The Long Ride: A Billionaire Romance

by Jane Keeler

  They heard the short honk of a car horn from out in the driveway.

  “That’ll be Fenton,” Mrs. Abbot said. “You all take care now. My prayers will go with you.”

  “Thank you for everything, Sarah.” Karlee hugged the old lady who’d been so much help to them.

  “Yes, thank you, ma’am,” Gabe echoed.

  Fenton had a four-door pickup truck and a taciturn nature. He grunted at them when they got in the truck and nodded when they thanked him for dropping them off at the bus station.

  When they walked in they saw a sign informing them there were no more buses that day. There would only be one the following day, late the next morning.

  “Uh oh. So much for the plan!” she said. “Now what?”

  He grinned at her. “How about another hotel?”

  Karlee burst out laughing. “While I do love your plan, I don’t think we can afford a hotel right now. You can’t use your credit card—that’s a sure-fire way of showing where you are.”

  “Damn. I forgot about that.”

  Karlee was glad she was going to be able to spend more time with Gabe. Their time together was forging them into a team, and they worked well together.

  The journey back to New York had not been nearly as quick or easy as it should’ve been. It had been fun, though, that she couldn’t deny. She hadn’t had an adventure like this in a long time. She couldn’t wait to go back and tell her mother all about it. The two of them were very close, and her mom hated that Karlee had put so much of her life aside to help pay the medical bills. She’d be happy to know Karlee had spent the last few days on the road with such a beautiful man.

  “Come on, let’s try our luck anyway,” she said. She could see how despondent he looked. She remembered how good he had been at getting those free sandwiches and coffee. He was one of the most charming men she’d ever met, and she hoped that getting a hotel room would be just as easy.

  Apparently not.

  They made their way to the hotel, but no matter how much sweet talking Gabe did, the hotel manager wasn’t budging. Karlee was determined not to give up. Gabe had already done so much for her and she wanted to do something for him for a change.

  “Look, I’m going to be completely honest with you—we are desperate for a room tonight,” she said to the hotel manager. “I’m not trying to get a free stay for nothing. We’re not that kind of people. We really don’t want to spend the night sleeping on the street. We do have money, but our card was stolen. Long story. You don’t have to believe me, but please just give me a chance.”

  She took a step forward. “How about I do some work at the bar or something? Help you out in return for a night’s stay? I promise to work my butt off. I’ve bartended before. I know what I’m doing. Please, just give me a chance to show you we’re not trying to score a free room.”

  The manager regarded her impassively. “Well, I must say, nobody has ever tried that one on me before. You know what, I like your grit, what did you say your name was?”

  “Karlee.”

  “Okay, Karlee, sure. You can do five hours’ work, and afterwards, I’ll give you a room.”

  Karlee thanked her and made her way to the bar. Gabe offered to help but she told him she had it covered. She knew he had never done bar work before and she didn’t want to embarrass him. She told him she wanted to do the work and sent him off to the pool to “look pretty.”

  Karlee worked hard for five solid hours, until the manager came to talk to her. When she placed drinks down at men’s tables she made sure she bent at the waist so they could get a good look at her breasts. It did amazing things for tips.

  She was more careful when there were women seated, though. Even then she could see the men trying to sneak a look at her breasts without getting caught.

  “You want a job here?”

  She laughed. “I’m actually from New York. I don’t usually bartend for hotel stays, but this has been one hell of an interesting ride back.”

  “Sounds like it. Well, I’m impressed. You worked harder than any of my staff. The customers really like you. If you’re ever looking for a job, you know where to come. Honestly, I’d hire you on the spot. I’ve decided to give you a night in one of our rooms as well as dinner and drinks. That suit you?”

  Karlee couldn’t help herself. She let out a whoop of delight and rushed forward to hug the manager. “That’s fantastic! Thank you.”

  “No problem. I should be the one thanking you. Your boyfriend is gorgeous, by the way, but he should be the one thanking his lucky stars he has someone like you.”

  Karlee smiled and decided not to correct her. They walked to the front desk to collect the keys and then went out to find Gabe. She gave him two big thumbs up.

  “Seriously? You got a room for us?”

  “I got more than a room. I got us dinner and drinks too.”

  “Have I told you lately how amazing you are?”

  “No, you haven’t.”

  “You’re amazing.”

  She curtseyed. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  They walked to their room and stopped short. In the middle of the room was a hot tub, and on the side was two glasses of champagne and a bowl of strawberries dipped in chocolate. Karlee didn’t even bother to look at the rest of the room. She just took her clothes off, and got straight in. She picked up a glass of champagne, took a sip and purred in delight. When she opened up her eyes, Gabe was standing there just staring at her with a grin on his face.

  “Hey, why aren’t you joining me?”

  “You’re fun to watch!”

  She blushed. “Well, you better get in, otherwise I’m going to eat all these strawberries without you.”

  He took off his clothes and got in. Karlee slipped up to him and handed him a glass of champagne.

  “I can’t believe you did this for us.”

  She chuckled. “I’m used to working hard for my money.”

  The comment was as meant as a joke but it seemed to upset him. “Yeah, so do I, you know.”

  “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. Besides, that part of you is really unknown to the world. The only part of you that most people know about is your partying side. Not this smart, hard-working man.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, that’s true. Anyway, you put me to shame today. I was watching you at the bar. The way you interacted with people. The way you did things. You’re good with people, you know.”

  “Am I? I never thought I was. I always sort of hated people. Other than my mom. I’m more of a dog person. Perhaps it’s just that the men were thinking what it would be like to screw me.”

  He laughed. “Nah, you’re great with people.”

  Karlee climbed onto his lap and popped a strawberry into his mouth. She could feel him getting hard under her thighs. “You’re just saying that because I’m naked and on top of you right now.”

  Gabe’s hands moved over her body; then he leaned in and kissed her on the neck, sucking gently. She stood up so her breasts were in line with his mouth and moved in closer. He licked and teased her nipples, and used his hands to caress her body, stopping in between her legs. She groaned. She knew he was rock hard by now.

  “Never mind foreplay,” she said, grabbing his cock. She bent her legs and slid down the length of him until he filled her completely. She ground against him until the two of them came together.

  “Sometimes a girl just has uncomplicated needs,” she explained.

  “Does this mean you’re not a virgin anymore?” he asked, referring to their earlier sex game.

  “I may be again if you’re good. You have so much to teach such an innocent girl,” she teased. “Anyway, I thought having sex in water was supposed to be difficult.”

  “Then you’ve been doing it with the wrong person.”

  “Maybe I have. Maybe I have. This is nice, Gabe. I could get used to this. I might try working at the bar more often. It’s totally worth it for a night like this.” She handed him back his glass of champagne, and a s
trawberry, and took one for herself too. Then she lay back and sighed happily.

  Karlee had no idea what the future held for them. She knew when it came time to face reality things might not be as easy as they were now.

  She didn’t even know if he wanted to be with her, but she was glad they weren’t talking about what was going to happen. Instead, they were both ignoring the future and forgetting about the past. All they had was the present. Karlee didn’t mind. She wanted to enjoy it for as long as she possibly could.

  They stayed in the hot tub for another hour, laughing at how wrinkly the tips of their fingers became. They had reached a stage of contentment. It was great to just lie back together and talk. Then they climbed out, put on some of their new clothes, and enjoyed their complimentary drinks at the bar.

  “One drink and I’m tipsy. When did I become such a cheap date?” she said.

  “Two drinks. Don’t forget the champagne in the hot tub.”

  She chuckled. “Oh yeah, but that doesn’t count. I burned that one off.”

  “And how exactly did you burn it off?” he teased.

  “With some exercise. We both know how much we virgins love our exercise.”

  He chortled. “You make me laugh, Karlee Gold. Now, how about some dinner?”

  “Only if you promise me we can stay here forever?”

  “I promise.”

  A night of hot tubs, champagne, strawberries, chocolate, drinks at the bar, dinner, and sex? Oh yes, Karlee could easily imagine her life being like that. It was only when she was getting into bed for the night that she realized she had completely forgotten to tell Gabe she was a reporter.

  Chapter 15

  They were back on the road again. After their wonderful night at the hotel together, they were on their way to New York—the final stretch of the journey. Karlee was snuggled in close to Gabe, not because there was no space on the bus, but because they wanted to be as close as possible. Her hair smelled like vanilla.

  As the lights of New York started to appear, a strange feeling came over Gabe. He couldn’t quite figure out exactly what he was feeling. Despair perhaps. He felt as if he missed Karlee, even though she was still next to him. It was the sense of their adventure being over.

  “I have to say,” he whispered. “I didn’t expect all of this to happen when I ran away from my father. I guess part of me didn’t even think I’d go through with it all. But, here I am, at the end of a very interesting adventure.”

  She chuckled. “And the longest ride from Miami to New York. Gabe, can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure, fire away.”

  “Um… Are you glad this happened? Because, and I’m not trying to put myself down here, but it’s just, well, I know I’m not your usual type.”

  “You’re right,” he said. “You’re not.” He saw her face droop and grinned. “You’re better. And yeah, I’m glad this happened. These last few days have been some of the best of my life.”

  “Seriously? Even though we’re on the run from the men in black?”

  He laughed. “Yeah. Crazy, isn’t it?”

  “Crazy!”

  He looked at her and saw that she was smiling. Just as they were about to pull into the station, she sat up and looked at him. “So, want to spend the night at my place tonight?”

  “Really?” Relief washed over him. He didn’t want to leave her, and it was getting dark.

  “Of course. You didn’t think I was going to leave you at the station?”

  “Thanks Karlee. Yeah, that would be amazing!”

  Gabe was interested in seeing where Karlee lived. When they got off the bus, he was impressed with her navigation skills. Up one road, down an alley, up another road, until they finally got to a flight of stairs.

  Karlee pointed and grinned. “Well, this is it. A big apartment all to myself.” Then she burst out laughing. “Although it’s probably going to look like a shoebox to you.”

  She wasn’t lying. The place was tiny, but what amused him the most was how big she seemed to think it was. She kept saying the place could sleep two, but she used the extra room for a home office when she needed to.

  “Sometimes,” she added. “When money is low, I rent the room out. I prefer not to, though. I don’t really like living with strangers. But the money is necessary sometimes.”

  He was shocked. “Seriously? You rent your room out? Two people living here?” He hadn’t meant to sound like a snob, and thankfully she saw the funny side to it.

  “Yep. Trust me—this is New York City, where they try to cram as many people into as small a space as possible.”

  “Could I ask what the rent is on this place?”

  When Karlee told him, he whistled. “Wow, that’s a lot for a place this size.”

  She chuckled. “It’s actually super low because I know the owner. And how much rent do you pay?”

  He felt embarrassed. “Uh, I don’t. My father bought my place for me.”

  “Uh-huh, and how big is it? Like compared to this one.”

  “Um, I don’t know. Four, maybe five times the size?”

  “And you live alone?”

  “Yeah. Oh man, I really have no idea about the real world, do I?”

  “Clueless,” she said. “It’s how I like my men.”

  He laughed. “You are so saucy, you know that?”

  “Oh, I know. So, do you want the grand tour?”

  “Of course I do.”

  She chuckled again. He was glad she wasn’t embarrassed to have someone like him in her house. She was proud of what she owned, and he admired that. Even though the apartment was small, it was homey. Which was far more than he could say about his place. He picked up a photo in the living room.

  “Is this your mom?”

  “Yeah. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Karlee gushed.

  He smiled. “She is. You look just like her.”

  “Thank you.”

  The tour took all of five minutes, after which she poured him a drink. They sat in the living room, talking and laughing about the trip they had just taken.

  “Those guys probably won’t find us here. It’s a sublet, so it’s not under my name.”

  “I like it here, Karlee,” he said.

  “Ah, you don’t have to say that. I know you’re used to bigger and grander places, and that’s okay. I love my little home. I worked hard for it, and for everything inside of it. Every day I look around and I thank my lucky stars that I have all this. It might seem crazy to you, but I’m happy.”

  “Not crazy at all. You know, Miss Karlee Gold, I have never met anyone quite like you. I have a surprise for you, actually.”

  “You do? Your cock? How shocking!”

  He burst out laughing. “Well, yeah, sure, but that’s not what I meant. Although I do like the way your mind works. Remember when I went to the bathroom when we got off the station?”

  “How could I forget? You practically ran off!”

  “Well, I wasn’t going to the bathroom.”

  “What? Where did you go?”

  Gabe reached for his bag and pulled out a package, and then he handed it to her. “I went to the bookstore and used the last of my cash.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Open it.”

  Gabe watched as Karlee opened the package and smiled when she saw what was inside. “You got me a Harry Potter book! And it’s the same one I was reading on the bus! You remembered!”

  He grinned. “Of course I remembered. You were devastated to lose that book. Nice gift?”

  She started crying. “Sorry, I’m an emotional wreck. Yes, nice gift. In fact, best gift ever.”

  “You’re easy to please. Most of the girls I slept with in the past just wanted diamonds.”

  “I’m very easy to please. Now, how about that other gift? The one I mentioned first?”

  Gabe had never met a girl quite like her before. He laughed. “Well, how about you show me to your gym then? I take it you have a gym here?”

  S
he took his hand and led him to the bedroom, where they had sex again. They spent a long time with Gabe’s cock deep inside her, just holding each other tight. They lay there for a long time in silence. No words were needed.

  After a while they fell into a rhythm where Gabe’s cock slid in and out smoothly and tenderly. When he felt he was about to come he pushed his penis as deep inside her as he could and waited, hardly moving. They stayed like that for hours, and their orgasms, when they finally came, felt like they were joined together in bliss.

  “Two amazing gifts in one night. Aren’t I a lucky girl? Gabe, what’s going to happen after this? Now that we’re not travelling anymore, what are you actually going to do?”

  Gabe sighed. It had been on his mind all day. “I’m going to see you again. That I know for sure.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

  “Good. I don’t want to.”

  “So, do you have the first Harry Potter for me to read?”

  “What? Are you really going to read it?”

  “Yeah, I mean, I need to see what the fuss is all about, don’t you think?”

  Karlee looked at him in surprise. Then she got up and jumped up and down on the bed in excitement. She was still naked and the sight of her bouncing on the bed got him aroused again.

  “Yes, I have the book. And yes, you have to read it. How about we do some reading now? I’ve got eggs and cookies, which do you want?”

  Gabe laughed. “To be honest, cookies sound like a great dinner to me.”

  They lay in bed together, eating cookies and reading. Every now and again Gabe looked over at Karlee and smiled. Her beautiful red hair swept down around her face, and her tongue stuck out as it always did when she was concentrating.

  He found himself looking at her more than the book. He realized, in that moment, that he’d never really been in love before. He thought he had been, but those feelings seemed insignificant compared to the love he felt for Karlee.

  Chapter 16

  “Breakfast?” Karlee asked.