Rival: A Billionaire Romance Novel

by Amy Hoxton

  Her body, her soul, everything. Lucy was finally mine.

  Pulling back I felt her shiver and moan. It only made me harder. It only made me want to fuck her with every ounce of strength I had, and I soon began pumping into her at a steady pace.

  The bed shook under my thrusts and so did her gorgeous, supple body. We began moving in complete synchronization. A real dance, that was. I thrust in and she pushed against me, matching my movements as if we’d been doing it for decades.

  In reality it had just been a few minutes, that still made the pressure rise to unbearable levels in both of us. Lucy’s moans became full blown cries of pleasure, loud enough to wake the dead. I didn’t care. I wanted her to have a sore throat the following morning — just as sore as the rest of her.

  I couldn’t seem to have enough of her, and I kept pounding her harder and faster until we both stood on the edge of a massive, mind shattering orgasm.

  Logic and reason went out of the window as soon as we entered the bedroom, it was far too late to stop. Lucy let out a throaty gasp as she tensed up. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of moment, but I watched it all unfold before my very eyes. Pleasure tore through her in waves that seemed to have no end, courtesy of my continued motions that, sadly, would soon stop.

  Her body pulled me in after each thrust and I simply couldn’t hold on any longer. The pressure began building back at the manor, rising steadily until it reached a critical point in which even the slightest movement could set me off.

  “Do it,” She whispered in a brief moment of clarity, even as the aftershocks were still ravaging her mind and body. “Give it to me!” Those magical words were all it took for the seal to break.

  I buried myself into her, down to the hilt. The pressure suddenly vanished as a wave of relief spread through me. I grunted, letting out a low and guttural sound that came from deep within my throat. The pleasure overcame my senses. My throbbing manhood pumped her full of my seed. Rope after rope, spurt after spurt until it overflowed.

  We both laid there, flustered and sweaty, painting and trying to regain some composure. Neither of us dared move a muscle, too afraid to upset the careful balance our depravity had created.

  The night had just begun.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lucy

  A rogue ray of light found its way through the blinds and shone directly onto my face. Nature’s alarm, that I never asked for.

  I felt lost for a split second and began to panic, before the events of the previous night came rushing back to the forefront of my mind. The surprise ball, my half-assed attempt at dancing. The kiss and the drive home, and the short lived wave of embarrassment I felt once Alex and I were alone.

  Alex was a man who could have anyone. Models, celebrities, anything — but chose me instead. My entire body was killing me, a testament to his prowess. My dress, that beautiful black dress I borrowed from Brianna, laid balled up somewhere on the floor. He’d thrown it there after almost ripping it off of me. In those hectic moments, our collective judgment was clouded by a powerful cocktail made with equal parts lust and repressed carnal desires. He took me to heights of pleasure I had only dreamed of, or intensely pictured during private moments.

  My eyes fluttered open and I looked around to ensure I hadn’t imagined everything. I laid alone on his massive bed, covered by a thin silk sheet that gently caressed my body. After making a mental note to buy some for my own bed, I sat up. The sheet fell soundlessly onto the bed and exposed my breasts. I felt no shame, even knowing he probably had a maid or two that could walk in at any given time.

  I simply couldn’t have cared less. Between the fog that still permeated my brain and the mild jolts of pain coming from bruises gained the previous night, I wasn’t in the best of shapes. And yet, I was happy.

  I rubbed my eyes, trying to chase the sleep away. Alex was nowhere to be seen. My gaze swept the bedroom and found no traces of him, save for the clothes he’d taken off. A voice inside of me kept telling me to wear his shirt and go looking for him, and another one quickly silenced it with vicious threats. Could I have been any more of a clichè?

  Heeding the advice my subconscious so generously doled out, I got up. The dark wood the floor was made of wasn’t cold as I expected, but rather warm instead. It was something so simple yet somewhat foreign that it surprised me at first. Most mornings, the apartment I lived in with Brianna vaguely resembled the Alaskan tundra.

  Alex’s house was a mixture of old and new. I didn’t quite take in the sights it had to offer yet, just passing glances as passion guided us to his bedroom.

  His love for art was undeniable. Nearly every wall housed at least a painting or more, most of which I couldn’t recognize. Art had never been my forte, and perhaps I admired those paintings for the wrong reasons. Still, their striking beauty caught my eye, underlying philosophical meaning be damned.

  I retrieved my underwear, and going against my previous thoughts, I reached over to grab Alex’s shirt to put it on. It smelled like him. Musky and strong, the perfect concept of what a man should be like. Memories began once again flooding my mind, and I had to forcefully cast them out.

  I timidly made my way out of his bedroom and into a corridor that lead to the living room. The other doors I noticed, I didn’t dare open, and besides, I had no reason to.

  “Alex?” I called, keeping my head on a swivel to avoid any surprises. I was somewhat on edge despite there being no real reason for it. That apartment was uncharted territory, though not a hostile one.

  He could have left me alone for all I knew, gone to work as he always did. Never missing a day as if he were addicted to it, even knowing it would eventually be the death of him. I had seen that exact scene play out before, and I was sure he had too. Harris senior’s shadow loomed over his son, judging his every move from beyond the grave.

  A set of hinges came to life behind me, squeaking as the door they held onto swung open. Out came Alex, followed by a cloud of steam.

  The bathrobe he wore hung loosely onto his chiseled body, and the memories resurfaced once more.

  “That shirt looks good on you,” He smiled, devouring me with his eyes just like he’d done the night before.

  My cheeks flushed with heat. I took the compliment as graciously as I could, though the situation was still somewhat awkward. “It’s better on you,” I shot back, trying my best to sound confident.

  Alex laughed. I had never seen him that relaxed ever since I met him. It couldn’t have been just the sex, as mind blowing as it had been. Regardless, I decided not to question it and just savor the moment.

  “Let’s take the day off, shall we?” He suggested, cocking his head to the side as he leaned onto the door frame.

  I had no idea what time it was or how long I slept. His bed was so comfortable I didn’t hear the alarm blaring from my phone and slept right through it.

  “We’re a bit late for work, aren’t we?” I joked, secretly hoping he wouldn’t drag us to the office.

  “It’s not like my boss will fire me,” Alex shot back, and a devilish grin appeared on his face as he took a step towards me. “Yours, however…”

  “Mine will surely understand. It’s been a long night…” I replied, my eyes burning into his — even though they desperately wanted to wander downward.

  He put his hand around my throat and squeezed gently, but firmly. The soft, sultry moan I let out sounded almost unnatural to me. I accepted it and allowed myself to relax, getting lost in the whirlwind of emotions and sensations that had my legs almost fail me. I was his, and as he pushed me back into his bedroom, I realized I was in for another long day.

  The sun was high up in the sky, inching downward with each passing minute. Alex drove me back home, thus saving me a late walk of shame that would have taken way too much time using public transportation.

  Parting ways felt slightly awkward. We both needed some time to recharge our batteries and fight off dehydration. Aside from that, we both also needed a fair bit
of clarity.

  We had spent almost a full night and the following morning drunk on lust. Chasing away the loneliness that haunted us by shining the light of physical affection at it. Blinding that monster we both hated and feared. In the heat of the moment we never stopped to think about what we were doing. Who would have? We were simply following our instincts.

  Alex waited for me to enter the building before driving off. I leaned against the large door after closing it behind me and took a deep, deep breath. Held it there. Exhaled. As soon as the air left my lungs, something else attacked me from within. A maelstrom of longing, nausea and fear that snuck up on me and ambushed my senses as soon as it saw me standing alone.

  I sauntered off towards the elevator and after a short ride, which I spent going through my purse in search of the keys to my apartment, I finally arrived back home.

  Brianna was sitting in front of the television, eyes glued to her phone as always. I was surprised and slightly impressed her neck wasn’t in perpetual pain given her posture.

  She raised her head to look at me, her gaze scanning me from my messy head down to my toes. A wide grin spread onto her face, but it quickly faded, replaced by a flash of anger.

  “I was starting to get worried!” She exclaimed, locking her phone and setting it down onto the table. “But how’d it go?”

  I chuckled and sat down beside her, sighing as the soft cushions embraced me. “It was great,” I admitted. There was no point in hiding the truth, that night had been damn near perfect. Even if I didn’t know if it had been only sex, or something more.

  Brianna seemed happy for me. “At least one of us is getting some!” She joked.

  I rolled my eyes, mimicking frustration. “Oh come on, now.”

  “It’s true! And hey, as long as you had fun, I’m happy for you,” Brianna nodded, a genuine smile on her shining lips. She’d always been honest with me, sometimes even too much.

  I stood up, groaning as I did so. Still sore, and loving it. “Thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take a shower.”

  The hot water cleansed my body. The memories, however, I kept replaying every time I dragged the soapy sponge across my bruised flesh. Each mark a badge of honor, earned in the most agonizingly beautiful fight I had.

  Everything was still fresh in my mind, I could almost feel him grip my flesh so tight his knuckles turned white. I missed it, more than I thought could be possible. He’d given me a taste and got me hooked, though I knew I had to be careful. If Alex was to be my drug of choice, I had to make sure not to overdose.

  That night had also been my induction in the hall of stereotypes. The secretary falling for her boss, a classic. It normally required the boss to have a wife that didn’t satisfy him, though in Alex’s case, his wife was his job. I couldn’t just swipe away years of built up stress and negativity. Life is never that easy.

  The shower gave me enough time to reflect on that situation. Going back to work could either be as awkward as that ride home, or feel completely normal. I toyed with the idea of that night becoming a regular occurrence, and had to stop myself from prolonging an already lengthy shower. My body needed a break, but my mind loved to torture me.

  I exited the bathroom feeling rejuvenated and joined my housemate on the couch she still hadn’t moved away from. I was impressed by her ability to do nothing for extended periods of time — it would have made me go crazy.

  “So…” She began, curiosity mounting in her tone. “Is it gonna be weird tomorrow?”

  “Good question. We’ll see, I guess. I’m not too sure,” I replied. It certainly wouldn’t be a regular day.

  “Well if push comes to shove, you can always quit,” Brianna suggested. “Other companies would do anything to hire you.”

  I sighed. “I guess. Honestly though, I don’t really know what I’ll do. Hell, what I want to do, even.” The somewhat dejected tone of my voice must have activated her motherly instincts, and Brianna turned to face me.

  “Whatever it is, you’ll be great at it,” She nodded. The fiery conviction in her eyes reassured me somehow.

  “Hope so. We’ll see what will happen tomorrow,” I repeated, trying to convince myself I would be fine.

  “Are you regretting sleeping with him?” For the first time, I sensed a hint of shakiness in her tone. Almost as if she was afraid to ask the question, or perhaps afraid of my answer.

  “No,” I shook my head. “Not in the slightest. Maybe it wasn’t the greatest idea I ever had, but—” She cut me off mid sentence.

  “Then own it. Mistakes can always be corrected, and if you had fun doing them, well… More power to you.”

  She was fundamentally right. Still, I never said sleeping with Alex had been a mistake. It had been a conscious decision and I enjoyed every second of it, though I didn’t consider the potential fallout.

  Reynolds and Harris. Dogs and cats. What happened had to remain a secret.

  Chapter Twelve

  Alexander

  I suspected the daily interactions between Lucy and I would get slightly weird. The byproducts of an otherwise near flawless night. I only wish it could have lasted longer, yet physical exhaustion prevailed.

  I sat alone in my office, nursing a glass of scotch and evading its judgmental stare. Lucy hadn’t arrived yet. I loved those brief periods of time I got to spend in complete solitude, staring out the window and watching the streets fill with life. There was something strangely therapeutic about it. I needed all the rest I could get, especially on days like that one.

  Board meeting. It would be as interesting and exciting as a funeral, and I couldn’t weasel my way out of it. The matter at hand couldn’t wait, or so I had been told. It never could, and in most of the cases it was something so insignificant that hardly required my presence — or a meeting.

  I shook my head and took a sip. The faint sound of the elevator doors opening reached my ears. I wanted to deny it, hide it, but Lucy’s arrival made me somewhat happy. Not overjoyed, simply due to the talk we would eventually have.

  He unmistakable footsteps approached. Tentative, as if something held her back. It was understandable, given the story we shared. By all accounts, we should hate one another. Hate and love, or lust if you will, are separated by a very thin line.

  Thin like the fabric of her blouse. It hugged her curves in a most delightful way. She timidly walked towards my desk. Her eyes avoided mine, and yet I had to employ a great deal of self restraint to dispel the filthy thoughts pooling into my mind.

  “Hey,” She greeted me, dropping every semblance of professionalism.

  “What happened to good morning, boss?” I chuckled, setting the glass down onto my glass after taking one last sip.

  Surprise flashed on her face for a split second. She seemed to relax right after, albeit only slightly so. “Don’t you think that flew out of the window the other night?” She retorted, cocking her head to the side. The corners of her mouth curled into a devious smile, one you’d find on the lips of a sly seductress. Lucy was none of that, and perhaps she was just trying to appear confident.

  She was right, however. If anything, she’d have to call me master. I nodded in agreement. “Fair enough, fair enough. Let’s try to behave while we’re here, though. Deal?”

  “Absolutely, master,” She winked, biting her lower lip. Her beautiful eyes burned into mine. She’d finally found the courage she sought, and it made her all the more attractive in my eyes.

  I rolled my eyes at her, taking a deep breath just to find the strength to listen to my actual brain. “You’re playing with fire, dear. Be careful.”

  “Maybe I want to be burnt,” Lucy replied without missing a beat.

  I was a breath away from bending her over my desk and teaching her a lesson. My body went stiff as I tried to summon all the restraint I had. Under other circumstances I would not have hesitated, though that day required me to be presentable.

  “You’re lucky today’s packed,” I declared. “But tonight, you�
��re mine. Understood?”

  Lucy nodded excitedly. “Can’t wait!” She exclaimed, and turned on her heels to walk away. In her continued effort to make my day harder, she couldn’t help but sway her hips left and right as she sauntered away and out of my office.

  All things considered, it wasn’t as painful as I’d expected.

  The partners I’d had up to that point always took their leave in the morning, but Lucy was obviously different. I couldn’t just get rid of her, and part of me didn’t want to.

  Shaking those thoughts out of my head, I gradually calmed down and prepared for the meeting. I wasn’t looking forward to it in the slightest, though in the years I spent at the helm of the company, I ended up learning a trick or two to make them easier to bear. It was all a game of appearance rather than substance. Fake interest went a long way, longer than I’d first realized.

  The clock was about to strike ten when I made my way down to the fifty-fourth floor. The architect envisioned it as the one and only place in the building in which conferences and large meetings would be held, and it showed: four large rooms, each featuring large crystal tables and enough chairs to seat a football team and its reserves.

  The rest of the floor acted out as an even bigger copy of said rooms, only without any furniture. A projector hung onto the ceiling, aimed at a pure white wall. Its age showed, and in the five years I spent in that company, I had never seen it in action once. The idea was to have it relay important information to a large crowd that would occupy all the empty space, but the advent of instant messaging and overall better technology dethroned the old style my father was so accustomed to.

  I arrived there before the rest of the attendees. Roughly twelve people, that apparently couldn’t read a clock to save their asses. I waited until half past ten, anger slowly bubbling and rising to the surface.