Billionaires Dollar Series

“Yes. It was the first thing I thought when I saw you in the hotel bar, and I’ll never stop thinking it.” My hands run up her thighs, sneaking under the hem of her dress. Her skin is like silk.

“We should go back some time,” she says. “Maybe I’ll try to pick you up this time.”

My smile is crooked. “I’d be willing, baby.”

A shudder runs through her as my hands continue upwards, finding her hips, soft and warm under my touch. The perfect handhold. She smells like warm skin and woman and Skye, and my whole body tightens at the overwhelming need that sweeps through me.

She puts her hands on my chest. “Wait. Cole, if we do this again, I can’t do casual,” she says. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t think I’m that kind of person.”

I smile against her collarbone. “I know that.”

“Yes.” I say, my fingers tracing the curve of her spine under her dress. “I don’t think we were ever truly casual. We were just very good at convincing ourselves that we were.”

Skye smiles, and with her flushed skin and the joy in her eyes, she’s breathtaking. “So what does that mean? Are we dating now?”

“Yes,” I say, squeezing her hips for emphasis. “Exclusively, too.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. There’s no way I’m sharing you.”

Her laughter is breathless. “Good, because I’m definitely not sharing you.”

Excitement and need and joy pounds through me, all in one heady mix. Her lips are on mine and her body is warm under my hands and for a few long moments there’s no thought. I need her-and she wants the same thing, tugging at my shirt, kissing my shoulders. I pull her dress clean off and feast on her skin.

Undoing her bra takes a few seconds and then her breasts are in my hands, the perfect weight, her nipples growing taut beneath my thumbs.

“Cole,” she murmurs and rolls her hips against me. “Two weeks.”

My hands are lightning quick, undoing my belt, pushing her panties to the side, groaning at the wetness already there. “Skye, fucking hell, baby.”

She rises up on her knees and then sinks back down, both of us groaning as I slide inside. It’s hot and fierce and quick, over as soon as it began. Skye collapses against me with a soft sigh.

“I don’t ever want to move,” she murmurs, head against my shoulder.

I close my eyes in pleasure. For the first time in weeks, I’m perfectly at peace. “Me neither.”

She gives a breathless snort. “Well, at least we don’t have to hate each other to have great sex. Good to know.”

“That was never the secret to our sex.”

“No.” I lean in closer, letting my teeth graze her earlobe. “Even when you hated me, and even when you drove me mad, we were always clearly meant to be together.”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Her fingers slide into the hair at the nape of my neck. “Cole Porter’s a romantic,” she says softly. “Who knew?”

“You do.” I tighten my arms around her. “Besides, I’d rather be hated by you than loved by anyone else.”

Skye draws back to meet my eyes. There’s emotion in her gaze, more than I’ve ever seen before, and it strikes me speechless. She smooths her fingers down my cheek. “Well,” she says softly, “you’ll just have to get used to being loved by me instead.”

“Sounds difficult,” I say, catching her lips with my own.

“It’s a proper challenge.” There’s laughter and happiness in her voice, breathless in between kisses. “But you love a challenge.”

I kiss her back. “I do. And you just happen to be my favorite one.”

Two months later

I wake up to sunlight and an empty bed. Groaning, I roll over, but Cole’s side is cold. He’s been up for a while already. “Damn it,” I murmur into his pillow. “You’re too disciplined for your own good.”

I contemplate staying in bed and falling back asleep. Despite the sun streaming in through the window, it’s early still, not to mention it’s a Saturday.

Rolling over, I find myself face to face with the pile of books on his bedside table. There’s a few new additions, courtesy of me. I smile at the one on the top. He’s going to love that one-it’s a fast-paced psychological thriller.

Reluctantly, I get out of bed and pull on one of the fluffy robes from the cupboard in his giant bathroom. When I’d asked if anyone else had used them, he’d looked surprised. I have bathrobes? He hadn’t been joking when he said he spent very few waking hours in this apartment.

As expected, he’s not in the living room or in the kitchen. The door to his home office is ajar, but it’s empty. There’s only one place he can be.

“Fine,” I say, heading into his bedroom again, to the drawer he’s dedicated to me. “You win. I’ll join you.”

Fifteen minutes later, I walk into the Amena’s indoor pool, the scent of chlorine faint but unmistakable. There’s only one person in the water. I wrap my towel firmly around myself and sit down on one of the poolside benches.

I’ve watched him swim half a dozen times now, but it’s still a thrill. He cleaves through the water like it’s silk. Arms and shoulders emerge out of the turquoise water, his forward crawl the fastest of his swimming styles. When he reaches the end, he flips underwater and pushes off from the wall, shooting like a lightning bolt.

Seeing him like this, it’s not hard to understand why his body is shaped the way it is. Strong, lean muscle mass. Wide shoulders and a muscled back. Powerful legs. I watch him swim shamelessly.

Cole spots me during one of his turns, and without pause, he changes direction. He pulls himself out of the pool right next to me.

“No,” I warn, watching him advance. “No, no, Cole, stop!”

He shakes his hair at me like a dog, cold drops of water hitting my skin. I try to dance away but he catches me around the waist. Laughing, he tugs at my towel. “Here for your lesson?”

“Yes, but now I’ve changed my mind.”

“Oh no you haven’t. Come on, coward. Get in.” His skin is wet and droplets cling to his eyelashes, his hair sleek on his head. It’s impossible to feign anger at him when he’s grinning like that, so handsome it hurts.

“One day I’ll snap, you know. I’ll never swim with you again.”

“Sure you won’t.” He slides into the water next to me and rolls his eyes as I frown at the temperature. It’s only bad for the first minute, and yet, every time is a struggle.

Under the surface, his hands close around my waist. “I’m glad you finally woke up.”

“You could have woken me when you left, you know. I wouldn’t have minded.”

“You were sleeping so soundly.” He glances down, a wicked spark in his eyes. “Wow. You really do find the water cold, don’t you?”

“Yes, I-” He flicks one of my hardened nipples and I gasp. “Not here!”

“We’re alone,” he says, bending to kiss my cheek. “We’re always alone at this hour.”