The Millionaire's Redemption

by Margaret Tanner

  How close to the truth he was. “No, I wouldn’t be game.”

  He laughed. “It’s private and sheltered from every other high-rise building in the vicinity. You could walk around stark naked in the middle of the day and no-one would see.”

  She spread a red cloth on the table and set everything up on it. Dessert she would leave for later, when Lilly was in bed and it was dark. Excitement swirled around in the pit of her stomach.

  The steak was melt-in-the mouth tender, the sausages spicy and delicious. The salad vegetables were crisp and crunchy. Everything had turned out perfectly.

  “Now, don’t tell me you can’t taste the difference between these vegetables and the ones from the department store.”

  “They’re nice and crunchy, but I normally have food sent up if I’m home, so I don’t often eat salad.” He shrugged.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I thought everyone liked salad.”

  “I do like it, but I don’t eat it very often.”

  Lilly started to grizzle now it was getting dark. “I’ll give her a drink and put her to bed before we have our dessert. All right?”

  “Sure. I’ll unwind with another drink. Want me to pour you out one?”

  “No, thanks, maybe later.” She picked up Libby. “Say goodnight to Justin.”

  “Juju,” the baby gabbled something else neither of them could understand.

  “Sleep tight, little missie.”

  Holly walked back inside carrying Lilly who tugged at her hair. What a fabulous set up. A rooftop garden on a high-rise building was obviously not impossible for anyone wealthy enough to pay for it.

  She sat down in a chair and let Lilly drink her fill. The baby fell asleep halfway through the second side, and she eased her nipple from the rosebud mouth.

  After tucking up Lilly in her cot, Holly went out into the kitchen to put her plans into operation. The fruit, already cut into cubes, rested in a glass bowl. Gathering up two dessert plates, spoons and a towel, she took the final, most important ingredient from the fridge. A spray can of cream.

  Her stomach muscles vibrated now, a combination of nerves and raw excitement. Would he like what she planned for him? The sex book declared it to be every man’s fantasy, but what if it turned out a nightmare?

  When she returned to the garden Justin lay sprawled in his chair, a glass of wine in his hand, his eyes closed. He had switched on a coach lamp. It stood on a tall fancy column and bathed the area in a soft, translucent light.

  She crept up behind him and ruffled his hair. “Wake up sleepy head.”

  “I wasn’t asleep. Lilly settle down okay?”

  “Yes, she’s worn out.”

  They ate their dessert in silence. Holly could hardly swallow hers because her mouth had dried up. Her hand trembled as she raised the spoon to her lips.

  He suddenly broke the silence. “I enjoyed that, thank you. What’s the surprise you’ve got for me?”

  “Soon.” She nearly dropped his bowl as she placed it on the table. “Close your eyes, no peeking. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

  Moving away from him she made sure the light would still fall on her. She spread the towel out on the ground, stripped off her clothes and stretched out on it naked. Picking up the trusty spray can, she covered her nipples with the cream then drizzled a trail of it down her belly. On her belly button she sprayed another mound and stuck a strawberry in the middle of it. The creamy trail continued downwards until it disappeared between her thighs. Could she carry this through? Too late for second thoughts now.

  “Come over here,” she invited softly.

  He got up from his chair and swung around. “Hell!” Slowly, as if in a trance he came toward her. The look of shock on his face would have been comical at any other time.

  “I thought you might still be hungry.”

  “I am.” He gave a low, fierce growl, ripped off his clothes and sank to his knees beside her. “I’m ravenous.”

  Heat surged through her body and she fought a desperate battle to subdue it. This was Justin’s treat. Hers would come later. She almost climaxed thinking about the feel of his hard, potent manhood thrusting deep inside her.

  He pushed her breasts together and started his feast. Sucking and licking he took the culinary journey down her body, not daring to waste even one precious drop. He trembled when he reached that special place where her thighs ended.

  She sensed his excitement. Her breasts ached and desire, like a frenzied whirlpool, swirled around in the pit of her stomach. The book hadn’t exaggerated. She felt seductive, wanton. Even if it was only for a short time, she had power over him. It emboldened her, took away her nervous inhibitions.

  “Open your legs.” He gave the order in a husky voice. “I don’t want to miss any.” He couldn’t believe what Holly did to him, the way she made him feel. Shocked, excited, and aroused to the point of madness. He had never known such need, never felt such urgency before in his life.

  He buried his face in her soft curls and lapped up the sweet tribute she had sprayed on for him. Every single drop and it still wasn’t enough to slake his hunger. He took her bud, that rosy quivering bud that promised so much carnal delight, and suckled it hard, drawing it right into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth, loving it.

  She writhed under him, needing to feel his hard length inside her, desperately, immediately. Wanted him to lave her love canal, bruise the flesh and create the friction that would sear them together. When she thought she couldn’t stand it a moment longer, he thrust between her thighs and granted her wish.

  “Holly,” he cried out when they finally reached a shuddering climax and collapsed in a heap of tangled limbs and sweat-slicked bodies. “You’re really something.”

  She could not believe how well her feast had been received, the heights of passion they were able to climb. Couldn’t believe she had made love, even though it shocked her to admit it, on a rooftop garden fifty stories above the street.

  Once they caught their breath, they gathered everything up and took it back inside the apartment. Lilly still slept, so they showered together, went to bed and made love on and off for the rest of the night.

  She lay on her side wrapped in Justin’s arms, with his head resting between her breasts. Please God, let him feel more than pure craven lust for me. She ran her fingers through his hair, scrunching it between her fingers and he didn’t stir. She wanted to catch this moment, take it in a vice-like grip and hold on to it forever.

  Chapter Twelve

  The weeks passed, and the passion Justin aroused in her was astonishing. The sex was so vigorous and frequent it scared her because it couldn’t last. Even when Lilly went for a nap during the middle of the day and he came home, they ended up in bed together, or sharing the shower or the spa bath. In her wildest dreams, she wouldn’t have believed it possible to find so many different ways and places to make love.

  She grew increasingly anxious about the future and more guilt riddled because of Robbie. No matter how hard she fought it, she fell more desperately in love with Justin as each day passed. How much longer before he got bored with her and started looking around for new conquests?

  He hadn’t cheated on her yet. She felt confident about that. He would have to be a super stud to accommodate another woman right now.

  One morning while they were eating breakfast, she watched as he nursed Lilly and fed her pieces of toast.

  “Why don’t we go out somewhere today? she suggested, trying not to make it sound like a command.

  “Why do we want to go out? We’ve got everything we want here.” He gave a lascivious grin.

  “Because you don’t take me anywhere.”

  “While I’m at work, you can go anywhere you like.”

  “To the fruit and vegetable market and that horrible department store.”

  “Horrible department store? That is one of the most exclusive…”

  “I know,” she cut him off furiously. “I hate going there. They l
ook at me as if I’ve just crawled out from under a rock.”

  “Which one of them does? I’ll have them fired.”

  “I don’t want anyone to lose their job because of me. I’d just like to go somewhere else.”

  “Bloody well go then. No-one’s stopping you. Damn it, you can shop where you like.” He set Lilly’s feet on the floor, and she clung to his leg.

  “I don’t have any money left,” she whispered, wondering whether he deliberately tried to humiliate her. Did he want her to beg for funds?

  “You only had to say so. How much?” He pulled out his wallet.

  She wanted to scream out in frustration. “You don’t get it, do you? I want us to spend time together. Please, Justin”

  “What the hell do you think we’ve been doing for the last few weeks?” he snarled.

  “Having sex,” she shot back.

  “And there’s something wrong with that?” He reached his hand across the table and cupped her chin. “I could have you purring like a pussy cat in a couple of minutes.”

  Arrogant beast. She swatted his hand away. “Why can’t we share something other than sex?”

  He dropped his hand and his lips thinned. “What’s with you? Ah.” He snapped his fingers. “It’s getting close to that time of the month.”

  “No,” she screamed. “It isn’t.”

  The color drained out of his face and he leapt to his feet. His arctic eyes were narrowed, gray as storm-tossed seas. “You said you were using contraception. I trusted you.”

  “I am using contraception.”

  “I’ve never seen you taking a pill.” He prowled around the kitchen.

  “I got an IUD fitted after I had Lilly if you must know all the gory details,” she shrilled. “I haven’t had a period because I’m breast feeding.”

  “No need to scream at me. Come on, we’ll go and play ball in the garden.” He swung the baby up in his arms.

  “You selfish inconsiderate pig, I know why you don’t want to take me anywhere. You’re ashamed of me.”

  “No such thing.”

  “You make me feel so cheap sometimes,” she raged. She was good enough to share his bed but not glamorous enough to be seen in public with him.

  “What’s with you? If you want to call off our arrangement, feel free to do so?” Still holding Lilly, he stalked out of the room.

  He continually used emotional blackmail because he knew full well she couldn’t afford to leave him. What he didn’t know was that she didn’t want to leave him – now or ever.

  They hardly spoke all day. After his ball game with Lilly, he locked himself away in his study, only putting in an appearance to eat.

  Holly went to bed as soon as Lilly fell asleep. Justin could spend the whole night with his wretched computer for all she cared. She lay there staring into the darkness unable to sleep. Without the heat of his body infusing hers with warmth, the bed felt cold, overlarge and empty. How could she let him get her into such a state?

  He came to bed about midnight. He didn’t turn on the light, but she heard him stripping off his clothes. The sheet moved and the mattress sagged ever so slightly as he slid into bed and reached for her.

  “I know you’re awake,” he purred, blowing in her ear.

  She tried to arch away from him but it proved useless, the moment her flesh touched his, it ignited.

  ***

  “Wake up, sleepy head.” Holly groaned and rolled onto her back, as the cheerful voice intruded on her slumber. “I’ve made breakfast for you.”

  “What?” she asked groggily, blinking her eyes.

  A grinning Justin hovered over her. “Come on. Let’s have a romantic breakfast together before Lilly wakes up.”

  “You’ve never made me breakfast before. Why now?”

  “It’s my way of apologizing for my outburst yesterday. You were right. I haven’t taken you anywhere, but it’s not because I’m ashamed to be seen with you.”

  He stared straight into her face. “To be honest, I didn’t even think about it. I’m not used to looking after anyone else’s welfare. I did ask security to keep an eye out for anyone loitering or acting suspiciously around her when you moved in. I also instructed my lawyers to write to the Kirwans and tell them to call off their bloodhounds if they ever wanted to see Lilly again. After she wakes up, we’ll go somewhere today.”

  “I’d like that. I’m sorry I screamed at you, but...”

  “Hey come on,” he interrupted. “You should feel honored. I never cook breakfast.” He couldn’t remember ever having cooked breakfast in his whole adult life. He felt ashamed for attacking her, trying to blame her for something that was his fault. He had never been careless about contraception before, but Holly rattled him so badly he didn’t know what he was doing half the time. The thought of having a kid scared the hell out of him.

  “Do I have time for a shower?” she asked.

  “If you’re quick. I’ve already had mine.”

  That was obvious. He looked clean-shaven. His hair was still damp. How could a man wearing jeans and a sweater look so good? No wonder she felt so inadequate all the time. He epitomized male perfection.

  Holly showered and threw on designer jeans and a pale blue top. She brushed her hair and left it hanging loose about her shoulders.

  The appetizing aromas emanating from the kitchen made her mouth water. It gave her hope that he did feel something more than sheer lust for her. Was she a fool or an optimist?

  He had indeed laid out a spread for them. Sausages, eggs, bacon, tomato and freshly percolated coffee.

  “Ooh this is a feast,” she exclaimed, sitting down and tucking in with gusto.

  “Not bad is it?” His boyish grin made her heart to do a triple somersault.

  They ate in a companionable silence. When Justin started feeding her pieces of sausage from his fork and kissing her between mouthfuls, mere breakfast turned into something intimate. Heat sizzled along her veins.

  She gazed into his eyes, deep slumberous pools of gray, sexy come-to bed eyes. They would end up there if Lilly didn’t waken. She put out her hand and ran her forefinger across his lips. He growled deep in his throat.

  “Mumma, Mumma,” Lilly called from her room.

  “Now, that’s what I call bad timing.” He gave a rueful shake of his head before standing up. “I’ll get her. You finish your coffee.”

  She had just swallowed her last mouthful of coffee when he returned carrying Lilly. “Here she is. Talk about a party pooper.” He ruffled the baby’s hair before sitting her on Holly’s lap.

  “There, did you hear that Lilly Pilly?” Holly gave her a cuddle. “Justin thinks you’re a party pooper.”

  “Juju, Juju.” She tried to reach up to him.

  “Not now, little missie. You hurry up and eat your breakfast. I want to go downstairs and see if I can buy a car seat for you so we can go for a drive.”

  “You don’t have to do this. We could go for a walk.”

  “No, we’ll drive out to the zoo. Kids like animals.”

  While he went off to see about the car seat, Holly fed and dressed Lilly. Car seats had a permanency about them, didn’t they? Well, long term at the very least, but Justin was hard to fathom. It was probably what made him such a successful businessman.

  Go with the flow, she urged herself. Don’t build up your hopes, and you won’t get disappointed. On the other hand, maybe, just maybe he might be contemplating keeping them in his life.

  They were ready and waiting when he returned.

  “Ready ladies.” He bowed from the waist. “Your carriage awaits you.”

  “You were able to get the baby seat?” she asked incredulously.

  “Yes, I’ve even put it in the car,” he boasted. “I suppose we’ll need the pram?”

  “Unless you’re prepared to carry her around we will.”

  “I don’t fancy lugging you around all day.” He ruffled the baby’s hair. “You’re a ton weight.”

  He carried Li
lly down to the car while Holly wheeled the stroller. He did everything with such an economy of movement he made it look easy.

  Lilly let Justin strap her into the car seat without a murmur of complaint. She would have fought and struggled like a little wildcat if Holly had been doing it.

  It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the zoo. They parked outside in the shadow of one of the high, red brick walls. It had turned into a warm, pleasant end-of- summer day.

  They visited the monkeys first. Justin picked Lilly up out of the stroller and took her over to the cage. She squealed with delight, immediately making a grab for the bars of the cage.

  “Hey, you can’t get in there,” he told her laughing. With his hair disheveled by Lilly’s fingers and the breeze, Holly suddenly shivered with trepidation and guilt. She loved him. Was it too soon after Robbie for her to have anything other than the most primitive of urges for Justin?

  “Maybe it’s the banana Lilly wants and not the monkey,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t detect the huskiness in her voice.

  He laughed. “Yeah, you could be right.”

  She felt so confused now. She wanted Justin to take them out somewhere. Now he had, and she felt guilty about enjoying the outing. Robbie wouldn’t condemn her for trying to find happiness again. She must believe that or go stark raving mad.

  He had been a generous, kindhearted person, and they had been happy together. Would this happiness have lasted if fate hadn’t stepped in and tragically ended it all? Their sex life had been satisfying rather than exciting.

  I did love you she thought fiercely. I’ll always keep your memory in a special corner of my heart. Her feelings for Justin were different, the love of a woman for a man. With Robbie it had been first love. Poignant, desperately sweet and youthful but tragically blown away by the cruel winds of war, kept alive by memories anointed with the millions of tears she had shed. Justin was here and now, but all she could do was make the most of whatever he offered. She took several shuddering breaths, trying to get herself under control again.