The Billionaire's Gamble (7 page)

“And has the added benefit of getting all this stress out of your system so you won’t be tempted to fall into my arms and let me make love to you tonight. See what a gentleman I am?” he said and stepped back from her, releasing her waist.

Sabrina watched his eyes and shook her head. “I don’t believe you,” she laughed.

“Smart woman,” he growled. He glanced down at his watch. “You have an hour and a half before I come get you. I suggest you hurry home and grab some clothes, just some jeans and a casual shirt for dinner with me tonight.”

She’d been craving his company for days, wanting so much to be with him and learn more about what made him tick. But he hadn’t made any advances besides being close to her on several occasions. Now he was telling her that he still wanted her and wanted to be with her and she was incapable of resisting. Throwing caution to the wind, she smiled brightly and gave in. Looking at her watch, she nodded quickly. “Fine. I’ll see you later.” She picked up her purse and threw it over her shoulder, rushing out of the building to get her clothes.

She was back at the hotel a half hour later and slipped into the elevator that would take her up to Sid’s private suite. She punched in the code he’d told her to use and the door opened immediately. Changing into her running clothes, she stepped onto his treadmill and started running, starting out slowly until her muscles warmed up. All his workout equipment had the same stunning view of the Las Vegas strip that his living room had and she found that she was able to increase the intensity more quickly, her heart rate going up faster so she had a better workout than normal. All because of the stunning view in front of her.

Forty five minutes later, she stopped the machine and stepped off, drying her face with a towel she’d brought from home. As she caught her breath, she realized that this workout was one of the best she’d ever had.

She quickly showered in his luxurious bathroom, amazed at how the spray comes out from several different shower heads. She was just stepping out of the shower when she heard a door close.

“Woman, you’re taking too long,” she heard Sid call out.

Sabrina quickly pulled a towel off of the towel rack beside the shower and wrapped herself up in it only moments before Sid walked casually into the bathroom. “Ah, I couldn’t have expected a better reception,” he said and walked up to her, taking a corner of the towel in each of his hands.

His casual acceptance of her almost naked form shocked her. “Sid, you have to go away. I promise I’ll hurry,” she said, laughing nervously as she grabbed the corners out of his hands.

He didn’t release his hold though. “Now why should I do that? I’ve had this master plan to get you into my bed for months, why should I resist the temptation now that you’re basically naked, all relaxed from your workout and looking incredibly sexy with the warm water all over your shoulders?”

She took a quick step backwards only to run into the glass shower wall. “Because you’re a gentleman, that’s why,” she said and sidestepped him yet again.

 

“Darlin’, no one is that much of a gentleman,” he smiled and took her hand instead of the towel.

Sabrina was initially relieved that he was dropping the towel, but after a few seconds, she realized that this was worse since her hands were the only things holding up the fluffy towel. Understanding his mischievous plan, she gasped and tried to step away. “Sid, stop!” she demanded but couldn’t ignore the excitement bubbling up inside her. She could see the passion lighting his eyes and it definitely transferred to her own body. “I thought you were going to take me someplace wonderful tonight for dinner,” she said, but her voice was turning husky with anticipation.

“Mmm…you’re right,” he murmured but his eyes didn’t leave her mouth. After a long moment, he gained control of the passion and released her hands. Turning to leave, he suddenly stopped as his eyes caught on the stack of clothes she’d put on the bathroom counter to change into.

He picked up her lacy bra with his large, strong hands and turned back to face her. “Is this what you’ll be wearing in a few minutes?” he asked.

Sabrina could only nod her head, since her voice wouldn’t work anymore. The lace falling through his hands created images of how nice it would be if he’d been the one to take it off her.

Sid didn’t say anything else. He just nodded his head, his eyes going to where her breasts were hidden beneath the towel. He carefully placed the lacy bra back on top of her shirt, arranging it artfully so that it looked very sexy laying there on her prim clothes. Then he quickly turned, leaving her in the bathroom with her mouth suddenly dry and her body aching with the images he’d put into her mind.

Sabrina took a deep breath and let her shoulders relax as soon as the door clicked shut behind him.

Not willing to chance him coming back into the bathroom, Sabrina quickly donned her jeans and the soft, white shirt. She brushed her hair out, leaving it to fall in waves behind her shoulders and down her back.

She put on fresh face powder, lipstick and mascara then took a deep breath before opening the door again, walking through the enormous penthouse. “I’m ready,” she said to his back when she finally found him. He had changed into a pair of jeans and a navy blue shirt. As soon as she spoke, he turned to face her. She stood just inside the living room, unsure if she should enter. The man still intimidated her but she was trying to fight that feeling. She could tell by the way he waited for her that he was sensing her anxiety.

“Nice,” he said and walked up to take her mouth in a passionate kiss. It was another one of those mind-blowing kisses that left her breathless and confused, blinking to reorient herself once the kiss was over. “Want to make a wager?” he asked.

It took her several seconds to understand what he was asking her but eventually, his message got through. “Sure,” she said bravely and knew that it had been the right answer when she saw the light spark in his eyes.

His hands were resting causally on her hips but there was no space between their bodies. He held her firmly, but she knew she could pull away at any moment if she tried. He slid a hand slightly higher on her waist before saying, “I’ll bet that by the end of the evening, you’ll come to me and kiss me on your own.”

Sabrina swallowed. The idea appealed to her more than she wanted to admit. Feel free to touch him whenever she felt like it? What a thought! She wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, to see if he’d shaved or if there was a slight stubble after the day. Her hand itched to do just that but she kept it by her side.

Sid sighed and pulled her hand into his. “I’m a patient man, but I always get what I want, Sabrina.”

She stared up into his eyes, wondering what he could possibly want from her. When she saw the challenge there, she decided to ask rather than simply wonder. “What do you want?” she asked breathlessly.

“You,” he said without hesitation. “But I want you without reservation. I want you to feel the same insane desire to tear my clothes off me and make love with me that I feel as soon as I see you walking anywhere. Just as I want to do with you now.”

Wow! Could his words be true? Did he really find her that attractive? “You do?” she squeaked.

 

He nodded. “Any suggestions on how I can get that to happen sooner rather than later?”

In response, she stepped closer and reached out her hand, touching his cheek just as she’d wanted to do a moment earlier. She didn’t answer him but instead ran her fingers along the rough stubble that had appeared during the day and since he didn’t move, she became bolder and let her fingers trail over his lips, then down to his shoulders to feel the muscles in his chest and arms covered only by a navy polo shirt.

“Sabrina!” he groaned but he didn’t move. He let her continue to feel wherever she felt the desire to touch him.

 

When her fingers started shaking, she stopped and let her hand drop to her side. “Thank you,” she said and stepped back.

 

“Is that all you want to touch?” he asked, his voice harsh.

 

“For the moment,” she smiled and she had no idea how seductive her smile was. .

Sid watched her eyes and wondered if she was just teasing him. Didn’t she have any idea of what effect she had on his body? He could barely contain the impulse to pick her up and carry her to his bed. He knew he could kiss away her reservations and have her enjoy a physical relationship with him. But something was holding her back from letting her release her need for him. And he didn’t want that. He didn’t understand what that something could be, but he was determined to find out, even if it killed him.

When he saw the vulnerability in her eyes, the slight tremble of her fingers as she hid them behind her back, he realized that she honestly didn’t know what she was doing to him with her tender touch. “We need to get out of here,” he said fervently and took her hand to guide her out of the penthouse.

“Where are we going?” she asked as they took the elevator up.

 

“To the desert,” he explained and pressed the button for the next floor up.

 

“Um…” she said, a worried expression in her eyes, “Isn’t the desert down?” she asked, wondering why he’d pressed the up arrow for the elevator.

He didn’t answer her but smiled as he pulled her along behind him. A few moments later, the elevators opened up to the roof of the building and she was startled to see a helicopter parked on a giant helipad. He led her to the passenger side and showed her how to put on the earphones. Then he hopped to the other side and started the propellers. Sabrina put on her seatbelt and gripped the edge of her seat, her excitement almost overwhelming her. She’d always wanted to ride in a helicopter but had never had the opportunity. Now she watched as they flew out over the buildings of Las Vegas and headed out to the desert. The sun was just starting it’s decent into the horizon when he landed the helicopter in a wide open space.

Sabrina got out and watched as he pulled a picnic basket and blanket out of the back of the helicopter, spreading them out near the edge of one of the cliffs. She helped him get out candles, and plates and covered containers already prepared with delicious smelling chicken and some sort of steaming potatoes.

They sat down on the blanket and watched the sunset, not talking about anything as they enjoyed the view.

Sabrina was awestruck as the sun dipped down to touch the horizon, the cliffs in front of her coming on fire as the sun broke and diffused behind them, splintering off into red, orange and fuscia rays.

Sabrina had put down her plate and just enjoyed the sight of the setting sun, thrilled that he had taken her here to enjoy what must be a private spot for him.

Once the sun was low, she turned to face him, speaking for the first time since they started eating. “Thank you,” she said quietly, still not willing to break the beauty of the sunset with words.

“You’re welcome.”

Sabrina thought about what he’d said earlier, about having her kiss him for the first time on her own. She put her plate down and got up on her knees. With the lightest touch, she kissed him then pulled back. When he didn’t move, she became bolder and kissed him again. Sabrina remembered how he had nibbled on her lips, licked them sensuously and she tried it out on him. The effect was exactly what she had been hoping to do to him. He reacted just as she did. He groaned a moment before his arms when around her and he pulled her down to the ground, his broad shoulders blocking out what remained of the sunlight as his hand cushioned her head against the hard desert earth.

She moaned softly when he took over the kiss and she allowed her hands to move over him, explore his shoulders, his arms and the amazing muscles in his biceps. She unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and slipped her hands inside, reveling at the feeling of his warm skin against the palm of her hands.

The feeling of his hands under her shirt made her inhale sharply but she didn’t want him to stop. She wanted more, she needed to feel his hands covering her and touching her. She pulled his shirt out of his jeans and placed her hands flat on his chest, loving the velvety smoothness covering the steel of his muscles.

“Sabrina,” he groaned and suddenly his hands were touching her stomach as well and his mouth was covering hers in a ravenous kiss. But the heat was too much and she pulled back, terrified of how much she wanted him. When his mouth moved lower, nibbling at her neck, her ear, her shoulder that had somehow become uncovered from her blouse, she arched against him, her eyes closed and her body shivering from the heat his lips were generating.

He moved once again, his knee nudging her legs apart. Sabrina, mindless with the unknown, didn’t understand initially. Then she felt him between her legs, felt his erection against her thigh and the desire she felt was too much. The feelings she’d been experiencing only a moment ago instantly froze inside her.

“Sid, stop, please,” she called out to him, wriggling free from his embrace. “I can’t!” she gasped, terrified of what she was feeling, what he could do to her.

Sid instantly pulled away and looked into her eyes. When he saw the terror there, he gritted his teeth but fell backwards, his hand covering his eyes as he lay back against the hard earth.

Sabrina pulled away, pulling her arms around her shoulders and trying to control the feelings that were ripping through her system.

 

“We’d better get out of here,” he said suddenly. He instantly pulled himself to a standing position and started gathering up their picnic.

Sabrina helped him, but her fingers were shaking so badly she wasn’t much help. And she felt too miserable and confused to start up a conversation. Each time she looked at him, she noticed the hard set to his handsome jaw and wished she could get the relaxed Sid back. But she didn’t know how.

He packed the picnic into the back of the helicopter and they both got into their seats. Sid flew the aircraft with silent efficiency while Sabrina sat huddled in her seat in a mass of misery and embarrassment. She couldn’t believe that she’d gotten so scared of something wonderful. In her mind, she knew that Sid would never hurt her. The fact that he’d stopped immediately as soon as she asked, was evidence of his control. But when her body tumbled along like that, she just wasn’t sure what was happening. She was out of control and it scared her.