He was right about one thing, Annie was dressed in her tiger outfit, and she looked darn cute in it.
She growled.
I grinned at her.
Christian looked good too. Much better than good. I didn’t see him in casual clothes often, but I loved the way his jeans hugged his body. The casual t-shirt he wore showed off his muscles. I didn’t realize I was staring until he glanced at me and I quickly looked away.
“Hannah, look at my shoes,” Annie said as she waved and fought her seatbelt until Christian told her to cut it out.
"You have to stay in your seat."
"I want to hug Hannah," she whined.
"You can hug her when we get to the zoo."
"Daddy," she groaned.
"Annie Elizabeth West, I mean it. If you get out of that seat while I'm driving, we won't go."
Annie pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.
I shook my head. How can something so small be so cross?
Christian wouldn't pay her attitude any attention and ten minutes later she'd forgotten that she was even upset as she sang and clapped along to kid’s songs on the radio.
"Sorry to drag you out on a Saturday," he said with a sigh. "Usually, it's just us, but she seems to have gotten so attached to you."
I smiled. "I don't mind. Besides, it's not like I was doing anything anyway. And I actually like the zoo."
"Really?" Christian asked.
I nodded. "Are you kidding me? I love the penguin exhibit and the aquarium. Those are my favorites. I'm excited to see the tigers too."
"Did you know tigers only eat meat?" Annie asked excitedly from the backseat as she bounced up and down. "They hunt and eat their prey like this." She proceeded to growl and pretend to tear apart an animal.
I grinned at her with amusement, then glanced over at Christian.
He looked like he was ready to cry from laughing. "And you said I was wrong when I called her weird," he whispered.
"Nope, I see it now. Your child is strange."
"Thank you," he said with pride. "She's a product of yours truly."
"If it was only you, she'd just be awful, not strange," I countered.
Christian jaw dropped with surprise, but I pretended to stare at my phone. I could feel his need to say something to me almost on the tip of his tongue, but he snapped his mouth shut and concentrated on the road.
I chuckled under my breath. So totally worth it.
As soon as we arrived at the zoo, Annie was ready and raring to go.
Christian shouldered a bag he'd stocked supplies into. Probably extra drinks and snacks in case she needed to refuel between food stands.
I'd say he was overprotective, but I'd seen an Annie meltdown. It wasn't pretty.
"Do you want to see the tigers first?" Christian asked her.
"Yes!" Annie chimed up right away. "Tigers and then the aquarium for Hannah."
"Aww… you're so thoughtful," I said.
Annie grinned and held my hand. She reached out and took Christian's hand with the other. We looked over the top of her head as we started walking and our eyes locked. I felt my face heat up as Christian’s mouth suddenly tilted into the sweetest smile I'd ever seen.
What the hell is that about?
It took everything in me to turn my head and focus on the walk ahead of us. Even when I did, I could feel the heat in my cheeks. I was pretty sure my face would be the color of a tomato for the entire trip if he continued to be so charming. I should have told him to knock it off, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Heck, that sweet, appreciative look on his face was enough to make me want to fall into bed with him again and again. My pride be damned.
"Come on you guys!" Annie pulled us and we trotted after her dutifully.
When we reached the tiger exhibit, Christian and I took turns reading the plaques with facts about the animal.
She narrowed her eyes and screwed up her mouth.
I could only guess that she was meticulously memorizing every fact for later. She had a knack for it.
“Take a picture of us,” Christian asked me, holding out his cellphone.
"Okay, smile," I called to her and Christian as they stood in front of the exhibit.
I took a picture of them and looked at it on the phone. Annie had smiled so hard it made love well up in my heart for her and Christian actually looked happy. That stern look that he often wore always dissolved when he held his daughter.
Christian took his phone back and stopped someone walking past. "Can you take a picture of the three of us?"
I felt my face heat up. "You want me in it?" I asked.
"Of course," he said with a grin. "You're here too, right?"
“Well—”
"Come on, Hannah!" Annie shouted loudly. "You gotta take the picture with us."
I laughed and caved right away.
A woman took Christian's phone and aimed it at us as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. Annie sat in the middle on both of our shoulders until the picture was taken.
The woman walked over and handed it to Christian. "You guys are such a cute little family. It's nice to see that these days."
I didn’t know where to look or what to say.
Christian had no such problems. "Thank you," he told her smoothly.
The woman smiled and walked off to join her friends and we all peered at the picture. I could kind of understand why she thought we were a family. We looked amazing. The way we were all smiling at the camera, so carefree, and happy.
Annie tugged my hair lightly. "You look pretty."
"So do you," I replied instantly. "Look at that cute dimple."
"What dimple?" she asked cheekily.
I poked her cheek. "That thing on your face that makes your smile sparkle."
When I turned I found Christian staring at his screen. "Christian?"
He glanced up at me and shoved his phone into his pocket. “Yeah. Okay, let’s go to the next exhibit.” He took Annie's free hand and we headed on to go look at penguins and get lunch.
Then every time I glanced at Christian, he was staring at me. What the hell was going on?
I wanted to tell him that he was making me die from internal heat, but instead, I soldiered on. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, however, I could feel his eyes on me. I would pay good money to see what was going on inside of that head of his. I couldn’t understand why he kept blowing hot and cold.
By the time we'd finished up saying hello to all the animals, the sun was going down.
Annie looked half out of it and she dozed off inside of the car. I pulled a blanket up over her lap and made sure she was comfortable before I turned back around and sighed happily. "That was so much fun. I haven't been to the zoo in ages."
"We went last year, but it was a completely different experience…" Christian paused. "Thanks for going with us. I know how much that meant to her. And it's nice to have a second set of feet to chase her down."
"She is pretty fast. Why do all kids have such hyper drive?"
"It's built in at birth," Christian said with a grin.
We drove in silence for a while and I became very aware that his arm was very close to mine as it rested next to the console. I swear I could feel the heat radiating off of his body and I wanted him to inch over and touch me. My fingers tingled near his, but eventually he brushed over my hand as if it was nothing. I glanced at him, but he kept his eyes trained on the road.
By the time we made it to the house, Annie was awake and ready to go again. She zoomed into the house as Christian and I unpacked the goodies she'd brought back with her. As we got through the door, our bodies accidentally brushed together and I had to bite my lip from making a fool of myself.
"Stay for dinner?" Christian asked as he set the bags down in the entryway.
He was so close I could smell his cologne, his shampoo, the scent of his sun kissed skin itself.
"That's, if you want to," he added. "I know you've been around here a lot. You could
probably use some time to yourself."
I shook my head and tucked away a stray hair that had come loose. "I don’t know.”
Christian leaned closer to me. "I have something to ask you after dinner. A little proposal. If you stick around."
I stared at his lips and couldn't rip my eyes away.
“Hey,” those lips said.
When I looked up, his green eyes captured me and held me in place.
I nodded my head. "I'll stay. Your food is kind of addictive."
"Good," he said huskily. "I'll talk to you about it after dinner." Christian broke the spell when he tore his gaze away and headed off to the kitchen.
I watched him until he disappeared. I wanted to rock that man's world.
Did you really just think that?
I ran a hand over my face. I have to find a solution to this reaction I have every time I am around him and I need to find it fast.
Chapter Seventeen
Hannah
Dinner was a mix of heaven and what the hell.
I tried to ignore the tingling that raced up and down my spine, but that was impossible to do with Christian so near me. We ate, laughed and talked as if everything was normal, but every once in a while, his eyes caught mine and everything changed. The very air around us became molten with unspoken lust.
With dinner over, Annie looked exhausted. It was a short nap she had in the car and it had been an action-packed day.
I waved Christian away and told him to read her a story while I cleaned up on my own. I didn't mind doing it and I needed some time to get my head on straight.
Christian wandered back down just as I finished up. He smiled at my handiwork. “Perfect as usual,” he whispered.
“Didn’t you know I’m a Stepford wife?” I joked.
He leaned on the doorframe and stared at me.
I chewed at my lip. "What?" I asked. "You've been staring at me all day."
He pushed himself off of the doorframe and strolled over to me.
My heart was drumming like crazy in my chest as he walked closer and closer. He reached me and I felt like I couldn't breathe.
His hand caressed my cheek, down the side of my neck and rested on my waist. "I can't stop thinking about you," he breathed. "I want you so damn bad it's ridiculous. All I think about is you lately."
I swallowed hard. I knew exactly what he meant. "I want you too," I admitted. "I have for a while."
Christian nodded and pulled his hand away.
I longed for that warmth to come back and invade my space once more, but he seemed like he had something to say.
He pushed his fingers through his hair and looked me up and down. "We need to set some ground rules."
"Like what?" I asked.
"I don't want this to interfere with Annie in any way," he said seriously.
I shook my head. "I don't either. She comes first."
Christian nodded. "Exactly. And the other thing is that I don't do relationships. If we're going to do this, all it can be is sex. Nothing more, okay?"
"Just sex?" I asked.
"Yes. I don't have time in my life for anything serious. You have to agree that this is only a temporary thing."
It was like a punch to the gut. All he wanted was sex. I could swear at times he wanted so much more when he looked at me, but then that cold facade came back into place and I wasn't so sure anymore.
Can I really handle a no strings relationship?
I knew there was more beneath the surface than attraction when I looked at Christian. He had so many positive attributes that I appreciated in a man, and it made me want more, but I couldn't push him into doing more when that wasn't what he wanted. All I could control was myself and my decision to sleep with him or not.
What if you fall for him, a voice in my head asked.
His proposal felt like a bad idea, a very bad idea, but his eyes burned into mine with such fierce passion that my knees felt weak. If I said no, I would regret it until my dying day. Better to have loved… I was nodding before I even realized I was doing it. "Okay," I said firmly. "Just sex. Nothing else. I'm okay with that."
Christian examined my face and my expression. "Are you sure?"
I nodded. "I'm sure," I breathed. "I just want you."
Christian stepped close so fast and kissed me so hard my head started to spin. I wilted against his body, my mind shut off against the negatives for the moment. Screw everything else. I wanted him, I had to have him, and I wasn't going to deny myself something amazing even if it wasn't permanent.
He pushed me back against the counter and lifted me onto it. My legs wrapped around his waist as I parted my lips and accepted his eager tongue. He pushed it into my mouth, hooked my tongue into his mouth and sucked on it until I moaned against him. His nails scratched my scalp and every inch of my body tinged tantalizingly.
I moaned against him. "Don't hold back."
"You want me?" he asked as his hands moved underneath my shirt running down my back.
"You know I do."
"I don't care. Say it," he demanded.
"I want you," I whispered. "I want you to take me upstairs and fuck me until I can't walk. I want you to kiss me until my lips are swollen. I want you to do whatever you want to my body."
Christian growled against my mouth.
I watched the shift in him that I'd seen that first night in his car.
That distant, cold exterior melted away— he was now all fire and red-hot heat. He lifted me off the counter and tossed me over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" I laughed as he turned and strode out of the kitchen.
"Taking you to my bedroom, obviously."
"Put me down you caveman," I said as I hit his back playfully. "You could have just asked me to walk."
"This is faster."
I trembled inside. When we made it into his bedroom, he dropped me on his big bed and I bounced before I came to a stop.
Christian disappeared out of the room and came back a minute later throwing the lock on his door. "The coast is clear."
"Every time I'm with you it feels like I’m back to my days of sneaking around as a teenager," I said as I rested on my elbows.
"That's because children are tiny parents and no one can tell me otherwise." Christian got on the bed and climbed on top of me.
As soon as his body covered mine, I melted all over again. How did I always manage to go from happy, relaxed, to a turned on hot mess with him?
His hands gripped my shirt and he yanked it over my head. He tossed it to the side and came back for more. My bra ended up with my shirt. “Jesus Hannah,” he exclaimed, staring greedily at my naked breasts.
I sank my teeth into my bottom lip shyly. It felt good to be appreciated by him.
He cupped my tits by the sides and buried his face into my ample flesh. His tongue traced over each nipple before he captured one in his mouth and sucked.
My head pushed back into his pillow and I cried out quietly. I reminded myself there was a child in the house and I had to be quiet. I tossed my palm over my mouth and forced myself to be quiet even if it was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do! Heck, my boss, Christian West was sucking on my nipples and flicking his tongue over them. Had the world gone mad? Had I gone mad?
He pressed me back into the mattress with his body.
I could feel the shape of his cock as it pressed against me. Christian pushed his body against mine and I wanted to desperately rip his pants off and feel him pressed inside of me. "Shit," I whispered. "Come on."
"Not yet," he mumbled with my nipple still in his teeth.
I groaned as he licked down my breasts. Goosebumps pimpled my flesh as the air hit it. He slid his hard body down lower. His fingers slid the rest of my clothes off and his hands ran down my thighs. He pushed them up before he licked the inside of one.
I shivered. "You're kind of an asshole," I breathed.
Christian chuckled and nipped my thigh. "Why do you say that?"
"You
really love to push my buttons," I countered unsteadily.
He groaned against my skin.
I fought off another of those damned shivers. His tongue dragged and swirled over my skin making it wet and sensitive. I was enraptured with the fire that lurked in his eyes.
"I love to push this button," he mumbled as he palmed my clit.
I gasped.
"You like it too, apparently."
“Apparently,” I choked out as my head dipped back and I stopped fighting him. He could torture me for the rest of the night and I would be completely and hopelessly up for it. A thick finger explored my slit before he plunged it inside me and crooked it toward him. Bliss shot through my blood and boiled it until my fingers clung to his shoulders. "Come on," I panted. "Fuck me."
“Not yet. Not until you’re begging for it,” he growled and worked his finger in deeper before he added another and rubbed against my spot.
My legs trembled in his big capable hands as he manipulated my body like a conductor in front of his orchestra. The result was a symphony of stuttered moans, tight gasps, and a high squeaky version of my voice as I begged him to take me. I wasn't ashamed of it. I wanted him so badly I could feel the want in my bones.
The symphony reached a crescendo as my back arched and I came so hard I couldn't breathe. I screamed out my pleasure. Thank God, he crushed my mouth with his to muffle the sound.
The waves of pleasure receded and I fell limp against the pillow.
Christian stood up.
My weary, glazed eyes examined him closely. I watched as he tugged off his clothes and tossed them to the side revealing a hard body that begged to be touched. My tongue came out to lick my bottom lip as his pants and boxers disappeared to reveal an enormous hard, throbbing cock.
It stood up and slid along his stomach under the low lights in his room. I could see the pre-cum beaded on the head of that beautiful dick making it look sleek and shiny. My mouth watered at the thought of tasting him. Before I even knew I wanted to move, I was already on my knees in front of him. I fisted the impressive length, squeezed, and stroked it as I took in the heady scent of his manhood.
Billionaire Needs Nanny Page 7