Billionaires Next Door : A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by J. P. Comeau

  Finally, I walked her out to my BMW convertible, and helped her in, carefully fastening her seat belt. As we drove through the streets of River Valley with the top down, I looked over at her and realized that she was even prettier than I’d remembered. The way the wind was blowing her hair reminded me that Crystal definitely was a person with a free-spirit.

  She threw her hands up in the air and giggled, which was the happiest I had seen her since our accident. “Keep your eyes on the road, buddy. I wouldn’t want you to hit another innocent woman’s car.” Then suddenly, she let out a scream, “What about the gender reveal? Take me back! I’m missing the big surprise.”

  “Crystal, you can find out tomorrow, remember? You need to get home and get some rest.”

  “Oh, okay, that’s right,” she huffed.

  Once we got to her apartment, I took her hand and walked her upstairs. Crystal had a hard time balancing herself and had to rely on both my hand and the wall for support.

  After fumbling in her purse for her keys, Crystal opened the door and staggered into her apartment. “I’m okay! Please, come in and make yourself at home.”

  “For goodness sake, Crystal. Here, take my hand.”

  When I steadied her, she turned to face me. “Thank you for helping me inside.”

  “Something tells me that if I hadn’t, you’d end up sleeping in the stairway.”

  Crystal rolled her eyes and headed toward her kitchen, where she proceeded to pull out two wine glasses. “Look, maybe I was a little too harsh on you for what was a minor fender-bender. So, I want to make it up to you. Would you like an ‘I’m sorry’ drink?”

  I was thankful that she was starting to come around and loosen up a bit. “Sure, I’d love one.”

  Crystal sat next to me on the couch and handed me a glass of wine. “You’re probably wondering how someone like me ended up at a Truman party.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  She rolled her eyes and chugged all of her wine, then poured herself another glass. “Oh please. Just look at me. Do these look like designer clothes?”

  “Don’t be silly. This outfit is a million times better than what I saw at that party tonight.”

  “Of course, you would know, seeing as how you work with the Truman’s. They are all billionaires.”

  The last thing I wanted her to think was that I was an arrogant, rich prick. “They may have a lot of money, but they’re good people.”

  “Oh, I know. I’ve been best friends with Annie ever since we were little girls, and I work with her at her yoga studio below this tiny ass apartment. The Truman’s who live here in River Valley are down to earth. That’s why Annie and I have remained friends after she married Richard. And well… I love working for her.”

  “I was wondering if you worked at that studio since you live right upstairs. Is that what you went to school for?”

  She was starting to relax even more. “I went to school in Hawaii for holistic medicine.”

  “You’re kidding? That’s one of my favorite places to visit! Beautiful sandy beaches, excellent food, and you can’t beat the ocean views.”

  Her eyes lit up as she proceeded to tell me more. “I miss it so much, Gavin. Every morning I could have breakfast outside while watching the sunrise, practice yoga in my backyard, and I had a kitchen that was big enough for more than one person!”

  As soon as she was done speaking, she leaned forward and accidentally slipped gracefully onto the floor.

  “Are you alright?”

  Crystal giggled for several minutes, and as she lay looking up at me, she went from looking pretty to becoming the hottest woman I’d ever seen.

  She propped herself up on her elbows, allowing me a wonderful peek of the cleavage appearing from under her blouse. “I’m fine! As I was saying, I loved and missed Hawaii.”

  “Well, at least you get to work with your best friend now.”

  “That’s true, although my goal is to one day own a holistic practitioner’s office. It’ll be the only one in town too, and I can even sell Annie’s line of products.”

  Richard had mentioned that Annie sold nutritional food. “I believe she sells protein bars, right?”

  Crystal tried to stand up but found it was easier to stay on the floor. “Protein bars, protein shakes, protein snack cakes, and the list goes on. They’re delicious, too. Although nothing is as delicious as this wine.”

  “I think you’ve had enough alcohol for the evening.”

  She put her hands on the table and tried to stand up once more, only to topple and fall right on top of a stack of pillows against the wall. “Maybe you’re right.”

  I walked over to her and couldn’t help but notice how hot she looked lying on top of those pillows with her legs splayed open a bit, and the way her soft, delicate breasts continued to bounce a bit as she accepted defeat to the alcohol.

  I got down on my knees right in front of her and extended my hand. “You know, for a yoga instructor, you seem to be having trouble with your balance.”

  Crystal grabbed my hand and tugged until I almost fell on top of her. “Can’t you take a hint?” she giggled and positioned herself perfectly until our lips interlocked. Our breathing intensified as we kissed, and I immediately got on top of her. She ran her hands through my hair, and I did the same to hers, pulling her closer to me while feeling my erection growing larger.

  She got on her knees and pushed me onto my back, and I watched with anticipation as she pulled off her blouse and exposed her breasts to me. My hands began squeezing each one, appreciating how soft and delicate they were despite the nipples getting harder with every touch of my fingers. She wrapped her hand around my neck and pulled me in closer, forcing me to suck on her hardening nipples.

  As she was doing this, she used her other hand to reach underneath my shirt and unzip my trousers. My erection protruded from the gap in my boxers, allowing myself to enter her as she slid her panties to the side and lowered herself.

  Crystal rode my shaft right there in her living room, and with every squeeze of her pussy around my cock, I felt her pulling me closer and closer to the edge. Each time she did that, it was like she knew she was in complete control and would immediately slow her rhythm.

  I couldn’t take her being in control anymore, so I flipped her onto all fours and got behind her. Without saying a word, she arched her back, and I was once again inside her. My hands lifted her skirt, and with one quick rip, the panties tore away exposing her glistening folds. As I continued to pound her from behind, I used my hands to rip her skirt completely from around her waist.

  After a few minutes, Crystal turned around and spread her legs apart, and I was impressed that she did so without my erection sliding out of her body.

  I pressed my chest against her breasts, and the feeling of her hard nipples against my washboard abs caused me to pound her as hard as I could. No words were spoken as we continued to fuck each other, working hard to satisfy our combined desire. The only sound was the slapping of flesh against flesh and our hot, intense panting.

  When I felt myself on the brink of a climax, Crystal tilted her head back and let out a moan so loud that I was sure anyone outside could have heard. I felt her orgasm squirt all over my cock which made me pump even harder.

  As I was about to orgasm, Crystal pulled me in for an even more intense kiss. We made out as I unleashed my love juices deep inside her, and she knew just what to do with her hips to heighten my pleasure.

  When we were done, I rolled over, and we laid on the floor next to each other, just trying to catch our breath.

  Then Crystal moved closer to me and rested her head on my chest. “That was…intense.”

  I kissed the top of her head, inhaling her intoxicating scent. “I’d have to agree with you.”

  Crystal looked over at her blouse, panties and skirt, two of which were torn and crumpled in a pile on the floor. “So, in addition to a new car, you now owe me some new clothes.”

  Just as Cry
stal was falling asleep against my chest, her phone dinged in her purse. Her eyes shot open. “Gavin, will you get my phone for me, pleaseee. I bet it’s Annie.”

  I did as she asked and handed it to her. Crystal grabbed the phone and squealed, “Annie and Richard are having a boy, and so are Julianna and Jake,” before dropping the phone to the floor and falling back into my arms.

  7

  _____

  CRYSTAL

  I woke up the next morning, staring at the wall with a pounding headache. It felt like someone was inside my head, hitting my brain over and over with a hammer as I begged them to stop. So I closed my eyes again and pulled the covers up over my face to shut out the sunshine. But my head hurt so badly I couldn’t go back to sleep. I realized I’d have to spend the day nursing my hangover with water and pain killers, the latter of which I should have taken before falling asleep. That was a trick that my mother had taught me.

  I was too exhausted from having sex to get out of bed and walk to the medicine cabinet, though.

  Gavin and I had slept together, and it was some of the best sex of my life. The way we took turns being in control made me believe that we were made for each other. Whenever I had sex with other guys, it was just the two of us switching positions until we each had an orgasm. It wasn’t that way with Gavin, thank goodness.

  His hands felt like they were supposed to be touching my body, and his cock had been much bigger than I anticipated. Maybe it was because he came off a bit geeky, but I was expecting half the size of what he had. The fact that he knew how to use it was a bonus. I had only been with one other man who was about the same size, and all he did was lie on his back while I did the work.

  Despite flirting with Gavin all night at the Truman baby shower, I hadn’t expected to have sex with him. That was just how I handled awkward situations: drink your nerves away and then flirt until you can’t stand up anymore.

  It wasn’t until he was upstairs in my apartment that I had decided to forgive him for hitting my car. I kept telling myself that all he wanted was to get in my pants, but as he stood over me on the floor, I realized that he was taking care of me. Gavin wasn’t a man who was looking for an easy way to get me to have sex.

  All he wanted to do was make sure I made it into bed safely.

  If Gavin had been the asshole I made him out to be, he would have used that opportunity to seduce me. Yet, I was the one who initiated sex after blabbering about my plans to have a holistic medical practice one day. Any other man would have made his way out the door, irritated that he wasn’t getting laid.

  Gavin had stayed and listened to me, showing a genuine interest in my career. Most guys didn’t even want to know my last name. Now, all that reflection made me excited to cuddle with him.

  When I rolled over in bed, he was gone!

  Suddenly, I immediately regretted all of my choices from the night before.

  Of course, he had left while I was still sleeping, because that’s what guys do after a one-night stand. The whole thing had been a joke to him, and I bet he’d tell Richard all about it at the office. They would joke about how he had pretended to be interested in me just to have sex, and then slipped out the door before the inevitable ‘so are we going to become a couple’ conversation. I rolled back over and punched my pillows, angry at myself for letting my guard down yet again.

  Deciding that I was done with men, I stood up and got my shit together. My mother may have raised me to be kind, but she also reminded me that you needed a thick skin to survive in this world.

  That’s when I noticed a note on my coffee table. It was right next to the empty bottle of wine and wine glasses.

  Crystal,

  I would have loved to sleep in with you, but I have an important business meeting this morning. I’m having something dropped off later, and since I’m sure you threw away my business card after your hissy fit, here’s my number. You better text me!

  -Gavin

  I felt like the asshole. If Gavin didn’t want anything to do with me ever again, he wouldn’t have left a note at all.

  I was curious as to what he’d be sending over too, and as I looked over at my ripped panties and skirt, I hoped that it would be new clothes. I was in no financial position to go shopping. “It’s probably flowers. Gavin seems like a guy that would send a gal flowers the morning after having sex for the first time,” I told myself.

  I had to admit, Gavin had been a breath of fresh air in my long line of dating losers, not that he and I were dating. Most guys I’d been with were all about themselves, talking about how much money they made and how they had plans to climb the corporate ladder. Gavin didn’t come off that way, though. He spent most of the night listening to me talk about myself, and even when he had the opportunity, he still didn’t try to initiate sex. Plus, it was refreshing not to have to beg for attention from a guy. However, I could see why Annie and Julianna found him to be a bit awkward.

  Something told me that he hadn’t spent a lot of time around women, or even people his age. Richard was much older than he was, and yet they were best friends. From what little he spoke of himself, he appeared to be quite intelligent. More so than the average man his age.

  Maybe I’d find out why he was so awkward over time.

  I heard my phone go off, and I ransacked the living room, trying to find it. “Hello?”

  My heartbeat intensified when I realized that it was my attorney. “Crystal, did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “No, not at all! You can call me anytime. Do you have an update on my case?”

  The long pause was a bad sign. “No, no update. I’m sorry. I just wanted to touch base and let you know that we’re still working on arranging communication. It wouldn’t be difficult if your uncle hadn’t lived in Moldova. I’ll tell you something, dealing with international lawyers is frustrating.”

  “I see. Is there anything I can do to help out?”

  “No, Crystal, not at the moment. Right now, we’re still trying to get in contact with your uncle’s attorneys. This is the first time that we’ve ever had to deal with Moldova, although I hear it’s a beautiful country.”

  “I’m sure it is. Otherwise, my Uncle Michael would have stayed in America, I suppose.”

  “That would have been better for you, too. If your uncle had lived here in the United States, I know you’d have your funds by now. We also have to talk about the stipulations, but that’ll happen once we deal with the international legalities of settling the estate.”

  Uncle Michael and I met a handful of times when I was a child, but I didn’t remember much about him other than, as far as I knew, he had never been married. And he was always very kind to Mom and me. I didn’t even know how often he had contacted her after moving out of the states.

  “I hope this happens sooner rather than later. I need the settlement so I can move forward with my life. Not that it would matter to you, I’m just venting. Sorry.”

  “Please don’t apologize, Crystal. Your uncle left you a significant amount of money, and I promise that one way or another, you’ll get what is coming to you.”

  “Okay, I trust you. Thank you for checking in with me.”

  I hung up the phone, flung it back onto the couch, and decided to make some coffee. I didn’t want to have another pity party, and that’s what would happen if I didn’t pull myself together. I just couldn’t believe that the settlement was taking so long.

  Part of me felt guilty about wanting the money. It suggested that I was benefiting from my mother’s death when the truth was that I’d rather spend the rest of my life paying off student loans if it meant she’d still be with me. Maybe if she had told me about her cancer sooner, I could have helped her. I could have researched holistic approaches to beating cancer instead of that painful chemotherapy. Or I could have taken her to the cancer center in San Fransisco known for their amazing care.

  As I poured myself a cup of coffee, I looked at the stack of bills on my kitchen counter. That seemed to be all th
at ever came in the mail anymore. I felt like I was drowning and the only life raft was floating just out of my reach.

  Perhaps the most enraging part was being surrounded by so many wealthy people at the Truman party. I bet none of them had ever had a financial hardship. Most of them were born into money and used it to get ahead in business or to help them meet influential people. I had overheard the wives complaining about their maids, their husbands were always gone, and not having enough to keep them busy during the day.

  I shook my head, trying to rid myself from the negative thoughts. “Stop! You’re becoming a hater, Crystal. Go take a shower and get a grip,” I whispered to myself.

  Moments later, I twisted the knob on the shower until steam was billowing from the showerhead. Stepping inside, I tried to wash all unfair and negative thoughts out of my brain — along with my headache.

  As soon as I grabbed my towel, I heard a knock at my door. “Hold on one second!”

  I threw on my nearest pair of jeans and a shirt. When I opened the door a man holding a set of keys said, “Hello ma’am. Is your name Crystal?”

  I nodded.

  “Then these are for you.”

  I stared at the keys as he placed them into my palm. “I didn’t order any keys, sir.”

  “They’re to your new sports car, ma’am. It’s right outside. Follow me.”

  “Oh, my, God.” I screamed. “Where did this come from… Gavin Tillery?”

  He winked. “I promised not to tell.”

  Sitting right in front of my apartment was a cherry red sports car. I didn’t know the name of it, but the wording looked European. The chrome rims alone appeared to be worth more than my Honda.

  “May I show you how to work all the features, ma’am?”

  “Yes, how do you start it?”

  After about an hour, I watched the sales associate drive away, and ran my hands along the sleek exterior. The inside had black leather, and there was one of those Bluetooth radios that I had always wanted.

  My old car still had a CD player.

  I hit the button on the keys, and the car made a beeping sound, so I assumed that I had set the alarm.