The Billionaire's Gamble

by Penny Wylder

  Relief shoots through me. “I’m glad. It’s just that…most people would think that.” Something about Dani makes me not want to hide. I feel like I can be honest for the first time in forever, and the feeling is addictive. “I haven’t been CEO for that long. My father passed away about a year ago and…I never really wanted this. But now I’m here and I have more money than I would ever know what to do with. I would love for this to be my treat. Everything.”

  She nods, her eyes never leaving my face. “I’m really sorry about your dad.”

  “Thanks.” The ache that always accompanies thoughts of him fills my chest—a complex knot of emotions that I’ve barely even started to sift through in the last year. But now isn’t the right time to think about that. It may never be the right time. “Speaking of security,” I say, “I want to ask you something.”

  There’s a little bit left of the croissant from her breakfast and she takes a bite. “Shoot.”

  “I’d like to—” I clear my throat. “I’d like you to have a body guard while you’re here.”

  She freezes. “Really? Why?”

  “Because of yesterday,” I say simply, “and because by agreeing to come with me to New York we’re going to make the story last longer.”

  “I honestly didn’t even think of that.” She shakes her head a little, like she’s clearing it. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come.”

  I reach across the table and take her hand. “Please don’t have second thoughts. I wanted you to come. I wasn’t lying when I said I couldn’t stop thinking about you. At the same time, I don’t want you to feel unsafe while you’re with me.” She’s staring at our connected hands. “This guy wouldn’t be hovering over your shoulder. He’d keep his distance. But having him there would stop things from getting out of hand like they did yesterday.”

  Dani looks out the window again, chewing on her lip. I feel my dick stir because seeing her bite her lip makes me think about the other reasons I could give her to bite her lip. Damn it. I haven’t been this out of control of my body since I was a teenager. This woman’s driving my body straight up the wall, and I can’t say that I dislike it.

  “I won’t lie,” she says. “It feels a little weird. People like me don’t get security.”

  “People like you.”

  Her smile is a little sheepish. “Normal people. Not rich and famous. People who don’t have their own plane.”

  She’s got a point; I’ll give her that. Except for the first part. “It’s a company jet,” I say, brushing it off, “But are you okay with the security?”

  “Yeah,” she says, “I am. Though I’d like to meet the guy so I know which one of the people following me is the good one.”

  “Of course.” I take out my phone, quickly texting my head of security what I need and to have the guy meet us at the airport. Once that’s done I steal another look at Dani. I can’t get enough of just looking at her, and she catches me. “What?”

  “Nothing,” I say. “Just looking.” She blushes, and it makes me want to touch her skin. The plane is beginning its descent and I know I don’t have much time. time to make a move. “Or maybe a little more.”

  Glancing behind me to make sure the flight attendant is occupied, I switch seats, sitting next to Dani. I feel her body come alert beside me, and god, just the thought of her reacting to my closeness makes my dick so hard it aches. Sitting in a meeting for the rest of the day while I could be with Dani—preferably naked somewhere—makes me cringe. It’s going to be a long day.

  Putting my hand on her knee, I slowly draw up Dani’s skirt. She doesn’t stop me, and I see her chest rise and fall faster. “Are you wet, Dani?”

  I ask it softly and in her ear, knowing she’ll remember our conversation from last night.

  “Yes.”

  I turn towards her, pulling her legs open further and tracing my fingers up the inside of her thigh. I press my lips against her ear so she can feel my breath. “How wet?”

  “You know,” she says. Her words are so small, almost a whimper.

  My fingers are at her panties now, and I can feel the heat coming from her pussy. I run my fingers along the fabric, feel her jump at the touch. The fabric is damp. “I want to hear you say it.”

  She closes her eyes, and I slip my fingers past the fabric, seeking, finding. My hand glides through her folds. I circle her clit, and she bites her lip. Slowly, so slowly, I move my fingers down, sink my middle one all the way into her delicious heat. “Say it,” I tell her again.

  “I’m dripping for you.”

  I move my finger around inside her, making her squirm. “I’m going to make you come before the plane lands,” I say, “but since it’s a company jet, I’d rather them not know what we were up to.” Pulling my hand back, I caress her clit with my thumb, drawing a soft moan out of her. “Not another sound.”

  Dani bites her lip again as I push my finger back inside. The silky feeling of her pussy milking my finger is intoxicating. I curl my finger up, feeling for those rough ridges that tell me exactly where to touch to make her come. Her hands are grasping the armrests, knuckles white, and I know I’m in the right place.

  I don’t expect her to be able to keep quiet. Based on our one night together, Dani isn’t a quiet one. I rock my hand against her starting up a rhythm her body can’t ignore, and she gasps.

  I feel the vibration in the plane as the landing gear descends, and I know we’ve only got a couple of minutes left. I slip a second finger inside Dani and she makes a small sound in surprise. I see the flight attendant—seated for landing—glance towards us, and then away. “I want you to come all over my hand,” I whisper to Dani.

  She looks at me, her eyes pleading as I fuck her with my fingers, and I know that she wants that too. The plane is roaring as we drop towards the runway, and I move faster, my hand a blur as I pull in and out, in and out. With every stroke I brush against that spot inside that makes her jump.

  I can see that Dani is trying to keep quiet, her breath is coming in gasps, her body shaking. I know she’s close. I don’t slow down, instead reaching up with my thumb to brush against her clit. I can feel that it’s swollen, sensitive, and Dani’s body entire body goes tense as I circle it.

  “Come,” I tell her.

  She does. Dani’s pussy spasms around my fingers, wetness rushing against my hand as she fights to keep her body still. She grinds her hips against my hand, trying to make it last, and I watch her writhe in the seat, totally lost in her orgasm. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything so hot.

  She comes down, breathing hard, her body limp and relaxed. She looks at me, awe on her face, and we touch down on the runway. The plane hurdles to a stop, and I pull my fingers out of her, unable to resist a last touch against her clit to watch her jump. We both look at my fingers, wet with her cum, and I don’t hesitate before bringing them to my mouth.

  She tastes sweet and dark, and I realize that this flavor—even after so short a time—is something I’m coming to crave. My fingers now clean, I glance back at Dani, who’s still staring at me, dazed.

  I grin. “Welcome to New York.”

  11

  Dani

  New York is just as crazy and crowded and beautiful as I always imagined it would be. I know I’m a dead giveaway as a tourist because I can’t help peering out the window, my eyes popping and jaw dropping at all the things that I’m seeing. The buildings are taller and the streets are narrower, and yet at the same time it seems infinite and endless. It’s hard to believe that I am really here.

  When we landed at the airport the body guard was waiting for us—a guy named Derek. He’s built like a linebacker and he was courteous even though he didn’t say too much. It was barely twenty minutes from the time I told Nolan I was okay with a guard to the time we landed. He either had the guy waiting, or being as rich as Nolan is makes people bend over backwards for you. I’m guessing it’s the latter. Either way, Derek is in the car behind us, and he’s going to be my shadow for at least a
few days.

  Nolan and I didn’t exactly talk about how long I would be staying. I didn’t bring it up on purpose. I’m not really sure I want an expiration date on this adventure just yet, and I don’t think that Nolan does either. I mean, it won’t last forever. It can’t. But what’s the harm in living in this world for a little while?

  We’re driving through the heart of the city now, and I’m not even embarrassed to say that I nearly lose my shit when we drive through Times Square. Times freaking Square. Nolan chuckles. “It’s funny, people who live here almost never come here.”

  “Why not?”

  He casts his gaze past mine out the window. “Because it’s crowded and noisy, and usually full of tourists. Especially in the summer time.”

  “So,” I ask him, ripping my eyes away from the sights outside, “where is your favorite place in the city?”

  “You’ll see. We’re going there tonight.”

  “Really? Where?”

  Nolan’s lips slide into a smirk. “It’s a surprise.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. I’ve never been one for surprises—meeting him notwithstanding—I’ve always found much more comfort in begin totally prepared for anything and everything. “How will I know what to wear?”

  He leans across the seat to me, stealing a kiss. It’s a tiny gesture, but it takes my breath away. I’ve known this man for only a few days, and it seems impossible that we could be sharing sweet and intimate moments like this. There is a quivering in my stomach, and for the first time in my life I think I understand what people mean when they say that they have butterflies. Nolan pulls away too soon. “Sage knows all about the plans. She’ll make sure you have everything you need.”

  “Not fair.”

  His smile is blinding. “I never said I was playing fair.”

  I look out the window again, watching the streets go by. There’s a giant purple billboard that catches my eye, and I gasp. It’s an advertisement for I Love You, Eva Grey. It’s a new musical that everyone and their mother has been saying is amazing, from celebrities to people I know I never thought of as liking musicals. It’s supposed to be the tearjerker of the century.

  “What is it?” Nolan asks.

  I point to the billboard. “I Love You, Eva Grey. I didn’t even think about the fact that it’s here. I’ve wanted to see it ever since it was announced.”

  “We could go,” he says without hesitation, and I laugh.

  “Yeah, right. Kelly and I looked up the tickets a couple months back. We had a crazy idea that we’d make a trip up to see it. The tickets are almost impossible to get, and the ones that are available are so ludicrously expensive.” Nolan has a funny little smile on his face, and I realize how silly that must sound to a guy like Nolan. This is a man with his own private jet and who bet ten thousand dollars on one spin of roulette. Especially given that I agreed to let him pay for everything on the plane. Our worlds are so far apart it’s hard to even comprehend it. Thankfully, I don’t have time to think about that because the car pulls up to the curb beside a building.

  Nolan gets out of the car and helps me out. I look up and am confronted with a skyscraper. It’s steel and glass and on the front of it is emblazoned the blue, curving ‘C’ that is Coldwater Bank’s logo. The logo itself must be fifty feet tall, and I immediately feel tiny. Nolan said New York was full of contradictions, and I see why. I feel both surrounded and alone, one of the crowd and someone standing apart from it.

  I see Derek get out of the second car. That’s going to take some getting used to.

  Nolan gestures ahead of us, and we head into the giant building together. The door is opened for him, the people at the security desk greet him warmly and by name. There aren’t any photographers that I can see. I’m hoping that’s because no one knows that I’m here with Nolan. Yet. I can’t imagine people that hungry for a story won’t find out soon.

  Derek stays in the lobby while Nolan and I ride the elevator all the way up to the top of the building. He’s been quiet since the car. “Are you okay?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” he says, voice a little rough. It doesn’t convince me.

  As soon as the doors open he pulls me out of them and to the side. There’s a little alcove with a window that shields us from anyone looking at the elevator. His arms are around me and he’s kissing me. It’s nothing like it was in the car. “I’m more than okay,” he says. “I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to be able to sit through a three-hour meeting with some of the most boring people in the world when I could be doing this.”

  His tongue sweeps across my lips, and I open to him. A hand traces down my ass, pushing my hips into his and I can feel how very hard he is through his trousers. I can feel myself getting wet at the thought of him being inside me again, and now that I’m wrapped up in him I’m wondering how I’m going to get through the next three hours too. His hand cups my ass and I moan into his mouth.

  He pulls back so fast that I’m dizzy. “Wow.”

  He smirks. “If I had it my way we would have skipped the office entirely.”

  “You’re one of the richest men in the world, you can’t have it your way.”

  “Most times I can,” he chuckles, “but not today.”

  I wrap my arms up around his neck. “This is a little crazy. You know that right?”

  “I do. That’s what makes it so much fun.”

  He pulls me back out of the alcove, and down the hall. The office has a beautiful open layout, with groupings of chairs scattered around the room next to windows with jaw-dropping views of the city. There’s even a conference table out in the open. But in front of us sits a massive door. It’s dark and imposing, seemingly out of place in what is a relatively light space. I’m guessing that this is his office. It practically screams CEO of a billion dollar corporation.

  There’s a desk near the door, and a short blonde woman sits behind it, typing with absolute purpose. She glances up only for a second when she sees Nolan. I note right away there’s not nearly the same amount of awed deference coming from her that there is from the rest of the people in the building. “Hey boss.” Her typing doesn’t even slow for a second. She’s a petite woman, hair cut into a sharp bob ending precisely at her chin. It makes her look sleek and classy. Her clothes are understated and professional, and tailored perfectly. Her whole demeanor and appearance speaks of ruthless efficiency and I get the impression that I wouldn’t want to be on her bad side. Which I suppose is something you want sitting outside the office of somebody like Nolan.

  “Sage,” Nolan says. “This is Dani.”

  This makes her pause in her typing. She gives me a smile, it’s kind but cautious. She gives me a quick look up and down and I get the feeling that she’s evaluating me. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Where am I going for this meeting?” he asks her.

  “Main conference room on thirty-six.”

  He nods. “Thanks. Make sure you take care of everything, all right?”

  “You even have to ask at this point?” Sage rolls her eyes.

  Nolan chuckles, turning to me. “I have to go. I’ll see you for dinner tonight.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I say.

  He takes the time to drop another breath-stealing kiss on my lips. My whole body feels wired with him, and I think I could easily spend eternity just kissing him if I didn’t know that comes after and how delicious it is. And then he’s pulling away, and my body follows him a little. I sway on my feet and he smirks at me. I manage to give him a scowl—not willing to let him know just how much he affects me. My body wants him on a level that’s deeper than my skin. It’s exhilarating and a little terrifying.

  I’m barely processing any of this—my brain is still wrapping itself around the fact that everything in my life has changed in the past two days. Talk about the blink of an eye.

  Sage’s voice comes from behind me. “Give me just a second to finish this email and we’ll get started on everything we need to do.”
/>   “There’s a list?”

  “Yep,” she says, and I don’t press her because her typing seems even more determined than before, and I don’t want to be the one to distract her from it. A couple minutes later she stops with what seems like a final flourish and a few clicks and she grins at me. “There. Now I’m free.”

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing major.” She stands from her desk and gathers her purse and cell phone. “Just delegating to the administrative secretaries downstairs.”

  Delegating. Which means she’s putting aside work in order to take me around New York just for clothes. “Oh. If you have work to do, I’m really fine. I don’t mind just sitting.”

  Sage makes a face. “Don’t be silly. Nolan asked me to take you around and get some things, and that’s what we’re going to do. Besides, it’s a beautiful day outside and I’d much rather be out there than in here.”

  “You’re not going to get behind?”

  “The beautiful thing about working for Nolan Coldwater is that there are many many other people who work for Nolan Coldwater. They all want to make sure they’re in good standing. So when I tell them that he’s sending me out of the office for the day and ask them to take care of some things, they’re more than willing.”

  She starts walking towards the elevator and I follow. Her movements are sharp and driven, just like the rest of her. “I’m not in Kansas anymore,” I mutter under my breath.

  “You’re from Kansas?” she asks.

  “No. South Carolina, but the sentiment is the same.”

  She laughs. “That’s right, it’s your first time here. Liking it so far?”

  “I think it’s hard to know,” I say as the elevator door closes. “I haven’t done anything yet. From the airport to the car to here.”

  “Well, we’ll save the actual sightseeing for another day. But I think you’ll like the parts of New York you’re going to see. Nolan filled me in on the fact that you couldn’t get any of your stuff from your house. Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of you.”