The Billionaire's Heir: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 4) (3 page)

She let her head drop back as she
almost
allowed herself to sink back into Ivan Quinlan. But – in her mind – she suddenly saw a flash of her new love and quickly pulled away. She held out her hands to fend him off. “I can’t do this, Ivan. I’m sorry.”

“No, Samira,” he whispered. “You’re mine. We belong together.”

She shook her head. “No. Please leave here.”

“I know you still love me.”

She stared fiercely into his eyes. “I don’t.”

It was a lie and he saw right through it. He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe you. Look, whatever it is, I can help you to–”

“You can’t, Ivan. I want you to go. Just leave and forget you saw me. My life has changed too much, and there’s no longer any room in my heart for you.”

She turned and pulled open the door with shaking fingers, determined to leave before she surrendered to his charms.

He watched her from the doorway. “I’m not leaving this ranch without you.”

Samira strode off on quivering legs, knowing he meant it. But she wasn’t playing hard to get. The sooner she got Ivan Quinlan out of her life, the better it would be for them both – and for everyone
else
involved.

Later that afternoon, Ivan stood in the scorching sun near the front of the ranch, bent over the engine of a gleaming blue truck.

Feeling hot, he stripped off his shirt and threw it in the truck, glad that his cowboy hat was shading his eyes. If Samira came out of the huge ranch-house now, she’d get a glimpse of his bare sculpted torso and muscular arms. He willed her to at least look out the window, knowing how much she enjoyed his body.

Life tingled with hope now since he’d found her. It felt so good to enjoy the glorious weather and the beautiful surroundings – things that had been lost on him during the time he’d been obsessed with his search for her. But now here she was, lighting up his life. It was like returning home… she was the missing piece of the puzzle that made him feel alive with love.

Samira brought out the best in him, even when they weren’t physically together. But just soaking up her vibes made his life sparkle with a purpose. She’d wrenched him out of his doldrums and reminded of him how great life was. Love did that. 

He stood up straight and wiped his brow, still trying to process everything that had happened. He’d found her, at last… He’d kissed her… she’d slugged him a punch so hard he’d almost fallen over with shock. But he wasn’t giving up on her just like that – not after the way she’d kissed him. He was confident she still loved him. And he still loved her. He needed her…

But he understood why she was resisting. During the last year – when they’d been apart – he’d wondered so many times how she was doing – how she was feeling. It tore his heart to think of her feeling sad over him – thoughts of her feeling bad were more painful than his own heartache. He knew she loved him – she’d fallen as hard as he had – and she would’ve felt the agony of his ‘death’ and their forced separation just as hard as him.

But it made sense that she’d tried to carry on without him. She’d thought he was never coming back. So of course she’d want to try to put their love affair behind her and try to get on with her life.

But he sensed there was something else preventing her from getting back with him now… something she wasn’t telling him. He understood why she was hiding out here, since her college funding had been cut and she’d been told to leave the country – but surely she knew he’d take care of her now… marry her, do anything he could to keep her in America. In fact, his sister Clara had a friend in the department of immigration – so maybe he could help. Clara was in Texas at the moment and Ivan was due to meet her later, so he could talk to her then.

But for now, regardless of how desperate Ivan was to stride into the huge ranch-house and throw Samira over his shoulder, he knew he should at least pretend he was working. The ranch manager had asked him to service the pickup trucks today, which was perfect, because it was easy work – allowing him to figure out his next steps to win back Samira.

With the engine of the truck running, he twisted the wrench in his oily hand, and gazed at the house which was about twenty yards away. Envy bubbled inside him. He’d yet to meet the owner – Mr. Langdon – because the man obviously didn’t do his own hiring and firing. But somehow he’d won Samira over with promises of… a better life than Ivan could give her? No way. No one loved Samira as much as he did; no one would treat her as good as he would.

And if it was money she needed… Well, it was clear this guy could offer her that. The house was a typical ranch mansion, set in its own landscaped gardens, surrounded, of course, by the sprawling fields of corn and cattle. The house itself was white with external pillars and a huge front door – a fortress of luxury compared to the servants’ cabins. The windows were large, letting in the light, and Ivan imagined it was probably bright and airy inside with the best furnishings and air-conditioning. It was certainly a home worthy of Samira. But Ivan’s bank account was practically infinite – and he would gladly spend every last cent on Samira if it would make her happy. If she wanted a big house like this, he’d give her one.

He was about to drag his gaze away from the house with the intention of getting on with servicing this truck, but the front door opened and Samira stepped out. Ivan held his breath.

Time slowed down and he watched her stride confidently forward.

The first thing that struck him was that she was carrying a six-month-old baby in her arms, as well as a small black suitcase. Confusion jarred in his mind – where had the baby come from? Surely it wasn’t… no. She must be watching it for someone. But the suitcase… was she running away?

If she
was
then Ivan was going too. He braced himself to follow as he watched her walking like a vision of beauty. She was now wearing a different dress – a dry one, of course. It was thigh-length and showed off her curvy body that he was so keen to possess once again. Just seeing her from afar made his day brighter. He loved her.
She
possessed
him
. She owned his soul.

She strode over to an old red Cadillac that was parked in the driveway, quite far away from where he was standing. It was a rust-bucket, but it somehow suited Samira’s carefree spirit. She rolled down the top, threw the suitcase in the trunk, then gently strapped the baby into the car seat before climbing into the driver’s side and starting the engine with a roar.

She seemed oblivious to Ivan’s presence as she drove past him, staring straight ahead, looking cool behind her Ray Bans with her long hair flowing in the breeze.

Ivan threw down his wrench, slammed the hood of the truck, then climbed into the driver’s side to follow her down the gravel driveway and along the bumpy road that led out of the ranch back to reality.

As he followed Samira toward the main exit of the ranch, Ivan noticed there was an old BMW parked up, and a guy dressed in a suit and a Stetson was leaning against it, reading a newspaper. As the guy heard Samira’s car coming toward him, he scrambled into his vehicle and followed her too, meaning he was now between Samira and Ivan. This must be the guy who Samira said had been tailing her for the last three weeks. Ivan’s protective desire for her surged up and he focused on finding out who the hell this guy was – and where they were both headed.

The road was wide and desolate, and Samira seemed to be leading Ivan – and the other guy – into the middle of nowhere. Both sides of the road were stark – consisting of scrubby dry grass, concrete broken buildings, and a few burned-out cars. There was no one else in sight, and they seemed to be heading toward the Mexican border. Ivan’s muscles tensed up. She
was
running away. There was no way that was happening… Not without him. 

The sun beat down cruelly on the metal truck, turning it into a sweat box even with the windows wound down. Apparently the air-conditioning wasn’t working. But Ivan wasn’t stopping now. The time ticked on and the road narrowed and became uneven. Ivan steered to avoid a pothole, but he ended up almost skidding as the tires struck a different pothole and bumped up and down frantically. He regained control and continued, driving behind the BMW, following Samira in convoy.

After an hour of driving through the back-roads of hell, Samira parked up under a grimy concrete river bridge where an old Nissan was waiting.

The BMW eased to a standstill a short distance away, so Ivan pulled up behind. They both sat and watched as Samira climbed out of her Cadillac and checked the baby was okay, before hauling the small black suitcase out of the trunk, and carrying it over to the waiting Nissan. Ivan watched as the biggest Mexican he’d ever seen climbed out. He and Samira didn’t speak as she handed him the suitcase, and he handed her back an identical black case, then – without a word – they both made their way back to their vehicles.

Ivan hooked his fingers over the hot steering wheel, trying to convince himself that she
wasn’t
doing what it looked like she was doing. But he knew deep down that whatever was in those suitcases, it wasn’t going to be anything wholesome. And getting involved in something like this would be tearing Samira apart. He needed to get her out of it.

In less than twenty seconds, it was all over and Samira climbed back into her car and turned around – heading back the way she’d come.

Ivan threw the truck into ‘drive’, then slammed on his brakes as he almost crashed into the BMW – which was also heading back after Samira.

As the two men sized each other up, Ivan got a good look at the guy – glaring into his eyes from behind his windshield. He was tough-looking, with brown hair and stubble, but he looked reasonably smart in his long-sleeved shirt and tie – which seemed excessive in this heat. He refused to look away from Ivan’s glare, and instead he was grinning in a cocky confident way that Ivan found irritating.

Ivan severed eye contact and revved his engine, refusing to let the other guy go first. Whoever he was, Ivan guessed he was trouble – and he wasn’t coming between him and Samira. Ivan thrust his foot down on the gas and wheelspun dust into the BMW’s open window, before speeding off to demand answers from Samira about what the hell she was doing.

If she
was
doing what he feared she was, he
would
throw her over his shoulder and ride off with her – somewhere far away from any trouble with tough guys or shady Mexicans.

Samira drove back up the bumpy road toward the ranch, gripping the wheel with relief. Somehow she’d gotten away with it again. She had no idea what she
would
do if the cops ever happened to stop and search her car. But that was a problem to worry about for next time.

She glanced at little Quin in the rear view mirror. He was sitting in the back sucking his toes. “Looks like we made it home safe, baby. I hope you enjoyed the trip out, huh?”

He jiggled in his seat and laughed, melting her heart with love.

“I know you don’t approve,” she said. “But it’s the only way I can keep you in this country at the moment, so don’t go thinking Mommy’s a bad person, okay?”

Quin babbled some baby talk at her, and she laughed affectionately. She glanced in her rear view mirror and realized Ivan was still following in the truck, but the guy in the BMW was now pulling over to park halfway down the road.

Samira’s heart fluttered as a worried thought drifted into her mind. What if the guy
hadn’t
been employed by Mr. Langdon at all, but he was an undercover cop? Her body swirled with fear. But she assured herself that couldn’t be right. He wouldn’t just follow her around for three weeks, would he? He’d arrest her and everyone else involved in this whole shady business.

She tried to put him from her mind as she yanked up the parking brake and climbed out the car – unbuckling Quin and taking him – and the new suitcase – back toward the house. 

She heard Ivan’s truck halt behind her, so she quickened her pace, determined not to answer his inevitable questions – not while she was still carrying the shady suitcase. She couldn’t handle having
that
conversation with him right now – there was so
much
to tell him.

She kissed Quin on the side of the head, rummaged for her keys, then disappeared inside the cool air-conditioned house, where she leaned against the front door and tried not to cry.

****

A little later, after giving Mr. Langdon the suitcase and asking Lola to take Quin for a while, Samira decided to go for a horseback ride in the beautiful field near the creek, to try to clear her mind.

Ivan was still in the driveway, in the intense heat, working on a truck. She knew she needed to talk to him – she couldn’t avoid him forever. But how could she make him understand that everything had changed now – that her life here in America depended on her staying with Langdon? She had to think of Quin…

She strode past him, hoping he’d notice.

“Samira…” he called out.

She pretended to ignore him. If they were going to have this conversation, they couldn’t have it out here in front of the house.

He caught up with her. “What’s going on? What was in the suitcase? Who was the kid?”

“Ivan, leave me alone. I told you I don’t want you here.”

He blocked her path. “Are you in some kind of trouble? I can help you.”

“No. I just need you to leave.”

She headed toward the livery yard. He followed.

“Samira, what’s Langdon making you do? Tell me okay – I know you’re not comfortable doing anything illegal.”

She felt so ashamed of what she’d become. How could she tell him? Surely that would make him hate her…

Without replying she strode toward the stable that contained her horse. The musty smell here was relaxing – and the horses never wanted her to be anything but herself. Spending time with them was one of her daily pleasures. They were so kind and gentle, yet powerful and liberating. When she was grooming them, she could forget herself – she could be part of something bigger than the person she’d become. And riding them allowed her to travel faster and stronger than her own body would ever allow. They were inspiring… she loved them.  

There was a row of seven wooden stables on each side of the livery yard, all containing one horse each. The ranch hands often used these horses for getting from A to B – and sometimes for rounding up the cattle when they couldn’t use their quad bikes in the smaller spaces. The horse who Samira had made friends with was docile and he was always pleased to see her. She leaned on the half-door of his stable, and he poked out his head for her to stroke. The feel of his velvety nose on her fingertips made her smile.

Ivan halted beside her and leaned against the wooden wall. He looked gorgeous – shirtless, muscles glistening with sweat and engine oil. Her heart twisted with love for him.

He held up his hands showing he meant no harm. “So how did you meet him, then? Langdon.”

Samira sighed. “After my college funding got cut and I was told to leave America, I was on a train traveling from California to Texas – I don’t even know why I wanted to come to Texas… maybe I thought I could hide out from the authorities here. Anyway, he was on the train on his way here and we got talking. He offered me the chance to stay in America by pretending to be his wife, so we arrived together, pretending to be a happily married Mr. and Mrs. Langdon.”

“He was new to the ranch too?”

“Yeah, so the staff had no idea that we weren’t actually married yet. Mr. Langdon had said that his late-wife had died last year in unusual circumstances, and he was keen for me to take her place.”

“But you didn’t expect to be dragged into anything illegal?”

She stroked the horse on the nose and shook her head. “He failed to mention that point, yeah.”

“Samira, come on, you don’t have to do whatever it is he’s making you do.”

She pulled open the door and ambled inside the stable box, enjoying the feel of the straw beneath her feet, and patting the horse gently on his flank. He whinnied in reply.

Ivan lingered by the door.  “You can just leave with me, babe. Right now.”

She gazed at him, trying to stifle her tears. “You left me. You faked your own death. What did you expect me to do? It’s too late, Ivan. There’s nothing you can give me now.”

He stepped inside to join her in the cool dark space. “Oh yes there is. I’m not leaving here without you, sweetheart. I mean it.”

She reached up to stroke the horse, but Ivan grabbed her upper-arm and pulled her close, then kissed her hard. Samira tried to resist him, but he was so commanding and strong – she wanted to submit to his hot masculinity. She lifted her arm to slap him – it’d worked last time – but he stared at her firmly – refusing to take no for an answer.

Her body needed his touch. She threw her arms around his strong shoulders and kissed him passionately, relishing the feel of his lips on hers, then she dropped back her head so he could kiss her neck and collarbone.

She gasped as the lust rushed up inside her, filling her with an urgent desire to make love to him here and now.

“You’re mine, Samira,” he said, between kisses. “I need you, and you need me.”

He unbuttoned the front of her dress with his strong fingers, revealing her bra-less breasts, then he bent and sucked her rock-hard nipple, causing light-headed lust to shoot through her yearning body. He ran his other hand downward and gripped her ass in his fingers, running them between her thighs so the material of her dress skimmed her flesh.

He picked her up easily – still kissing her – and carried her to the back of the stable, where he placed her down onto the hay and kneeled in front of her. She reached out and ran her fingers through his gorgeous hair, as he caressed her thigh, easing up her dress, and revealing her silky panties.

“Fuck, Samira, you’re so hot.” He lowered himself down and kissed his way up her thigh, then – when he reached her panties – he gently sucked her clit through the silky material. “I’ve been dreaming about making love to you – getting you to come so hard you’d never forget me.”

“I could never forget you, Ivan,” Samira gasped. “I’ve missed you so much…”

He sat up on the hay, then he undid his jeans and tugged out his hard cock, which she gripped in her fingers, pumping his shaft up and down. She felt sexy, with her breasts exposed and her dress pushed up around her panties. “I’ve been fantasizing about you too. I need to feel you inside me.”

He shuffled around to lean back against the stable wall, sitting with his legs out in front of him, so she moved around and straddled him, hovering her pussy above his hard cock. He reached up and removed his cowboy hat, then placed it on her head.

“Ride me hard, cowgirl.”

She chuckled, glad they were comfortable enough to joke during this intensely passionate moment. “Love to,” she said.

He held up his straining erection for her, so she sank down onto the tip, stretching the opening of her pussy over him and relishing the thrilling delight.

He reached out and caressed her thigh. “So tight.”

It felt so good to be filled up by him, but she paused for a moment to catch her breath – he was too big for her and it was painful to begin with, even though she was so wet. But she knew that once he was fully inside her, the pleasure ahead was going to be overwhelming, so she allowed herself to sink all the way down, moaning with pain and pleasure as she sunk. She gazed into his eyes and saw they were full of smoldering lust, as well as tender affection.

“You’re perfect…” He reached out and gripped her hips with his strong hands, so she braced herself for the ecstasy ahead. But then something in the hay caught his eye. He reached out and picked up a piece of discarded leather – a rein that must’ve fallen there.

He held it in his fingers. “Lean forward. Put your head on my shoulder. I need to bind you to me.”

She laughed with excitement, then leaned forward and did as he instructed, causing his cock to rub against her G-spot, and her clit to dig into his perfect abs. He reached all the way around her, wrapping her in his strong arms – making her feel secure.

“Put your wrists together,” he whispered into her ear.

She did so, then he tied the leather strap around them, fastening her arms behind her back. She felt his cock twitch eagerly inside her – revealing that he was enjoying this light bondage as much as she was.

“Sit up, sweetheart,” he said, gently helping her.

He stared at her satisfactorily. The act of having her hands tied behind her back made Samira’s breasts stick out, making her feel sexy – and totally at his disposal. The strap was long enough that he was able to hold the end in his hand, so he gently pulled her arms backward, causing her back to arch slightly.

She laughed with arousal, unable to keep her hips still, desperate to feel the pleasure between her thighs. “Oh god, Ivan!”

Still holding the strap in one hand, he slapped her on the thigh with his other hand, pushing her lust to the max.

“Gee up!” he whispered, smirking. He gripped her hips again and started to move her pelvis back and forth, slowly at first, but then faster.

He leaned forward and tongued her nipples, further enhancing the joyous delight as he ground her down into his toned body, making her feel dominated. The euphoria between her thighs grew stronger, sweeping over her like a wave of joy, and suddenly the orgasm caught. Her eyes closed beyond her control and time froze – hovering on a plateau of pleasure. Then the elation exploded deep inside, flowing into the world as loud groans of ecstasy.

As the orgasm swept over her in intense waves, Samira’s soul merged with Ivan’s and she felt as they were one. Everything else fell away and there was only the essence of herself, her lover, and total bliss.

“Yes, Ivan!” she heard herself cry, from somewhere down below, as she flew higher still.

He gripped her hips tight as he came deep inside, pulling her into him – still moving her back and forth. He dropped his head to nuzzle her neck and she felt him biting her, claiming her like an alpha lion taking a lioness.

She breathed deeply as the pleasure sparkled like diamonds around them – binding them together – until eventually she drifted back down to reality and slowly opened her eyes, grinning like crazy.

Her world had transformed now – shifted into contentment and peace. There was power and liberation in that blissful orgasm, and she felt strong and ‘at one’.

They gazed at each other and smiled. “I love you,” he said.

“Me too… I’ve missed you so much.”

He reached around and undid her bonds, then he kissed her tenderly on the lips. “Come lie in my arms.”

She snuggled into his gorgeous chest, unable to stop smiling. There was a whole other world out there, but for now – in this little stable – the entire universe existed for only for them. She grinned. Was she really lying in Ivan’s arms? She lifted her hand and pinched his nipple to check.

“Ow!” He chuckled, grabbing her fingers.

“I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

“Aren’t you supposed to pinch yourself?”

She propped herself up on her elbows. “Sorry.”

He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, removing a piece of straw. “I’m so glad to have you back, Samira… I can’t even begin to tell you...”

Samira bit her lip and sat up. “Ivan, we can’t just pick up where we left off.”

“Why? I know you still love me. Every problem is always solvable – that’s what I’ve always said. It’s the Quinlan family motto.”