Capture Me: Alpha Billionaire Romance (Hollywood Dreams)

by C. J. Thomas

  Looking into his eyes, I saw the want and the heat, but there was more. He wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with him. There was no way I would let this connection between us fade.

  I grabbed Liam’s hips. His muscles tensed under my hands as I gave his head a little lick, then another. With each, he inhaled, and I let the sensations grow as I rolled my tongue around.

  He placed his hands on his hips and arched his back as I began to suck. “God, Tessa.”

  Every time he rocked his hips forward, I moaned to send vibrations through him. Speeding up, his cock filled my mouth, all the way to my throat, and I took it in, enjoying every inch of him.

  The moment his knees began to shake and his breathing became ragged, I slowed down.

  We went on like this. I looked up at him again and he grabbed my ponytail. “Don’t stop, don’t—” He groaned as I slowed down.

  I’d have giggled if my mouth wasn’t full.

  Even while on my knees, I was in control. Exactly where I wanted to be for what I had planned.

  “Please . . . Yes . . .”

  He was mine and this time I didn’t stop. I sped up. Swirling my tongue, digging my nails into his ass until his body began to shake and he came with a rush. An explosion of warmth filled my mouth and I took every drop of it.

  He staggered forward, about to sit on the bed. I grabbed his hand, stopping him. “Stand here.”

  “Wh—”

  Still on my knees, I looked up into his eyes. He frowned, probably trying to figure out why I went all serious on him.

  I took a deep breath.

  Now or never.

  I propped my right foot up, kneeling before him. “Liam . . .”

  “What are you—” His eyes widened.

  I swallowed, unsure I could say the words, and took his hand in mine. “I can’t live without you.” My heart hammered so hard, I barely heard him say my name. I closed my eyes, blew out a breath, then met his gaze and said, “Marry me, Liam.”

  CHAPTER 59

  Liam

  I stood for a time and could feel my slack jaw and mouth agape in an ‘O.’ I could see the gears turning in Tessa’s mind as she waited for me to say something, anything.

  I knew she wondered if she’d made some serious error that totally screwed everything up, but my brain worked to connect what just happened.

  I’d always been the take-charge, impulsive kind of guy. So what the hell was happening? Part of me wanted to sweep her up, say a big “Fuck yeah!” then fuck her again.

  But it didn’t feel right.

  “Liam?” She shook my arm as though waking me. Part of me did feel somewhere else, stuck in that moment where you know you’re waking up but still can’t quite process the outside world. “Liam, talk to me.”

  Finally, I blinked and something clicked in my head that helped me mesh my thoughts and words together. I scooped her into my arms. Her body felt stiff and unsure.

  I let go.

  “God, Tessa, this is why I love you so damn much.”

  She relaxed in my arms and I took her weight. We held each other up until she said, “That’s . . . that’s the first time you’ve said that.”

  My brain must have still been working to keep up because it took me a moment to realize what I’d just told her.

  Love? Did I just say love?

  It was the first time I’d ever told a girl I loved her.

  She leaned back and looked at me as though searching for the truth. Apparently finding what she was looking for, Tessa smiled the kind of smile that lit up the room. “Make love to me.”

  I chuckled. “I’m good, but not that good. Give me a few minutes.” When she smiled again, I realized what she said. “Does that mean you—”

  “Of course I love you. I wouldn’t have gotten down on one knee if I didn’t.”

  I pulled her to me and grabbed her ponytail again. Something about it felt good, but then, I did like taking control.

  I smiled to myself. Something also told me that Tessa would give me a challenge when it came to that—in the best sort of way.

  “You enjoying yourself?”

  “Maybe.” I gave her a mischievous grin and guided her lips to mine by a gentle tug of her hair. “A little more.” I kissed her again and enjoyed her bare skin against mine. “Definitely.”

  She slid her hand up my chest and tweaked my nipple.

  “Hey. Where did that come from?”

  She returned the mischievous grin I’d just given her. “What? Like you’re the only one who can have a little fun?”

  “Now it’s on.” I picked her up and dove onto the bed, bringing Tessa with me. Holding her arms with one hand and her legs with my other, I scraped my teeth and tongue across her belly.

  She laughed and fought until tears rolled down her cheeks. And as I watched her scream and try to buck me off while trying to breathe from giggling so hard, I hoped this would be the only way I ever made her cry.

  Finally breaking free, Tessa sat up. Her bare chest heaved up and down. I leaned over and kissed one breast, then the other, then her lips. She leaned back to take a breather, then smiled.

  “Looks like you’ve had enough time to rest.”

  I looked down and there was no question how ready I was to be inside her again.

  “Before we start again,” she gave me an adorable smile that made me want to bite her lip, “could I get my cuff back. I just . . . you’re leaving and I don’t want to forget it and never get it back.”

  I grinned and made my way over to the dresser. “Well I certainly wasn’t planning to wear it.”

  “You sure? It would look great with what you’re wearing.”

  I took the cuff from the drawer, looked down at myself and frowned. “As what, a cock ring?”

  She laughed behind me. Such an easy sound. On my way back to the bed, I pulled her phone from the pocket of my trunks. Water leaked from the casing.

  “Oh.” She laughed when she saw it. “Guess I really did make it over the railing.”

  “All the way into the pool.” I tossed the phone onto the fitted sheet, since that was all that had made it through our fun. “This belongs to you.” I slid the cuff back onto her wrist. “It’s yours for good, now.”

  “So . . .” She gave me a sheepish look and held up her arm to show me the bracelet. “Is this sort of like putting a ring on it?”

  My hand went to my mouth. “Oh, god. I never gave you an answer, did I?”

  She laughed and shook her head.

  “You just let me go on without saying anything.”

  Tessa shrugged. “I figured you were thinking about it or something. You looked pretty shocked.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to get my thoughts straight. “So shocked that I completely lost track.”

  I looked at her smile, the first thing I’d noticed about her, before the ICE issue or anything else.

  It wasn’t because I didn’t care. She made me lose myself until nothing else mattered but being with her. We had fun together and there wasn’t a doubt I wanted to put a ring on her finger.

  “Losing track of being proposed to. That’s not a good sign.”

  “It wasn’t like that. I want to marry you.”

  “There’s a ‘but’ in there.”

  I blew out a breath. “But . . . I don’t want you to make such a big life decision because of my situation. That isn’t fair to you.”

  “So that’s it? I’m going to be here and you’re going to be halfway around the world?”

  “You can visit me anytime.” I caught the worry in her look. “On my dime, of course.”

  She gave me a look. “Again, not fair to you.”

  “If I can’t be here, then I want you there with me as much as you can possibly be.” I lifted up her chin and made her meet my eyes so she could see the truth in just how painful it was for me to say no to the one thing I’d been hoping for. “You have to know that.”

  She searched my eyes. “Do you r
eally mean that?”

  I took her into my arms, knowing that I’d have to let her go in less than two days.

  But I held on for now. “This. This is what I want every day.”

  CHAPTER 60

  Tessa

  Standing in line, I swore I’d never been so anxious in my life. Based on how slow she moved, the airline counter lady had to get paid on how few bags she checked in.

  As the dozen people in front of me finally moved up one step, I did my best not to give the lady the hurry-it-up stare, or she might slow down and I’d absolutely never make it to the plane before it left.

  Liam and I enjoyed our two-day fuck-until-you-can’t-move-anymore fest so much we’d lost track of time. I left his house with less than three hours before his plane took off. He kept insisting that I take my shower and get freshened up at his place.

  What he didn’t realize was that when he told me that he wanted me there in Switzerland with him, as much as I possibly could be, that within ten minutes I’d decided to fly there with him—only he didn’t know it yet.

  There wasn’t a chance I’d let him talk me out of it. I had to go back to my place to get my passport and pack what I could. The only thing I wanted to take but couldn’t was the vending machine, but I would let Liam be my white knight and get it shipped to us—with the payment of cupcakes, of course.

  Problem was, I’d had a few other things to get in order first and it didn’t help that my phone took a swim.

  Last night, while Liam did some final packing, I borrowed his cell and stepped into the hallway to call Dani. How in the world she didn’t go completely off the deep end living with Grams and Pops was beyond me, but somehow they kept her level. Maybe their crazy balanced out her crazy. She wished me luck and to send her some chocolates.

  Calling Sadie had been the bigger challenge. I hated the idea of leaving her. But when I broke the news, I’d never heard her sound so relieved.

  She’d been trying to figure out how to tell me that she was offered a job in LA and leaving me was the only thing keeping her here. She told me that she’d left a little surprise in my closet and wished me well with the promise of as many visits as possible.

  As I moved up another spot in line, I squeezed the handle of my bag and looked forward to wearing the corset dress for Liam on our first night in Switzerland.

  This wasn’t what I’d been expecting. By the time I got to the airport, I figured he had to get to the gate, but I was sure I’d be right behind him. I thought I’d buy the ticket and do one of those slow runs down the airport terminal toward him, then bound into his arms. We’d kiss and leave together.

  With the way this line moved, I wasn’t sure I’d get out this week. Part of me wanted to run right through security, have a dozen cops chase me through the airport and only catch me after getting to Liam.

  But then they’d drag me away and I’d probably be put on a no-fly list. Wouldn’t that be perfect? Liam couldn’t come here and I couldn’t leave.

  Only one more person in front of me. My stomach turned, knowing how close I was cutting it.

  I didn’t have time to buy my ticket online but I knew I had twenty-four hundred in the bank from modeling. The payment for the furniture wouldn’t go through until everything had been picked up.

  I prayed what I had would be enough to take a last minute flight.

  As I stepped to the counter, I noticed the woman was older than I expected. She wore her age well. Only her laugh lines gave away that she probably neared sixty-years-old.

  I quickly explained my situation to her with the hope that she could find me the right seat at the right price.

  “There is one seat in first class and it’s two rows in front of the gentleman in question.” She gave me a warm smile. “You can always see if the person next to him would switch with you. That sort of thing happens all the time.”

  I now realized why everything took so long with this woman—she was a talker. I pulled out my wallet and passport. “And how much is that seat?”

  “Seven-thousand two-hundred and three dollars.”

  Of course he’d be in first class. I was lucky he wasn’t on a private jet. “We don’t have to sit together. I’ll take your cheapest seat.”

  The woman’s brow furrowed, showing her age for the first time. “I’m sorry, but that is the one seat we have left.”

  Everything I’d planned and hoped for crashed against me and I leaned on the counter for support. I could ask Liam and he’d probably buy the airline for me.

  But that wasn’t the point.

  Besides, I didn’t have a working phone on me to even tell him I was here.

  I began to back away, then I held up my wrist with the cuff. “This has to be worth something.” Even though the thought of not having it ripped me apart, I saw no other option.

  The lady shook her head. “It’s lovely and I can tell it’s real, but you can’t barter a ticket.”

  “Please. I have to get on that plane. Right now he thinks I stood him up and didn’t tell him goodbye. I can’t leave things that way.”

  The lady frowned and went back to her computer. With every minute that passed, I wondered if I’d make it even if I got a ticket. “What do you think of Paris?”

  I wanted to drop my forehead to the counter. “I need to go to—”

  “It’s the first stop on his flight. I can get you a one-way ticket in coach to Paris. It’s the best I can do.”

  I stamped down the flutter of hope in my stomach until I knew I could afford it.

  “Eighteen hundred and—”

  “I’ll take it.”

  “I’m not sure you’re going to make it to the gate on time, but I’ll be rooting for you.” She printed my ticket off and winked at me. “Go get him.”

  I thanked her and dashed off. Security turned out to be about what I’d expected and I checked the nearest monitor for the time. The gate door would be closing any moment. Liam had to be on that flight. He had no choice.

  The man at the gate made the final call for Paris over the speaker just as I got there. “Wait. I’m on that plane.”

  “Tessa?”

  I spun on my heel to see Liam standing in the waiting area. I’d been so intent to get here that I hadn’t even noticed him.

  “You’re here. I thought I’d missed saying goodbye.” He pressed his lips against mine and his tears told me that I’d made the right call. “I just couldn’t make myself get on the plane yet. I can’t believe security let you see me off.”

  I pulled the ticket from my pocket.

  “You’re coming too?”

  “You said you wanted me there as much as I was able. So, I’m coming with,” I squeaked as he picked me up in his arms and squeezed me until the announcement was made for the final-final boarding.

  Liam set me down and I cleared my throat. “I couldn’t quite afford getting all the way to the Alps, but Paris in summer is supposed to be beautiful.”

  He chuckled as we walked to the gate. “I’ve got to be out of this country. No one said I couldn’t make an unscheduled stop.”

  “Just don’t leave me in Paris alone.”

  He kissed my hand as we boarded the plane together. “In the city of love? Wouldn’t dream of it. We’re sticking together from now on.”

  I wrapped my arm through his. “Think they’ll have cupcakes?”

  “If they don’t, we’ll make some together.”

  This is the end of Capture Me. Thanks for reading. Click here to start reading Sadie’s story in the next book in my Hollywood Dreams series today.

  Also by CJ Thomas

  Ruin Me Box Set

  Promise Me Box Set

  Save Me: A Novel

  Beyond Tonight series

  Heat : Romantic Suspense Novel

  On My Knees (A shot of Romance)

  Acknowledgment

  I want to thank all of my readers for being supportive with each new story I write. It’s because of you and your willingness to WANT to rea
d my stories that make this all possible. Mwah!

  I also want to thank my editor, LNS, for bringing my stories to life and constantly providing constructive advice on how to improve my craft. The same goes to my street team and beta readers, for without you, I’m not sure I would have the confidence to continue living inside my characters’ heads day after day.

  And last but not least, my family for giving me the love and inspiration to keep writing.

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