Billionaires Next Door : A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by J. P. Comeau

  I wasn’t prepared for Crystal to have another climax, too.

  As soon as I released myself inside of her body, Crystal’s head flung back, and she let out a loud moan, even louder than the night before. Our love juices became one as I continued to thrust, and her hips gyrated, and just as we had at her apartment, we rolled over with exhaustion when we were done. My hands found her body and pulled her closer.

  Crystal curled up against me. I lifted the spread off the table next to us and covered both of our naked bodies as we laid there underneath the stars. I didn’t want to ruin the moment by talking, but something had been eating at me ever since we were at dinner.

  "I know I tend to jump at things that make me happy, and it might seem soon, but I'd like to keep seeing you. On a regular basis.”

  She leaned back on her elbows and smiled at me. The way the moonlight shone on her face made her appear even more beautiful than before, especially since she had that after-sex glow. I brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and gave her another passionate kiss.

  “I’d like to keep seeing you too, Gavin.”

  I needed to make sure she knew it wouldn’t just be the occasional hookup. “On a regular basis?”

  “Yes, Gavin,” she replied with a chuckle. “On a regular basis.”

  11

  _____

  CRYSTAL

  The free yoga session was going quite well. I stood off to the side, wearing my black yoga pants and a hot pink top, casually observing everyone in case they needed help. Annie thought it’d be a good idea to have a few hours every Monday for students to come in and practice on their own, free of charge, while occasionally getting help from an instructor.

  The goal was to get a few of them to sign up for actual classes, and so far, it had been a successful program. Ever since she had started the class, over half of the people attending ended up paying for professional lessons.

  As I was keeping an eye on a woman attempting to do a handstand, Annie walked in, eating a bag of pita chips. It wasn’t like her to eat and walk at the same time. She had always been a firm believer that you should sit down and enjoy your meal, but that went out the window once she became pregnant. The other day, I had even caught her eating a fast-food cheeseburger right before teaching her pregnancy yoga class.

  Her belly seemed to be getting bigger every time I saw her too, although she still had quite a ways to go before her due date. Still, she loved to put her hand on it from time to time. She also loved to talk to her belly. Annie believed that despite being early in her pregnancy, her son could hear everything that she was saying.

  She was going to be an amazing mother.

  Annie pulled up a chair and sat down next to me. “I swear to God, Crystal, I am always hungry. My stomach growled so loudly this morning that it woke Richard up. I ate a stack of pancakes, several strips of bacon, toast with butter, and now I can’t stop eating pita chips. This baby is going to make me put on so much weight, but I am starving!”

  She had always been on the slender side, though. “You and I both know that you won’t gain any weight. As soon as you push that kid out, you’ll go right back to your perfect body.”

  Annie tilted her head back and swallowed all of the crumbs. “I sure hope so, Crystal, but I also hope that I won’t be as hungry. All I think about is food, and the baby does not like any of my protein bars. I had my birthday cake flavored one yesterday morning and had to run to the bathroom before puking all over poor Richard. I’m a little bummed, to be honest with you. I worked so hard on that flavor!”

  I found her frustration quite amusing. “You seriously can’t be upset with the baby over a protein bar, Annie! You know they’re an acquired taste.”

  “Birthday cake is one of the most popular flavors for anything these days. Ice cream, cookies, donuts, and I’ve even seen it in cereal form. This baby better not grow up to be weird.”

  I giggled, “Even I love birthday cake. So, I’m sure the baby will love cake too, Annie. Relax.”

  Annie smiled and let out a sigh. “Yeah, you are kind of weird.”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “You know I’m kidding. Anyway, I’m trying to relax, but I cannot believe how easily I get nauseous. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”

  “You’ve never been pregnant before, either.”

  She waved her hand in the air while digging into her purse for another bag of pita chips. “I’m fine. At least I don’t have it all the time like some women who are nauseous throughout their whole pregnancy. It just happens to me all of a sudden. Then, poof it’s gone, and I feel fine…very odd.”

  The thought of puking for nine months was enough to make me never want to get pregnant. “I’ve heard about how some women suffer the whole time. No, thank you!”

  Annie tore into another bag of pita chips and nodded toward the parking lot. “Anyway, some jerk parked his car in your reserved spot. I don’t understand some of these people. It says ‘RESERVED’ in huge letters, but I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s one of those foreign sports cars. Probably some guy who was going through a mid-life crisis.”

  “That’s my new car, Annie! Gavin got it for me. Remember how he said he’d buy me a car because he hit mine?”

  Annie crumpled her bag of pita chips. “Shut up! Promise it’s really true. Isn’t that a Lamborghini? Dear God, Crystal, that’s amazing! A Lamborghini, oh, my, God. This is like something out of a fairy tale.” She ran to the window to look at it again. “It’s beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one up close. So tell me, are you going to go out with him?”

  I started to open my mouth to answer, but Annie could tell by the look on my face. “You sly dog, you already have! You’ve been holding out. Tell me all about it!”

  I pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. “Well, it all started after the baby shower. He drove me back to my place, and I invited him inside for a drink. One thing lead to another, and, well, we had some damn good sex!”

  “I knew it! I just knew it! You were acting so bitchy the whole time you were at the shower, then when you got him alone… bingo.” Annie howled with laughter. “Good for you.”

  “Was I really that awful at the party?”

  “I didn’t exaggerate one bit.”

  “Uhhh… So, yeah, we had sex, and Gavin spent the night. He was gone in the morning… something about a business meeting.”

  Annie went back to eating her pita chips. “The Truman’s are always working, sweetie. If you two get serious, you’ll have to get used to it.”

  “So after I get up, I find a note he left for me on the coffee table and his number. It also said that he’d be sending me something later on that morning, and within an hour there was a knock at my door. Next thing I knew, some guy is handing me the keys to a red sports car.”

  Annie’s eyes bugged out with enthusiasm. “This really is something like out of a romance novel. Keep going!”

  “Okay, so, well…along with the keys, he attached a note stating that he wanted to have dinner with me Saturday night. He picked me up at eight, and we went to the Italian restaurant that Julianna is always raving about.”

  Annie clutched her hand to her heart. “Oh, yeah, she loves that place. Okay, keep going. I want more!”

  I was just about to tell her about the garden part, but I decided to keep that a secret.

  “Well, he showed me all around his mansion. Did you know that he practices yoga and even has a zen garden?”

  “Shut up, again! Why didn’t Richard tell me he practices yoga? You two could have gotten together a long time ago!”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “That’s alright. Maybe Richard doesn’t even know that he’s into yoga. You know how men are about coming across as being in touch with their feminine side.”

  “Yeah, and…”

  “Well, he said that he wants to keep seeing me regularly. I’ll be honest. I was nervous at first. With everything going on in my personal life, you know the who
le mess with my mother’s estate, I don’t know if I’m ready to be in a committed relationship. I’m going into it with an open mind, just to be safe. Maybe it’ll be a short-term fling, or perhaps it’ll last longer. It’s really too soon to tell. We’ve only been seeing each other for a few days, you know.”

  “I think that’s wonderful, Crystal. You deserve to be happy and with a good guy, and we wouldn’t have set you up with him if we didn’t think he was the real deal.”

  “Thank you, Annie. I was reserved at first, but I’m glad it worked out this way. And to think that it all happened because Jake and Richard wanted to attend your baby shower and gender reveal!”

  Annie hugged me and then went back to eating her pita chips. “I hope I have some of these in my desk.”

  The chime over the front door jingled, and both of us looked up to find Julianna walking in. I ran toward her, saying ‘excuse me’ to people who were busy holding their yoga poses along the way. As soon as I got to her, I hugged her neck, “Congratulations on the baby boy. I’m sorry I didn’t call you over the weekend. I was kind of busy.”

  “No worries. I came over to see your new Lamborghini. I heard about it through the grapevine, better known as Jake.”

  By now, Annie had joined us, holding a bottle of water in one hand and hugging her sister with the other. “And that’s not all. Crystal, tell Julianna the good news.”

  Julianna listened with wide eyes as I told her the same story I had just told Annie about Gavin and me, but I decided to add a little more. These two women had worked hard to set us up, even though I had resisted at first. I wanted their advice about the car. I still wasn’t comfortable about keeping it, especially with it parked out front of Annie’s studio.

  “Let’s go into Annie’s office so you two can sit down.”

  “I’ll second that,” Annie said.

  The two sisters shared a small box of raisins Julianna pulled from her bag, listening closely.

  “Look, Gavin was just trying to prove to me he was a man of his word. I appreciate that, but this is definitely overkill.”

  “Maybe not to him,” Julianna piped up.

  “Let me finish. Really, I don’t even know how to drive a sports car like that. It’s just too over the top for me. You know, a yoga teacher looks out of place, driving around River Valley in a Lamborghini.”

  “Who cares? Most women would die to be in your place, Crystal,” Annie said.

  Julianna rubbed her belly. “I have an idea.”

  “Tell me. I need help with this.”

  “You haven’t known the Trumans, and Gavin as long as I have. I’ve known Jake since high school, remember?”

  “Yeah, and…”

  “Those boys love their cars, and Gavin is just as bad. You said he drove the car when you went out to dinner.”

  “Yesterday too, when we went for a ride. He tried to show me how to shift gears.”

  “My point is, I suspect Gavin loves that car more than you ever will, so don’t force the issue about giving it back,” Julianna advised.

  “Well, what am I going to do? It can’t sit outside here. Someone will eventually vandalize it, or the paint will fade in the sun.”

  Annie nodded. “That’s right.”

  “I suggest that you suggest to Gavin that you changed your mind. You love the car so much you want him to keep it in his garage with the other ones he collects. That way he can teach you how to drive it slowly over time until you feel comfortable, and it will be in a safe place. What do you say?” Julianna asked.

  Annie and I both clapped our hands and laughed.

  “I think that sounds perfect. I knew you two would come up with something.” I got up and gave them both a high-five. “Thank you, ladies.”

  “Well, this stuff about the car really wasn’t my idea,” Annie giggled, “but Julianna and I actually wanted to talk about something a bit more serious with you this afternoon. That’s the real reason she stopped by.”

  “What? What have I done now?”

  Annie got up to get her sister and me a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Julianna and I know that you don’t like to talk about your mother and the business with her estate. But let’s face it, you haven’t even started to clean out your mother’s house and go through her belongings. It’s been six months now, Crystal.”

  “Yes, yes, I know. I have to start moving on with my life. I just miss Mom so much. And as you know, my finances are in a mess.”

  Annie cleared her throat. “We can’t do much to help you ourselves right now since we are pregnant, but I’ve asked Maggie, my maid, if she would mind helping you go through your mom’s clothes and personal items… you know, box them up. That way it will make it easier on you.”

  Julianna nodded and explained more. “I know you have told us it’s about to go into foreclosure, so the bank will want to put it on the market as soon as possible. Also, Richard and Jake have offered to pay for a handyman to fix it up a bit, too.”

  I think they thought I would start crying or something, but I didn’t. Instead, I hugged them both as tightly as I could for the second time this afternoon. Actually, I almost felt giddy. My best friends had found Gavin for me and now they were going to help with Mom’s estate too. God only knew how long it would take to get the settlement from my uncle that I needed to fix Mom’s house up enough to make it sellable. And I wasn’t sure if the bank would demand I pay some sort of a fee for the needed repairs.

  We must have gossiped and giggled for an hour before Julianna jumped up, glancing at her watch. “Whoa, it’s about time for me to head home. Jude will be getting up from his nap soon, and Jake has a meeting this evening.”

  “And Caley will be coming home from school soon, too, won’t she?” Annie added.

  “Yes, yes, she will. I need to get going, ladies.”

  As I watched Julianna leave and Annie tend to a student, I realized that I hadn’t felt this happy in such a long time. Even though I was still dealing with settling my mom’s estate, at least other parts of my life were starting to come together. I couldn’t wait to suggest to Gavin he move the car to his place, and watch him grin from ear to ear.

  12

  _____

  GAVIN

  ONE MONTH LATER

  After hopping into the Lamborghini, I backed it out of my garage on my way to pick up Crystal. I had to admit, when she suggested we keep her new car here at my mansion, I was thrilled.

  Looking back, I hadn’t thought things through when I jumped to the conclusion that she would fall in love with the car. Most women I had come into contact with in the past would have died for a car like this. Subconsciously, I must have hoped that I would get to teach her how to drive it. Anyway, I was glad how things were working out between us.

  The past few weeks had been a blast. Between seeing Crystal as often as possible and watching Richard prepare to have another child, life was going in the right direction. Julianna was hosting a chili dinner at their home tonight. There was no special occasion, which was fine by me. I was always looking for an excuse to enjoy a big bowl of chili, especially if Julianna was the cook. I had experienced her homemade meals over the last few years, and I was beginning to see why Jake had made her his wife.

  When Crystal and I walked into the kitchen, I couldn’t help but to compare the two women. Julianna and Annie were about the same size at that point, with both of their bellies getting bigger with every passing month. Maybe it was because Annie had always been a bit more slender, even though they had gotten pregnant around the same time, Julianna’s belly had always been a bit bigger. For a brief moment, I couldn’t help but wonder how adorable Crystal would look pregnant with our child.

  The thought left my mind just as soon as it entered it, though.

  The table was full of family and friends. Not only did they invite Crystal and me, but Jake had asked his long time friend, Hillard, who was up from San Diego for a visit to join us. Seeing as how he had more than one girlfriend, however, Jake
made it clear that he wasn’t allowed to bring a date. Hillard was a fun guy, and a hard worker, but he was known to be quite the womanizer.

  I guess, since Crystal and I weren’t married or engaged, he thought she was fair game, or maybe it was just habit. I didn’t know. But when I caught him eyeing her up and down, I had to warn him, “Look, dude, you don’t have a chance with Crystal, so give it a rest.”

  He still winked at her, though, and I was relieved when Crystal looped her arm around my waist and whispered, “You don’t have anything to be jealous about. You know that, don’t you?”

  It wasn’t long before Jake walked over and quietly said something to his friend, and they walked outside together. After that, no one saw Hillard again that evening.

  The next thing I knew, we were seated around Julianna’s massive dining room table with the kids seated next to their parents. Mrs. Truman was playing the loving grandmother to Jude as he kicked his feet and banged this spoon against the high chair tray. I chuckled when Caley and Addison gave their moms pouty looks when they were asked to put their phones away before being served.

  About halfway through the meal, I clinked my glass with my knife and stood. “If I could have everyone’s attention for just a few moments. I just want to toast Jake and Julianna and Richard and Annie too, for including us in your family Sunday dinner.”

  Just as I sat back in my seat, Richard stood up to say something. “I’d like to add just one more thing to the toast. Gavin, you have been my best friend for many years now. The second I knew that you were officially dating Crystal, I was hoping that you had found true happiness. She has always been like a sister to Annie, and as I’ve gotten to know her over the years, I should have done my part in setting you two up sooner. Since I didn’t, I’m glad you two ran into each other… literally.”