One Night with the Billionaire (A BWWM Romance)

by Tiana Cole

  “I wouldn’t, no. Dammit, you really think that’s how I feel about you?” He stood and yanked his clothes back on. “Why would you sleep with me if you thought that…oh.”

  She knew what he thought already. “See? That’s why. You think I fucked you as a chess move to gain something from you, don’t you?” She didn’t even let him finish before she went on, searching for her bra. “It never occurred to you that I can’t resist you, did it? That as much as you hate me, I hate myself even more for wanting you so badly.” Spotting her ripped panties, she picked them up and shoved them into the pocket of her dress, quickly attending to every button before marching back inside the house.

  “Sure, Ebony. I’m the bad guy.”

  Rolling her eyes, she continued through the kitchen and into the large room with a view of the ocean where her daughter slept. “Come on, sweet girl.” Scooping up her daughter along with her bags, Ebony slid her shoes on and walked out.

  “Wait, let me help.”

  “I can handle it myself.” She would handle it and everything else in her life as she had over the past year—one foot in front of the other until she was where she needed to be. Happy she parked on the street, Ebony worked quickly putting her daughter and their bags inside their car before she turned to face David. “Thanks for a fun day, David. I’ll speak to the doctor this week about an alternative to breast milk. I think you can handle her on your own from now on.” She slid into her car and took off down the PCH, fighting the tears threatening to undo her and cursing her stupidity for falling for, and sleeping with him, all over again.

  ~

  David spent most of the next ten days at his Malibu home. Working and sulking. And drinking. Wondering how he’d let things with Ebony get so out of control that day. He’d handled it all wrong and now he rarely saw her at all, never mind for long enough to make it right. “Shit!”

  “You both are pathetic, you know that, right?” Sarah breezed in holding his favorite person in the world.

  “Shut up and give her to me.” He held out his hands and was rewarded with a laughing, drooling bundle of sweet baby. “Hey, princess, how are you?” He laughed when she leaned forward and gave him her version of a kiss that was long and wet. Very, very wet. “Thanks, sweetheart, I missed you too.” His gaze landed on Sarah, who looked at him with a wistful smile. “Thank you for picking her up.”

  She waved him away. “You don’t have to thank me. I love her too. Which brings me back to ridiculous. What happened?”

  He groaned. “I really don’t want to talk about it.” He couldn’t stop thinking about it, replaying their conversation and her hasty retreat. But that didn’t mean he wanted to talk about it with his sister.

  “That means you were an idiot. Why don’t you just apologize?”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for. I am who I am.” It was more than that and he knew it. David could believe that Ebony only wanted him because it was obvious in the way she responded to his touch, the way she cried out when he gave her pleasure. The bold way she touched him. But he hadn’t bothered to correct her. Why? Because for one fraction of a moment he did think she was using sex to gain something from him. Dammit.

  “You look guilty as hell, big brother. What did you do?”

  He told her everything from that day, starting with Kim’s freak out at the circus and their afternoon in Malibu. He gave her all the details of their post-coital conversation and waited patiently for a response.

  “She’s right. You don’t like or respect most women.”

  Well damn. If his own sister believed that, how could he convince Ebony she was wrong. “That’s not true.” She gave him an arched eyebrow. “I like and respect you, her too,” he said, motioning to his daughter who was curling into a ball against his chest.

  “We hardly count though, do we? Kim and I are family. You’d do anything to help us without even considering we might be scamming you. With women you assume that’s all they’re doing.”

  “It usually is.”

  Sarah nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. So what has Ebony asked for since you decided to acknowledge Kim as your kid?”

  Not one damn thing. That was the one point even he couldn’t argue. “Nothing.” She seemed like it was a burden to be in the same room as him.

  “So what is your problem with her?”

  That was the question, wasn’t it? And he had no clue why he couldn’t seem to make it work with her. She’d given him time with his daughter, plenty of it actually, and she hadn’t asked for anything. Yet. “Dammit.” He looked up into two pairs of laughing eyes. “I wish I knew, Sarah. But I need to figure something out. She’s the mother of my kid.”

  “Thank goodness you got the DNA test to tell you so,” she mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

  David’s groan rumbled deep in his chest, echoing in the cavernous room. “I told her it wasn’t necessary, she pushed the issue.”

  “Because you would have believed her otherwise?”

  “Maybe not, but once I saw Kim and those eyes, I knew she was mine. Ebony still insisted.”

  Sarah stood and looked at him with pity. “Probably so you wouldn’t keep throwing it in her face that she might not be yours.”

  He felt a faint blush creep up at her words. “Well, it’s no longer an issue, is it?” He was trying to do the right thing now and that was all that mattered. “Okay, so what should I do? She’s never going to forgive me, so all I can hope for is civility.” Cold and emotionless civility. Dammit.

  “She might if you actually were sorry. You’re not. Even now you’re angrier that she hasn’t gotten over all the rotten things you said to her and fallen at your feet than you are about anything else.”

  He thought about Sarah’s words long after she left, volunteering to drop Kim off so he wouldn’t have to make the drive. He was angry that things were so strained between Ebony him, but he was mostly angry at himself. His own mistrust, his own damn issues were the reason things were so hard. Now that he wanted them to be better, it seemed as though there was an impenetrable wall around her he couldn’t breach. “Dammit!”

  A few hours and several glasses of scotch later, David had his answer. He would woo her. He would woo the hell out of her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ebony lounged on the floor deep in thought, completely oblivious to the fact her daughter was using her as a human obstacle course. Everyday she was becoming more mobile, more curious and harder to control, but Ebony loved watching her daughter discover her strength. From turning over to crawling, Kim was getting around easier than ever. Any day now her two steps and fall ballet would soon turn into full fledged walking. Too bad we would be in Berkeley and your grandma, father and aunt won’t be around to see it.

  Just yesterday she’d stepped outside to grab the mail and found a welcome packet from UC Berkeley, congratulating her on her acceptance and giving her all the details she would need as she embarked on the last year of her studies. It had been the happiest day of her of life, second only to the very first time she held her baby in her arms. She’d raced back in the house and called her mother. “Mama, I’m going to Berkeley!” She’d screamed and squealed while her mother joined in.

  “Congratulations, sweetie, I knew you’d get in.”

  Hearing the pride in her mother’s voice had been just what she needed. “Thanks, Mama. Let’s celebrate. I’ll pick up Roscoe’s and you get the wine.”

  “Wine? This calls for champagne. My baby is going to Berkeley!”

  She smiled and disconnected the call, choosing to spend the day at the beach with her daughter building sandcastles and playing in the water. The day had been surprisingly relaxing and so fun. Kim was more comfortable in the water now even if it was too cold to stay in for more than a few minutes at a time. On the way home she’d stopped for the only thing she would miss of the city aside from her mother. Roscoe’s had the best waffles and fried chicken and her mama loved the smothered chicken and gravy. By the time she’d gotten b
oth Kim and herself showered and changed, her mother had arrived. “It’s about time you got here. We were going to start without you.”

  Tonya gave her a get real look. “What were you gonna wash it down with, because I brought the good stuff.” She held up a bottle of thirty-dollar champagne with a smile. “It’s not everyday my daughter leaves home for the land of the hippies.”

  Ebony laughed and slid Kim into her high chair. “Mama, I think you’re a few decades too late for that worry. We’ll be too busy studying and making friends to get into trouble, won’t we?” Kim’s bright smile was adorable with mashed potatoes smeared on her lips. “See? Kim says we’ll be alright.”

  Tonya popped the cork and poured champagne for two before taking her seat. “That’s great, but what does Kim’s father think?”

  That had caused Ebony to sag in her chair. “I found out this morning, Mama. I haven’t told him yet.” She would of course, just not yet. “I just want one day to enjoy it, alright?”

  Her mother nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. “I understand, Ebony, I do. But you need to understand that David is already in love with that little girl.” She pointed at Kim, who ignored them in favor of the mashed potatoes mound in front of her. “You can’t give a man his child and then rip her away, especially not a man like David Henderson. Tell him soon and you might end up getting up north without a court battle.”

  Ebony’s smile drifted into a frown. “One night, Mama. That’s all I asked for and you couldn’t even give me that.” She stood and began gathering the food, stuffing it into plastic containers. “My life decisions are mine, not his. I will tell him about our new plans when I’m good and ready!”

  Tonya looked at her, completely unaffected by her daughter’s rant. “I’m sorry I upset you, Ebony, but just because you don’t want to hear it doesn’t change what you need to do. Trust me, the longer you wait the worse it’ll be.”

  Her mother’s nagging voice had ruined her evening, and truthfully it terrified her. Ebony hadn’t really thought that David was interested enough in being a father to challenge her for custody of Kim. But he was spiteful and she wouldn’t put it past him to take her to court out of vengeance. She’d spent most of the night staring at the ceiling and wondering what she would do if he challenged her on custody. Fight back. It was the only option but she hoped it wouldn’t get that far.

  After just a few hours of sleep, Ebony woke up and texted David asking him to meet for coffee. When he replied, she gave him an address and a time. Her mother arrived bright and early but Ebony was quiet, subdued. She didn’t want to fight with her mother, especially if she would have to fight David. “Thirty minutes?” They had agreed that after she spoke with him, Tonya would bring Kim to him for a visit.

  “I’ll be there. Good luck.”

  “Thanks, Ma.” She gave a sad smile and a weak wave as she left. The walk to the coffee shop was short, less than ten minutes. It wasn’t enough time to calm her shaky nerves but maybe a cup of iced tea would help. When David sat down, green-gold eyes glaring at her, she knew that nothing would help. Except Berkeley.

  “Morning,” he clipped out.

  Ebony ignored his tone. “We need to talk without Kim for a few minutes, but don’t worry, my mama will bring her shortly.”

  He nodded but his expression didn’t change at all. “Alright. What do we need to talk about?”

  “Something important, actually.” Running a shaky hand through her hair, Ebony took another second to steel her nerves. She looked at David, now lounging with a knowing smirk on his too handsome face. “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s just we’re finally getting to it. You almost had me convinced I was wrong about you. But I wasn’t, was I?” Crossing his arms, he rolled his eyes and when they settled on her again they were filled with contempt. “So, how much?”

  Ebony tried hard not to cry. She really did. But this time her tears and her hurt were stronger than her desire to fight them. She swiped angrily as tears streamed down her cheek, cursing her stupidity and her weakness for a man like him. How could she possibly be in love with the worst man in the world for her? He was cynical and jaded, and completely incapable of caring about any woman who wasn’t related to him. Loving him would only bring her heartbreak. More heartbreak, she corrected as she looked into his cold, uncaring stare. When she finally strung up the courage to speak, she wasn’t surprised to find her voice unnatural and robotic. “Actually, I’m not here about money. I just wanted to let you know that I have been accepted to UC Berkeley and we will be leaving in a month, on August fifteenth.” Pushing herself up using the table, Ebony stood and walked away as her tears continued to fall. She made a quick stop to drop a kiss on her daughter’s head before brushing past them and made her way home.

  At least its done, she thought when she flung herself on the bed. “All of it,” she said to her empty bedroom.

  ~

  Dammit, I could not have screwed that up more if I tried. David was stunned down to his very core when Ebony began to cry, at first sure they were crocodile tears until he’d seen actual tears streak down her face. She hadn’t been faking. He’d actually hurt her feelings. Unbelievable. Watching her walk away was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. He should have gone after her but he knew she wouldn’t be receptive to anything he had to say, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d been a complete and total jackass, and now she was leaving and taking his daughter with her. He smacked the small table with his fist in frustration.

  He looked up and spotted Tonya, Kim’s grandmother, glaring at him with disapproval in her brown eyes. “She’s leaving. They’re leaving.”

  She bent over and locked two of the wheels on Kim’s stroller before taking a seat and giving him a look that one gave a naughty schoolboy. “Seems to me like you took the news better than she did.”

  “Yeah, well, I was an ass. What else is new?” David plucked Kim from her stroller, kissed her chubby cheeks and held her close. He needed the warmth of her little body close to his heart. She was his heart. And she was leaving.

  “You could try something new, like not being an ass. It might even work out for you.”

  He bit back a smile. The woman was certainly the source of Ebony’s take no bullshit attitude. “I keep telling myself that but in the moment the ass takes over.” He shook his head, disgusted with himself. “I had a plan. I was going to start romancing her. Then she asked me to meet her here and I thought…well, it wasn’t very flattering.” He’d gone straight there, to the money, even after he’d spent days planning ways to make it all up to her.

  “Oh, I’m sure I can guess what you thought, Mr. Henderson. But you’re wrong about my daughter. If you’re going to judge her for how you met, judge yourself too.”

  He nearly withered under her disapproving stare. “That will always be between us, won’t it? She hates herself for it and I hate myself for tainting her with that stupid game.” He wished he could go back in time and have that night without the money.

  “How you met has no bearing on whether or not you stay together. If you both want it and you’re willing to work at it, that’s all anybody can ask.” Tonya gave him a motherly smile and it warmed him. No one had bothered trying to mother David Henderson in a long time. “Trust me. I was in love with Ebony’s father but it didn’t stop him from walking out. Being a father was too much for him, but you, I can tell you love Kim and you love being her father.”

  “She’s leaving. Four weeks is all I have left with her aside from weekends and holidays.”

  “Don’t whine, David. You have a private plane—you can see her whenever you like.” She pulled out a plastic container with juice in it.

  “Yeah, but it’s not the same, is it?” The more he thought about it, the angrier he got that Ebony would just take his child from him. “There are plenty of schools down here, plenty of really great schools. Why did she pick one that’s hundreds of miles away?”

  Tanya took a sip of her daughter’s tea. �
�When she made the decision to visit and apply for transfer you were done with her. You didn’t believe the child was yours and you told her to stay away. Or was that someone else?”

  “Trust me, I know that it’s my fault, Tonya. But still, she’s taking my daughter away from me.” The thought of not seeing her all the time and watching her grow and develop into a little girl and then a young woman sickened him.

  “I know, and I know it hurts like hell, the idea that you won’t get to see her everyday. But please, David, if you don’t love Ebony or you know that you can’t love her, let her go. She deserves a chance to achieve her dreams, just like you have.”

  Had he achieved his dreams? Most days it didn’t feel like it. He worked all the time. He never made time for anyone. Not his friends, and only his lady friends when he needed a physical release. He only saw Sarah regularly because she now worked for him. He used to dream about having a wife and a house full of kids. Then he’d grown up—into his money and good looks—and realized women couldn’t be trusted for more than a romp in the sack. “I know she does and I want that for her.” Just not at his expense.

  “Good.” Tonya stood and leaned over to rub Kim’s back and kiss her cheek. “I’m going to check on my daughter now. I’ll meet you in Wilson Park in two hours to pick up Kim.”

  “Thank you, Tonya. You don’t owe me any kindness, so I appreciate you giving me some anyway.”

  She nodded and gifted him with a smile. “You’re family now.” Then she was gone.

  David looked at her in wonder as she hurried off to check on Ebony. For Tonya it was that simple. He was Kim’s father and therefore a part of her family. Such easy acceptance usually made him wary, but he didn’t dare accuse the older woman of anything. Mostly because she would skewer him, but also because it turned out the Angel women were just that—Angels. Neither wanted his money, and after the way he acted earlier, they probably didn’t want him either.