Twins for the Billionaire

by Sarah M. Anderson

  God, she hoped she didn’t embarrass herself. But more than that, she hoped she didn’t embarrass him. There was a real risk that if she did something wrong, she might cost him this deal.

  And if that happened, after what they’d shared?

  She’d never be able to look him in the eye again.

  But now, there was no escaping the fact that they were still lying in bed together, almost naked, the sweat on her back starting to cool. She wanted him to warm her up all over again. “And after that?”

  He held her gaze for a moment before he said in a quiet voice, “That’s up to you. But this is a big bed,” he went on, giving her a playful grin. “Plenty of room.” To emphasize this, he patted around. “I might get lonely. Just saying.”

  She should say no. She should walk away while she still could, before they crossed that final line. If she were strong enough, she’d sleep alone tonight.

  But just then, Eric cupped her face and brushed a tender kiss over her lips and she knew she wasn’t going to be strong enough. She knew she’d be right back in his arms tonight.

  “That would be tragic, wouldn’t it?”

  He leaned up to press a hard, quick kiss against her lips before he patted her bottom. “Devastating. But we’ve got a lot to do before then.”

  With a sigh, she rolled off him and out of bed. “Then we better get to it.”

  * * *

  “Well,” Eric said as the elevator doors closed behind them. “I think that went well.”

  It took almost everything Sofia had not to slump against the wall of the elevator. And frankly, she didn’t have much left. Who would’ve thought that paying attention to conversations all day long with a smile plastered to her face would be so exhausting?

  But that wasn’t the only thing that had left her drained. The effort it took not to watch Eric, not to smile at him—not to show that she was aware of every single thing he did—had taken a lot out of her.

  She hadn’t wanted to look like a woman lusting after her boss. She had no idea if she’d made it.

  Because she was definitely lusting after Eric.

  She barely recognized the woman reflected in the mirrored walls of the elevator. The black-and-white lace patterned dress was working overtime, as was the strapless bra. She almost didn’t look like the mother of twins, which was impressive.

  If she threw a suit jacket over this dress, she could wear it to work. But for dinner tonight, she had tucked the pashmina shawl around her shoulders and left her arms bare.

  Eric had noticed, too. She’d felt his gaze upon her all night long. Just like it was right now. He shifted closer to her so their shoulders were touching. In the reflection, he smiled at her and Sofia couldn’t help but think, We fit.

  Which was ridiculous. Just because his black suit and bright blue tie looked good with this dress absolutely did not mean that she fit with him. But it was enough to pretend for this weekend.

  “Can we wait until morning to go over our notes?” Meryl asked, sounding drained.

  Sofia startled. Were they supposed to be business professional after eight solid hours of meetings? Before she and Eric could pick up where they’d left off this afternoon?

  Even throughout dinner—one of the finer meals she’d ever eaten—she’d been focused on listening. She was used to sleep deprivation. Anyone with small children was. But coloring with the kids required a much lower level of mental engagement than following along with a dinner conversation that encompassed state, federal and city ordinances.

  But she hadn’t made a fool of herself. She’d offered up a few compliments and paid attention and managed not to stare at Eric and think of nothing but his body against hers. Nothing tonight had come naturally to her, but she’d made it. It seemed that, for one weekend at least, she could pretend she belonged by Eric’s side.

  “Absolutely,” Eric readily agreed. His fingertips brushed and then tangled with Sofia’s. That simple contact went through her like a lightning bolt. Instantly, she was wide awake. “It’s been a long day, but I’m so impressed at the way everyone recovered and I know that tomorrow, we’ll be right back at it.”

  “Go, team,” Steve said weakly, which made Meryl laugh.

  Sofia managed a chuckle. Tomorrow would be another long day and she wasn’t entirely sure she would be able to fake her way through it.

  But tonight?

  Tonight she would wrap her arms around Eric and be a little bit selfish. She could take what she needed instead of having to worry about what other people needed. It would be worth it, even if it were awkward tomorrow morning. She wanted to remember that she was Sofia, a woman with desires and needs.

  She gave Eric’s fingers a squeeze and felt a ripple of tension move up his arm. Then he let go of her hand as the elevator stopped at their floor. “What time is the first meeting tomorrow?” he asked as they filed out of the elevator and down the hall toward their rooms.

  “Nine a.m.” Sofia replied. And since everything had been pushed back today, there was no hoping for an extra hour tomorrow morning.

  “Let’s meet in my suite at eight for breakfast.” He still sounded confident and alert, as if he could have lingered at the bar for another few hours.

  She didn’t want to linger at the bar. She wanted to linger in his bed, by God.

  Meryl and Steve mumbled their agreements as they reached their room. Eric paused and looked back over his shoulder, making eye contact with Sofia. She bobbed her head, agreeing to the question he hadn’t asked—at least not in words.

  It didn’t matter. The answer was still yes.

  “Good night,” she said to the hallway at large as she went into her room. She took a moment to use the bathroom and freshen up and then, still in her fancy dress, she opened the door on her side of the wall.

  His side was already open. Quietly, she stepped into the room. Even that simple act had her pulse beating at a higher rhythm, which was still a new and exciting feeling to her. During that first year after David had passed, when she’d been struggling to care for her newborn twins, her sexuality had been in hibernation. She hadn’t had the energy to miss it then, but when she’d begun to emerge from the fog of depression and sleep deprivation, she’d wondered if she would be capable of sexual desire again. It was almost like she’d forgotten how.

  Then, this afternoon, Eric had made her shatter with nothing more than a well-placed touch and some passionate kisses. Which had been wonderful relief. She could still feel. That part of her hadn’t died with David.

  But she wanted more. She wanted it all.

  She wanted Eric. And thank God, he was here for her.

  This was just the weekend. On Monday, they’d go back to normal. She’d go to work and he’d go boating. No more clothes, no more kisses in the back of his car. No more pictures of Eric cuddling her children.

  No one would know. Especially not her mother.

  Eric came out of his bedroom and, without breaking stride, crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. His mouth came down over hers, a kiss so hot that suddenly she had on far too much clothing. Luckily for her, he was hell-bent on rectifying that situation.

  “All night long,” he murmured against the delicate skin of her neck, making her pulse flutter wildly, “I’ve been staring at you in this dress.”

  “I like this dress.” The zipper moved down her back one notch at a time as his mouth drifted down her neck to her cleavage at the exact same pace. Luxurious warmth built low in her body and radiated out. For the first time in so long, she was warm. God, she hoped Eric heated her up.

  She went on, “It makes me look...”

  Well, it made her look like she fit in his world.

  “Correction,” he said as he tugged the zipper down the rest of the way. Cool air kissed her back and she shivered, her nipples going h
ard. “You make the dress look amazing, Sofia.” He took a step back, and the dress gaped at her chest. He ran his fingers under the straps then pulled them off her shoulders. “But you know what’s better than you in this dress?”

  “What?”

  “You out of this dress.”

  The dress puddled at her waist and he stepped into her again, working it over her hips.

  “Oh, Sofia,” he breathed as the dress fell to the floor and she was left in nothing but a strapless bra, underwear and her shoes. His eyes warmed as he stepped back to look her over. “I thought I was ready, but I’m not.”

  Twelve

  “You’re not?” Anxiety began to twist in her stomach again. Please, please don’t let this be a mistake in the making.

  But Eric cupped her cheeks in his palms, lifting her face to his. “I may never be ready for you, babe. You’re always going to take my breath away, aren’t you?”

  And before she could reply to that sincere compliment—damn him and his sincere compliments—he lowered his mouth to hers again.

  She lost herself in the give-and-take of their kiss. Somehow, they were moving, although she wasn’t aware of taking any steps. Eric kicked out of his shoes and then she was pushing his shirt off his shoulders. He lost his pants in the doorway to the bedroom and she pulled his undershirt off next to the bed. Now it was her turn to step back and admire him. It made her smile to see that he had on black boxer briefs. Black was de rigueur for the evening, apparently.

  Hopping on one foot and then the other, he peeled off his socks. There was something familiar and comforting about it and yes, silly. She’d watched him peel off his socks and shoes countless times when they used to throw themselves into the pool as kids.

  It was ridiculous that something as simple as taking off his socks could make her relax, but it did. This was okay. Better than okay. He was still Eric and somewhere, deep inside, she was still Sofia. No matter how much it changed, that would always be the same.

  She started to take her strappy heeled sandals off, but Eric said, “No, wait.” Before she could figure out what he meant, he fell to his knees and set his hands against the buckle of the sandal.

  This was the second time today he had been on his knees before her, undressing her slowly. And she knew in all truthfulness that she might not ever be ready for him, either. It didn’t make sense, why he was putting so much effort into this. He could’ve had his pick of any woman in the world. Why was he here with her?

  He got her sandals off and then sat back on his heels, staring up at her. “You doing okay?” Before she could answer, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her thigh.

  She laced her fingers in his hair to balance herself. “I think so,” she answered honestly before she realized he might take it the wrong way.

  He paused. “We can stop.”

  She stared down at him. Even from this angle, she could see his erection straining against the waistband of his briefs. She’d felt it grinding against her earlier, his body hot and heavy for her.

  “I don’t want to stop,” she told him, raking her fingers through his hair. “I want to feel good, Eric. I want to be selfish.” And, although she didn’t say it, she knew he understood—she didn’t want to regret this.

  More than that, she didn’t want this to be somber and quiet. She was so tired of being serious, of feeling like the fate of the world rested on every single decision she made.

  “And I want to have fun,” she said, unable to stop her voice from wavering. “I need to have fun. With you. Please.”

  “I would do anything for you, Sofia,” he said and dammit all, his voice was serious. “Anything, that is, except eat one of those fire-hot Takis again.”

  She surprised herself by laughing and he grinned. “Those things took a year off of my life,” he went on, somehow sounding serious and yet completely ridiculous at the same time. “And the fact that you could eat them without crying? I wonder about you sometimes.”

  He pulled her underwear, working them down slowly over her hips. It might’ve made her self-conscious, but for every inch he crossed, he leaned up and pressed a kiss. And even as he did that slow and sensual seduction, he kept cracking jokes.

  Had she seen when the lieutenant governor’s tie accidentally dipped into his soup? Had she heard the dirty jokes Steve had been telling to the owners of a local construction company? Had she caught it when Eric tripped over the threshold of the restaurant and nearly took out the hostess?

  Of course she had. She hadn’t missed any of it. But she’d been afraid to laugh then, afraid to draw attention to herself.

  But now? Her chest loosened as she was able to giggle at him, at the whole evening. People treated Eric like he was royalty, deigning to grace them with his presence, when he was just Eric. A man who occasionally threw boulders into a swimming pool and liked junk food and looked out for an old friend. He wasn’t some high-and-mighty soulless billionaire.

  Oh, God, she was completely in love with him, wasn’t she?

  No, this wasn’t about love. This was about satisfaction and friendship and...and...sex. That’s all. Nothing more. There couldn’t be anything more.

  “There,” he said, coming to his feet and wrapping his arms around her, working the clasp of her bra. “There’s that smile I wanted to see.”

  Then the bra gave and she was completely nude before him for the first time. Unlike this afternoon, she successfully fought the urge to cover herself with her hands. Instead of focusing on herself, she turned her attention to him. “Your turn.”

  “You know what I regret?” he asked as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his briefs and began to pull down.

  “No?” She really didn’t want to bring regrets into this.

  He slid a finger under her chin so that even as she pushed his briefs down, she had no choice but to look in his eyes. “I regret that I missed the moment you transformed from a kid I used to know into the woman I want.”

  She pushed the waistband over his lean hips and the shorts fell away. “You didn’t miss it,” she told him, her hands finding his erection. She didn’t need to see it to know that he was impressive and powerful. She could feel it for herself. He sucked in air as she encircled his girth with her hands.

  “I didn’t?”

  Somehow, it did her good to hear him on the edge like this, his voice unsteady, his eyes dark with desire.

  “It was the moment I walked into your building. It never would’ve happened before that exact moment in time.” She worked her hands up and down his erection, feeling him come alive under her touch.

  “I’m so glad I didn’t miss it,” he said and then his mouth was on her, his hands pulling her hair loose from the updo she’d managed all by herself.

  “Me, too,” she said and then they were falling into bed together, his body covering hers. She touched him everywhere. He was so hot and smooth and hard against her, flexing his hips and dragging his erection over her very center. He was driving her wild and God, it felt so good.

  This wasn’t a dream, not like this afternoon. But the rest of the world fell away, anyway. She didn’t think of funerals or hospital bills or babies or jobs. As Eric skimmed his teeth over the base of her neck, all she could think about was how he wanted to devour her. When he teased her nipples to tight, hard points, all she could think about was that she wanted to share them with him. And when he stroked his fingers between her legs, finding the center of her pleasure and working it until her hips bucked against his and she cried out with need, all she could think was that she’d found herself. She’d found herself again with him.

  “One moment,” he said, peeling himself off her. She shivered as the cold air touched her heated skin.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.” He went back to the doorway, where his p
ants were still crumpled on the floor. He pulled a condom out of his pocket and then prowled back toward her.

  She got her first good look at Eric’s body. Oh, he had grown up well. She had felt all of those muscles and skin against her, cupped him with her hands—but seeing was believing and she wasn’t sure she believed that he was all hers.

  “Did I ever tell you I like your tan lines?” she asked as he kneeled back on the bed and climbed between her legs.

  “No, you didn’t.” He rolled the condom on and then came against her.

  “You should wear sunscreen,” she told him, running her hands up and down his biceps. “But you’re a redhead with a tan, Eric. Someone rare and special. There’s no one else like you in the world and I can’t believe I have you all to myself right now.”

  She could feel him at the entrance of her body. She desperately wanted to flex her hips up and take him inside of her. But he was staring down at her with such tenderness that it was almost alarming.

  “Sofia...” he said, and something in his tone made her breath catch in her throat.

  Then he began to thrust into her and she knew that no matter how much he made her laugh or how good he made her feel, this was about so much more than just a little bit of fun.

  He went slow, filling her inch by inch. Her body spasmed around his. Oh, it had been so long. And he felt so good that she wanted to cry with the relief.

  He was breathing hard, his face buried against her neck and she thought he was shaking. For a long moment, they lay like that, joined but quiet in the intimacy of it all.

  He said her name again softly. “Sofia.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. It didn’t really matter what the question was, after all. He was here with her and they were together and the answer was yes. Maybe it always would be.