“Ladies, please.” Kara could see a blush rise on River’s face, something she didn’t even think he was capable of. “I’ll see you later, River.” She turned and beckoned Margaret over without looking back.
The last person she’d expected to see today, or ever, was River Harwood. He was her lost weekend in Vegas. They’d spent three days together in a luxury suite drinking top shelf whiskey, exploring every inch of each other’s bodies and laughing. Truthfully, it was the best date she’d ever had. It was so good, they ended up married. For real.
“So who was the hottie, Kara?”
She sighed because she knew the women would never let it go. “He’s just a guy I know. We met last year on my trip to Vegas.”
Margaret winked at her in the mirror. “And you know what they say about Vegas,” she prompted the women.
“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!” They all shouted the words at the same time, laughing and high fiving each other with too much glee.
“You girls are incorrigible.”
“You should try it. In fact, I think you should get positively incorrigible with that fine young fella tonight. He’s begging for it!”
“Alright girls, settle down or I’ll put you all in detention.” She smiled at them all to take the sting out of her words.
Mrs. Miller yelled louder than necessary over the noise of the hair dryer. “You know, Carl and I sometimes play naughty teacher and student in detention.”
Kara shook her head. Kara Werner, this is your life.
~
River shook his head and pounded on the blue door of a little Ranch style home. He couldn’t believe Kara had left the shop when he’s specifically told her not to. The door yanked open. “Yes?”
He growled. “That’s what you have to say to me? I told you not to go anywhere!”
Kara pulled a phone from her back pocket and checked the screen before her gaze traveled up and landed on his. “It’s after eight. You said seven. I work hard and I’m not waiting around because you can’t be bothered to keep your word.” She turned and closed the door in his face, but River’s foot snuck in to stop it from closing.
“I don’t think so, Kara. We need to talk.”
“So now you want to talk?” She tried to reach him for four months after their hasty Vegas marriage, but he couldn’t be bothered to respond like he said he would.
“Well I wouldn’t be here if you’d done what you said you would. I don’t want to talk, but we need to.”
Kara pulled the clip from her hair and let the red hair fall down her back. She let her fingers massage her scalp, effectively ignoring him while she soothed her sore head. “I tried to do it, River. But you left Vegas and became an asshole. I called you a hundred times and I even sent the divorce papers to Harwood Industries, addressed to you. Did you respond? No you didn’t, so don’t come in here today acting like the wounded party. Go file the papers yourself, sign them, and send them to me and we can take care of it. There, talk done. Goodbye.” Her petite frame pushed at him to no avail and he would have laughed if she didn’t look so angry and hot, trying to push him out of her house. “Dammit River, leave.”
He grabbed Kara’s arms and lifted her in the air. “No.” She kicked him. “Ouch, dammit. Calm down.”
“Screw you, River! Who do you think you are coming into my house and yelling at me?” She kicked and squirmed and fought like hell to break free of his hold.
He flashed her that sexy panty-dropping smile. “Honey, I think you mean our house.”
She shook her head and kicked him again, this time right in the shin. “No I mean my house, where you are not welcome.”
River brought her body closer and curled his mouth over hers while she squirmed. He kissed her lips until she let him into her mouth and he licked her mouth, sucked her tongue and explored the depths of the sweetness. The moment she gave into the kiss, he pressed her back against the wall and ground into her. She groaned and ripped her mouth from his. “Damn you taste as good as I remember.”
She whimpered and then remembered where she was. “Well you don’t, so put me down, damn you.”
River released her slowly so her body slid down every inch of his six plus foot frame. “You may not like me anymore, Kara, but don’t act like you don’t want me. I’d hate to have to prove you a liar.”
She pushed him and he didn’t move. “What the hell do you want?”
“You.”
Hands on her hips, Kara shook her head. “Nope, try again.”
River invaded her space and watched her eyes widen. “Okay, fine, not you but my wife, which is you so…you.”
She slid against the wall and over to the kitchen, putting her outdated counter between them. “Explain.”
He gave her the basics of his meeting with Bobby Lee. “So since it is your fault we’re still married, I figured you owe me this.”
Kara looked at him and laughed. “Wrong, buster. I owe you exactly not a damn thing. Maybe you should stop screwing your secretaries and you might actually get your mail.” She pulled an envelope from a drawer in the kitchen and tossed it at him. “A copy of the divorce papers I sighed, but you didn’t.”
He scanned them and noted they were dated about four months after that fantastic weekend. “Damn.”
She set a cup of coffee in front of him and took the seat across from him. “So I don’t owe you anything, River. If anything you owe me.”
He stiffened. “So this is where the extortion comes in?”
Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What…oh! You know, River, screw you again. Get the fuck out of my house and don’t ever come back.” She stomped to the door and held it open for him.
River walked to her as calm as can be and shut the door and backed her against it. “I’m not going anywhere until we settle this.”
“Of all the arrogant-” she mumbled and walked away from him. “I don’t have anything to settle. I told you what needs to be done, so go do it and leave me alone.”
“Unfortunately, I have a need for a wife.”
“Then you should probably go find one.”
“It has to be you.” He hated that he needed to pretend to be someone he wasn’t just to close this deal, but too much work had been done to make this resort happen and it would happen.
“It won’t be me, but if you’re not leaving, go sit in the living room. I need to change.” She stole upstairs, eager for a shower and sleep. River could rot down there for all it mattered to her.
Twenty minute later, River knew that he’d been had. Kara had disappeared upstairs and hadn’t come back down. He stood and climbed the steps, fuming. She would do this whether she liked it or not. The light was on in one of the rooms and he walked in without knocking and heard the shower. With a smile on his face, River sat down on the bed and waited. Soon the shower stopped and his body tightened thinking about the water droplets on her sinful body. The knob turned and his eyes fixed on the door. It opened and she walked out with a towel around her head. Only a towel around her head.
“Geez River! Scare a girl to death, why don’t you.” She walked past him and his hand shot out to grab her wrist. “Yes?”
“You’re still a knockout, Kara.”
“Yeah, thanks. Now I need to get dressed so…,”
“Don’t do it on my account,” he groaned at the sight of her pink-tipped nipples, now hard and waiting for his mouth.
She smiled at him but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Suit yourself,” she told him and grabbed a jar of body cream, setting it down right beside his thigh on the bed. Kara scooped lotion in her hand and started with her arms. “So why is this so important to you?”
River’s gaze was riveted to her naked body and when she began to rub lotion on those big meaty tits he couldn’t speak. He growled and grabbed her by the waist, until she was pressed up against him. “You are so fucking beautiful, Kara.”
“River,” she moaned when his tongue reached out to taste her pink bud. “This is a bad
idea.”
“But it’ll feel so good.” His tongue continued to torture her nipple while one hand roamed down her body, caressing her legs up to the moist heat hidden behind a triangle of red hair. River stood and pushed her down onto the bed, getting his fill of her body. She had curves for days and his body was already primed to take her. But first, he needed to taste her. His blue eyes smoldered while they watched her emerald ones follow his movements. He dipped his head and swiped his tongue through her moisture.
“River,” she moaned and thrust her hips up, offering him more of her.
He smiled. She couldn’t take her eyes off his tongue. Enjoy the show, sweetheart, he thought and bent over to eat the world’s best appetizer. River licked her lips and pulled each one into his mouth, sucking until she moaned. Then he spread her open, “So pink,” he whispered and lapped at the hard nub at the heart of her. He licked her up and down, up and down, before his tongue dipped inside her entrance and lapped at her sweet honey. “So wet, so hot Kara.” He was harder than ever as she squirmed and bucked against him. When Kara wrapped her legs around his shoulders and crossed them behind his neck, he was lost. She was close, he could tell by the way she clenched at his tongue so he removed his tongue and replaced it with two fingers, transferring his mouth to the bundle of nerves that would drive her wild.
Soon she screamed her pleasure, his name over and over. “River,” she panted and pulled at his hair. “Enough…you,” she mumbled and watched his quick moves to get rid of his clothes.
River grabbed her legs by the ankles and kissed up her legs softly, gently while she moaned and mewled. “You taste good everywhere, sugar.” Then he poised at her entrance, and sliding deep. Sliding home.
“River,” she gasped and spread her legs wider to accommodate his big body.
He felt his entire body swell with confidence at the noises she made, telling him how good he made her feel. She felt too good for him to take his time, so he thrust deep and hard, fingers biting into her hips to keep her in place. His own grunts grew louder the wetter she got, dripping down his thighs and making him even harder. He bent over to kiss her, his tongue doing to her mouth what his body did to hers. “Oh, babe,” he groaned.
“River, oh yes. Yes!” Her hand snaked between them to play with her bundle of nerves and seconds later they both lost it, bodies convulsed simultaneously. Screams and moans in sync while they rode out the pleasure that shook their bodies. “Wow,” she sighed, “that was way better than I remember.”
River kissed her neck. “So much better. Hotter. Wetter, too,” he smiled and kissed her neck while he enjoyed one final thrust. He watched Kara get up and slip into the bathroom from the comfort of her bed. When the door closed, he stood to gather his clothes.
She came out a minute later. “River, we need to-”
“Here’s my card. Send me your number and I’ll call you about when we meet with Bobby Lee.”
She smacked the card out of his hand. “I’m still not going and we have bigger problems. We didn’t use any protection.”
He stared at her for a beat then said, “Then we definitely can’t get divorced until we know if you’re pregnant.”
“Get out. Get out,” her voice was firm and icy.
River took in the anger in her beautiful face and knew that nothing more could be accomplished tonight. He nodded and left.
Chapter Two
The worst thing about living in a small town was that everyone knew your business within moments of it happening. There were no secrets, which meant heading to the pharmacy for the morning after pill was not an option. She was on her way to Loving, two towns over from hers, in search of the little tablet that would make sure she could get rid of River permanently. She didn’t remember the man being so arrogant in Vegas, issuing orders and acting like she was trying to extort him. As if! She’d tried to divorce the idiot; it was his fault they were still legally wed.
More than a day later and she still beat herself up for being stupid enough to fall into bed with him again, despite how ridiculously mind-blowing it had been. It wasn’t smart, because River tempted her to want, to hope, to dream for things she’d never have. Couldn’t have. She sped up and soon she pulled into the parking lot and walked in, sunglasses firmly in place. The store was relatively empty, which she was grateful for when she sidled up to the counter to ask for the pill.
“Sorry Miss, we’re all out.”
Apparently, the universe was out to get her. That’s what I get for having hot, unprotected sex with my husband. She thanked the pharmacist and walked out into the sunshine and into a brick wall of delicious smelling muscle. She looked up. Of course. “Excuse me,” she stepped around River and increased the pace to her car.
“Kara, wait up!”
No. She kept walking. Her car was so close. She would make it. She had to. But the world hated her, so his hand reached her the same time her hand reached the door handle. “What do you want?”
“What are you doing here?”
“What’s it to you? Or do I now need to account for my whereabouts where you’re concerned?”
“It’s just a fucking question!”
She shrugged out of his grasp. “I came here because I needed something at the pharmacy.” The rest was none of his business.
“But why did you come here, to Loving?”
“You think I’m following you? Jesus, you do have an ego! I came here because I don’t need my whole town knowing I needed the morning after pill!” She turned and slid into the driver’s seat, starting the engine. River still stood too close to her car. She tapped the horn to get his attention. He moved and knocked on her window so she rolled it down. “What?”
“Meet me at my house.”
“No thanks.”
“Why not?”
She looked at him, the clueless fool. “Seriously? Because I don’t particularly like you, River. First you act like I tried to force you to stay married to me, then you accused me of trying to extort you and then you fucked me and handed me a business card! Who does that?” She shifted the car into Drive. “Like I said, no thank you. Take care of that divorce, River.” She drove away without looking back.
The last thing she needed was to get entangled with him again. After three days in Vegas, she’d been a little in love with him. She didn’t want to risk any more of her heart to a man who obviously thought he was better than her. “Been there, done that. Ain’t going back.”
~
“The way I see it you have two options: pay her or make her fall in love with you.” Dean leaned back in his chair and stared up at his cousin, astonished and disappointed all at once. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“Yeah, well, I thought this had been handled nearly a year ago.” He plopped down in the leather chair across from Dean. “And I doubt she’ll take my money or fall in love with me.”
“She married you, so obviously at some point she liked you.”
He scoffed. “Yeah, well, a lot can change in a year, apparently.” Mostly what had changed was that River was an insufferable prick.
“What did you do?”
He opened his mouth to proclaim his innocence then shut it. “She said she called and sent the divorce papers over and I never responded, but, Dean, I never got the calls or the papers.”
Dean chuckled. “That’s why you should hire assistants based on capability not cup size.”
“And I may have tried to strong arm her into going to dinner with me and Bobby Lee.”
“And I’m guessing she’s not the type to be strong armed?”
“Hell Dean, she’s more likely to strong arm me. At least if she wanted anything from me.” He smiled to himself; she wanted one thing from him.
“You slept with her again?”
River groaned. “Dean if you could see her, she is spectacular with red hair and so many curves it should be illegal.”
“Sir, is River in there with you? He has a guest.”
Dean smiled
and hit the button before River could get to it. “Send the guest into my office.” He looked to his cousin who squirmed uncomfortably. “I guess I’ll get to see her now.”
A tiny knock later and Kara walked into the office, an angry glare for River. “Hello, Mr. Harwood, I’m sorry to disturb your day, but we have a bit of business to settle and then I’ll be out of your hair.” She smiled and extended a hand to Dean.
“No worries. My cousin was just explaining about your nuptials. Congratulations.”
Kara said nothing to Dean, just kept her face blank. At least until she turned to River. “No wonder you thought I was trying to extort you,” she shook her head in disgust.
“You mean you didn’t kn-,”
Kara cut him off and slammed a manila envelope down on the desk in front of him. “Here are the divorce papers, again. You can sign them now and I’ll file them on my way back to the salon.”
“No.” He crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air like a petulant child.
“Excuse me? What the hell do you mean no? Sign the damn papers, River!”
Dean chuckled and they both cast a death look in his direction. “Sorry,” he held his hands up, a smile still stuck to his face.
“I’m not signing anything. I need you for my meeting with Bobby Lee and-”
“What a ridiculous name,” she mumbled and shoved a pen in his hand.
River let the pen slide from his fingers. “And you might be pregnant.”
“What!” Dean leaned forward and glared at River. “What’s wrong with you?”
Kara scoffed. “You’re related to him so you must already know, so please enlighten me.” She picked the pen back up and closed his hand around it.
Dean laughed. “I like her. I like you, you’re funny.”
“Yeah thanks.” She rolled her eyes. The Harwood family definitely grew men tall and handsome, and Dean was nowhere near as annoying as River. Or as hot, dammit. “River, sign the papers. I told you I went to the pharmacy in Loving to get the morning after pill.”
He dropped the pen again. “Yeah, well, I happen to know they were all out.” At her stunned look he told her, “No pharmacist-customer confidentiality.”
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set 1-12 (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) (Alpha Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) Page 8