The Billionaire Possession Series: The Complete Boxed Set

by Amelia Wilde

  I turn back to the building. “I know you—or at least Gabriel Luxe—own this property now, but I’m assuming you don’t have the people on staff to develop it like it deserves.”

  “Oh, no.” She’s already shaking her head. “I am not going to tear out everything charming about this building and make the people here—”

  “That’s not what I’m suggesting.”

  Isabella narrows her eyes. “What are you suggesting, then?”

  “I’m not going to take this over. Not a chance of that. This project is in your hands now. I thought you might like a little help. Maybe to share some of my...resources.”

  She glances back up at the building, taking it in again. Maybe this time she’s seeing the repair work that needs to be done on the front facade, the way the staircase could be enhanced and made accessible, and how the lobby could be refreshed, the storefronts on the bottom floor reconfigured and revitalized so that they’re not quite so run down. “To do what, exactly?”

  “I imagine you’re not into luxury condos.”

  “Not really, no.”

  “Not any?”

  “Cut to the chase, Jasper. I’m a busy woman.” She says it with a smile so brilliant it makes the sun seem dark.

  “What about two, on the top floor?”

  “You’d want to put luxury condos on the top floor of a building with no elevator?”

  “I’d have the elevator added.”

  “Two condos—and the rest?”

  “Rent-controlled apartments.”

  Isabella laughs out loud. “You’re kidding. That wouldn’t make any money.”

  “Is profit an issue for you?”

  She shrugs, but her eyes travel over the front of the building again. “Not the only issue. The main issue for me is fairness. Some of the people who’ve lived here—” Her mouth turns downward into a determined frown. “I’m not going to throw them out, or jack up the prices and force them to leave.”

  “But you’re still going to need to make money on the building.”

  Isabella sighs. “Yes. In the long run, yes.”

  “Then here’s my plan.” I step behind her and point at the building, starting at the top. “Those two units become luxury condos with their own amenities. This neighborhood is up-and-coming, and there will be people dying for a quirky apartment with all the nice things they’ve come to expect.” Isabella presses her body back against mine, the heat between us building. “Below that, three floors of affordable apartments.”

  “How affordable?”

  My cock is hard at her touch. She must feel it. “Affordable enough for your mother to stay without worrying. Down the line, as people move out, we can convert the rest into condos, or leave them as is. Or have a combination. Either way, I’m confident I can sell it.”

  She wriggles her ass back against me. It’s torturous.

  “And on the bottom floor, you could—” I suck in a breath, try not to get carried away in the middle of the sidewalk. “You could put in a Gabriel Luxe store, and a restaurant. Anything else you wanted, really. You could refurbish the building and let the tenants who are here now have first pick. If you wanted.”

  “Why so breathless, Jasper?” Isabella’s voice is teasing, light, and I love every word out of her mouth. I love it. I love her.

  “I’m having a bit of an issue.”

  “What issue is that?”

  “That we’re in public instead of my penthouse.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?” Isabella turns in my arms, rising on her tiptoes to kiss the line of my jaw, her lips leaving a hot imprint behind. “We could have left minutes ago.”

  Isabella rides me hard and fast, her hands braced against my chest, my fingers sinking into her hips. She’s a sight to behold, her hair spilling down her shoulders, her head thrown back, lips parted. Her face is pink from multiple orgasms, and her nipples are hard little pebbles against the swell of her breasts.

  I reach up with one hand and roll one between my fingers, making her gasp.

  I don’t know how many times she’s come so far, but she’s going to do it one more time if it’s the last thing I do.

  I reach forward and trace my thumb down her navel as she rises up and down, the tight, wet core of her enveloping every inch of my shaft. She’s almost there—I can feel it in the way she trembles, in the way her pussy clenches around me—and all it’s going to take...all it’s going to take...

  My thumb makes contact with her clit.

  Isabella arches her back, a low cry escaping her as she comes, thrusting herself down onto my cock, her hips circling and bucking, all of her tensing and releasing. I can’t resist any longer. I come so hard my vision goes dark at the edges. All I can see is her. It’s all I need to see.

  When she’s finished, she tumbles sideways onto the comforter of my bed, curling up next to me. Her breathing settles in, and then she lets out a soft sigh.

  “You don’t have to do this for me,” she says.

  “Do what?”

  “Help me...repair my mom’s building.”

  “It’s not a plan for her building.”

  She props herself up on one elbow. “No?”

  “No. I’m already making plans at Pace, Inc. to follow that format in at least a quarter of the new buildings we develop from now on. Maybe more.”

  Isabella’s eyes dance. “You’re going to let people stay in their homes?”

  I look into those green eyes and fall for her all over again. It must be the hundredth time today. “Only if you promise not to call me a heartless bastard.”

  She laughs. “Only if you promise not to let me forget that I love you, even when we fight.”

  I flutter my eyelashes at her. “How could you ever forget that?”

  “I couldn’t.” She leans down and kisses me, and this time it’s full of all the softness and tenderness I could ever want.

  “How could I make people move away from home...” I murmur the words when she pulls back and rests her head against my chest. “...when I’ll never have to leave mine, as long as you’re with me?”

  Isabella looks up at me, and there’s nothing but love shining from her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Then she reaches for me again, and there are no more words left to say.

  Epilogue

  Isabella

  Six months later

  “Eat! Otherwise you’ll waste away!”

  Mom dishes another serving of cheesecake onto Jasper’s plate. She spent all week perfecting the recipe, and I don’t think she’s ever been prouder of anything in her life.

  He doesn’t even try to turn her down. “I don’t think wasting away will be a problem.” Everyone around the table laughs, Evie loudest of all.

  She turns to me. “You didn’t tell me he was funny.”

  I roll my eyes. “He’s been to dinner at least five times already. You know how funny he is.” She knows how funny his dad can be, too—she insisted on meeting him at the second dinner. They have a lot in common, Jasper and his father.

  My mom takes her seat at the table and watches Jasper eat the second slice of cheesecake with more than a little bit of adoration in her eyes. Midway through, she winks at me. It’s not very well hidden, but Jasper smiles.

  When he’s finished, he waits for Evie to finish telling us about the latest workplace drama at her fashion house, and then he turns to my mother. “The renovations haven’t been bothering you too much, have they?”

  Contractors started work on the top floor of the building last month. The exterior work won’t be started until the spring—at least, that’s what I understand.

  She beams at Jasper. “Oh, no. They’re very quiet. And they keep such strict hours. I’ve never been kept awake.”

  He frowns a little. “Hmm.”

  She leans toward him, instantly worried. “Was that—are they supposed to be bothersome?”

  Jasper can’t keep a straight face. “I’m sorry. No, they’re not. But I w
as thinking...” He taps the side of his cheek. I force myself not to roll my eyes, but I can’t keep the smile off my face, either. This playful side of him...I could get used to this.

  “What? What were you thinking?” My mom fiddles anxiously with the tablecloth, and Evie sits beside her, grinning like she’s already in on the secret.

  “I was thinking that if you were bothered by the construction efforts, I might be able to help.”

  “How? I would never want to inconvenience you...”

  “I have some property in the south of France that I’ve been meaning to visit for quite some time. I was actually planning to leave in two weeks.”

  Mom’s forehead wrinkles. She’s not getting it, but Evie is.

  She can’t contain herself. “Jasper, are you inviting us all to visit your villa in the south of France?”

  He snaps his fingers like it’s the best idea he’s ever heard. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. You, and my father will be there too. It will be a wonderful…family vacation.”

  “What?” My mom leaps up from her seat. “France? In two weeks?”

  “It’s for real, Mom.” I shout the words over the burst of applause she’s giving Jasper. “You can come, too, can’t you, Evie?”

  “Um, yes. Yes. I will do whatever it takes. How long are we staying?”

  “At least two weeks.” Jasper looks at me. “There are lots of things I’d like to do there.”

  My entire body hums with anticipation. Jasper hasn’t said anything yet, but in all the discussions we’ve had about engagements and weddings, I’ve always been sure to mention that I want my mom to be there. She’s been there for everything else.

  “Pack your bathing suits!” I cry, and my mom scrambles away from the table, toward her bedroom. “Where are you going?” I call after her.

  “Shopping!” She shouts the word from her bedroom, then reemerges with her purse over her shoulder and her coat already half-on. “Come with me!” Mom rushes for the door. “Oh, I’ve never been so excited in my life!”

  I lean in and kiss Jasper, the heat spreading through my entire core.

  Outside my mother’s apartment, he takes me by the elbow and pulls me in for another kiss before we climb into the town car.

  “There’s something I wanted to ask you.” His voice is a low murmur, and it makes me think of all the things we’re going to do the moment we get back to the penthouse.

  “Anything.”

  “If I ask you to marry me in France, will you say yes?”

  My smile is so wide it almost hurts. “Are you worried I might say no?”

  “I’m sure it’s what you want. But I still wanted to ask.” He slides his arm around my waist, holding me tight, like he’ll never let go. “In case there are already plans for a wedding.” His eyes are shining, and he leans down to whisper in my ear. “I can’t wait to be married to you. Two weeks is almost too long. Is that something you want, too?”

  My family by my side. An engagement and a wedding in the south of France. Being Jasper’s wife, without another delay. My heart is consumed with joy.

  “Oh, I do,” I tell him, rising on tiptoes to press my lips against his. “I do.”

  For more books by Amelia Wilde, visit her online at awilderomance.com.

  Priceless Kiss

  1

  Ruby

  “You really don’t need to be here for this.” Edward’s smiling, but his face holds more than a little wariness. I’m sure this is the last conversation he wants to be having on a morning like this, when his company is on the verge of running an estate sale in Conyers Farm, where everybody is somebody. Including my family.

  At least, we used to be. We used to be at the top of this little society, ruling from a palatial house that trends more toward Versailles than a country farm. Now my mother spends most of her days visiting my brother in the hospital, and my dad…he’s mostly grasping at straws, trying to come up with a new company out of thin air.

  I straighten my back. “I’m going to be here for this. These are my family’s things. Of course I’m going to oversee all of it as it goes out through the front doors.”

  Edward opens his mouth like he wants to say something else, but he thinks better of it and instead gives me a smile that curdles my stomach. I don’t want to be pitied. I’ve done enough of that for myself over the past few weeks…and the past few days. I shouldn’t be spending on frivolous extras anymore, but I hired my makeup artist Kendra to come in this morning before seven. Only she could hide the red puffiness clinging around my eyes. Now I’m standing here in an outfit designed to be professional, but not too overwhelming to potential buyers—slacks pressed to perfection and a boatneck sweater that I wasn’t willing to get rid of. I need some things for work. The stakes there are a lot higher now.

  Kendra did my hair, too, sweeping it back into an elegant knot at the back of my head. “Is it time?”

  I could glance down at the watch on my wrist, but I want Edward to confirm that the slaughter is about to begin. My heart pounds in my chest. I don’t want anyone to come inside the house. I don’t want anyone’s hands on my family’s things. I don’t want to watch it all walk out the doors.

  Edward’s company has spent the last two weeks tagging everything left in the house—all the antique furniture, the plush rugs with their intricate patterns, the china, the jewelry my mother didn’t take with her, my father’s collection of pistols owned by kings and princes—everything. They even went into the attic and tagged entire piles of things for one low price.

  It all makes me sick.

  I still can’t quite wrap my mind around how it all went wrong. One minute, my parents had plenty of money—more money than they could ever need—and the next they were struggling to pay the medical bills for my brother, Henry. Not that he did anything wrong, either. He was even wearing a helmet when the semi sideswiped his motorcycle on the highway and sent him tumbling into the ditch like a human rag doll. I swallow hard. I don’t like to think about the damage a thing like that can do—and did—to a person’s body. It’s not going to be an easy recovery, if he recovers at all.

  There were supposed to be failsafe plans, though. There were supposed to be investments.

  But it was like Henry’s accident five months ago was the first domino in a long chain, ending in me, standing here, about to sell all of our precious things to the highest bidder.

  “It’s time.” Edward’s voice is soft, and he gives a nod to his staff members stationed around the room.

  Edward moves toward the front door. It’s a gorgeous June morning, warm and sunny, and I know how inviting the house will look from the outside. It’s too bad it doesn’t look like a haunted house. Maybe that would keep people away.

  No. I need people to come here, because my parents need a place to live. They need a place close to Mount Sinai that won’t be a complete embarrassment for them, and we need to defray the cost of Henry’s care. Somehow.

  As much as I hate standing here, I can’t leave it all up to them. Not when they’ve given me everything.

  The door bursts open as he’s reaching for the handle, and Edward jumps back out of the way. He’s still stumbling backward when a man in a fine blue suit—fine as hell and tailored to a lean, muscled body—strides in like he owns the place, scanning around like everything in the room already belongs to him and he’s ready to get his hands on it.

  I want my hands on him.

  My heart races like I heard a gunshot. Who is he?

  Then he pulls off his sunglasses and looks directly at me. Even from across the room, the silvery sheen of his piercing gray eyes is enough to set me on fire.

  Three people file in behind him and stand off his shoulders, like they’re waiting to attack the moment he gives the word.

  He grins, and it’s the cockiest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s also the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, and at the sight of that wicked smile on his chiseled face, a wave of heat rushes down my spine, centering between m
y legs. I can’t stop the blush from flooding my cheeks.

  Then he opens his mouth. “Am I early?” His voice is a deep, smooth rumble. God, he even sounds like some kind of sex lord. I catch myself leaning toward him, almost rising up on tiptoes, and pull myself back. What am I doing?

  “Right on time, sir.” Edward steps forward, extending his hand, and the man—this perfect man—shakes it without a second glance.

  He takes another step inside the house, toward me. “You’re the representative?”

  Being under his gaze is like staring into the surface of the sun, and I can’t get my mind to catch up with his words. “Me?”

  He laughs. It’s not kind, but it’s not exactly mocking, either. Pull it together, Ruby. Another rush of blood to my cheeks. It’s mortifying to be laughed at in your own house. Then he gives a slow nod. “You.”

  “Yes.” I draw myself up to my full height. “I’m Ruby Ashworth. I’m the representative.”

  “A hundred thousand.”

  His offer lands in the room between us and sends another sickening wave of embarrassment twisting through my gut. A hundred thousand? For everything my family has treasured for so long?

  I hate him. I hate him more than I’ve hated anyone.

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” I throw the words back at him.

  “For all of it. Everything in here, a hundred thousand.”

  I can’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. I can’t believe the insult. “You’re going to offer that—that pathetic sum, and you’re not even going to look at anything?”

  “I don’t have to.”

  “No. Not a chance. Never.”

  “All right.” My stomach turns over. “That’s your call. But I think you should have this.” The air heats up between us as he steps toward me, his movements sinuous and powerful underneath his suit. He stops a foot in front of me and holds out a card, black and shining, silver lettering on the front. It takes everything I have to reach for it. When it’s between my fingers, I look back up into his eyes. They’re locked on my face, and the lingering moment makes every cell in my body hum. “That’s my direct number. Private, unlisted, unavailable to everyone else. Do me a favor and don’t share it.”