Taming the Bad Boy Billionaire Bundle

by Sierra Rose

  “When you licked my lips. That was the hottest thing ever,” she said lightly, her eyes locked on to his, “It made me want more. And I’m not that kind of girl.”

  “What kind of girl is that? The sort that likes kissing?”

  “Slutty. I don’t go around kissing people in public places and, like, moaning out loud.”

  “Sounds to me like you’ve been kissing all the wrong people. Because if you don’t want to kiss in a public place, or he doesn’t kiss you until you’re moaning, then something’s missing. Do you want me to kiss you again?” he asked.

  Luke asked it archly, hoping he sounded flirtatious and not just desperate. Right now, he wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to keep breathing—her lips had become essential to him, the noises she made and the soft way she reached for him and played with the hair at the back of his neck. Everything about her felt necessary, erotic and somehow both familiar and dangerous.

  “Yes,” she said, “But if we start, I don’t think we’ll stop. So don’t.”

  “That’s not fair. You can’t tell a man you want him to kiss you, looking like that with your lips parted, and just expect him not to do it,” he teased.

  And he was teasing, but at the same time, he was serious. He wasn’t sure he could keep from kissing her. He wasn’t sure he could stop himself from kissing his way from the corner of her perfect pink lips right along her jaw and all the way down to that sensitive spot behind her ear. She’d shivered when he’d just touched her there. His mouth could do greater things, he was certain. All of a sudden, Luke Conners realized that he wanted to make her scream, make her lose her mind with pleasure more than he’d ever really wanted anything in his entire life.

  Nothing else seemed quite as urgent—not the Johnson deal or what the board thought of his lifestyle choices. Because here was Paige, her lips still swollen from his kisses, her chest rising and falling in quick rhythm and her eyes dark with arousal. He could satisfy her so easily, with such wicked pleasure for them both. He lowered his lips to hers.

  “Oh, gosh,” she whispered, her lips clinging to his at once, her tongue questing for his.

  She broke away, jumped back from him, her face red. She didn’t look at him, but she was visibly shaken. She took another step back, then another.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, “I think I should go. This isn’t a good idea. I need to—not have sex with my boss. If I stay here with you, there’s, there’s a pretty strong chance of it happening. So, um thank you for a—nice afternoon.”

  “Just nice?”

  She stared into his eyes. “More than nice. More than lovely. I had a wonderful, fantastic time.”

  “I aim to please.”

  “You went out of your way to make it different, special. Because usually, from what I’ve read, you take your dates out on the town.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t be impressed by that.”

  “You’re right. This was perfect. You’re nothing like what I thought you would be.”

  “Really? Did you think I’d be old and stuffy? Because if that’s the case, then maybe you should read the tabloids.”

  “I know you’ve gotten into a lot of trouble and need to clean up your image.”

  “Yeah. Well, it’s about time I grow up.”

  “Growing up. What does that entail? I mean, what are you looking for? A possible relationship? Something casual, no strings? Because that’s simply not me. I’m an old-fashioned hopeless romantic.”

  “Then, if that’s the case, why did you want such a simple date? We could’ve had dinner underneath the stars surrounded by a million white candles. Because I assure you it would be a romantic and unforgettable experience.”

  “And it would be so delightful. But then I would feel obligated. That’s why I wanted to keep it simple...for now.”

  “So, if I play my cards right, I might get to take you to the date of your dreams?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Wonderful. Are you ready to go home?” he asked.

  “I feel weak in the knees. I’ve never been kissed like that before. My body is going off like strobe lights at the disco right now.”

  “I feel the exact same way.”

  She smiled. “I need to take a shower and get dressed, back into my jeans.”

  “I’ll meet you in the lobby in, say, thirty-minutes?”

  “Okay,” she said faintly.

  Chapter 14

  WHILE SHE WAS RINSING the freakishly fancy gym shampoo out of her hair—it smelled like orchids and a tropical paradise—she tried to tell herself to calm down. You can’t act like a crazy person just because he kissed you, she thought. You have to try and be normal. She wasn’t sure how to be normal when fireworks were shooting off inside her, and her body kept telling her brain to find him and do things to him in the locker room shower. Things that belonged in the bad dialogue of a randy teen comedy, not an adult woman’s brain.

  When she was safely dressed in her own clothes, she slicked her wet hair back into a severe ponytail. One that was so tight it pulled on her temples. She thought of it as penance for having all the impure thoughts. Really impure ones. About Luke Conners.

  He was waiting for her in the gorgeous marble lobby. He held out a cold bottle of water to her. She took it gratefully and drank, hoping the icy liquid would cool off her rather embarrassing ardor for him.

  “Feeling better?” he asked, looking unfairly gorgeous like a naughty J. Crew model.

  “I always do after a shower.”

  “Me, too,” he said.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve been alone for a while and the first time you kissed me I acted like the horny nerd who just saw the Swedish exchange student in a bikini.”

  “What?” he said, looking puzzled.

  “You know, those teen movies where they’re at a house party and the pathetic virgin nerd guy sees a hot girl getting out of the pool...”

  “No, I don’t know those movies. Never watched them in my life. Because I’m a saint.” He smiled. “What sort of films do you watch?”

  “Uh, none. I watch documentaries. About neuroscience,” she lied. He laughed aloud.

  “Not very convincing,” he said, “I bet your Netflix is full of Fifty Shades.”

  “I may have watched those once or twice,” she said, trying to sound casual.

  “Really. That’s interesting. I might have to watch one just to see what all the fuss was about.”

  “You are getting me so worked up. And I can’t afford to think like that right now. But I want you to know I had a fantastic time. I’m going to just head home. I don’t think talking to you is calming me down.”

  “It’s because I’m so intensely attractive,” he teased.

  “You are. I mean, I hate to admit it, but you’ve looked in a mirror. You know what you look like. And you’re charming, which is totally unfair to all of us peasants who just get flattened by your sexiness.”

  “You’ve been flattened by my sexiness? I think I would have remembered that,” he said archly.

  “Gosh, it sounds so stupid now that I’ve said it out loud. But it’s like my brain is gone. You kissed me like that. And my brain just went away.”

  “You’re brain dead. I kissed you into a persistent vegetative state? I don’t think that would sell any online courses like you suggested,” he teased.

  “Just take me home. And try not to talk to me or look at me or, you know, be hot,” she grumbled, embarrassed.

  “You know what this is? It’s called sexual tension. And the best way to get over it is to just give in to our passion.”

  “Can’t sleep with the boss, remember?”

  “But it’s okay to date him?”

  “I did cross the line there, didn’t I?”

  “I believe we both did.”

  “We should’ve never strayed.”

  “I can’t help it. I’ve been fascinated with you since the minute I met you. You’re not like any other girl I’ve ever met. And I know it’s wro
ng to ask an employee out on a date. But I couldn’t stop myself. It’s like you cast some kind of spell on me.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  “You’re on my mind from the second I wake up, to the minute I go to sleep, and all the minutes in between.”

  “That’s not good for this future marriage.”

  “Not at all.”

  “A successful fake marriage can’t have both parties this intensely attracted to one another.”

  She nodded. “Yeah. It’ll totally ruin the marriage. I can’t want to jump my husband’s bones.”

  “And I can’t want to jump my wife.”

  “It won’t work, not at all. We can’t want each other this much.”

  “Oh no. We just can’t. This marriage can only work if we stay miles apart.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Separate bedrooms are what will make this marriage work.”

  “I agree. No fucking.”

  “Fucking is not good in this marriage.”

  He laughed.

  “And falling in love with my husband...”

  “That would be disastrous!”

  “Absolutely.”

  “This marriage can’t last on love and passionate nights of lovemaking.”

  “So, no love. NO lovemaking. That is the recipe for this perfect marriage.”

  “Absolutely.”

  How on earth was she going to sit beside him in a car and not climb all over him? Now that she knew what it felt like to have his hands on her body, his tongue in her mouth. It was a million times more difficult to keep from touching him or kissing him.

  “The car should be here by now. We can go.”

  Luke offered her his arm at the door of the gym. She reached for it automatically. But when her fingers curled over his hard bicep, a sizzle went through her. She flashed on the image of herself straddling his lap, of his hands guiding her rocking hips as his length plunged inside her. A flush flooded her skin, and she jerked her hand away from his arm. It had been really stupid to touch him again. Paige yanked back from him and staggered a little. When he reached out to steady her, she shied away and fell.

  She fell onto the sidewalk, rolling her ankle painfully and landing with a cry on the pavement. She bit down on her lip to keep from bursting into tears. She was so lonely, so sexually frustrated that she’d tripped over her own feet trying to escape from the most attractive man she’d ever met.

  He was on his knees beside her in an instant, asking if she was okay, reaching for her to help her up. She shook her head, tears standing in her eyes. She touched her ankle gingerly, and pain shot up her leg. She’d have to get up slowly, and even then, she might need his help.

  “My ankle,” she whispered.

  People on the sidewalk were stopping to stare. Because there she was, sprawled out on the pavement beside a handsome man. She struggled to sit up. Before she could protest, Luke’s arm went around her back, the other beneath her knees. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the waiting Town Car. A chauffeur held open the door as if this were a commonplace occurrence, as if his employer frequently picked up injured women from the pavement and deposited them in his vehicle. Maybe he did. Maybe he was a modern-day knight in shining armor who dazzled women with his charm and kissing skills, then had to pick them up bodily when they were bowled over by his sex appeal. It wasn’t impossible, but she vowed not to mention it to him. His ego was bad enough as it was already.

  She scooted over to make room for him in the seat, but he caught her legs, draped them across his lap. He deftly removed her shoe as the car pulled away from the curb. He examined the injured foot, his fingers closing over her toes as he rotated her ankle first one way and then the other.

  “Not broken,” he observed, “probably just a sprain. You’ll need to ice it and elevate it tonight. If you need to take off work tomorrow...”

  “I’m not taking off work for falling and hurting myself!” she blurted out, cheeks flaming with embarrassment.

  “You don’t need to be embarrassed. If anyone should, it’s myself. I offered you my arm, and you were so repulsed that you fell down trying to get away from me.” He chuckled.

  “I was not repulsed. I just shouldn’t have touched you. It’s—I have some kind of reaction to you touching me.”

  “Reaction? Like an allergy? That’s hardly flattering.” He teased.

  “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s the opposite. Like, we’re sitting here now, my ankle’s throbbing, and my legs are in your lap, and instead of thinking how stupid I feel, my nerves are firing on all cylinders with some kind of—mating imperative.”

  “What?”

  “Mating imperative. I saw it on a science show. I do watch documentaries sometimes,” she said. “The thing is, it’s a biological drive. And mostly I don’t notice it, or even notice that I’m lonely. But with you, it’s like you woke me up. Like whatever calm state I was in has just been blown apart by kissing you. So my body is like this—this rabid animal that wants to get a hold of you,” she gave a nervous laugh. “I feel like I can’t trust myself. Like I’m wild and out of control. It’s really embarrassing, and I’m sorry I’ve acted so stupid.”

  “You haven’t acted stupid. But I can’t apologize for igniting those feelings in you. You shouldn’t be asleep or dormant or anything of the sort. With a body like yours, with a personality like yours, I can’t see how men aren’t lining up to offer their services. I guess they’re blind and useless.”

  “Thank you, I think. But I still feel like a pathetic horndog. I’m panting after my boss. It’s the tackiest thing possible.”

  “I won’t hear such talk about you. You agreed to two dates with me. If I happened to kiss you and you happened to like it, I don’t see how that should be cause for shame. That’s called chemistry. And damn do we have it.”

  “You’re not a secretary who just kissed her boss. And admitted to being super attracted to her boss. It’s like the 1950s—pining away after the executive from behind my typewriter.” She shook her head.

  “Did you watch Mad Men a lot? Because this is nothing like that. I’m not here as the CEO. You’re Paige. I’m Luke. We’re here together because we want to be, and because I’d like to wife you for a few months.”

  “Well, I think you could probably kiss me into submission, but I’m asking you not to. I’m not wired to be able to resist you, I guess. Something—biological makes me really susceptible to your kissing. So, try to remember I’m an employee of your company, and I have no immunity to your charm.”

  “That’s unfair to tell me I have a perfect weapon against your resistance and then forbid me from using it.”

  “It’s the only way I can make a smart decision. No more kissing. Not today, not after our date on Tuesday. I have every intention of figuring out if we could help each other without letting my judgment be clouded by sexual attraction,” she said.

  “Who says it’s a bad thing? We’d be together for a few months; we might as well enjoy ourselves.”

  “I’m not a geisha, Luke. I wouldn’t marry you that way. If I even agreed to it, which I doubt, it would have to be in name only. No sex. Like we discussed.”

  “I’m having second thoughts. Those are not my favorite terms. What about the mating imperative you were talking about? That sounded like a lot more fun than ‘no sex.’”

  “Very funny. We’re at my building. I’m going to go ice my foot and beat myself up for acting like an idiot today. See you at work.”

  “Not so fast, tiger,” he said with a grin.

  Luke scooped her up into his arms and lifted her from the car. He carried her into the building and up all the stairs as if it were nothing, no effort at all. He didn’t look bothered by the fact that he was carrying a fully-grown adult up flights of stairs. He even stood patiently while she fished in her purse for the keys. When he swung open the door, her sister was sitting on the couch.

  “Sissy! What’s wrong?” Paxtyn said, gett
ing up slowly.

  “Nothing, I just fell and hurt my foot.”

  “Ok. Here, put her here and let me get her some ice. You must be Luke. I’m Paxtyn, Paige’s sister.”

  “I see. Good to meet you. Yes, she took a spill outside the gym, unfortunately.”

  “You fell in front of the gym?” Paxtyn asked.

  “Yeah, it’s probably on YouTube by now, under ‘stupid girl falls on sidewalk,’” Paige grumbled.

  “It was an accident,” he said, defending her. She frowned and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch to cover herself up.

  Paxtyn was wearing her blue pajamas—hadn’t felt well enough even to get dressed today. It wrenched Paige that her sister was so weak, that to Luke she would just be the sister with cancer and not her hilarious, healthy self that she once was.

  She watched as Paxtyn offered to make him a cup of coffee and he declined politely. As he told her goodbye and promised to check on her by phone later, Paige found there was a lump in her throat so that she couldn’t answer him. She was sad that this was how he’d met her sister. Sad that there wasn’t any way to make this normal, to have him be a real boyfriend who went to dinner to meet Paxtyn. That she wouldn’t be the person who would have a chic pixie cut and a scarf around her neck. She didn’t have that kind of life—where her boss could be her boyfriend, where her sister’s cancer could magically go away. It was just a dream. A stupid fantasy brought on by kissing him. The heat from that kiss had fried her brain.

  Chapter 15

  LUKE LEFT, AND SHE lay on the couch with her foot on a pillow and a bag of frozen peas on top of her ankle. She fought back tears. Paxtyn sat down on the coffee table and reached for Paige’s hand.

  “Does it hurt?”

  “Not really.”

  “Want some ibuprofen?”

  “No, thanks. I just—I should never have gone out with him.”

  “I think I told you exactly that. Remember?”

  “Yeah, Pax, you said don’t date your boss. But you also told me I should go have some fun.”

  “Not with him! With friends, or some other guy who’s more suitable. As in, not the head of your company,” Paxtyn chided. “Do you want to be the talk of the water cooler at the office?”