The Blue Eyed Billionaire: A BWWM Single Mother Romance

by Kendra Riley

  She has a kid, for crying out loud, he told himself over and over. Getting into that mess was a big no-no. He recalled the mess one uncle got into because of his inanity over a single mother of three children. The woman was clearly a gold digger, but Aniya didn’t seem to be the type. In fact, he had never seen her ogle over his status, and she didn’t notice whatever suit he wore, or his watch. He liked it. She was almost free from constant material wants, except for needs.

  Dante found himself smiling at first, then he stopped himself, realizing the impending mess he was dragging himself into. He would give this a few more days, just to absorb everything, and then maybe, or highly likely -- completely reject it.

  ***

  She thought it would be over just like that, and yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about Dante while doing the groceries. She couldn’t stop thinking about Dante until they had gone home, and she couldn’t stop thinking about Dante while they watched Isabella’s favorite animated movie.

  She hated the feeling, and for a moment, she wished he had never seen her, and that they hadn’t talked in the park earlier. She had forgiven him easily, when she could have given him a difficult time, could have played him for a fool. Nope, I just had to be my usual self, she thought with a frown.

  Her doorbell rang all of a sudden. Her heart leaped . Could it be-? She told Isabella to sit still on the couch, and then she peered through the tiny peephole. It was a middle-aged looking woman. Aniya cracked the door open a little, with the safety lock still on.

  “Yes? Can I help you?”

  The woman with graying hair gave a congenial smile. “I’m looking for Aniya Compton. I’ve been sent by Mr. Santoro.”

  “To do what?”

  “He said I was to babysit your daughter while you two are going out.”

  What? “Wait, what?” she said, surprised. “Could you hold on for just a sec- I need to call him.”

  “Yes, by all means.”

  Aniya closed the door, went to the bedroom, and dialed for his number. “What is going on?”

  “You needed some time off. Lupe is one of our most trusted maids. She’s really good with kids,” he responded.

  “Are you kidding me? I can’t leave her now, it’s late, I--”

  “Isn’t that the reason why I sent Lupe over? We won’t take too long. Lupe needs her beauty rest as well.”

  “I’m not dressed for this…” her voice faltered.

  He laughed a short laugh at the other end of the line. “Well, I’m coming over in fifteen minutes, so you’d better let my childhood nanny in.”

  Aniya ended the call, her pulse suddenly racing. So she was really going on a date with him after all? She had thought it was all over. Aniya shook her head. Focus. Do this quick, she thought. She walked back to Isabella.

  “Baby, someone’s going to take care of you while mama goes out, okay?” she told her daughter. Isabella nodded, and went back to watching her show. And just like that, Aniya let the woman named Lupe into her home, rattling about instructions, well, specifically requests; what time Isabella went to bed, , and her milk, and her diaper (she was half potty trained, Aniya detailed).

  “I can take care of this little one. She looks like a good girl, far nicer than Mr. Santoro was,” Lupe said with a grin, “Now, go get ready. You have… ten more minutes before he arrives.”

  “What?” Aniya gasped, and then she ran for her room, confused at first on what to wear. He didn’t mention if it was going to be a formal date, or a casual one. She decided on a yellow dress, and a black cardigan, and her trusty ballet flats. One down, makeup to go, she thought grimly. In the end, Aniya just put on powder and some tint, a half-hearted attempt at looking nice, really.

  The doorbell rang once more, and Aniya knew he had arrived. He didn’t even need to come up, and yet, he did. He was doing things right, like a proper first date, and she felt like a high schooler all over again.

  She opened the door, and she saw him, dressed casually, in jeans and a buttoned-down shirt and… sneakers? She almost laughed aloud in relief and amusement. “Hi,” she breathed out. “I did not expect this.”

  “Neither did I,” he told her. “Lupe, everything good?”

  “We’re doing great,” Lupe called out from the couch.

  Aniya walked back to where Isabella was. “Give mama a kiss?”

  Isabella gave her mother a sloppy kiss on the cheek, and then she saw Dante and she waved her hand, and plopped back onto the couch, content with her new friend and her show.

  Aniya gave a quick smile, and she ushered herself out and closed the door behind her. She looked at Dante and then followed him down the steps, to his waiting car.

  “Where we off to?” she asked him.

  “Why? Excited?” he teased without even smiling.

  “Worried. Who knows what might happen to me,” she said, without batting an eyelash.

  “I am hurt,” he told her, as he opened the passenger door for her. She looked at him in surprise. “What?” he continued. “No one opened the car door for you before?”

  “I wasn’t given the opportunity,” she responded as she slid in. He looked at her questioningly, but said nothing about it.

  “So, where are we going?” she continued.

  “My place. It’s a good few miles away.”

  “Your place?”

  “Don’t worry, I live alone, if that’s a concern of yours.”

  “I thought this was a date,” she said, wary.

  “Well, it is, except we’re having it in the confines of my house. I hope you ate. All I’ve had prepared is a few bottles of wine, and a bit of something to eat. Not that I can’t cook, but you know- I called for a date a bit late.”

  “I hope you won’t make a habit out of this,” she told him, as he drove past the gallery she worked in.

  “I’ll try not to. Habits develop over time, and it takes 21 days to break a habit.”

  “Your point being?”

  “Would we spend that much time together that we’d think it’s natural?” he asked her, making a right turn moments later.

  She was quiet for a moment, in fact she was quiet for the rest of the ride. He didn’t pry for an answer from her, which made her feel better. Was the date going well, or not? Was there going to be a next date? She didn’t care if he was interested in her, right? What mattered was how happy she felt, and how it would affect her time and responsibilities with Isabella.

  The drive took around twenty-minutes via freeway, and her eyes widened, seeing the wrought iron gates that automatically opened as soon as his car arrived. Behind the gates was a large, white-washed home with terracotta roofing, and a manicured landscape. It was a home built for a family, although he said he lived alone.

  “Are you sure you live alone?”

  “Why? You’re afraid of my family barging in on us?” he said with smile as he turned up the driveway. There were three other cars parked on the driveway.

  “I just want to know I’m not going beyond my respectful boundaries.”

  “What? Like you’re a maid?” he shook his head as he turned off the ignition. “I have help coming in every day. It’s quieter and far more private that way. And about respectful boundaries, I invited you in my home, for a date, a proper one.”

  “Away from prying eyes,” she thought.

  “Come, let’s go in.”

  Aniya couldn’t hide her amazement at the house. It looked like any other Spanish countryside house on the outside, but inside, it was a mix of modern and the old. The arches were large, Spanish contemporary paintings adorned the walls, there was a staircase with an aged iron railing that led to the second floor. The floor had beautiful tiles, and ornate wall plasters in the corners.

  “You have a really nice house,” she said lamely, but she meant it.

  He smiled quickly. “Thanks. This way to the entertainment room.”

  It was a six seater theatre, she noted, with lazy-boy chairs. She saw a bottle of wine was already chilling
in a stainless steel bucket, and popcorn and chips were also in individual cup holders. “We’re watching a movie,” she intoned.

  His eyebrows rose. “Why, you thought we were gonna read books tonight?”

  She shook her head and slid onto the seat and he took a seat beside hers. She didn’t feel that comfortable yet, even though the chair begged to differ. “What’s showing tonight?”

  “Pick one. We have 50 first dates, Friends with Benefits, and 500 days of summer.”

  “Everything’s romance,” she remarked. Everything’s romance with a cliché happy ending, or a painful and quirky one…

  “Well, I figured we needed some light hearted fun. This is your first date in a long time.”

  “50 first dates, I find Drew Barrymore charming,” she finally said. She hadn’t seen the movie in a while. “How long is this movie going to take?”

  “We’ll be home by eleven. Relax. And Lupe gives me updates. Well, she says Isabella asked for milk just now.”

  Aniya closed her eyes and nodded, trusting that Lupe was going to take good care of her child. She felt like she had been away from Isabella for too long, felt that she shouldn’t enjoy the date because her child was waiting for her.

  “You know, you should enjoy this,” he suddenly said, as the movie started. “It’s like a break from a break, except you’re with me.”

  That felt like it had gone on cue, and he knew just how she was feeling. She said nothing and just watched the movie, until more than half an hour had gone on.

  “Need more wine?” he asked her.

  “Yeah, uh, thanks,” she said, reaching out for the bottle. Surprisingly, she had emptied the wine bottle. “Oh, sorry.”

  “It’s okay, you’re enjoying it, I can tell.”

  “The wine?”

  “The movie and the wine,” he said with a slight laugh. “Shall I get one more bottle?”

  She shrugged. “I guess.”

  She watched as he crossed the room, rummaging through a wine fridge, and then he came back, handing over the bottle to her, half-blocking the screen.

  “Oops, sorry,” he said, taking a seat beside her. “This part I like,” he continued, referring to one particular scene where Drew Barrymore’s character woke up to seeing Adam Sandler in bed beside her, screaming.

  “Why?” she asked him.

  “Cause he’s a dolt who’s been lying to so many women, and karma gets back at him.”

  “She just screamed,” Aniya told him.

  “Yeah, but he’s fallen in love with her,” he explained. “He took advantage of a woman who’s obviously disabled, but he still loves her in the end. God, why did they greenlight this movie again?”

  “Cause its popcorn fun,” she told him, turning to face him.

  “Right,” he sighed.

  “Look, I can tell you dislike watching romcoms.”

  “Not everything,” he said.

  “Well, you could have suggested another movie.”

  “I don’t think you’d want to watch superhero movies.”

  “Of course I do, I grew up watching them,” she said wryly.

  “God, thank you,” he said, reaching for the remote and stopping the movie.

  “You didn’t have to pretend to like it,” she reasoned.

  “I didn’t. I just thought it’d be nice to treat you to a mindless, entertaining film, with a minimal plot, quirky and sometimes mean characterization-“

  “I get it, I get it,” she said, almost laughing. “Let’s get on with another movie, then.”

  He smiled, raising his glass to her. “Cheers.”

  “Cheers to-?”

  “Our first date, not fifty dates or anything, but at least we got here with minimal mess.”

  “You do remember I have a child, right?” she began.

  “Your point being?”

  “I have a child. It’s not a mess, but it could be something you won’t like in the end, or find messy in the end.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Isabella seems like a great kid. How old is she again?”

  “Three. You didn’t answer my question.”

  “It wasn’t a question, per se. But… I don’t know. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I’m being honest here. Maybe it’s a temporary fixation, whatever, but the point is, I wanted to see you again, and I couldn’t stop thinking about not being able to date you.”

  “I have a kid.”

  “I know that,” he replied. “It doesn’t matter much, I thought it would, actually. I mean this, this is just dating. We’re checking to see if it works out.”

  “You can have anyone,” she told him.

  “True, but it doesn’t mean I want everyone, or just about anyone. This time, I’d like to get to know you better.”

  “What happens when-?”

  “We cross the bridge when we get there,” he told her, finishing his glass of wine. “How about we have a nightcap?”

  Chapter6

  Nightcap. The way he said it, his voice became lower, implying something more than what was drinkable. They could finish each other up. She was in control of her emotions, her fate, and if they were safe, then all was well.

  She looked at his eyes and saw a change in there, they had gone warm again, the way he looked at her when he wanted her and wasn’t shy about it. “You still want to sleep with me?” she asked him, not looking at him. She was looking at her wine glass.

  He laughed outright. “You’re like a child. And yes, I want to sleep with you. How many days has it been? This is anticipation talking… resounding yes from me.”

  She sat staring at the screen this time, not quite sure how to go about it. She didn’t want to feel the ugly feeling of rejection once more. Two nights ago was traumatizing enough. It was as if his charm switched on again. He could be charming if he wanted to be, he could be an asshole if he wanted to be. Her breathing had gone hard and shallow. She couldn’t dare look at him.

  “If you don’t want this, I won’t force you,” he told her, breaking the silence.

  She closed her eyes. “I want this.” Aniya took a deep breath, sitting sideways on the edge of the lazy-boy this time. He did the same, sitting across her, his feet facing towards her as he looked at her.

  “Well,” he held out his hand, and she took it.

  Wordlessly, he led her out of the room, up a flight of stairs, and into a bedroom. She stood in silence by the bed, her heart beating fast. His blue eyes made her immobile. Dante pulled her close to him, and she could smell his aftershave, and she almost felt her knees buckle.

  This was really happening, wasn’t it? His initial kiss was soft, and she hesitated at first, but then he cupped her chin with his hand, and her palm landed on his chest. It was stupid to push him away now, wasn’t it? She already said she wanted it, but she was thinking of what was going to happen afterward.

  It felt chaste, like her first kiss, and she fought back a smile.

  “You’re smiling, aren’t you?” he murmured, stopping for a second.

  “Will you let me enjoy the moment?” she told him, her lips hovering against his.

  He didn’t say anything else, instead he continued to kiss her again, and this time it grew fervent, faster, heated. He pressed her body against his, and his mouth trailed down her neck, and she arched her back, closing her eyes, enjoying the moment. His hand was against the small of her back, and her fingers curled against his chest.

  “Do we have-?” she began.

  “We’re safe, I’m always safe,” he told her, leading her towards the four poster bed. He gently pushed her down and she lay there, unmoving, wondering what was going to happen next. She wasn’t acting natural, she was acting like she didn’t know how to do anything remotely related to getting laid! Relax, Aniya, relax. This is your time.

  She had expected him to be on top of her, but he wasn’t. “What-?”

  “Relax,” he told her with a coy smile.

  In a heartbeat, his hands trailed up to her panties, and
she felt part of the skirt of her dress flop on her stomach. She almost stood up, but he held a finger up, shaking it.

  He didn’t just play with her using his fingers, he had gone underneath her skirt, and she could feel his breath against her skin. Surrender to it, she told herself, not wanting to stiffen. And then she felt it, she felt his tongue, licking on the outside folds, and Aniya couldn’t help but shudder.

  He licked and he licked, careful not to miss any spot, and then he nibbled gently on her clit, and Aniya let out a moan of pleasure. Oh god, she thought, she could die right now, and die happy. Dante was intent on hearing her scream his name, wasn’t he? She gasped, and then held onto his hair, begging for him to stop, unable to manage the ecstasy.

  He rose from beneath her, grinning, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and it looked dangerous and sexy at the same time. “What in the hell-?”

  “Don’t tell me you didn’t like that,” he told her, almost roughly. He took off his shirt, and she almost forgot to breathe. He wasn’t buff, but he was lean, and it was clear he worked out, and the way he moved,,,

  He leaned down for her, enveloping her mouth with his, hot, open-mouthed kisses that kept her breathless. “You didn’t like it?” he continued to ask her.

  “I did, I mean I do…” her voice trailed off. She felt disoriented, and the only thing that mattered was that intense throbbing in between her thighs.

  “Good,” he rasped, unzipping his pants. Her legs dangled, half her body was at the edge of the bed, and he mounted himself up on her, and she braced herself for the onslaught of rough and tumble sex…

  Only it didn’t happen. He was gentle, as gentle as the wind caressing her skin. There was no rush to this intimate moment, and the second she felt him enter her, she felt they were whole.

  ***

  She lay in bed, listening to the sound of water dripping somewhere. Did it come from the toilet? She wasn’t sure where it came from.

  “I’ve been meaning to have that fixed. I fixed it myself a few days ago, well, I tried, but plumbing just isn’t my forte.”