The Billionaire's Kisses: Billionaire Brothers

by Julie Farrell

  She pulled on a pretty red button-through dress, which was clingy and elegant, then she put on a little make-up, and styled her long hair to tumble around her shoulders. After dining in the hotel’s French restaurant, she drifted to the piano bar, where the décor was a sophisticated mix of modern and traditional. The leather couches and wooden tables that surrounded the black grand piano looked inviting, but they were all occupied by the smartly-dressed guests, who were enjoying the soothing jazz recital. So Amy plunked herself down on one of the vacant tall seats at the bar, and ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. The atmosphere bustled as American businesspeople and Japanese tourists laughed and chatted loudly. Loneliness crept through her ribcage.

  You could be having dinner with Adam Quinlan right now…

  She shook herself out of it – she was here to work, not hook up with heartbreakers. She decided to quickly finish this drink, then go back to her room. She needed to spend some time tonight planning tomorrow’s presentation for the finance director of Quinlan Brothers. Ah, Quinlan… Adam’s gorgeous smile drifted into her mind, and her body filled with dazzling delight. He was so hot…

  Stop it!

  Amy sipped her wine and started to compose the opening lines of her presentation in her head. The mellow liquid soothed her, but it also incited a melancholy in her heart. She was probably only obsessing over Adam Quinlan because she was heartbroken about her ex. Not that she should be heartbroken after what he’d done – cheating bastard. It certainly made things awkward at work every time they saw each other, but neither of them was ready to quit Grafton Techs yet. It was even worse that they’d both decided to remain in the apartment until he could save enough money to move out. Amy realised that it was actually quite nice being here in New York and away from her depressing domestic situation.

  Why did she never have any luck with men?

  Amy snapped herself out of her daydreaming and tensed with the sense that someone was staring at her. The piano player was working up to a stirring climax, and all eyes were on him, apart from one pair, which, for some reason, were suffocating her with their scrutiny. She glanced up and saw that there was a man standing a few yards away striking a confident pose – one hand in his pocket, the other slung on his hip. He looked remarkably like Adam Quinlan, but Amy glanced away knowing it wouldn’t be him. Why would he be here? She tried to play it cool as she sipped her wine, but she could see – out the corner of her eye – that the man was waiting for her to notice him.

  She glanced up again. He smirked coolly. Oh god, it was definitely Adam. He looked devilishly dashing in his suit. What was it about a man in a suit that made Amy’s thighs sizzle? She sensed a pent-up power in Adam, waiting to explode. He possessed an authority that made Amy’s heart flutter like an Edwardian gentlewoman, and she hated herself for that. She was a strong, independent woman, in control of her world. But he was like a man in command of the entire universe. He smiled casually, not taking his eyes off her.

  Okay, Amy, calm down. He’s not here for you. He’s probably just got business in the hotel. Or he’s come to talk about the merger…

  She waved politely, then turned to face the bar, hoping he’d go away, but desperately wanting him to come over. Which he did – oh god.

  He leaned against the bar as if he owned it. “Good evening, Ms Carter. You look beautiful tonight. Utterly stunning.”

  She raised a cool eyebrow. There was something about his tone that suggested he meant ‘utterly fuckable’.

  “Thank you, Mr Quinlan. I feel it’s important to dress up for dinner.”

  “Your efforts are appreciated.”

  “Well, I didn’t dress up for you.”

  Adam chuckled warmly, then he caught the bartender’s attention and ordered a whiskey on the rocks. He gripped the glass with his strong fingers and raised it toward Amy.

  “To your very good health, Ms Carter.”

  Amy was assaulted with an image of those beautiful fingers fondling her ass, delving in her panties, rubbing her hungry clit until she came hard…

  She gulped her wine. “Do you have business in the hotel tonight?”

  “Actually, I came here to speak to you.”

  “Oh? I believe my phone is working fine. Something wrong with yours?”

  He grinned. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how much more I’d like to see of you. So I came here, hoping we might find out what we’ve got in common. Other than an attraction for each other, of course.”

  She sighed. “Just so you are aware, Mr Quinlan, these well-practised lines won’t result in me caving into your arms and acting like a schoolgirl. I am not a groupie; you are not a rock star, and as I said earlier, I will not be joining you between the sheets during my stay. Do you understand?”

  He gazed into her eyes. “Will you stop calling me Mr Quinlan? It’s Adam, alright?”

  Amy hopped off the bar stool. “Go and sexually harass someone else, will you?”

  He opened his mouth to reply, but she grabbed her purse, then turned and strutted outside to the terrace on quivering legs. Secretly hoping he’d follow…

  This April evening was mild, and there was no one around. Solitude, at last. With shaking hands, Amy fumbled in her purse and pulled out a pack of duty-free cigarettes that she’d bought on the plane. She’d actually stopped smoking years ago, but her current emotional state had made her cave in at the thought of a comforting nicotine fix.

  She gripped the cigarette between her lips as the terrace door was pushed open from the inside. Even though she had her back to him, she knew it was Adam. She could smell him. His masculine aroma sizzled in her thighs, enhancing the desire that she knew was pointless. She tried to get a grip on her lust-drenched body but it was already straining with arousal. Keep cool, Amy. You’re here to do a job. You’re a professional.

  She lit the cigarette and inhaled the calming smoke as she gazed at the twinkling skyline. Adam stood next to her and gripped the metal railing with his perfect fingers. Amy hoped he’d be disgusted by the fact that she smoked and leave. But instead, he delivered a grin that crackled in the air between them.

  “Do you know, Ms Carter, I’ve lived here in NYC for three years and I’ve never visited the Empire State – can you believe that?”

  Amy shrugged. “I’ve lived in London for seven years and I’ve never visited Buckingham Palace.”

  “We should do some sightseeing. Wanna take a ride with me?”

  “No. I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

  “Come on, it’ll be fun – we can go tomorrow after the meeting. And then you can show me London when I come over.”

  He spoke as if the arrangement had already been made and all she needed to do was turn up. But she wasn’t letting him order her about, no way. She shook her head and took a drag on the cigarette. Then she blew out the smoke, trying to calm her pounding clit.

  She realised that she needed to get out of here, away from temptation, so she took a step towards the door, but in a cool, commanding voice he asked, “So you didn’t grow up in London, then, huh?”

  Amy halted. She grimaced as she suddenly realised that moving towards the door had inadvertently brought her closer to him. “I don’t feel it’s appropriate to discuss my personal life with you.”

  “Why not? I’m just asking an innocent question. What are you afraid of?”

  She turned and glared into his eyes. “I get the distinct impression that you’re trying to make me feel vulnerable so you can talk me into bed. I may be blonde, but I’m not stupid.”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid, Ms Carter. In fact, I know you’re very intelligent. You certainly saw right through my sly intentions.”

  He threw her a playful grin, which caught Amy by surprise. She smirked, suddenly enjoying the attention. “And flattery won’t work either.”

  “Okay, I’ll bear that in mind.”

  They shared a smile. Adam’s expression flashed with concern. “Hey, Amy, has anyone paid you a visit today? Othe
r than me?”

  “No. Why?”

  “That guy from earlier – Tariq Shard – he’s trouble. I think he might try to contact you.”

  Amy suppressed her fear for Tariq, not wanting Adam to think she had feelings – she knew he’d only try and exploit them. “Well, I’ll just give him the same as I’m giving you. Nothing.”

  He grinned. “You really are a spiky one, aren’tcha? Why don’t you let people in?”

  “You want my life story?”

  He smiled sincerely. “I’d honestly like to get to know you better.”

  Amy scoffed – his tone implied an unspoken ‘before I get you into bed’. She spoke gruffly, hoping to put him off. “Alright fine. My mother died when I was seventeen, so I moved to London and found work as a child-minder while studying at university. The father of the family – Frank Grafton – needed an assistant, so I took the job. I worked my way up to operations director. The end.”

  “Well, thank you for sharing. See that wasn’t too hard, was it?”

  She fiddled with her cigarette, refusing to look into those sparkling eyes. Amy could feel her resistance slowly eroding. She turned away from him, and took a long drag, filling her lungs.

  Her body froze with hot lust as Adam stepped close behind and rested his strong hands on her shoulders. Her heart squirmed with desperate passion. Come on, Amy, get a grip. She took a huge step away from his commanding touch, determined to steel her body against him. But it was becoming harder.

  “Mr Quinlan, please don’t touch me. I’m here to do my job.”

  “I know. You’re a hard worker. But I sense there’s something else that drives you, right?”

  She sneered. “Psychologist, are you?”

  “Just being friendly. So, I’m guessing that working for Grafton Techs was never your childhood dream job, huh?”

  She turned to face him. “I live in one of the most expensive cities in Europe; I need to pay my rent.”

  “Sure. But you’d prefer to be doing something else instead, right? Something meaningful. Something creative.”

  Amy stalled. How did he know all this? It was as if his touch had drawn out the darkest secrets from her heart. For a guy who didn’t seem to wear his own feelings on his sleeve, he certainly seemed good at reading hers.

  “I don’t know.” She mumbled.

  “You don’t know what you’d rather be doing?”

  “Well, I’ve always loved art – painting, you know. But that doesn’t pay the bills.”

  “You paint as a hobby?”

  “Sometimes. When I have time.”

  He smirked suggestively. “We should make time for the things we’re passionate about, right?”

  She suppressed a grin and looked away. “Work needs to come first. This is how life is when you don’t have rich parents to fall back on.”

  Amy swallowed her emotion. She’d intended her last comment to be a dig at Adam’s wealth, but it’d actually just reminded her of how much she missed her mom.

  Adam gazed deeply into her soul. “I’m sorry for your loss, Amy. It’s always hard to lose the ones we love.”

  “Don’t pretend to know anything of my pain, Mr Quinlan. You don’t know me.”

  “Maybe not. But I do know how it feels to lose someone I love.”

  “A woman left you?”

  He smirked. “Course not; that would never happen.”

  Amy chuckled. She was starting to see through his act, and she wondered whether there was a man worth knowing underneath all that charming cockiness.

  “Who then?” she asked.

  “My brother died a month ago. The eldest of us all.”

  The gears in Amy’s heart crunched as the atmosphere shifted. “I’m so sorry… Oh, wait, was it something to do with Tariq Shard then?”

  “Yes it was. He killed my brother.”

  Amy’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  “Tariq was responsible for starting the fire that killed Ivan. Dylan’s sure he’s a murderer. The courts think he’s an arsonist. Apparently he’s out on bail now until his trial.”

  “And he got disfigured like that in the fire?”

  “Yeah. Both our families are devastated. Mine and the Shards.”

  “Your families know each other?”

  “My dad and Tariq’s dad grew up together, so we knew Tariq like a brother. He’s a computer genius, and my eldest brother – Ivan – he was into data analytics. They were always cooking up schemes together as kids, so I guess they just ended up working together.”

  “Like you and Dylan?”

  “Yeah, exactly.”

  “And what did they cook up together this time?”

  “They invented… something that could transform business as we know it. But Tariq got greedy. Wanted to use it to for evil gains.”

  “So he started the fire?”

  “Yeah, I guess he decided to destroy all the work he’d done with my brother – to try to make it look like an accident – then start again on his own. But he hadn’t realised my brother was in there that night, working. He went back to try and get him out, but it was too late…”

  “And now he’s disfigured for life and has blood on his hands.”

  “Exactly.”

  Amy wasn’t sure how far to probe, but surely she had the right to know. “Earlier Tariq said that buying Grafton Techs was his idea.”

  “So he says. Before he died, Ivan said that Grafton Techs was the missing piece of the puzzle, so me and Dylan set the wheels in motion to buy it. Ivan moved the blueprints and prototype to our office, realising that Tariq was up to something. So now all we need is for your Grafton Techs engineers to work their magic, and we can make my brother’s dreams come true.”

  Amy’s chest fluttered with intrigue. “But Tariq thinks the legacy should be his?”

  “Yeah. But we won’t let him anywhere near it. Stay away from him if he approaches you. I honestly think he’s gone crazy.”

  Amy suddenly realised that her cigarette was burning her fingers, so she quickly ground it into an ashtray behind her. “It’s my intention to stay away from all men during my stay in New York, I can assure you.”

  She turned back to face him, planning to tell him goodnight, but Adam suddenly frowned and squinted at her cheek.

  “What?” she whispered.

  He moved his face close to hers. Amy’s heart pounded hard from being so close to him.

  “You’ve got an eyelash,” he said.

  Amy swallowed her lust. She could feel his breath on her skin; her desire crushed down uncomfortably. She wanted him. She wanted to kiss him, then she wanted to fuck him. He was so perfect, His masculine face, this close, was incredible.

  She opened her mouth to tell him that she’d get the eyelash herself, but he reached out and gently ran his thumb over her cheekbone, sending tingles over her yearning body.

  Amy willed her trembling legs not to give way. Adam leaned in further, as if he planned to kiss her. And suddenly she couldn’t resist. She needed to find out what he tasted like. Surely one kiss wouldn’t do any harm.

  Their lips met, and Adam moaned quietly, making Amy’s lips vibrate and her thighs wash with desire. His lips were soft yet dominating. He was in control of this situation, and somehow Amy loved it. His arms fell around her shoulders and his tongue eased into her mouth, but Amy’s fear overwhelmed her, so she pulled away.

  “I can’t do this with you, Mr Quinlan.”

  He looked even more delicious now. “Why?”

  Amy gazed at him. “I’m not like the women you usually sleep with.”

  He chuckled. “This is the twenty-first century, Amy. Sex is fun. It’s natural – something to be enjoyed by both men and women. I promise you satisfaction – I’ve never left a woman disappointed, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Amy swallowed down her frustration. “Perhaps the truth will make you leave me alone: I can’t orgasm. Okay?”

  Adam gazed at her in shock. “What?”


  “That shut you up, didn’t it?”

  “Of course you can.”

  “No, Mr Quinlan, I cannot. Believe, I’ve tried.”

  He stepped forward and wrapped her up in his strong arms, pressing his long hard cock against her, which made her wet with passion. She tried to regain control of herself, but he kissed her again, making her nipples hard and her body throb with delicious desire. Her mind screamed ‘no’, so she tensed to pull away, but somehow she just couldn’t. Her body needed him.

  “You’ve just been sleeping with the wrong guys,” Adam said. “While you’re here in New York, you need to experience nature’s gift to women.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Are you talking about yourself?”

  He laughed. “No – I mean the female orgasm.”

  They both chuckled. Amy’s nerves exploded in her brain. She lowered her face so that she was looking at his chest. She wanted to believe him – to believe that he could help her achieve an orgasm. But she’d been here before. And she always ended up disappointed and dejected.

  Adam gently lifted her chin up so they were gazing into each other’s eyes. “You’re so beautiful, Amy. Let me do this for you. A gift from me to you. No strings; just the most overwhelming pleasure you’ve ever experienced.”

  “You don’t understand. I’ve been aroused before – very aroused. But when it comes to it… it just doesn’t happen.”

  “But what about when you do it for yourself?”

  “No, it doesn’t happen.” Why the hell was she discussing this with him? Somehow he was so easy to talk to. And perhaps she secretly hoped he could fulfil his promises.

  He ran his fingers through her hair, gently forcing her head back to make her to look at him. “Then you’re not doing it right.”

  “What would you know about what I’m not doing right?”

  “Well, you’re obviously not if you’re not… Look, I know you think I’m some kind of playboy, but the reason I love to fuck women is because I love to see them climaxing. It’s my pleasure to see a woman lose control – to see her so vulnerable – because of me. I promise I can make it happen for you. I want to fuck you so hard that you can’t walk. I want to possess you; to help you lose yourself in desire. Let me do this for you. You won’t regret it.”