The Billionaire and the Wild Man

by Lucy Felthouse

  Shaking his head, Flynn looks down to his hands in his lap. “I was so afraid of letting you in that I convinced myself that leaving you in the lurch like that was necessary. I legitimized my cowardice and left you when you most needed me. I was a fucking fool. I still am, because I’ve only just worked out the truth.”

  “Flynn.” I start the sentence without really knowing where it will go. “I don’t think you’re a fool. Hell, I met you when I was actually, physically running away from my problem. I know exactly why you did what you did, and that’s why I’ve been so angry because I can’t just lay all the blame on you. It’s my fault, too.”

  “What? No, this is all my fault—”

  “Oh, now, don’t let’s argue over whose fucking fault it is. I dragged you miles out of your comfort zone, laid all my insecurities on you and didn’t think once to ask you what you needed, or how you felt. I scared you away.”

  “No—”

  “Flynn, stop it. I scared you away because I was petrified of the truth. I loved you, and that would make everything change. I wasn’t in control, and you know how much I love control.” I laugh. It’s forced, but the smile is genuine.

  “So, what are we going to do now?” he asks.

  “I don’t really know, Flynn, but I know I don’t want to lose you again. Fuck control, fuck predictability, I want you, Flynn Gifford. All the other shit can be sorted out at a later date.”

  “You think?”

  “Yeah, I do. I really do.” I smile. At last, I’ve made a decision. Now I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Carrie smiles, and the action sends a bolt of lust zinging through my body and directly into my groin. I clench my fists, because otherwise I’ll reach for her, pull her into my arms and kiss her again. Not that that’s a bad thing, necessarily, but I meant what I said about us fucking being the first in a long line of fucks. I screwed her and left once, but I’ve got absolutely no intention of doing it again.

  I let out a heavy sigh.

  Carrie raises her eyebrows. “Well, after all that I thought you’d be a bit happier. Now we’ve got all that out of the way, cleared the air.”

  “I am, I think.” Frowning, I glance out of the window. It’s gorgeous out there—all manicured grass, mature trees, colorful flowerpots. It’s hard to believe we’re still within the M25, to be honest.

  “So what?” she prompts. “What’s with the sighing?”

  “I just … I dunno, I’m a proud man, Carrie. Let’s just say I could learn to get used to your, um, finances, your lifestyle. But what then? There’s no way I’m cut out for sitting around the house all day watching Jeremy Kyle while you’re zipping off to the city in your sexy power suits and adding more zeroes to your bank balance. I’d be bored out of my fucking mind.”

  “Well, obviously. So get a job, then.”

  And therein lies the next layer of my many, many issues. “Well, that’s the plan. But I’m not sure how easy it’s going to be. I’ve got a few qualifications under my belt now, courtesy of the military prison system. But still … who’s going to want to employ an ex-army, ex-AWOL, ex-con?”

  “Me.”

  “Huh?” I blink at her, then shake my head. “No, Carrie. I appreciate the offer, but if I do that I won’t feel like I’ve earned the job, if you know what I mean. It’ll be like you’ve employed me because you feel sorry for me. People will think—”

  “Fuck what people think, Flynn. Also, I don’t feel sorry for you, not one bit. Shit happens. We know that better than most. We’ve both had a tough time, and we’ve both got to bloody well get over it, and move on. Plus, if you’re up for it, I have a specific project in mind for you. I’m not talking about giving you a job as a waiter or a handyman, Flynn. You know I said I’d just bought another hotel…”

  “Yeah?” I narrow my eyes, wait for her to continue. Where the hell is she going with this?

  “Well, it’s more of a building. A shell, actually. Somewhere that needs a hell of a lot of work to even make it habitable, let alone bring it up to the standard of the rest of the chain. It’s an enormous project and will need an awful lot of time and a variety of skills. I can’t think of anyone better for the role, to be honest. I need someone I trust. It’s a little different from my usual acquisitions, too, so I’ll really value your opinion on how to get the most out of it. It helps that you know the area.”

  “Know the … so it’s not in London, then?” It can’t be. She knows I’m not that familiar with the Big Smoke. Not sure I’m all that fond of it, either, but that’s a conversation for another day. It looks like we might be making some headway here, and I’m not going to fuck it up now.

  “Nope.” She shakes her head, and that smile is back again. I try to ignore the lust, to concentrate on the words she’s actually saying, take them in, process them. “It’s in the Peak District. A little place called Newhaven.”

  My eyebrows almost disappear into my hairline. “Newhaven … you’ve bought the Old Newhaven Hotel?”

  “I have.” Her smile widens. “As soon as I first saw the state of the poor old place, I wanted to do it up. It’s so beautiful, I just couldn’t bear to see it going to rack and ruin. I’d very much like it to be your baby, your pet project. I’ll pay you the going rate for a project manager. I won’t interfere at all. I’ll be there to answer questions, give you any advice you require, obviously, but I’m not going to stick my oar in. As long as the finished project is up to Carro Hotel standard, and I know it will be by the time you’re done with it, then I’ll be happy.”

  “And what then?” I ask, still feeling utterly flabbergasted.

  “Flynn!” Carrie laughs. “Fucking hell, do we have to plan years into the bloody future or something? Come on, I know you’re good, but it’s going to take at least a year to get that place up to scratch. Can we just see how things go? We’ve got plenty of time to figure out what to do next.”

  “Yeah … okay.” She’s right—the poor old place is a dump, and it’s going to take a while to fix up. I smile. The thought of restoring it to its former glory—and then some—is bloody brilliant, actually. And if I want it, it’s my pet project…

  I close my eyes, visions of chandeliers, four-poster beds and dinner dances whizzing through my head. Of landscaped gardens, parterres, maybe even a maze…

  Storing the images away for future reference, I open my eyes and look at Carrie. She’s chewing on her bottom lip, clearly awaiting my response. My cock gives an insistent twitch, but I ignore it. For now, anyway. Because I have just one more question.

  “Carrie, can I ask one last question?”

  She nods nervously. “Yes, of course.”

  “When can I start?”

  Her eyes widen, and she stares at me for several long seconds. “S-seriously?” she finally says. “You’ll do it?”

  “Yes, I’ll do it. It sounds fucking awesome—something I can really get my teeth into. I’ll be actually earning a wage, which isn’t the same thing at all as being a kept man. Granted, I may have cheated a little bit in the interview stages,” I tip her a wink, “but I’m sure my pride will get to grips with that sooner or later. And,” I add, wagging my finger at her in a mock-scolding fashion, “I will be checking that you’re paying me the going rate. I don’t want any favors. Any more favors.”

  Carrie claps her hands, jumps up, then launches herself at me. Quickly I reach out to grab the bundle of flying woman, pull her into my arms, then settle back into the sofa cushions. She snuggles up to me, our faces just inches away.

  “I’m so happy you said yes, Flynn. I bought the place on a whim, really, and hadn’t really thought through how I was going to manage it. I could have done it myself, I suppose, but it would have meant taking my eye off the ball elsewhere. And I’ve had to work hard to get back into the swing of things since I returned to work. I’d much rather give the project to you—I think you’re way better suited for it, will make it so it still fits in with
its surroundings. Give it the common touch.”

  “Hey,” I say, giving her backside a playful slap. The feeling of soft flesh beneath my hand adds to my lust. “Less of the fucking common. Who do you think you are, the sodding queen? You’re just as much a commoner as me. Just with more dosh.”

  She sits up, her knees either side of my hips, and I wonder if she notices the rapidly growing erection pressing into her crotch. “Excuse me, Mr. Gifford, but I think you’ll find you were the one that described yourself as a ‘common man’.”

  Shit. She’s right again.

  “Ah, yes.” I give her a sheepish grin. “I did, didn’t I?”

  “Yup. Besides,” she wriggles on my lap, silently telling me that she’s well aware of what’s going on in my trouser department, “that’s what I like about you, Flynn. You’re my wild man. You may be wearing a suit at the moment, and have gotten rid of the mad hair and giant beard, but in your heart you’re still rough and ready. And that,” she leans down, her breasts pressing against my chest, and her lips so close to mine I can feel her breath on my chin, “is why I find you so sexy. I like you like this, of course, but I’m kinda looking forward to seeing you in jeans and tight t-shirts, unshaven, and lugging bricks around.”

  “Lugging bricks around?” I say in a silly high voice. “Darling, I’m a project manager now, don’t you know? I won’t be lugging bricks around. I’ll be employing someone else to do it.”

  Carrie snorts and presses a kiss to my lips. “Fuck off, Flynn. You know as well I do that you’ll be mucking in with whatever team you end up employing. You won’t be one of these blokes that stands there in a hard hat and hi-vis, carrying a clipboard and ordering people about. You’ll be right there in the thick of things.”

  I purse my lips, then nod. “All right, you got me there. So … are we really doing this?”

  “Yes, we’re really doing it! Now shut up and fucking kiss me, will you?”

  “Just because you’re my boss now, doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do out of hours,” I quip.

  “No, that’s true. But as your girlfriend I’m demanding you bloody kiss me, before I clear off and find myself a city boy who won’t hesitate.”

  “My girlfriend, huh?” I raise an eyebrow.

  “That all right with you?”

  I don’t bother to respond. Not verbally, anyway. Instead I grab the nape of her neck and pull her down to close the gap between our mouths. The faint scent of coffee and mints hits my nostrils, followed by her perfume. Something fresh and sharp—suits her down to the ground, really.

  Then, when her soft lips touch mine, I forget all about how she smells. Now, it’s all about how she feels. Warm and curvy and fuck … so responsive. Her mouth opens eagerly to allow my tongue access, and I possess her mouth roughly, hoping my need for her answers her question. If it doesn’t, I’ll have to deal with that later, though, because at the moment arousal is rapidly overtaking my brain function. As I sweep my tongue in and out of her mouth, around the seam of her lips, across the edges of her teeth, I let my hands wander.

  Cupping her buttocks, I hold her tightly to me as I roll my hips, grinding my hard cock against her. She moans, a gorgeous little sound that’s swallowed up by my mouth, so I do it again. Squeezing her flesh, I then release her delectable bum and run my hands across her hips, up her sides, my thumbs grazing the sides of her boobs. I caress and squeeze and grope, eager to touch her all over, reacquaint myself with her sexy body, and to assure myself that this is real. That I really do have Carrie in my arms again, that she’s all mine, and that we’re going to overcome our respective hurdles and fuck like rabbits for the foreseeable future. More than just fuck, actually. We’re going to be together. We love each other! I don’t quite know how the hell I got so lucky, but I do know I’m going to make the most of it. Of her.

  Bubbles of happiness fill my stomach and seem to radiate throughout my body. Added to the arousal, it’s a heady mixture indeed.

  “Beautiful Carrie,” I mumble into our kisses. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, gorgeous Flynn.” Then she pulls away a little, looking at me. Amusement glints in her eyes. “Much as I don’t want to stop, do you think we ought to take this upstairs? I’ve got a perfectly comfortable bed upstairs, so no need to do it on the sofa.” Gripping her beneath her thighs, I get up, hoisting her along with me. “Where do I go, gorgeous?”

  Flinging her arms around my neck and holding on, Carrie giggles. The sound is music to my ears. Back in Derbyshire, with her mother and her brow-beating ways in such close proximity, Carrie’s laughter was usually tinged with … something. Sadness? Regret? Or maybe she was just holding back. Who knows?

  But now, she’s different. She’s back to work, back to managing her impressive empire, the Derbyshire countryside and the interfering old bat left far behind. I resolve there and then to make sure she giggles every day, at least once.

  “Back out into the hall, up the stairs, then right at the top. The main bedroom is at the end of the corridor. I apologize in advance for the mess—I hurried out this morning, and I wasn’t exactly expecting visitors … much less a gentleman caller.”

  I chuckle as I follow her instructions and head into the hall. “So I’m a gentleman now, am I?”

  She shoots me a thoughtful glance. “Dressed like that, you certainly look like a gentleman. But I must admit, I’m hoping you won’t behave like one once we get into the bedroom.”

  Her sexy, suggestive words make me stumble a little, and Carrie clings on tighter to me, laughing. “Steady on, there. If you’re going to drop me, I think I’ll walk.”

  “No you won’t,” I growl, toeing off my shoes at the bottom of the stairs, then beginning to climb. “I am not fucking letting you go, ever again.”

  Her expression softens, and she drops a gentle kiss on my lips, before trailing her mouth along my jaw, towards my ear, then down the side of my neck, kissing and nibbling all the way. It takes all of my concentration to get us up the stairs in one piece, and to remember what she said after that. Right, I think…

  She doesn’t correct me, so I continue along the corridor and pause at the closed door at the end. Holding her tighter with my left hand, I let go with my right and open the door. As I’d expected, Carrie’s most private space is modern, minimalistic, clean. There are two pairs of shoes abandoned by a chair, and a small pile of clothes sits at the end of her bed, but I wouldn’t exactly call that a mess.

  In fairness, the place could look like a bomb had gone off in here and I’d have still walked in.

  Crossing over to the bed, a huge, soft-looking affair with what looks like a bazillion cushions, I seat her on the edge of the mattress. She looks me up and down, chews her bottom lip again, assessing me. Then, with a salacious grin, she says, “I’ll move the clothes, you move the cushions.”

  There’s a mass flinging of material and soft furnishings, and then I join her on the bed. She grabs my tie and yanks me close. Our mouths meet again, the need making us more frantic by the second. And Christ, am I getting frantic. I don’t know about Carrie, but I haven’t been with anyone since that one time with her all those months ago, and taking matters into your own hands just isn’t the same. Especially not when you want someone as much as I want Carrie.

  I pull away just long enough to shuck my jacket, then loosen the tie and slip it off over my head. I toss both items onto the floor. I’ve got a job now, so I don’t need interview clothes any more. Thank God. I move back to Carrie, who’s working on the buttons of her blouse. I watch for a couple of seconds, thoroughly enjoying the sight of the smooth, creamy skin that is revealed, the globes of flesh thrust up by her bra, practically begging me to touch…

  Keeping my gaze firmly on what’s being uncovered, I just about manage to force my fingers to undo my own shirt. After a couple of false starts I finally make headway, and am extremely gratified when Carrie watches me, an expression on her face which I’m guessing is very similar to the one I’m wear
ing.

  Flashing me a filthy grin, she meets my eyes as she discards her blouse. “Glad to see it’s only your face you’ve shaved. I don’t think a hairless chest would suit you.”

  “Me either,” I shoot back, fumbling with the buttons on my cuffs and eventually winning. “Now come here.” I crook my finger. “Let’s get you out of those trousers…”

  Chapter Twenty

  “I’m a strong, independent woman, Flynn. I can do it myself.” I’m sure he can see from the smirk on my face and the twinkle in my eye that I’m teasing. I jump down off the edge of the bed and move to stand just before him.

  “I’ll just sit here and watch then.” He shrugs, then pops open the button on his trousers and undoes the zipper.

  Such a delicious sight, Flynn, half naked and eager for me, watching my every move. It seems crazy, it is crazy, but it’s also right. We should be together, everything within me cries out for him, and now I’m going to give in to my desires and I’m going to have him, completely and utterly.

  My hands shake as I attempt to pull down the zipper, and with a wicked smile I turn around so my back is facing him. I shimmy out of my trousers and the plain, boring white knickers below them. No point being shy at this point, and those undies aren’t going to add anything to the seduction. I make sure to give an extra wiggle as the trousers drop to my ankles, making my buttocks jiggle. His moan confirms that he likes what he sees.

  When I turn around once more I’m pleasantly surprised to see that Flynn is completely naked, totally hard, and impossible to resist. Taking a deep breath and reaching up behind me I loosen my bra at just the third attempt. I look him straight in the eye as I let the straps slip down my arms until I can let the whole thing drop to the floor in front of me. I’m completely naked.