Girl Meets Billionaire

by Brenna Aubrey et al.

  “Don’t hurry. I’m happy to see you here,” Maddie said.

  She shook hands with Ava, then crouched until she was level with the two boys.

  “And what might your names be? I’m Maddie.”

  Both of the boys looked up at Ava. She pushed a strand of her blonde hair away from her face before answering.

  “Seamus and Peter. They’re very shy.”

  “They’re twins?” Maddie asked with excitement, straightening up.

  I chuckled. “Not identical, but yes, twins. There’s a strong twin gene in our family.”

  “You must have your hands full all of the time,” Maddie said, looking between my cousin and his wife.

  “Oh, we’ve got two more at home. They’re with their grandparents,” Sebastian supplied. “Four in total. For now.”

  Ava snapped her head in his direction, eyes wide. “For now? Husband of mine, I think four will do.”

  I bit back a smile. “Don’t be so harsh on him, Ava. We come from big families.”

  Sebastian pulled her closer, kissing her temple. “I’m not worried. I always wear you down.”

  “He does,” Ava whispered conspiratorially to Maddie, then grinned. “I wish I could say otherwise, but when Sebastian wants something, boy oh boy, is my man persuasive. He even got me to agree to name this little one Seamus.”

  “Took me four kids to finally convince you to use the name,” Sebastian said. “Still, I did it.”

  Maddie was grinning at them. “Well, come on in.”

  We walked with them toward the bar. Midway, Seamus wiggled his hand free from Ava’s grip. He could barely keep his balance, but he broke into a run, as if determined to test his legs. Maddie ran after him, scooping him up in her arms before he pelted headfirst into a wall.

  “We’ve got this,” I assured Ava and Sebastian. “You two have a drink. We’ll bring Seamus back.”

  Maddie was talking in a soft voice when I approached them.

  “That’s a wall, little one. Hard and solid. Nothing good can come out of running into it, I promise. That’s an experience you can forgo.”

  She brought him right in front of the wall, putting his small hand on the surface.

  “See?”

  She’d be a great mother one day. Something stirred in me, and the longer I watched her, the stronger it grew. When she walked with him toward me, the vision of a family became all too real. Our family.

  “Seamus is adorable,” she informed me, kissing his forehead. “Pity I can’t keep him.”

  I almost asked, “Do you want to keep me?” But that was a conversation for another day. I didn’t want to put her on the spot on her birthday. Seamus was playing with her hair as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. I agreed with him. She was fascinating. And she had become the center of my world.

  “You know what? I’ll ask the restaurant to bring out the cake now, so these two angels see it too,” she said.

  “I’ll take care of that.” I kissed her lips, then headed to one of the servers, making arrangements. Fifteen minutes later, we all gathered around Maddie, singing “Happy Birthday.” When she blew out the candles, I made a wish of my own.

  The party went on until well after midnight, and I barely kept myself in check around Maddie. But the moment we were inside her house, I backed her against the nearest wall, kissing her temple, descending to her earlobe. I traced her jaw before finally settling at the corner of her mouth. She was shuddering in my arms, and I hadn’t even kissed her.

  “I’ve dreamed about doing this the entire day.” I kissed her bottom lip, biting gently in the center. Maddie pushed her thighs together.

  “You did?” Her voice was uncharacteristically small and shy. I wanted to erase her doubts.

  “Yes. You have no idea how often I think about you. I can’t get enough of you. You’re so precious to me. I don’t want to ever stop kissing you, to stop feeling everything you make me feel.”

  “Then don’t stop.”

  I’d never felt as close to her as I felt tonight, as if we were connected on every level. Our emotions were tied together; our bodies yearned to be united. I undid the ribbons on her back and pushed her dress down to her feet, kissing her skin. She was wearing a red lace thong and matching bra, with the clasp at the back. Turning her around, I unclasped her bra, then swiped my tongue along her spine, running my hands down her sides. Her skin erupted in goose bumps under my touch. I didn’t stop when I reached her ass. I ran my fingers down the red lace between her ass cheeks, then bunched the fabric between my fingers, tugged and let it go. A little snap resounded when it made contact with her skin.

  She shoved her hands against the wall, curling her fingers as if wanting to dig them in. The sight sent a zing of lust right through me. I instantly hardened. She had a perfect ass. Two round globes. I sank my teeth lightly in one, kneading the other in my hand.

  “Landon,” she gasped, clenching her thighs.

  “Turn around.” When she did, I smiled and rose until I was level with her breasts.

  Her nipples were already tight. I kissed around one, then the other, pushing a hand up her thigh. She parted her legs, giving me access. I cupped her pussy over her panties and rolled one nipple between my lips at the same time. She arched her hips, tugging at my hair.

  “Landon, please, I need your fingers inside me. Please. Now.”

  Smiling against her breasts, I slipped my fingers into her panties, sliding one inside her. I loved that she told me what she needed without my coaxing.

  She transformed into a wild thing right in front of my eyes. My Maddie. This side of her was just for me. She was made for me, and no one else. Her breathing became shallow as I slid the finger in and out, and she cried out my name when I slid in a second one. When I pressed the heel of my palm against her clit, she clenched around my fingers. My control snapped, replaced by a blind need for her.

  “I’m going to fuck you against this wall, Maddie.”

  Looking down, I saw she was already unbuttoning my pants, lowering my zipper. I kissed up her breasts, her neck, nipping at her skin. A wild desire to mark her hit me. To somehow leave an imprint on her. I wanted her sweetness, her passion, her pleasure. Her future.

  “Yes. Do it.”

  “And then I will carry you to bed and make love to you the entire night.”

  “Yes, do that too. I love your plans. You always have the best plans.”

  She shuddered slightly in my arms, looking up at me with wide, trusting eyes. I took out a condom, gloved up, and then touched her clit, watching her succumb to the sensation until she bucked her hips, riding my hand, taking her own pleasure.

  I lifted her by the ass and slid her onto me before she’d ridden out her orgasm. She cried my name, and my eyes nearly rolled into my head. She was so tight around me I couldn’t even breathe from the intensity of it.

  “You—oh this feels…. It’s different than before,” she murmured, moving an arm up my shoulder and around my neck.

  “It’s different every time,” I murmured back. Every time was more. More than I could say, more than I could admit. She pulled me closer to her, as if sensing how much I needed her warmth. Realizing the strength of our connection made my world tilt on its axis. I drove into her so wildly, I thought I’d split her in two, but I couldn’t hold back.

  With every thrust she clamped tighter around me, her breath came out shakier, her moans louder. I wanted this every night, every morning. Maddie owned me in every way possible.

  My balls tightened, heat zipping from them, spreading in my entire body. I was too close to the edge, and I wanted this to last longer. I wanted her to come again. Slowing down, I buried my head in her neck, inhaling deeply, moving my pelvis so I was pressing against her clit. She fisted my hair, her teeth grazing my shoulder.

  Pulling out of her, I carried her to the bedroom, laid her on the bed, and climbed on top of her. I loved her slowly, gently, needing this to last the entire night. When I came too close,
I stilled, leaning to kiss her shoulders, her arms.

  When she started clenching around me in quick, rhythmic spasms, energy coiled through my entire body. The muscles in my abdomen contracted, as if someone pulled a hook behind my navel. I exploded when she gasped out my name.

  I kept her tightly to me afterward, rocking her in my arms. She fell asleep quickly, but I was wide-awake. My mind was spinning, mapping out solutions so I could keep Maddie in my life. She was curled in a fetal position across the bed, facing me and using my chest as a pillow. Even sleeping, she had a wide, satisfied smile. Knowing I was responsible for that happiness made me feel whole. A strand of hair fell over her face, and she scrunched up her nose. I quickly pushed it away so the tickling wouldn’t wake her.

  “I didn’t think I could fall in love again, Maddie. But you made me fall for you. I love you, sweetness.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Landon

  The next day started bad enough, with the worst traffic jam I’d experienced since returning to LA.

  It turned even worse when Adam called. I typically didn’t like talking on the phone in a cab, but it looked like I’d be stuck in traffic for a while longer. Better put the time to good use.

  “Finally figured out what Sullivan’s been up to,” Adam said the second I picked up. “He’s been talking to our board, convincing them to sell.”

  My mind went blank as the full meaning of his words hit me.

  “What? He doesn’t have the funds to buy us out. Our company’s valuation is larger than his.”

  “Yes, but he’s been in talks with a private equity fund to come up with the rest of the cash. I did some digging. Apparently, they approached him after you left for LA.”

  That bastard! I forced my temper under control. I needed my head cool.

  “How did you find out?” I asked.

  “Bowman came forward today, told me about Sullivan’s proposal. Very generous.”

  Bowman was the head of our board.

  “Let me guess. They’re in favor of selling?”

  “Yes. You know they’ve wanted you to sell the company for some time. We reached a peak two years ago, and you don’t want to do an IPO. They only agreed to wait because you promised the cooperation with Sullivan.”

  I felt the ground sliding from beneath my feet. He was 100 percent right. If Sullivan could convince the board to sell, they could force me to do so, even if I was the CEO and owned 49 percent. The role of the board was to protect the interest of stakeholders. I was one of those stakeholders; the investors who held the other 51 percent made up the rest.

  “The board isn’t happy that you’ve been away for so long. They doubt your commitment to the company.”

  “I’ve given the company everything for years. Now I take a few weeks for my family and suddenly they doubt my commitment? This is just an excuse. They’ve been nagging me to sell for two years.”

  I undid the top button of my shirt, but that didn’t make breathing any easier.

  “I can’t believe we didn’t get wind of this until now.”

  Adam cursed. “Sullivan is sly, I’ll give him that. I didn’t even know he was talking to the board outside our meetings.”

  My absence had simplified everything.

  “I’ve called an emergency meeting with the board, but you have to be here, Landon. You’re the only one who can convince them that selling isn’t the only option.”

  “I know.” I pressed my free palm against my temple. A dull ache was forming there. “What time is the meeting?”

  “Six o’clock.”

  “Okay. I’ll whip up a plan and call you later.”

  I called Hailey next, explaining everything. I hated that the situation had escalated so far out of my control.

  “This is insane. But Adam’s right. You need to confront your board and convince them. I like Adam, but he doesn’t have your charisma, your charm. It’s good that he knows that. I can handle things here, and Val’s cast comes off in a few days. You do what you have to do. If we can help in any way, just say the word.”

  Maddie

  I arrived at the school later than usual. Damn traffic. My boys hadn’t arrived yet. None of their trucks was in front of the gate, but I did see a cab. Was the principal paying us a visit? She did say she’d like to check on our progress this week.

  I slipped through the gates, intending to go straight inside the school building, but came to a halt when I saw Landon pacing near the corner where I’d been storing supplies.

  I hurried to him, my insides coiling with dread. “What are you doing here? Is Val okay?”

  “Nothing happened to Val. I came here to see you. I received a call from Adam this morning.”

  He rattled off terms like “sale,” “hostile takeover,” and “board.” Panic rose in my throat. My spine stiffened. “How can they take your company away from you? It’s yours.”

  “Forty-nine percent is mine. The rest belongs to other investors. The board acts in the interest of all stakeholders, so if they think it’s in the stakeholders’ best interest to sell the company, they can overpower me.”

  “Forcing you to sell?”

  “Essentially, yes.”

  I covered my mouth with both hands. “So what can you do?”

  “Talk to the board myself, convince them otherwise. They didn’t like that I was gone so long. I have to head back.”

  “You’re leaving right now?” My brain short-circuited. “Oh, no! But I had this big goodbye dinner planned. I mean, of course you have to go talk to your board.”

  Landon set his jaw, rolling back his shoulders. “You’d arranged a goodbye dinner?”

  “Of course. Oh, Landon. I’m so not prepared for this. Obviously I knew we only had a limited time, but God, that goodbye dinner was going to be epic.”

  I was rambling. I didn’t know what to say, except that I had to keep talking. I was afraid I’d cry otherwise. I’d planned to talk to him about our options during that dinner. I searched his expression for any sign that he didn’t want this to be over, that he wished for us to work to stay together. He said nothing. In all fairness, he had more important things on his mind now, like saving his company.

  “When is your flight?” I asked.

  “I haven’t looked, but I’m heading straight to the airport, hopping on the first flight.”

  I retrieved my phone from my back pocket and pulled up a browser, searching for flights. I needed to concentrate on a task, any task, and I was glad for the excuse not to look straight at him.

  “Okay, so there is a flight in one hour, but you won’t even make it to LAX until then. The other leaves in three hours. Do you want me to book a ticket for you?”

  He cleared his throat, and I peeked up. His brows were knitted together. I couldn’t read his expression.

  “I’ll buy it straight at the airport.”

  “Okay.” I shoved the phone back in my pocket and crossed my arms over my chest. “Good luck. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Wear your best cuff links.” My heartbeat was thundering in my ears now. I wondered if Landon could hear it too.

  “I don’t think that’ll have much of an effect. I wear them too often.”

  “Nah, no one’s immune to them, trust me.”

  I mustered up a smile, and Landon rewarded me with one of his own, even if it was strained. I couldn’t imagine mine looked any better. A loud honking sound startled me.

  “That cab in front is for you?” I asked, just now remembering it.

  He nodded. “Yeah. I wanted to wait and talk to you first, face-to-face. I didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

  “Thanks. Well, don’t leave him waiting longer. And good luck.”

  Damn it, Maddie! You already wished him good luck. My brain was running in a loop.

  He stepped forward, kissing my cheek. My cheek! That was it? After everything, we ended with a kiss on the cheek?

  I wanted to wrap my arms around him, tell him everything would be all
right, that he’d get to keep his company. But I was too frozen to do more than return his chaste peck.

  I walked him to the cab, my legs feeling like they belonged to someone else. As he climbed in the back seat, I barely caught myself before wishing him good luck a third time.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Landon

  Just before I boarded the plane, Adam sent me all the details on the buying offer. I read the entire document during the flight, but I couldn’t concentrate. My mind was on Maddie. I hadn’t waited for her to say goodbye. I’d waited because I was looking for a reason to fight for us. Instead she talked about goodbye dinners, and how she’d known we had limited time together.

  Had our closeness been just wishful thinking on my part? I’d imagined a future with her, a family—all those things I hadn’t let myself wish for anymore. My chest ached at the realization that I’d been alone in wanting all those things.

  As the plane started the descent, I tried to push away all thoughts of Maddie. Hard as this was, I had to focus.

  After landing, I went directly to the office. I knew the board could move fast when it wanted to. Entering the building through the garage, I went directly to the private elevator that led up to my office. As I strode through the corridor, anger simmered through me. This was my company. My building.

  Voices reached my ears as I approached the meeting room. I hovered a few seconds in front of the door, attempting to cool down. It didn’t work. My anger had wired into a nasty headache. When I pushed the door open, the buzz died almost instantly.

  “Landon, you made it,” Bowman, the chairman of the board, said. His tone clearly conveyed that he’d hoped I wouldn’t.

  “Yes. Yes, I did.” I surveyed the room, my gaze lingering on each of the twelve board members. Adam and I had agreed that he wouldn’t attend this meeting. “Don’t look so disappointed. When someone threatens my company, I don’t waste any time.”

  “We weren’t—” Bowman begins, but I held up one hand and he fell silent.

  “Let’s not pretend. It will make this much quicker.” I took my seat at the head of the table.