Billionaire's Second Chance (sam, bella and Kate Book 2) (10 page)

His eyes held hers as he gave a soft sigh, “No
, you are right and I have regretted not calling more than you can possibly know”, a hint of pain crossing his handsome features.  “I guess you were right, I just thought that I needed to protect you from it all and what I really did was push you away.”  Dropping her head once more, she did not know what to say, silence falling between them.  Bella closed her eyes as she enjoyed being enveloped by his arms and the scent of his aftershave as it wafted over her in waves.

As the song ended, he had not released her hand but led her back to their table, keeping her close to him, Bella not resisting.  For over an hour the two sat or danced, Bella encouraging him to talk about his daughter, Philippe speaking of her with such love in his voice as she listened attentively, laughing at the many funny stories of her he would tell.  Shaking her head, she gave a mocking groan, “She sounds like you
.  Poor little thing.”

Philippe chuckled with her, his look becoming serious suddenly.  “I would love for you to meet her one day
.”

Bella’s eyes dropped as she played with her glass nervously before giving him a warm
look, “I would really like that.”  Philippe nodded softly, a warm smile playing on his lips.

“So
, do you remember that I said I couldn’t eat?”  He smiled as she flashed him a large grin.  “I lied.”

Philippe laughed back
.  “Thank God – I’m starving.  And did I mention there is a wonderful restaurant on deck?  Fancy trying it out?”, her big smile answer enough.

Together the two moved to the upper deck, both sitting at one of the tables beside the railings overlooking the water.  As they placed their orders
, his hand captured hers, Bella suddenly feeling nervous, flicking her eyes to his, seeing the intense way that he looked at her.  “Thank you for coming out tonight Bella.  I wasn’t sure if you would ever talk to me again.  After everything I did, I would have understood.”  His lips twitched.  “I would not have been happy.  But would have understood.”

She gave a small tinkling laugh, “Yeah right.
You steamrolled me.”

Philippe
chuckled, “I prefer to think of it as... I encouraged a line of dialogue.”  Biting her lip, she looked thoughtfully at him not sure if she should speak, as he grinned, “Spit it out Smith.”

Bella looked at him
, suddenly serious, “I know Philippe.”

His brows furrow
ed in confusion, “You know what?”, he asked warily.

“About the scholarship
.”

She watched as his eyes widened, dropping from hers for a second.  “Oh”, his only comment as she sighed softly.

“Bill, my boss, and I became good friends, and one day he let it slip.”

Philippe gave an awkward twitch of his lips, his eyes holding hers, “You were never meant to know Bella
.  That wasn’t why I did it.”

Nodding, she entwined her fingers through his, he squeezing them gently,
her voice searching, “You paid for my apprenticeship and told them to tell me that I had won the scholarship.  Why?”

Clearing his throat his brow
s knitted together, “It meant so much to you Bella.”

Giving a small smile, she chuckled again, “I might have really won it you know
.”

Philippe nodded, “You probably would have, but why take the
risk?  When you talked about it you came alive and I felt I owed at least that to you.”

Gently she shook her head, “You didn’t owe me anything Philippe.  What happened between us
– it just wasn’t meant to be, but I certainly didn’t regret it”, her tone growing softer, “And I am glad that we can be friends.”

She saw the way his lips curved into a sad half-smile as he lifted his glass once more.
  “Yeah, friends.”

Their meals arrived before she could say any more, the two moving to safer topics as they ate the delicious food.  After finishing, Philippe once more took her hand as they sauntered around the deck, enjoying the darkness, with the New York City skyline sending brightly-coloured reflections onto the water.  With a chuckle she looked up at the moon, half-obscured by clouds.  “Your moon was so much nicer”, his lilting laugh closer to her than she realised, once more sending pleasurable shivers through her.  His hot breath against her shoulder made her grip the railing tightly to stop herself falling against him, alarmed at the strength of her need to do that.

Seeing his watch, Philippe leant in to place a hand beside hers
.  She gave a small groan, “Eleven thirty already.  Time just flies.”

Philippe lifted his arm with a small sad sigh
.  “It always did when we were together.”  With another deep sigh, he stood tall. “OK Cinderella, let’s get you home.  I know you have a lot on your plate.”  Bella felt the rush of disappointment, wishing that she had said nothing, but knowing that he was right as she followed him back to the gangplank.  Their limousine waited as he had phoned ahead for it as they walked hand-in-hand.

Sitting once more in the large interior of the car, she felt suddenly shy as the two watched each other.  “Thank you Philippe.
  I had a great time.”

His lip
s twitched.  “Well it didn’t exactly suck for me either.”  Bella gave a small chuckle, seeing as his expression became more serious.  “So, do you see you and Tim making a go of it?”

Bella raised an eyebrow in surprise at the question before shrugging her small shoulder
s, “Who knows?  He is very sweet.”

Philippe’s eyes bored deeply into hers before he looked away
, nodding.  “I guess that is a start.” 

B
ella suddenly felt uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going, asking, “Where is Lucy?  Is she here in New York?”

His head moved back to smile at her, “No
, I have an estate outside of the city.  She is with her nanny.”  His voice grew quieter, “In fact, I am due back tomorrow.”

Bella’s eyes opened wider with disappointment before she could drop them.  “Oh
, I see.”

He gave her a small half-laugh, “So you will not have to put up with me being an annoyance all the time
.”

Bella shook her head.  “You aren’t”, biting her lip as she gave him a smile which defied the way her stomach suddenly felt so heavy with the news that he was once more leaving, clearing her throat as she gave a brighter smile than she felt, “But I’m sure your daughter will be wanting to see her daddy
.”

Philippe nodded, something moving within the shadowy darkness of those inky blue eyes, looking out of the window as the car slid once more to the
curbside of her hotel.  “Let me escort you to your room dear lady”, he offered, as the two left the limousine together. Bella was surprised as it drove away, her eyes questioning as he smiled back.  “I only live a couple of blocks from here. I will just walk home.”  Bella nodded softly as they made their way to the elevator.

Once more at her room she turned to thank him, seeing as he stayed at arm’s length from her.  “I...
I guess I will see you at the wedding rehearsal then”, the words coming out huskier than she meant.

H
e looked at the floor, his brows furrowed together, “What are your plans after the wedding Bella?”

Looking back in surprise, she hesitated, “I guess return to the UK a couple of days later
.  There are some things I need to take care of before I leave,  make sure rented items are returned”, her eyes questioning, “Why?”, seeing as he seemed to make his mind up about something.

“It
’s Lucy’s birthday a week after the wedding, I wondered if you would like to come.”

With her lips twitching
in amusement she held his look.  “I am not sure that I am the perfect guest for a four-year-old’s birthday.”

His mouth curled too
.  “Maybe not.  I... I just thought you might like to.”

Leaning forward to give him a small kiss on the cheek she felt the way his hands held the top of her arms, her body stilling against him, unprepared for the torrent of sensations which
flew through her as her mouth touched his cheek.  After what seemed like forever, her heart beating so fast, his hands pulled her slightly from him, looking down into her lovely face, the desire in his eyes as evident as hers.

“I...
I should go in”, she whispered hoarsely.

“Yes.
  You should”, his husky reply, neither of them moving before with a groan he pulled her in harder to him, his mouth descending to capture hers as her arms flew around his neck, the passion contained all day between them exploding into a frenzy of stroking hands and kisses that neither could or would stop.

“Oh Bella I have missed you.  God knows I have missed you”, his words spoken against her neck
.

S
he shivered, her head nodding frantically as she murmured, “Yes” back, her fingers raking through his hair, her whole body trembling with the need for him.

With a groan, he pulled back from her, his eyes full of fire, desire and frustration.  “I’m sorry Bella
, so sorry.  I shouldn’t have”, seeing the way her lips trembled, tears rising to her lovely eyes.

“Don’t make me beg you Philippe”, she whispered, her eyes full of the same need. 
With his look flicking over her, Philippe moved forward, his hands raised to cup her face, his eyes travelling over her lovely features before his head bent and he kissed her.  The kiss was sizzling hot, his need for her evident as their lips joined, tongues gliding against the other, his hands pulling her closer.  With a sigh they parted, both dragging in air as their eyes held the other’s.

“Are you sure?”
  His voice was a tortured whisper as wordlessly she nodded softly, her eyes dropping to his mouth as silently, he took the room card from her fingers and opened the door, once more taking her into his arms, pulling her against him as he kissed her again, moving them both further into her room.

Neither watched w
here they were going, the wall against her back halting their progress, Bella throwing her arms around his neck, her voice drifting across his senses as he lost himself in her arms.  “Please Philippe.  Make love to me.  Please.”  A long groan pulled from him as his hand spanned her back, gently stroking her spine as she writhed against him.  Finding the small zipper, one quick tug saw it sliding surely down, the dress held on only by their connected bodies.  Pushing her against the wall, he stood back, his eyes sliding once more down her perfect body as the dress swished to the ground, Bella stepping from it and kicking it out of the way.

“You are exactly as I remember”, his voice husky as she remained still, allowing him to drink in his fill of her, his look full of fire sending molten hot lava to pool low in her belly.  Finally she grabbed his lapels
, pulling him once more against her as she kissed him long and hard, her hands fumbling with his clothes. 

First the jacket hit the floor, then the shirt, Philippe neither knowing
nor caring if the buttons had been torn off with her need to have it off him, all the time his hands exploring the softness of her body.  As she fumbled with the belt of his trousers, her hand moved over the straining hardness of him.  Philippe sucked in a long shaky breath, his hand gently pushing hers away as he took over, quickly ridding himself of trousers and underwear, kicking them from him, until he stood completely naked before her, Bella only wearing a small thong and heels.

Taking both her hands, Philippe pulled them over her head, one hand holding both wrists as he continued to kiss her.  His other hand moved surely down her smooth silky body, feeling as it quivered with every caress.
As his hand reached between her legs, his actions pulled a raspy gasp from her, her eyes widening in surprise before turning into a groan of pleasure, the sound torn from her as his hand slid under the thong.

Her hands dropped to clutch his head, kissing him with lips which shook.  A small triumphant growl resonated against her mouth as he pulled his from her, the small whimper of protest quickly turning to a soft purr as his tongue travelled down the milky column of her throat before sucking the softness where
her neck joined the shoulder, her hands falling to her side as his descent continued.

One hand cupped the perfect mounds of her breasts, his teeth nipping the raised nipples
.  Bella jerked forward with the shock as he licked them more gently, a shaky groan leaving her as he paid similar attention to the other, all the while his fingers stroking the ever-growing wetness between her legs.

Bella was struggling to hold things together, the need for Philippe swamping every reasonable sense she had left, however
, as he knelt before her, both hands holding her ribs and waist as his tongue glided down her stomach she could hardly breathe with excitement.  With her head falling forward she watched as he lifted one of her legs, his tongue flicking inside her thigh as he laid it over his shoulder, the heel of her stiletto digging slightly into the hardness of his back. 

Philippe looked up at Bella, her bottom lip held between her teeth, her eyes dilated as she stared back at him, heat
radiating between them as her body trembled with expectation.  Slowly, achingly slowly for Bella, his mouth kissed the top of her pelvis, his hands moving to angle her hips forward, before with no warning his hand grasped the wispy material of the thong, ripping it from her as his tongue flicked out and slid along the heat of her.

Bella gave a strangled sob of pure ecstasy, her head flying back against the wall, eyes closing, fingers delving deep into his hair to support herself, the only reason she was still on her feet.  He continued to lick, his tongue slow and gentle
, then hard and demanding as she shivered, her hips moving with him as she let herself go, allowing herself to be swept along on the tide of pleasure.  Slowly the heat curled within, its tantalising fingers unfurling until with suddenness the sensations ripped through, her climax the most intense of her life as she cried out his name, the sound torn from her throat.

Wave upon wave of rippling orgasm filled her entire being, her head swimming as everything shifted, a float
iness and sensation of complete well-being filling her.  She was not aware as her legs began to buckle until Philippe was once more on his feet, his arms supporting her, his mouth finding hers.  His kiss tasted of her and him, this knowledge keeping her floating as she clung to him, Bella taking several moments before she could fully focus on his handsome face. 

“Oh”
, the only thing she could finally utter, the effort of speaking too much as he began to laugh softly, one hand holding her tightly against him and the other gently stroking her cheek, his voice a gentle whisper.

“I was hoping for more”, he chuckled as her features glowed with happiness, a more mischievous smile coming to her face.

“Oh... my... God”, she finally managed, her arms thrown around his neck as her head fell against his shoulders, her legs finally giving way.  With a grin he scooped her into his arms and as though she weighed nothing, walked with her into the bedroom, placing her onto the large bed with such care.

Sliding alongside Bella, Philippe felt contentment to his very core, his wide smile bringing one of her own to her mouth
.  “God Philippe, we are pathetic.  So much for being grown up and being friends.”

He leant forward
, dropping a small kiss on the end of her nose.  “We will always be friends Bella, but so much more too.”

Her eyes held his as she once more savaged her lips
.  “It... It’s just that it is so complicated Philippe.  I live in the UK, and you, well you live here, and in Greece with Lucy – you have a family.” 

Lifting a lock of her hair, he used it to sweep across his own lips, his expression thoughtful.  Bella sensed something shift in the depths of his eyes.  “I have a home in the UK too Bella.
  Perhaps...”

Groaning softly, she lifted her finger to his mouth to stop the words.  She
was not prepared to hear him offer what she knew he was about to, for them both to take part in some convenient affair when they happened to be in the same country, this thought burning the back of her eyes with stinging tears.  “Let’s not think too much about this Philippe.”

She saw
the doubt within him as she lifted her head, her lips touching his.  “Bella...”, his soft words lost as she pulled his head down, her kiss demanding as once more her body reacted to his closeness.  With a long sigh he gave up trying to speak, as he too became lost with the desire raging through him.  Now it was Bella’s turn to tease him, as she pushed him onto his back, half-lying over him as she allowed her fingers to trail gently down his toned sculpted body, feeling the way his muscles twitched with the lightest of touches.  Her tongue trailed down his neck, lips laying small butterfly kisses on his flesh as her hand moved down to the heat of him. 

When Bella grasped the length of him in her small hand, a low moan escaped his
mouth, his eyes closing with the intensity of having her run her small fingers along his hardness, his hips moving with a will of their own against her hand.  All the while, her tongue tantalized him.  As she swished around his nipple, her long hair tickling his sides and belly with every movement of her head, Philippe could feel his excitement rise, her hand raising him too quickly.