Romance: Hard To Love 1 (Billionaire Romance Series) (Love Dies Hard)

by C. C. Cartwright

  “Yes, you were the lucky one that night. I find myself spreading so easily for you, I’m not usually like that. You really have a way with the ladies, I can’t put my finger on what it is. I think it’s your cocky sexiness and your bedroom voice that’s gets women to spread their legs for you,” Sophie says. The way she talks blows me away, the stuff that comes out of that pretty little mouth of hers. Now I know why she doesn’t take me seriously.

  “Sophie, please don’t talk about me like that, like I’m a piece of meat that just wants to get laid all of the time,” I say feeling hurt by her words.

  “Look Marcus, you and I know I speak the truth. Accept it,” she dishes it out to me. Karma’s a bitch.

  “Fine, let’s talk about something else,” I ask.

  “Let’s just not talk at all anymore,” she says standing up and taking our dishes to the sink.

  “Come on, it’s sexy time lover boy,” she says sultrily walking toward her bedroom. Damn, she makes me feel so cheap, like I’m her boy toy.

  “Hey, I’m not your Gigolo,” I say following her into her bedroom and I hear her sweet laughter.

  I’m banging into her hard, over and over. I’ll show her, her head is banging into her headboard and she looks like she’s enjoying it, I know I am.

  “Fuck Sophie, you’re so tight. You feel so good wrapped around me,” I growl down at her spread wide for me.

  “Just the way you like it right?” she pants out.

  “Damn right, I love the way you spread wide for me,” I continue the dirty talk I know she loves.

  “Yes, my boy toy,” she says with a sexy teasing smile. Her palms rest on my hips to stop me. I pull out and she rolls over to get on her hands and knees then she shakes her ass in the air, she wants it from behind. I love it from behind, like animals do.

  “Spread wider,” I say huskily.

  “Ahhh,” she says as I enter her in one full stroke. At first I grab her hips and pull her down onto me, and then I let go and she rocks back into me. I see her delicate hands fisting the sheets and hear her pants of animalistic pleasure fill the room. She is so wanton in the bedroom. She’s in charge of the fucking right now.

  “Oh yeah baby, slide back on me,” I growl at her. Then I bend down and spoon her back and wrap my arm around her waist as I bite the back of her neck. I love making love to her. Did I just say making love? I never call it making love, get over it Marcus. This girl doesn’t do love and neither do you.

  “God Marcus,” she says in a tight throaty voice.

  “Roll over,” I command, I want to pound into her. I slide out of her and she rolls under me and looks through me with those beautiful eyes of hers. I could get lost in those eyes, I want to own this girl.

  “I spread so easily for you. What made you choose me out of all the office girls?” she says all sweet and innocent. She loves to do this role play, dirty talk. It makes me so hard, it’s such a turn on.

  “I could tell by the sway of your hips when you walk that you would be an amazing screw, and I was right baby,” I say right back to her as I slide home. I can hear how slick and wet she is for me as I piston in and out of her tightness. She pulls back her knees so now I’m balls deep into her and I slap into her hard, I put her through the paces and she always keeps up with me. She’s getting breathless and I love seeing her bodacious breasts heave with every thrust.

  “Oh Marcus, I’m coming, let go baby,” she cries out, lips parted, eyes closed. And I do as I’m told, I have another heart stopping explosion into the depths of her.

  “This is some sexy music you turn on. What’s the name of this song and who sings it?” I say softly as I lay on my back and Sophie is resting her head on my chest and I hold her close to me. I think they call this basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking. Man, have I become the biggest sap.

  “This song is Happy by a group called Surface, and the song before this was So Amazing by Luther Vandross. I love to listen to some sensual R and B once in a while,” she replies in her soft satisfied Sophie voice. The sweet voiced girl I think I’m falling for, falling for hard and she acts like she could care less.

  “You’ve hypnotized me, you make me happy,” I tell her as I roll on top of her and gaze into the depths of those beautiful almond shaped eyes of hers. She offers me a faint smile as she reaches up to caress my face, but doesn’t return the sentiment.

  “You have all of these songs about love on your player, but yet you say you don’t do love, why is that exactly?” I venture to ask when she is in her sweet satisfied mood.

  “It’s an over-rated emotion that I never feel,” she says without a moment’s hesitation.

  “True, true,” I can’t help but agree, “have you ever been, in love that is?”

  “Once I think I was, and once was enough for me,” is all Sophie offers and I’m not sure if I should pry further as I see a cloud pass across her expression and she won’t meet my eyes. Whoever it was hurt her and hurt her bad.

  Chapter 6

  Sophie

  Marcus and I spend about five nights a week together. I love the sex with him, it’s the best I’ve ever had in my life, and I’m addicted. I can’t get enough of him, and it’s a little scary because I know eventually I will have to give him up. John Devereaux and I continue to have contact; he calls me once a week to check in. He still wants to see me, but I’ve ended it for now, like Marcus asked me to. He has some kind of hold over me for the time being, I will let myself enjoy all of him and give him all of me.

  Tonight we’re meeting some friends from the office at Club 21. This will be the first time our fellow managers will see us together. Tongues will most definitely wag. I’m sure most of them would never peg Marcus and me together. The office’s biggest player with the ‘good’ girl, at least the think I’m the ‘good’ girl. They just don’t know what kind of ‘good’ girl I am. Marcus would say I was ‘good’, ‘good’ in bed that is, I think wickedly.

  “Look at you, you scream sexy tonight,” Marcus says wrapping his arms around me and laying a passionate kiss on my lips. I love his kisses.

  “Thank you, is it too much?” I ask. I’ve got a form fitting black off the shoulder Herve Leger bandage dress on and some high nude pumps to make my legs look a mile long.

  “You are going to drive the guys from the office wild, but you’re mine,” Marcus says possessively. Hmm, interesting.

  Once we get into the Club, we spot our group of fellow money managers. More of the guys are here than the few women managers. I can feel all the men eye me appraisingly. Marcus stays close by my side all evening, touching me the whole time and I can’t help feeling he is trying to show all the guys that I’m his. I find it all interestingly endearing. The player is actually trying to stake his claim over me, I’m flattered.

  “So Sophie, you and Marcus?” Christopher McMillan leans over and whispers in my ear when Marcus steps away for a few minutes.

  “Does it surprise you?” I ask.

  “Quite frankly it does, it surprises all of us,” Christopher replies with a broad grin, “I thought you had a boyfriend?”

  “I cut him loose,” I reply with a wink.

  “For Marcus?” he asks curiously.

  “It was my decision,” I say taking a sip of my drink.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing. You know he’s not the settle down type?” Christopher asks as if cautioning me like a big brother would.

  “I’m aware. I’m a big girl I can take care of myself,” I say just as Marcus comes up behind me wrapping his arms around me. Christopher takes it all in but says no more. Marcus has another drink in his hand, I didn’t realize what a heavy drinker he is. I think he’s had at least six beers and we’ve only been here for an hour. I excuse myself to go and find the ladies room and Tasha Grey, another manager I work with joins me.

  “Girl, I didn’t know you and Marcus were you know,” she says raising her eyebrows.

  “We have been for a while,” I say off handedly as I re-a
pply my glossy red lipstick that Marcus seems to love on me.

  “Is he as good as they say he is?” Tasha asks with a wicked laugh.

  “I usually don’t kiss and tell Tasha,” I say guardedly.

  “Oh come on, I promise I won’t repeat it. He has a way with the ladies,” Tasha continues. I’m so tempted to share, do I dare? I have my reputation to think of.

  “Mind-blowing,” is all I say with a smile I can’t wipe off my face.

  “Oh my god Sophie, I knew it. He looks like he would be so naughty in between the sheets!” Tasha practically shrieks. I have a feeling she has had her eye on him herself, lots of the women at work do. But why he chose me to be his little tart, I have no idea. I will just enjoy the ride with my player, ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies.

  “I can’t say anymore and you better not breathe a word to anybody else,” I warn her.

  When I find Marcus, one of the other girls in our group is invading his space and standing so close to him. Her name is Cassie, Cassie Long, she’s new at the firm. I must admit, she is very pretty. A perky blonde and tall. I’m a brunette and on the petite, but curvy side. I am half Chinese and half Welsh on my Dad’s side. I don’t want to interrupt their intimate conversation so I stand back and Christopher comes up to me.

  “Do you want to dance?” he asks.

  “I would love to,” I say giving him one of my sweet smiles. As we walk away from the group, I see Marcus taking notice. A Maroon 5 tune is playing, one of my favs, It Was Always You, and I get into it. Waving my arms in the air, gyrating my hips suggestively, I love dancing. My eyes close and I get lost in the music. When I open my eyes again, Marcus is cutting in. What does he think he’s doing? Possessive aren’t we, I just chuckle to myself. Whatever, he was talking with Miss Perky. Marcus pulls me into him, pressing his hard on into me for all to see. I pull back and look him in the eye, he’s drunk. I kiss him on the lips and he deepens the kiss.

  “Let’s go,” he growls.

  “Okay,” I say letting him lead me off the dance floor. As we walk by our group, Marcus doesn’t even stop to say goodbye, so I just wave as he pulls me out of the loud club and out to the valet area.

  “I’m sure we gave everyone from the office a show tonight,” I say in the car on the way home, I’m driving.

  “What?” Marcus slurs out and he’s practically asleep already.

  “Never mind,” is all I say. This is fun, he is so drunk I can’t even have a conversation with him.

  We get back to my apartment and he passes out cold on me in my bed and I have to take off his shoes for him and his belt and tuck him in, lovely.

  Needless to say, something about tonight’s turn of events doesn’t sit well with me.

  First of all, Christopher appraises Marcus and me together and then tries to warn me off him. He seemed genuinely concerned for me, like a big brother would be. Little does he know that I can take of myself.

  Then Tasha basically asks me how the firm’s male slut is in bed. Her teasing reminds me of what I already knew. If I’m sleeping with the male slut of the firm, what does that make me now that we’ve announced it to the world?

  I hope I can get out of this…relationship isn’t quite the word I would use for what Marcus and I have. It’s more of an arrangement. Will I be able to get out of this arrangement unscathed?

  And his drunkenness, what the hell are you doing Sophie? You know better, you’re too smart for this so why are you doing it? I can’t explain it any other way than to say I’m sowing my wild oats. I was curious. I will come to my senses soon, but I’m not quite ready to move on yet. Sexy time with Marcus is just too incredibly satisfying to give up.

  Chapter 7

  Sophie

  “Lunch today?” Tasha asks standing by the door of my office.

  “Sure, but it will have to be quick, I’ve got a lot of work,” I say pulling my desk drawer out and grabbing my purse.

  We decide to grab a quick bite at the deli downstairs.

  “You’ve been holding out on me girl. How long have you and Marcus been going at it?”

  “Must you be so crude Tasha? You sound like a guy,” I reply with distaste.

  “I’m sorry, how long have you two been dating?” she tries to ask acting demure.

  “Well, I wouldn’t call it dating,” I answer with a smirk.

  “See, like I said,” Tasha says and we both laugh.

  “You know Marcus, I can’t imagine he ever really ‘dates’ a girl for long. Let’s just say we have been seeing each other for a couple of months now,” I admit to Tasha.

  “I thought you were dating John Devereaux, that hot shot attorney who wins all of those million dollar cases?”

  “I still see him on occasion,” I reply.

  “Does Marcus know?” Tasha asks intrigued by the circumstances of my love life.

  “He did and he will.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean exactly?”

  “When we first started, you know…I was dating John. Then a month or so into it, Marcus said he wanted me to give up John, so I did. I still talk to John now and then. He invited me to see U2 this weekend and I said yes.”

  “Do you think Marcus will care?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “So you guys aren’t exclusive or anything?”

  “I vaguely remember Marcus using that same word, but come on, would you ever take a player like Marcus seriously?” I ask incredulously.

  “He seemed pretty into you at Club Zero the other night,” Tasha observes.

  “Really, after all of those drinks he had, who could tell?” I say with a shoulder shrug, feeling perturbed as my memory of him passing out in my bed that night comes to mind.

  “Speak of the devil,” Tasha says looking over my shoulder. Marcus and Christopher just walked up to the counter to order.

  “Let’s go, I need to get back to my office.” Tasha and I walk out and we say hello to Marcus and Christopher, but keep walking.

  Chapter 8

  Marcus

  “You sly dog, I thought you usually don’t dip into the office pool?” Christopher asks me once we sit down for lunch.

  “I know, I usually don’t. I don’t know what came over me,” I say.

  “I bet I know who came all over you,” Christopher says, talking derogatorily about Sophie angers me.

  “Hey, it’s not like that. Don’t talk about Sophie like that,” I say heatedly.

  “Alright, I’m sorry man. I’ve never seen you like this about any girl before,” Christopher observes.

  “Yeah, well, what can I say? She’s something special,” I remark a little more calmly now.

  “She’s a nice girl and I like her. I just don’t know what she’s doing with you. Quite honestly, it surprises the hell out of me,” Christopher says practically scratching his head.

  “Really, why is it such a surprise? I’m a nice guy,” I say with a sly smile. Even though I don’t blame Christopher for being surprised, I was surprised myself how easily I got her into bed, or should I say how easily she got me into bed.

  “You are a nice guy, but you don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to the female persuasion,” Christopher says in all seriousness.

  “I know, I know. But it’s different this time, I feel like Sophie is my equal. There’s no bull shit, no head games and she has this smart and sassy attitude that I love about her,” I reflect.

  “Hunter, you have it bad. Wow, I never thought I would see the day,” Christopher says with a chuckle. He’s right, I do have it bad for Sophie, and I didn’t see this one coming. I’m blindsided by these feelings I have for her. It was just supposed to be a fling, as the girls in my life usually are, but it has turned into something more. I find myself wanting more with her. Here’s the thing, she could care less about having more. I know she loves the sex with me, what can I say, I know I’m good. But the ironic thing is, the sex may be all it is for her. Nobody would ever believe me if I tol
d them that she was the one using me, nobody. Christopher here would think I’ve been drinking the Kool Aid or something. Besides I wouldn’t admit that to anyone. They would have the best laugh at my expense, the player is being played at his own game by the first woman he actually cares about for once. It’s pure hypocrisy.

  “What do you think of the new girl Cassie Long? She’s pretty hot,” Christopher remarks with a cocked eyebrow.

  “She’s alright, Sophie is hotter in my opinion,” I answer.

  “Cassie was flirting with you big time at the Club the other night. She asked me about you later.”

  “Not interested,” I say flat out and I mean it.

  “I can’t get over this change in you,” Christopher says with a shake of his head, “well, maybe I’ll ask her out.”

  “Be my guest,” I say with a shrug.

  I stop by Sophie’s office after lunch.

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes,”

  “Let me take you to dinner tonight, where would you like to go?”

  “How about The Ivy in Beverly Hills?” she asks sweetly.

  “Perfect, I will go and make reservations,” I say standing up fighting the urge to kiss her. Marcus, Marcus, Marcus what am I going to do with you.

  Chapter 9

  Sophie

  Marcus comes by my office at 6:30 so we can make our dinner reservations tonight at 7:00. As we are walking out together his father, Mr. Hunter to me, gets on the elevator with us. His father must know about us by now. We all ride the elevator down in an awkward silence. Then his Dad gives us a curious stare as we say our goodnights and walk off towards Marcus’ car together. I don’t say a word about it. I’m sure his father just figures I’m Marcus’ flavor of the week and I’m fine with that, because that is what I am.

  “My Dad asked about you and me when I had dinner with my parents the other night,” Marcus says, bringing up what I didn’t need to talk about.

  “Oh,” is all I say.

  “Do you even care what he said?” Marcus asks as if he is irritated for some reason.