The Billionaire's Ball: BBW Billionaire Boss Erotic Romance (Vivian's Desire) (3 page)

“Captain, I doubt anyone could steal a girl from you.”

He gave her a lighthearted wink and then exchanged a firm hug with Alex before being called off by a crewmember.

“Our table is right over here, next to Robert’s,” Alex said as he guided them toward a collection of three tables. They sat and sipped on iced water. She adjusted her mask and prayed impression lines wouldn’t set into her soft skin. Her boss nearly tugged his off.

“Too itchy,” he muttered. But, he kept it on after looking around to see nearly everyone was masked but the service.

“After everyone’s drunk, I’m sure you can take it off,” she reminded him. He nodded in agreement with a grateful smile.

“Yes, or I can fake sea sickness!”

Somehow she doubted it would be feigned at the rate he’d been eating on the trip. She was surprised he hadn’t thrown up from eating nearly twice his weight on the first day. She looked out among the crowd. Jealousy bit into her just a bit as she watched the cuddling couples that ran gloved hands over each other at the tables.

“It’s OK to miss him you know,” came the sudden remark from Alex. She turned to him with flushed cheeks to see him looking at her with an amused, but sympathetic smile.

“It’s hard to be away from the ones we love.”

She nodded. “Yes, it is. He hasn’t contacted me at all,” she had finally admitted her worry. Her boss raised his eyebrows, but didn’t seem too surprised.

“Vivian, I’ve never seen Ben more in love than he is with you. I saw it on the first day that you met.”

She felt her heart skip a beat and couldn’t help but pushing for more information. “Really?” it was so unlike her. She felt unprepared, always, now it seemed.

He nodded with a larger grin now. “Yes,” he hesitated. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, actually.”

But, before he could continue, the lights dimmed suddenly in the room. Robert sat beside them.

“Don’t tell them I’m missing from the Captain’s table,” he whispered playfully to her. She was still reeling from Alex’s last comment. She wanted to ask him what he was going to say, but suddenly an announcer’s voice came over the speakers.

“Ladies and gentleman, we are pleased to announce the first Masquerade Ball on our maiden voyage. Feel free to get up and dance. Your servers will be more than happy to fill all your refreshment requests. Please enjoy the sound of the Third Street Quartet as they perform for your listening pleasure.”

She peered over to a collection of musicians, finely dressed. They gave a little wave at the outburst of applause after their announcement. She clapped politely along with the crowd.

“We have a special surprise tonight, actually,” the announcer continued. There were a few chatters of surprise in the crowd. Robert shifted suddenly beside her.

“What? This wasn’t on the schedule.”

The announcer continued. “One of our finest investors has requested a special first dance for all the couples. He told us that the woman he loved deserved the best.” There was a massive whooping of applause. “We couldn’t agree more, Ben.”

The Captain sighed. “Oh God.”

“Boarding school all over again,” Alex muttered.

“What-?” Her question was cut off by the sudden sound of a drumroll. A spotlight suddenly appeared and her eyes shot to a figure underneath the burning glow.

“We’d like to ask a Miss Vivian to please join our fine friend on the floor. The rest of the couples are more than welcome to join.”

The music began playing. Her jaw dropped.

“No way.”

“Yes. Way,” Alex replied with a feigned girlish accent. He groaned into his hand. “I don’t even want to know how he got this done.”

“That son of a bitch, always a performer,” muttered Robert, but he began to pull out her chair anyway. She sat, dumbfounded, looking from them to the mysterious figure standing in the spotlight.

“Wait. What? What?” she kept repeating. Other couples were beginning to stand. The figure underneath the spotlight raised a hand toward her and motioned her to join him. She couldn’t make out his face from her spot.

“He is a handful. Good luck!” that was Robert’s only cheery reply as he helped her stand and gently pushed her towards the floor.

“Yes, Vivian! That’s the man you’ve chosen to love,” Alex added with a smirk. She gaped at him.

“This is embarrassing!” she squealed. He shooed her and pointed towards his brother.

“Go on, now!”

And just like that, he’d whisked her after a few seconds of dancing and the spotlight disappearing in a quick flash, outside and into the night air.

Cocky bastard. Her cheeks were still burning from the giggles of the crowd as she had walked slowly towards him.

Had she missed him? Who could not miss a man who played mystery and sexy so well together? She ran her eyes over his sleek black suit and then crisp rose in his vest pocket. He was leaned against the railing still, casually slouched now with his arms helping to support his weight.

She wanted to be wrapped in those arms, again and then always. What a fool! How could she really not have missed that smirk? The overwhelming confidence balanced with such good humor and kindness?

“Maybe,” she begged her voice to be as coy as possible in the warm night air as she took a step towards him, her heels clicking enticingly against the floor. “I was impressed by your theatrics.”

“I was in theater at school,” he told her.

“Oh, yes. The Captain and Alex told me.”

“Oh yes? I recall the Captain is still mad at me for stealing his first girlfriend.”

She rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle. “Don’t worry. He’s quite happily married now. But, he says he’s still going to punch you in the face if he gets a chance.”

“That seems fair enough,” he mused and she watched as his eyes flicked up and down her body. “Although, he’s probably just jealous that I still have much better taste.”

“I’m not a meal,” she said with a click of her tongue disapprovingly. He grinned.

“Still delicious.”

“Thank you, I’m aware.”

“You’ve got a lot cockier since hanging around me.”

“My confidence just happens to increase around jackasses,” she informed him sweetly. The music shifted inside to something slower and sultrier, but louder now. They could hear it perfectly a low level even from outside.

“Do you dance with jackasses?” he asked, stepping away from the railing.

She looked him over with playful hesitation. “Perhaps.”

He extended his hand with another step. “Would you dance with me, Vivian?”

“I suppose.”

They closed the few feet between them. He slid her hand in his soft-gloved grip. She felt tingles rush over her body as they pressed their bodies closer together. The sound of the waves and music seemed to fade away as she looked up into his eyes, peering out from behind the magnificent black mask.

“You look handsome,” she said.

“You look utterly beautiful,” his voice was nearly breathless. Her chin instinctively dipped as she felt her cheeks heat up. His compliments always caught any witty replies in her throat and conjured butterflies in her stomach. She steadied herself gratefully by leaning against him, her head resting against his shoulder as they moved.

She felt the cool steel slide around her wrists before she knew what had happened.

“Do you want to have some fun?” he asked in the deep voice she loved so much. His fingers brushed over her racing pulse as she felt the metal clink against her. “If you think you can handle it.”

Her eyebrows rose and she summoned her best steely gaze. “Yes. If you can handle
me.
”

She heard the swift click of the handcuffs being secured around her. He ran his tongue lightly up her neck and to her ear, firing off waves of furious nerves that begged for more attention. His lips brushed against the diamond earrings he’d given her just last month.

“Vivian, you make me want dangerous things.”

Funny that he was telling her that. She pulled the chains of the handcuffs tight against her wrists underneath him. “I’m ready if you are.”

He pulled her against his body with one swift tug and found her lips in a searing kiss. She moaned softly as his hips ground against her, feeling her panties growing damp already. His lips grinned against hers and suddenly he tugged her away from the wall.

“Let’s go!”

He grabbed her hands, the dainty but sturdy chain of her new silver bangles jangling as they set off in a run. She nearly tripped over her own heels.

“Ben!”

But, he was a man on a mission. He bounded before her to jab the button of the elevator before taking her back into his arms. She was breathless from their sprint down the hall and struggled against him, trying to stifle her giggles as his mask had become skewed in the run.

He dipped his head and hungrily attacked her neck. His tongue pushed pleasurably against the vein of her throat and she gasped as he nipped it with a soft growl.

The elevator sounded and she looked up with startled eyes as the doors swept open. An older couple had been laughing, arm in arm. The woman saw them before the man and she let out a little squeal, clapping her hand over her mouth. The man next to the woman grinned wildly as they slipped quickly out of the elevator. Ben couldn’t be bothered to look up as he hastily guided Vivian’s body to enter the elevator as she mumbled some sheepish apologies.

“That gives me a great idea!” she heard the man exclaim with a matching bout of laughter as the doors closed.

“Ben!” she pushed against him. “At least get the button!”

He broke away and looked around, as if suddenly realizing they were back on the planet’s surface. “Button, button, button,” he mumbled and stabbed a number that wasn’t her suite’s level.

“That’s not my floor!”

He looked at her with a wicked smirk. “I’ve got another surprise for you,” he gently shoved her against the wall while wiggling his eyebrows. “Hope you’re ready for it.” She groaned as he pressed his body against hers and kissed his neck while he ran a hand through her tousled curls.

“Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,” he chanted in between kisses up and down the side of her face. She felt her body warm delightfully underneath the weight of his butterfly touches. He tugged against her handcuffs and chuckled darkly. “I can’t wait to get you in private.”

The elevator sounded off and he gave out a cry of victory, grabbing her arm and tugging her out the just opening doors. The hallway of this floor was thankfully empty. The glittering chandeliers above winked with light above her as their frantic footsteps filled the silence. She giggled at the sight of seeing Ben, running ahead and excitedly gripping her hand with a huge grin on his face.

“Where are we going?” she asked, panting slightly.

“You’ll see,” he replied playfully. They turned the corner and she saw a set of beautiful cream French doors. Their style was slightly different than the suites on her floor. She glanced quickly back down the hallway and realized all of the suites on this floor were styled the same way. Many of them had ‘Do not disturb!’ signs written in elegant cursive hung on the door handles.

He stopped in front of the doors, which she realized were slightly larger than all of the others on the floor. “Do you know what this is?”