower to wash off the chl
orine from the pool, finding myself getting hard just thinking about Sophia.

  I didn’t want to assume that this was anything other than what she said it was, but I wasn’t going to take any chances either. Once I was convinced I had fully showered, I quickly brushed my teeth, dabbed on some cologne, and stepped into my giant walk-in closet, searching my many racks of clothes for the right attire.

  I thought about what she was wearing earlier— a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and boots. After several agonizing minutes of indecisiveness, I settled on a cranberry collared button-up and freshly pressed khaki slacks with brown leather shoes and belt to match.

  Grabbing my keys by the front door, I stopped to look at myself in the mirror and said, “You got this.”

  It was silly to drive, but I didn’t like the idea of not having my truck if something did materialize. When I arrived, I backed into an empty parking spot and checked the time. I had taken a little longer than I’d promised, but I also didn’t want her to think that I was as desperate to see her again as I really was.

  Bounding up the steps, I found her with her back against the door, eating a slice of pizza.

  She eyed me and took another bite. “I thought you said you’d be here in ten minutes.”

  Smiling, I wiped my sweaty palms on my thighs, admiring her casual look. I felt silly for dressing up just to let her inside. She had changed since I’d seen her last, and as my eyes drifted up her long, bare legs I couldn’t stop thinking how dang cute she looked tucked so neatly inside her large hooded sweatshirt. “Was that not ten?”

  She arched a brow. “Times two.”

  Diving my hand inside my pants pocket, I pulled the extra set of keys out and jangled them in the air.

  Embarrassment scrunched her face as she did a once over of how I was dressed. “Did I steal you away from something?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” I unlocked the door, not wanting to talk about why I was dressed up. “The elevation and lack of oxygen makes people act funny. You’re not the first to have locked themselves out.”