The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance

by Sterling, Arlanna

  As he knelt between my thighs again, my breath hitched in my throat. Damn, I could look at him there forever. I did a quick postcard picture, then lost all ability to think as he slid his cock inside me and rested his torso over mine. A perfect fit. I knew it would be. Like we were made to join together. He stayed for a moment, not moving, savoring the sensation, like I was. Then he rose slightly, rested both of his forearms on mine and held my wrists.

  When he pulled out and thrust back into me, my hips rose to meet him. Over and over, the rhythm gradually increasing. I instinctively wrapped my legs around him, digging my heels into his ass, urging him on. We moved wildly together until with a strangled cry, he threw his head back and came. His whole body shuddered and he ended with a moan of pure satisfaction. He lowered down on top of me, his breath fast and hot on my throat, our hearts beating hard.

  I didn't want to move. I wanted to lay like this, savoring the closeness, the connection. My skin hummed and every nerve in my body danced with joy. How in the world could sex make me feel so alive? I'd never buzzed like this before, with anyone.

  "Too quick. That was too quick," he said, after a few moments. He raised his head to look at me, a delicious smile curving his lips, a sensual flame in his eyes. "I want more."

  Fine with me. I smiled back as he ran a finger between my breasts, then over one nipple, sending a shiver from my scalp to my toes.

  A blast of music about knocked me off the bed. My phone. Shit. I forgot to turn it off. I looked at the clock. Calls at two in the morning were seldom good, but I had to check. I rolled partially, dislodging Nathan, grabbed the damn phone and looked at the name. Chuck Taylor.

  "I'm sorry, I have to get this." I swiped my finger to answer. "Hello Chuck."

  "Sorry to call so late. Or early. Whatever. I'm at the Pawn Castle and I think I might have found your statue."

  "A pawn shop? At this time of night? Or day?"

  "Pawn Castle is open twenty-four hours."

  "The statue is there? It's not worth anything." My mind, still full of happy endorphins, struggled to grasp what the detective said.

  "This place is kind of a combination pawn and knick-knack store. Real bright idea, somebody had. Your statue thing is on the knick-knack side. Anyway, I'll snap a picture and send it to you. Take a look, see if it's yours, call me back."

  "Okay." The statue. Chuck found it.

  I hung up and turned to Nathan, who had rolled over to the other side of the bed. "This call is about my sister. I'm so sorry, but I need to talk to this guy."

  He raised an eyebrow. "Can I help?"

  I sighed. Damn, that warm, fuzzy love-making glow was fading. Should I tell Nathan the whole story? How could I not? At least more of the story.

  "That traumatic incident that happened to my sister, Michelle? She was attacked in our home one night. A thief came in, bashed her on the head, and stole a statue. The police pretty much quit looking for the guy, but this one detective, Chuck Taylor, he said he still was. I thought he was lying to me, but I guess not."

  My text chime sounded and I checked, pulling up the picture Chuck sent, then enlarging it.

  "Is that the statue?" Nathan flicked the light on and leaned across the bed to look.

  "I think so. I can't tell." I turned the phone. It looked like the one Dad gave Michelle, an angel posed on a base.

  Hitting the redial, I called Chuck. "I think that's it. Can you buy it? I'll pay you back. How much?"

  "Eighty bucks. I've got your address. I'll send it to you."

  "I'm not home. I'm working out of state." I stood. Oh damn, I was bare-ass naked.

  "Have him send it here. As soon as possible. I'll pay for it, and shipping," Nathan said in a low tone.

  I bit my lip. I didn't want Nathan doing favors for me.

  I put my hand over the phone speaker. "No, that's okay, I'll take care of it. I'll have it sent to my house and look at it when I get home."

  But I wanted that statue, now. And I wasn't sure my almost-drained bank account could handle the cost, or a shipping fee.

  Nathan was already out of bed and grabbing his wallet. He waved a credit card at me. "Please. Let me."

  Time to swallow my pride.

  I uncovered the phone speaker. "I'll give you another address, in Key Largo. And my, um, my friend will give you a credit card number."

  "Sounds good. I'll hand my phone to Max, the guy who owns Pawn Castle. Give him all the info. He can ship it right from here so you'll get it ASAP."

  "Chuck, you're awesome. I thought you'd given up on me." Tears pricked behind my eyes. "I don't know how to thank you."

  "I gave it a once over. The cover on the bottom is torn, and the base is kind of loose. You check it, let me know if anything jumps out at you, why someone would steal it. I'll talk to Max, see if he knows who brought it here. You can thank me when we catch the guy."

  I handed my phone to Nathan and went into the bathroom. He probably didn't want me hearing his account info. Anyway, I needed to catch my breath. Between that mind-blowing sex and news from Chuck, my brain hit overload. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, at my reddened lips and wild hair.

  What have I done?

  I had sex with Nathan Cameron that's what. The owner of the company I worked for. My boss. And not just any old sex. Hot, smoking,' burn up the sheets sex. OMG. This would change everything. What if he regretted his actions? Got mad at me? No, he wasn't a man who gave in to a lustful urge and then got all repentant. He wanted to go again, he said, and unless he was an award-winning actor, he totally got into our lovemaking.

  But shit. That news from Chuck got my heart drumming. Could this be the statue that was stolen from us? Why on earth would it be in a pawn shop? Even in the knick-knack section. I don't remember it being valuable. Our father told Michelle it was special, and to keep it safe. Honestly, it didn't look all that special to me. An angel, standing on top of a base that looked like a rock. Bronze, or some other metal. Heavy enough to knock out a young girl when it hit her on the head.

  I shuddered, suddenly cold. I had to call Michelle. Crap, and Mom too. Picturing that conversation made my eyelid twitch and about obliterated my happy tingle. But after all this time, finding a clue about Michelle's attacker sparked hope for me, and I had to share with my family.

  I pulled a robe off the hook on the door, suddenly shy. Nathan just spent a good long while looking at and touching my body, but I wasn't ready to let him see me totally naked, in anything other than candlelight. What should I do now? Should I play it cool and flirty, or let him know how freaking awesome I felt? The Earth moved for him too, right?

  A light tap sounded on the door. "You okay?"

  "Fine. I'll be out in a minute." Okay. I'd let him take the lead, see what his post-coital style looked like. He had a lot more experience than me.

  When I came out of the bathroom, Nathan had his shorts on. The sight of him standing there, bare-chested, with a relaxed smile on his face, brought a fresh flood of wet to my pussy.

  "You like red wine, correct? I'll go get us a bottle from the bar. I thought we'd have a drink and continue." He crossed to where I stood.

  "Did you give Max your info? Any problems?"

  "Yes, and no problems. He'll ship the statue and it should arrive tomorrow."

  "Thank you, so much. I'll repay you as soon as I get back home. I have a wad of cash put aside for emergencies."

  He waved his hand. "Consider it part of your bonus. If I can help you with anything else, tell me. Now, about this." He slipped a finger inside my robe and ran it along my breasts.

  More wet. Part of me desperately wanted to hop back into that bed and go for another round, but a different kind of excitement coursed through me like white-water rapids. The kind that left churning waves in its wake. I put my hand over his. "I'm sorry, I'm too distracted right now. And I need to make phone calls."

  "At two o'clock in the morning?"

  "I need to think about the calls. And for Michelle, it so
metimes works better if I email her first."

  A flash of disappointment crossed his face, but he smiled and removed his hand. "Okay, make sure to get some rest, too. I want more of you. Plan on dinner with me tonight."

  I reached out and grabbed his hand again, then closed my eyes for a second, willing everything except Nathan to go away. What could I say? There were no words to let him know how much I enjoyed our time together. I felt it, felt that magic and love we'd stirred up. What in the whole world could be better than this? With a sigh, I opened my eyes and released his hand.

  He looked at me, his mouth curled into one of those special smiles that only lovers share. "Call me when you wake up."

  He put on his shirt and shoes and left.

  I plunked back on the bed, my heart a tangle of emotions. Nathan. I made love with Nathan. Not just sex. The way we moved together, like two musical notes creating perfect harmony. Now what? He wanted to have dinner with me. That's what regular people did. They went out, spent time together, on dates. But Nathan and I weren't regular people. He was a billionaire, and I worked for him. And I had a skeleton in my closet I didn't want him to meet.

  I needed to get my mind off Nathan. Had to work on this new development with the statue. I would write out a plan, of what I needed to ask Mom and Michelle and how much I would tell them. Grabbing my notebook, I scribbled away. Once I put my questions on paper, I breathed easier. I sent Michelle an email, telling her I'd be calling and that I wanted more information about the statue. Mom, I'd tackle her later.

  I dimmed all the lights and climbed back into bed. Really, I should sleep. There was nothing more I could do tonight. This morning. Lord, I was mixed up.

  Anyway, I wanted to enjoy the scent of Nathan on my sheets, and to hold onto that small sliver of absolute joy I'd experienced. For a brief time, I'd been in heaven. Making love with him was totally different than with my other boyfriends. They'd tried to make it good, sort of, but none of the three were terribly experienced. So, not like I had a lot to compare Nathan to, but I know what I felt, and what just happened between us was special.

  With my other partners, I always had a vague sense, they thought I should be grateful to be having sex with them, to be thankful that they were going out with me, the big girl. Maybe I was paranoid, but when each relationship ended, the dude started dating a skinny woman. I checked them out; I knew. Social media told me every little detail.

  Except my last boyfriend, John, who I told to get the hell out of my life forever. I never looked him up to see who he was dating. I didn't want any reminders of that awful night.

  I curled up in bed, hugging the pillow that smelled of Nathan. My exhausted mind finally tired of running on the hamster wheel and I drifted off to a restless sleep.

  Thursday

  Jen answered on the third ring, the sound of children laughing in the background, as always. "Howdy! I've actually got a few minutes to talk. We're at a pizza party. Let me get another mom to watch these monsters for a minute. Hey, I'm going outside," she yelled to someone. The noise disappeared. "Okay, baby-cakes, tell me what's going on down there in the land of sunshine."

  "I slept with Nathan."

  Not quite how I planned to lead the conversation, but is slipped out.

  "Holy shit! It's okay, I can say that, no kids around. So you looked and touched. How was it? Totally amazeballs?"

  "Mostly, yeah."

  "But? I hear a but, and not the good kind, like a firm, manly one, naked on top of you. That you dig your heels into while you…"

  "Stop." I couldn't help grinning. "But, it's a one-time thing. Just a hook-up, while we're here on this job."

  "Did he say that? The slime."

  "No, he didn't. He wants to go to dinner tonight."

  "Well, heck, sounds like he's kind of into you. Right? Dinner? At a restaurant and all?"

  "I assume."

  "So maybe it's not just a hook-up. Could be, he recognizes a true gem when he sees one. I wasn't going to say I told you so, but, yeah, I am. Told you so. He's a decent dude, right? He has a car without rust, all his own teeth, good income?"

  "Yeah, you could say that. He probably has a fleet of cars in many styles and colors. He's a billionaire, owns a large company, remember?"

  "Slipped my mind for a minute. He's being nice to you?"

  "He loaned me money for a statue at a pawn shop."

  "Huh?"

  "It's a long story and I know you'll need to chase after your kiddos before I can finish it. But you remember I told you, this detective was following up on leads from Michelle's attack? Well, he found a clue. I'll send you an email when I have a few minutes with more details."

  "That's great! You think it might help you find that dude?"

  "I hope. So, I have to focus on that right now. I can't start anything with Nathan. I'll be too busy working with this lead on Michelle."

  A pause. I grit my teeth. I could hear the sermon gearing up. Why did I call Jennifer first this morning? Because she'd be the easiest call to make. And because I was bursting to tell someone about Nathan. I sure didn't plan on spilling my guts and discussing my sex life with Mom or Michelle.

  "You can't or you won't start anything? Sweetie, you've got to stop blaming yourself. What happened to your sister is not your fault. You need to live your own life. You're doing enough for Michelle. Good Lord! You've got this the opportunity to have fun, maybe start something, with a guy you've liked for a year."

  "I like him as a boss. Long-distance. I never said I wanted to get intimate with him."

  "Yet you just had super-hot sex with the dude."

  "How do you know it was super-hot?"

  "I can hear it in your voice. That well-fucked tone."

  I tried not to laugh but I couldn't help it. We both cracked up. I absolutely love Jen.

  "Seriously, you sound happy. You need to ditch that misplaced guilt. Get on with your life. Oh shit. I'm getting the signal from a mom. One of my guys probably puked or something. Gotta run. Listen, you enjoy your man and don't put limits on what might happen. Just roll with it. Love ya."

  Roll with it. Right. First call down. I padded to the kitchen area. I'd bought vanilla flavored coffee as a treat, so I made a small pot now. I didn't start work until two. A couple of hours to ease slowly into this day. But I needed to keep my mind active. I didn't want to slip into memories of my time with Nathan. Didn't want to remember that look in his eyes when he entered me. Or how his hands touched me just right. Or the sound of his moan when he came.

  Crap. The smell of spicy musk lingered on my skin. I ran my hand through my hair. I'd take a shower while the coffee perked, wash away his scent, get my thoughts focused where they should be.

  Half-hour later, I made my next phone call. "Hello Mom. It's Amber. How are you?"

  "I'm fine. Is something wrong?"

  "No, nothing's wrong. A detective found the statue that was stolen from Michelle. Possibly. He's going to send it to me to take a look."

  Silence. Maybe I shouldn't have blurted the news, without any preamble. We never talked about the possibility of Michelle's attacker being caught. My mission to find him was my secret. I didn't want to involve Mom, but she might remember something she'd never shared.

  "I didn't think the police were still looking into that."

  "Me either. Not really. But I guess so. What can you tell me about the statue? Why did Dad give it to Michelle?"

  "He said it would be her guardian angel. She should keep it close and never get rid of it."

  "She didn't like it that much, I remember, did she? It wasn't terribly valuable and kind of an adult piece for a teenager."

  "I thought so too. I asked him why in the world he picked it for her. Of all things. An angel with bare breasts. Highly unsuitable."

  I could picture my mom's face and grinned. She was a prude when it came to nudity. "Did he say anything else, like why he got it for her?"

  Another silence. It hurt her to remember, but I needed to learn
all I could.

  "You know, I recall him saying something ridiculous. He was going on one night, like he would when he was…"

  Drunk.

  "When he'd had a couple of drinks. He said that little angel would take care of us all, and to make sure it stayed safe. I pretty much forgot about it, and after that man, after he…"

  "It's okay. That's all I wanted to know."

  I simply couldn't put my mother through this. Bad enough to dredge up memories of Dad. She shouldn't be forced to recall how the robber had come into the house, hit Michelle on the head, probably with the statue, and then left her lying there on the floor.

  "I'll call you if I come up with anything, okay?"

  "Fine. Give Michelle a kiss for me."

  I thought about reminding her I was in Florida, and she should come kiss her herself, but didn't. I'd stressed her out enough for one day, and Mom had her own crap going on. We'd got through a civil conversation, and I wanted to end on a pleasant note. We said goodbye and I paced off a little nervous energy before I made the next call.

  "Hey sis, how's things kickin'?"

  "Kickin' good."

  She answered the phone. We were off to a good start. "I might have found your statue. You know, the one Dad gave you that was stolen?"

  "Yeah, I read your email. That's nice." Her usual abrupt tone, but cut with an undercurrent of agitation.

  "It's being delivered to me here in Florida. I'll bring it to show you when I get home, okay? Do you want it back?"

  "I guess. Dad said it's special."

  "Do you remember Dad saying anything about it, other than that? Did he tell you why it's special?"

  "No. Dad said it was my angel. I'm supposed to keep it, so it protects me."

  Tears pushed hot at the back of my eyes. It hadn't done such a great job so far. "Okay, when I get it, I'll bring it over. You doing okay?"

  "Yeah. Vicky came yesterday, instead of you."