“You seem to have some obsession with the underground. It’s been years since I went on it, so let’s go.” By the time I get around to the passenger door, she’s still sat with her mouth gaping open.
“You’re serious?” she asks as I grab her hand and pull her from the car.
“I told you earlier, once I decide I want something, I usually get it.”
“I wasn’t aware that included public transportation.”
“Me either.”
“Won’t you get a ticket? That’s residents only parking, and this area looks kind of exclusive.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Come on.” With her hand still tightly clamped in mine, we walk side by side down to the station.
The underground is everything I remember it to be, and I immediately am reminded as to why I stopped using it many years ago.
We’re sitting in the carriage, surrounded by others, when I feel her eyes on me. Glancing over, I see she’s giggling. “What are you laughing at?”
“You don’t blend in at all down here, Mr. Armani.”
Glancing around, I can’t help but agree with her. We’re sitting amongst mainly students and tourists.
“How did you know my suit’s Armani? I didn’t think you were impressed by expensive things.”
“I’m not. It was just a good guess.”
She guides me through three stations before I’m eventually following her up the escalator hoping I’m about to be able to breathe in some fresh air once more. She looks totally at home down here, surrounded by the rest of the city’s occupants and visitors. It’s a harsh reminder of how out of touch with reality I am. It wasn’t all that long ago this was my life. It hasn’t always been high-rise offices and hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of sports cars and designer suits.
“I’m sure it’s not quite what you’re used to,” she says sadly as we walk down a rundown street and come to a stop in front of a block of flats.
“You’ve not seen where I grew up. It makes this place look like Kensington.”
“I’m not sure I believe that, but whatever you say.”
A huge part of me wants to stop her and make her understand that I really have made my life what it is singlehandedly, but a bigger part of me is hungry and desperate for her. Dragging up the past will only put off both of those things. If I have my way, we’ll have plenty of time for heart-to-hearts later.
“You’re home early, honey,” a female voice calls the moment we step inside the flat. “Oh…you have company.” The woman who joins us in the hallway is quite obviously Miss Welsh’s mother.
“Mum, this is Mr. Hudson. He insisted on taking me out for dinner,” she says shortly.
“She’s looking forward to it as well, can’t you tell?”
Snorting at my response, she holds her hand out for me to shake. “Nice to meet you. I’m Dawn. Would you like a drink?”
“We’re not stopping. I just need to get changed.”
“Nonsense, you have time for a drink, right, Mr—”
“It’s Scott. And I’d love a cup of tea, thank you.”
“Go on through, I’ll be right there.”
Walking off in the direction Dawn pointed, I smile as I listen to the short and sharp conversation behind me between mother and daughter.
“I’m so sorry. Let me put that kettle on.”
Fearne
“Where did you find a silver fox?” Mum asks, her eyes wide, excitement dancing in them.
“At school,” I say on a sigh.
“He’s a teacher?”
“No, he’s a self-made gazillionaire who came to give an assembly to the kids, but he refused to leave until I agreed to have dinner with him.”
“And you’re annoyed why? You’ve seen him, right?”
“I don’t need a man, Mum.”
“That is not just any man. I bet most women would fall over themselves to get a chance with him.”
“So I hear,” I mutter, removing my coat and kicking my shoes off.
“Well what are you waiting for? It’s time you let your hair down for once. Go on.”
After getting shooed off by Mum, I pull open my wardrobe and panic. What the hell do I wear out to dinner when the man I’ll be sitting next to looks like him?
Settling on a little black dress I’ve owned forever, I pull out a lacy set of lingerie hiding at the back of the drawer and get myself in the shower.
I make quick work of getting ready, very aware that I’ve left Scott downstairs with my mum. She could be telling him every single embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to me. Or worse, she could be telling the truth.
The thought has me moving a little faster as I attempt to do something with my hair.
A light knock sounds. Before I get a chance to say anything, Mum has her head in the room.
“Let me,” she says, taking pity on my attempt at a chignon.
In seconds, she has my hair swept up in a sleek twist, leaving a few loose bits around my face to soften the look.
“You look beautiful,” she sings when I stand and pull at the hem of my dress. I’ve gained a few pounds since the last time I wore it. Every curve of my body is most definitely on display right now. “Here, I grabbed these for you. You know, just in case,” she says with a wink, and I groan in mortification when she hands me a couple of condoms.
“Seriously, Mum? Why can’t you be like other mothers and just pretend I don’t know what they’re for or are ever likely to need them?”
“Because, young lady, you’ve been hiding away from real life for way too long. You’ve got an incredible man downstairs waiting for you. I just want you to enjoy yourself, and if that means you might just happen to need one—or two—of these, then so be it.”
“Please, stop. Please,” I beg her.
“It’s time to allow yourself some happiness, Fearne. It’s been years since—”
“Don’t,” I snap, not needing to hear the end of that sentence.
“Okay, fine. But promise me you’ll try to enjoy yourself.”
“I will.”
“Good, because he’s getting impatient downstairs.”
Blowing out a long breath, I follow my mum from the room.
“Whoa.” Scott’s at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me, and I just pray he couldn’t hear our conversation.
My skin burns as his eyes take in every single inch of my body. Tingles follow his journey around and then set up camp between my legs. I’ve no idea if it’s because of the condoms Mum insisted on shoving in my bag or what, but suddenly it’s the only thing I can focus on.
Attempting to shake the thoughts from my head, I remind myself I don’t even want to have dinner with him, let alone anything else.
“Have fun, you two,” Mums says with a wink in Scott’s direction. I groan. I can only imagine what they talked about while I was upstairs. “She doesn’t have a curfew.”
“Mum,” I snap. I’m almost twenty-six, this kind of mortification is not necessary. I knew I should have moved out already.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she calls as we head for the stairs.
“Please, just ignore her,” I plead.
“Aw, she’s sweet. And she’s right, of course…” Stopping on the small landing, he turns and I gasp as I find myself backed up against the wall, caged in by his arms. “You really shouldn’t do anything she wouldn’t.”
I bite back my initial response that there probably isn’t much she wouldn’t do because it’ll only give him the wrong idea, but when I watch his eyes darken before me, I realise he probably didn’t need me to say the words aloud.
My heart races and my breaths start to come out as pants the longer he stares down at me. “I…I thought we were going for dinner.”
“We are. I just needed to check something first.”
“Oh—” I don’t get to say anymore because his lips press against mine and his hand lands on my waist. Electric sparks fire off around my body and I’m power
less to do anything but return his kiss when his lips part and his tongue finds mine.
Holy shit.
My hands fist the fabric of his jacket in an attempt to stay upright as the taste of him explodes in my mouth.
It’s over all too quickly. And as I stand a panting mess against the wall, he still looks like a perfectly put-together businessman. “Wh-what was that?” I breathe.
“That was exactly as I expected it to be.”
“And what was that, exactly?” I ask, feeling a little more composed as he once again takes my hand and we make our way to the exit of the building.
“That was just the beginning of what promises to be an explosive night.”
Everything inside me clenches and any doubts I had about tonight seem to vanish as if they never existed.
When we step out of the building, there’s a man waiting by the curb. The second he sees us, he pulls the back door of a sleek black car open.
“You’re joking, right?”
“What?”
“You have a driver?”
“Just get in.” He laughs, shaking his head.
The atmosphere inside the small space of the car is filled with tension. He’s only inches from me, and the memory of his taste and kiss make it hard not to reach out for him. But telling myself that I’m not one of those women, I keep my fingers entwined in my lap and focus on the buildings passing by outside.
“You’re not doing as good of a job at looking indifferent as you’d like to think.”
I fight to keep my eyes away from him. “Is that right?”
“It is.” I flinch when his fingertips run down the length of my neck, and I can’t fight it any longer.
My eyes meet his and the silence stretches out between us for long seconds.
“Your pupils are dilated, your cheeks are flushed, and your lips are swollen.” His thumb runs over my bottom lip and his eyes follow his movement. “I know you want this as badly as I do.” His voice is rough and deep, and it hits me exactly as he intends it to.
But it pisses me off.
“I agreed to dinner, Mr. Hudson.”
“I’m not sure you ever really agreed.”
“True,” I whisper, once again looking anywhere but at him. He’s made it very clear how well he can read me and I’m not sure how much more I want to give him.
Scott
Her mum hinted that there’s a very good reason why she keeps herself shut off from the world. I’m determined to discover exactly what that is by the end of the night. She’s doing her best to act like I don’t affect her, but I know it’s all a lie. Her body talks to me in a way I’ve not experienced before and I know exactly what it wants, what it craves. I intend to fulfil her every single desire. Her mum told us to have fun, and that is exactly what’s going to happen.
“What’s this place?” she asks, her brows drawn together in confusion.
“I didn’t think you’d appreciate a swanky restaurant, so I thought I’d bring you to my favourite instead.” A smile twitches at her lips, but I can tell she’s fighting it. “Come on. They’re expecting us.”
I lead her into the Tapas restaurant I visit pretty regularly and we’re immediately seated in my usual spot at the back.
“So…Miss Walsh. What’s your poison? Red or white?” I ask when I see the waiter walking over.
“Oh…um…neither. I don’t drink.”
“Just a bottle of sparkling water,” I say the second the waiter comes to a stop at our table. “And my usual dishes please, doubled.”
“Of course, Mr. Hudson.”
“You’re more than welcome to drink,” she offers once we’re alone.
“No, it’s okay. I’d rather be fully focused on you.” Her cheeks blush once again, and I reach out across the table for her hand. She hesitates but allows her fingers to twist with mine.
“So…Miss Walsh…”
“It’s Fearne,” she corrects me.
“Okay, Fearne. After that assembly this morning you know quite a bit about me, but I hardly know anything about you.”
“There’s not much to tell,” she admits.
“That can’t possibly be true. A woman as beautiful as you must have some stories.”
A dark look crosses her face but she masks it so fast I almost question if I really saw it.
“Not really.”
“So…teaching. Have you always wanted to be a teacher?”
That gets her going. She starts talking about her desire to help young people make a good start in life, but if I’m honest the words she says totally pass me by as I just take in her dedication and enthusiasm. That is what’s different from most of the other women I meet. They all want something from me, whereas Fearne just wants to give to others. It’s something I admire. It’s also something I share. The fact I built what I have from nothing is never far from my mind. I always try to give back to the people who helped me.
“Mm, this is incredible,” she moans, popping a bit of chorizo into her mouth. Her eyes roll back in pleasure and my cock twitches. Everything she does drives me crazy, and yet she has no idea.
“Not as incredible as dessert’s going to be.”
Her eyes flash to mine and I know instantly that she understands I’m not talking about food.
“Is that right?”
“You’ve no idea.”
Her eyes darken, and the second she squirms in her seat I have to fight to stop myself from dragging her from the restaurant and doing what needs to be done in the back of my damn car.
“You live here?” she asks, confusion written all over her face as she looks at my Porsche parked exactly where we left it earlier.
“I do. It was pretty convenient. Come on, I’ve got better things to do than stare at my car.”
Her hand trembles slightly in mine as I guide her to my private elevator. I can see she’s questioning whether coming here with me is the right thing to do, but there was no way we were ending this night anywhere but in my bed.
The second the doors slide closed inside the elevator, I stalk towards her. She backs up, but I can see in her eyes that it’s not because she doesn’t want this. It’s very much the opposite.
Once she’s bumped up against the handrail, I lift my arm and grip the back of her neck.
“The last few hours have been torture.” I don’t give her a chance to respond, instead slamming my lips back down on hers and resuming what we started earlier.
Her hands slip inside my jacket and I groan in pleasure as they grip my sides and pull us closer together. Her soft curves press against the hard planes of my body.
We line up fucking perfectly.
She goes to pull away when the elevator dings to announce our arrival, but I’m not having any of it. With our lips still connected, I push her skirt up her legs and lift her. She gasps in surprise but has no choice but to wrap her legs around my waist as I carry her towards the bedroom.
Fearne
I know I probably should have insisted he take me home. I know I shouldn’t be doing this and that I’ll probably regret it in the morning, but the second his lips connect with mine I forget all rational thoughts and just feel. I feel every touch and every sensation he ignites within me, sensations that have been long forgotten or never even discovered.
With his hands on my arse, he walks us from the lift and into his flat. My eyes flutter open enough to take in my minimal surroundings as his lips kiss and nip down my neck. I focus long enough to know that calling this penthouse apartment a flat is doing it a massive disservice.
The next thing I know, the sound of a door slamming behind him jolts me back to reality before I’m lowered to my feet. The second his hands leave me, they go to his tie. It’s pulled over his head and dropped to the floor. His jacket soon joins it.
When his fingers start to pop open the buttons on his shirt, I step up to him and slap his hands away. His eyes darken in desire. He allows me to continue the job he started, his hands reaching behind me to find the zip
of my dress.
I’m still for a second, feeling self-conscious, but as soon as his lips find mine once again all is forgotten. This man has some weird effect on my body, but I’m already beginning to love the fact he can make everything other than himself disappear around me.
Seconds after I push the fabric of his shirt from his shoulders, my dress slides down my body and pools at my feet.
Taking a step back, Scott looks down at me. My arms twitch, aching to cover myself up, but the desire in his eyes and his teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he takes me in has confidence growing within me.
“Fucking hell. I knew the second I saw you in that fucking pink cardigan that you were hiding something incredible beneath it. Fuck.”
Stepping back up to me, his head drops to my neck and he kisses across my collarbones and along the lace of my bra. My breasts swell, desperate to be released. His fingers tickle around my ribs and I moan the second I feel the fabric peeled away from my body. Cool air has my nipples tightening before the scorching heat of his mouth surrounds one. My head drops back as some unintelligible words fall from my lips.
Fumbling with his waistband, I eventually manage to undo his trousers, and with his help push both them and his boxers down his legs.
It’s like I blink and I’m on my back on his bed with him staring down at me.
“How old are you?” The question falls from my lips without any consideration. I’ve been intrigued since the moment I first laid eyes on him. His face and body are a lot younger than his hair colour and fortune would lead you to believe.
“How old do you think I am?” he counters, his eyes crinkling with amusement. I can only imagine he gets asked this often.
“Thirty-five?” I ask hesitantly, not wanting to offend him while in this compromising position.
“Close.” Lowering his head, his lips find mine as he settles himself between my thighs. His hands squeeze my breasts and my back arches.
Mr. Silver: A Mr. Billionaire Short Story Page 2