Dropping The Ball: A New Year’s Billionaire Romance

by Weston Parker

  “Nope.” I caught her wrist and tugged her against my body, snaking my arms around her waist and kissing her hard. “Remember when we talked about your fantasies of me that day?”

  A slightly pink flush spread across her cheeks. “Yes?”

  “Seeing you get off my bike, looking hot as hell while you shake out your hair like that, might’ve just touched on one of mine.” I brought my hips forward to let her feel the effect she’d had on me. “See? No more holding back.”

  She looped her arms around my neck, the helmet still in one of her hands. “Let’s get inside, shall we?”

  “We shall.” I picked her up, swung her over my shoulder, and laughed when she banged on my back. “I can’t help it. You bring out the caveman in me.”

  Her laughter rang out, making my heart soar. “I think I like it.”

  I carried her all the way into my kitchen, a flash of nerves making a comeback before I could squash them again. “So, uh, this is it.”

  “I like it, even if it is upside down.”

  “Shit.” I set her back down on her feet, holding my breath as I watched her take a look around. “Happy you don’t have to spend much time here?”

  “I’d be happy to spend time wherever you are.” She slid her hands onto my shoulders and cupped both sides of my throat in her small, warm hands, her eyes intent on mine. “I’d move in here any day as long as it was with you.”

  “Speaking of moving in together, should I call and tell Bart he’s been replaced? Where was he today anyway?” I hadn’t even thought about it before.

  She grinned, peering up at me from beneath her thick lashes with a mischievous look on her face. “He was there. Backstage. I’m pretty sure he left when he figured out you weren’t going anywhere without me.”

  “Good.” I kissed her again before digging my phone out of my pocket. “Let me give him a quick call. He needs to clear his shit out of my room tonight.”

  “Your room?” The mischief burned away until her gaze was smoldering. “I was thinking you might want to move to the one down the hall.”

  I arched a brow at her, my heart hammering when I figured it out. “You mean yours?”

  “Ours.” Bringing her hands to my chest, she gave me a light push before turning around. “Go phone your friend, caveman. I’ll see what I can rummage up for dinner.”

  The last thing I wanted was to stop touching her right now, but if I didn’t, I wasn’t going to get through the call with Bart without stripping her down. Still sucks.

  I hit his number while walking to my window, then looked at the stunning view of a brick wall on the other side of the alley as I waited for him to answer. It didn’t take him very long, and I could hear the grin in his voice when it came through the line.

  “If you’re calling to tell me to get my stuff out of your girl’s apartment, I’m already doing it.”

  “Glad to be back on the job.”

  “I’m glad to have you back on the job. I need a fucking break.” He laughed before growing serious again. “With everything that happened, we never got to have that talk about you and her seeing each other while you’re guarding her.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck, rolling my head from side to side. “I know. I never meant to break the rules. Especially not after the way you stuck up for me on the last job. It’s just… Rylee.”

  “If I thought any differently, I’d have fired you the moment I started suspecting. I knew there was something about her.” He paused. “You’re happy?”

  “As a fucking clam.” My fingers twitched, longing to get back to touching her. “She’s it for me, man.”

  “I thought so,” he muttered, adding more loudly, “I’ll work something out for you. We’ll talk at our next meeting? Just don’t fuck it up again.”

  “I won’t. I’ve got to go. Just wanted to make sure you knew she was with me so you wouldn’t worry.”

  “Someone’s in a hurry,” he said, chuckling. “Remember to use protection, bro. Don’t be so rushed that you force yourself to be rushing to the hospital nine months from now.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the pep talk and the vote of confidence. Good night, Bart.”

  A huge weight lifted from my chest. Not only were Rylee and me okay again, but Bart really was behind our relationship. I’d had a feeling he was the last time we talked about it, but that had been the same night she’d collapsed. It’d been there in the back of my mind these last few days that even if we made up, Bart might change his mind and pull me off her detail anyway.

  It was a massive relief to know it really wouldn’t be happening. The grin I wore dropped like a rock when I turned around to find Rylee sitting naked on my kitchen table.

  Her hair fell over her shoulders in a light and natural way that made me think she’d shaken it out again. She had her long legs crossed with the helmet on her lap, hiding all the parts I wanted to feast on but making for a mental picture I’d never forget.

  “Dinner is served,” she said with a come-hither beckoning of her finger. “I couldn’t find much in the pantry, so this will have to do.”

  “This is all I want anyway.” The sound that ripped out of me as I stalked up to her was closer to animal than human, but it didn’t stop me.

  Planting my hands on the cool surface next to her hips, I took her mouth in a kiss that was just as predatory as the sound had been. She was finally really mine, and I planned on keeping it that way.

  Chapter 32

  RYLEE

  Carter zeroed in on me like I was a fluffy, buttery bagel and he’d been starving for one for years. His eyes never left mine, his jawline suddenly set and his shoulders rigid with tension.

  Without saying another word, he kissed me in a way that felt entirely new. There was something about this kiss that was all masculine possessiveness. Dominance even.

  Softer things were layered into the gentler strokes of his tongue when he withdrew, only to plunge back into my mouth with that raw, primal edge that made me feel like he was marking me for good this time.

  Well, great because I’m marking him too. I wouldn’t pee all over him, but I curled my arms around his neck and kissed him back with the same amount of passion he was pouring into me.

  We hadn’t said those words to each other that came with those softer brushes yet, but it felt like we were spelling them out with our kisses nonetheless. I gave myself over to him completely, laying my heart and soul as bare to him as my body was.

  In return, I felt him doing the same. He moaned into my mouth, his hands finally leaving the counter to grip my hips. Then one released me to swipe the helmet away before it was back.

  Nudging my knees with his legs, he silently commanded me to part them for him and I did. He stepped between them, pressing himself as close to me as he could.

  I felt the steel rod underneath his jeans and lowered my hands to undo them. There were quiet thuds that I took to be his shoes flying off at the same time that I worked his button free and unzipped him. Lifting his jeans and underwear up and over his erection, I let my feet help me drag them off.

  Carter let go of me to take off his jacket but only stopped kissing me for the time it took to pull his shirt off over his head. With all those miles of warm, tattooed skin against me, my nipples pebbled and the space between my legs went from damp to soaked.

  He closed his fingers over my knees to tug me closer to the edge of the table before running his hands up and down the insides of my thighs. Reaching down between us again, I trailed my fingertips over the dips and rises in his abdomen, pulling lightly at the thin strands of hair that ran down from his belly button.

  Both of us moaned as we continued to touch each other, to explore as if it were the first time doing it. When he finally allowed his hands to move all the way up to land between my folds, I gasped and nearly bit his tongue.

  “Fuck, Carter,” I hissed against his lips, punctuating my words with more kisses. “We should go to your bedroom.”

  He roc
ked his hips against my thigh to let me feel how much he wanted the same thing, but he grated out another response between his teeth. “In a minute. I want to watch you come first.”

  Well, okay then. I wasn’t going to argue with that. Especially since I knew he wouldn’t let me return the favor just yet. But later, you’re all mine.

  One thick, long finger slid into me while he circled my clit with his thumb. His other hand came up to cup my ribs before his fingers started in on my nipple. It didn’t take him very long to get what he wanted.

  He broke off the kiss to watch me unravel around him, then carried me to his bed after making me hear the angels sing. I swore I heard the heavenly chorus before I came back down.

  As soon as my back hit the mattress, he buried his face between my legs and had me close to another climax before I remembered my promise to myself. Hooking my leg around, I managed to maneuver enough that he understood what I was trying to do.

  He groaned and bit out a curse against me before angling his body the way I needed him. I forced my eyes open despite the euphoric pleasure already threatening to cascade again, and focused on him to keep myself from flying over the edge.

  There was wetness on his tip, and when I wrapped my fist around his shaft, he felt as hot as lava and as hard as the volcano it came from. Taking him into my mouth, I swirled my tongue around his crown and nearly combusted at the sexy moans spilling from his lips and vibrating right into me.

  I was dangling right on the edge of that cliff, and he pushed me over it when he swelled against my tongue. Knowing he was that close while his magical mouth was on me did it. I let go, and he was inside me just as soon as I stopped clenching around his fingers.

  Moving at a pace that said he was one false move away from losing it, he brought his mouth back to mine and kissed me while shoving his hands into my hair. I met him at every thrust, loving the way his body pushed me into the mattress and feeling those powerful muscles quivering against me.

  “Stop holding back, baby,” I whispered between his fervent kisses. “That’s our motto for the day, right?”

  I kept my eyes open long enough to see his brow furrowing in concentration before a soft sound came from the back of his throat. His thrusts became staccato and his body tensed. “Rylee. Baby. Fuck. I can’t…”

  The words were just about whispered but I heard them as clearly as if he’d shouted them from the rooftops. I held on to him when he found his release, loving every second of knowing that he hadn’t held anything back from me.

  “I hate to say this,” Carter said after we’d caught our breath. He was lying flat on his back with his bicep curled and his hand behind his head. “But we should go back to your place.”

  I cuddled deeper into his side, listening to his heart beating under my ear and appreciating the deep rumble of his voice in his chest when he spoke. It took me a few seconds to snap out of my trance and absorb what he’d said. “Why? Can’t we just sleep here tonight? It’s probably starting to get late.”

  “There’s not enough security here. Anyone could’ve followed us from that center, and since my name and face are out there now, it wouldn’t be a stretch for someone to come looking for you here.”

  Damn it. I was so darn comfortable, and my limbs still felt weak, but I knew he was right. Plus, if I wanted to keep him as my bodyguard, I knew I had to let him do his job. “Five more minutes?”

  “Three.” He sat up slowly, careful to wait for me to slide off his glorious body before turning to throw his legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll get dressed and get your clothes from the kitchen.”

  “What about Max?” I asked, suddenly realizing I hadn’t seen him since we’d gotten here.

  Carter smirked and smacked the side of my ass. “Are you really thinking about my dog right now?”

  “I’ve missed him,” I said, pulling up the shoulder not on the mattress. “Why? Can’t handle the competition that there’s another guy who’s crawled into my heart right along with you?”

  He groaned, dipping his head down and letting it hang between his shoulders while he shook it. “I can’t even believe I’m about to say this, but no. I don’t like that there’s another guy in there.”

  “Jealous much?” I teased.

  “When it comes to you? You ain’t seen nothing yet.” A soft chuckle came from him.

  God, I love that sound so much I wish I could bottle it.

  Despite the orgasms I’d just had, my gaze followed his tight ass when he got up and walked out of the room. My teeth sank into my lip, and I wondered if it was normal to get turned on again just by watching a naked, tattooed man with a great ass walking away after just having had amazing sex with him.

  Yep, I decided. Definitely normal. Any woman who’s seen him will agree.

  Flopping back on his bed, I couldn’t fight the smile that broke free. That’s right, ladies. You will be tempted to look, but you can’t touch. He’s mine, all mine.

  The smile didn’t go away when he came back in or while we dressed or even after we got back to my house. I’d have thought that I’d be wiped out after a day like today, but there was a strange energy buzzing through my veins.

  I felt like how I imagined people felt when they won the lottery. And it was all because Carter was back. He was mine, and he hadn’t written me off as a crazy person for freaking out on him.

  For the first time in a long time, there were no doubts plaguing my mind. No confusing thoughts swirling around inside my head, and no crushing guilt coursing through my veins over the future I’d be forcing on him if he stayed with me.

  All was right in my world, and it felt fucking incredible.

  The only thing missing was Max, but he was with Carter’s elderly neighbor, and we would pick him up in the morning. In the meantime, we had the whole night to ourselves.

  “Okay, what’s with that smile?” he asked when he stood up after lighting the fireplace. He brushed my cheeks with his fingertips, curious brown eyes latched firmly on mine. “I feel like you have a secret you need to tell me.”

  “That’s just it. There are no more secrets between us. You’re here. I’m here. You’re not losing your job and my brother didn’t cut off your balls when he found out about us.”

  He smiled, and it was so beautiful that my heart skipped. “It feels pretty damn awesome, doesn’t it? I just wish we could’ve said goodbye before he had to run back to Nashville.”

  Before we’d left Carter’s apartment, we’d both retrieved our phones from where we’d left them in his kitchen. There were texts from Billy waiting for each of us, claiming he had to catch the first flight back to deal with an emergency at work.

  I twisted my fingers into Carter’s hair. “I know. Me too. We’ll be seeing him soon, though. I’ll check on him in the morning.”

  “Want to watch a movie?” he asked, pushing his chest to mine and walking me back until my knees hit the couch. “Or did you want to go to sleep?”

  “Movie,” I said immediately. “We should probably order some takeout for dinner, too.”

  He nodded and went off to grab some menus while I got settled on the couch. We chose a movie, a terrible ninja thing that had only one redeeming quality—I was snuggled into Carter’s chest while watching it.

  Our Chinese food got there halfway through, and luckily, the credits started rolling not long after we’d finished eating. I sat up then but only to twist my upper body around to face him.

  All the lights were off, the room illuminated only by the fire and the television. Billy and Bart had helped me take the Christmas tree down, which I regretted now. When I’d gotten home after my hospital stay over the weekend, it had reminded me too much of Carter and his family to even look at it.

  He raised a dark brow at me, the corners of his lips slightly tipped up. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I guess I still just can’t believe that you’re here, and that you’re you. Who would’ve thought that little Rylee Naples and hot Carter
Demming would ever be snuggled up on a couch together while being, well, together?”

  He shrugged but there was no hiding the soft smile in his eyes. “I hope no one thought it. My mom probably hoped for it, but the age difference between us just seemed so insurmountable back then.”

  “Did you ever have feelings for me when we were younger?” I asked. It was a question I’d been dying to know the answer to since I’d first found out who he was.

  His head fell back a bit when he laughed. “No, you were too young, but I wanted to.”

  “I had them for you,” I admitted, although I suspected he already knew.

  “Yeah, I got that from the way you kept looking at me.” His lips pulled up into a sexy smirk. “When I caught you staring the first time, I nearly had a heart attack. I felt so fucking guilty about it.”

  “Hey.” I gave his shoulder a gentle shove. “I wasn’t the only one looking.”

  He lifted his hands in surrender, showing me his palms before sliding his arms back around my waist. “True. Catching you looking at me like I was a lollipop you wanted to lick clued me into the fact that you weren’t so little anymore. Slowly but surely, I started noticing that you’d grown boobs, that your face was actually beautiful and not so dorky anymore, and that the guys at school practically salivated when you walked into a room.”

  “My face was never dorky,” I protested while trying to stifle a laugh, “and no one salivated. Not even almost.”

  “Bullshit,” he whispered. “It didn’t take me long to notice you’d grown into the most gorgeous girl in town. After that…” Winding his fingers into my hair, he gave it a soft tug that made me lift my face more fully to his. “After that, it was game over for me. I lectured myself every fucking time I went over to your place about not looking at you like I wanted to lick you right back, but I wanted to do it so badly that I could never quite follow through on not looking.”

  “Why didn’t you make a move?” I asked, becoming breathless from the way his eyes heated when they dropped to my lips.