The Billionaire's Masquerade: Betting On You Series: Book Two (6 page)

The tears rolled down her cheeks. It was almost more than she could bear, so sad, so tender, so loving. Reaching for Kleenex she blew her noise and sobbed some more. In the background she heard the door buzzer. They had to have the wrong apartment. When it buzzed again she got up and buzzed them in.
Why does everyone forget their keys?
When she was about to sit on the couch again, there was a knock on her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone.
Who would stop by at this time of night?
Opening the door, she had her answer. Trent stood there, holding a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers. Before she could speak he came in and shut the door behind him.

“What happened? What’s the matter?” he asked urgently, dropping the flowers and bottle of wine on the end table by the entrance.

Wiping her still wet cheeks she answered, “Nothing is the matter. Why are you here?”

“Elaine, you look horrible, like you’ve been crying for hours.”

Horrible? What a thing to say!
Turning away from him she headed back to the living room and saw herself in the mirror. What a sight: puffy eyes, smudged mascara, red nose, messy hair from lying on the couch, and only wearing an extra-long T-shirt and slipper socks.
God, he’s right. I’m a hot mess.
She tried to smooth her hair and wipe the last of her mascara off.

Trent had followed her and turned her to face him again. “You can tell me anything. What happened?” he asked sincerely.

Her face grew even warmer with embarrassment. How was she going to tell him why she was bawling her eyes out over a tearjerker on the Hallmark Channel? “Trent, I was . . . umm . . . I was watching . . .” She pointed to the television where the DVR was paused.

Trent turned to the TV and burst out laughing. “All this crying over a movie?”

His laughter echoed throughout the apartment. “It’s not funny.”

Raising his hands in defense, he said, “No, of course it isn’t.” But his laughter grew louder.

Elaine grabbed the remote and turned off the television. “If you are going to laugh at me, I think you should leave,” she said firmly.

***

He loved it when she tried to challenge him. Her attempts had yet to be successful, but he still found it refreshing. Trent pulled her into his arms and said, “You can try, but I’m not leaving.” If she only knew how cute she was when she was mad. Her pouty bottom lip made him want her more. Wiping one remaining tear from her cheek, he said, “For a minute I thought all those tears were for me. Look how disappointed I am; I’m heartbroken.” He used the saddest voice he could muster. Then in a more suggestive sexy voice he added, “How are you ever going to make it up to me?”

She pushed him away and said firmly, “I don’t believe I owe you anything.”

Trent ignored her comment and pulled her into his arms. “Maybe you can start with a kiss?”

She kissed him, her mouth moving over his slowly, carefully, then abruptly stopped. “Okay, I have made it up to you; now you can do something for me.”

His blood was pumping and ready to give her anything she asked. “I’m all yours. What can I do for you?”

She stepped away. He watched as she picked up the remote and waved it in the air.
No, don’t say it.
“Watch the rest of the movie with me.”

Great.
“Are you sure that is what you want to do tonight?”
Say no!

Elaine’s tongue traced her lips, deliberately, and then bit on her bottom lip. “Yes, I’m positive that is what I want to do tonight.”

She was playing with fire, teasing the hell out of him. He would be more than happy to show her what he wanted to do tonight. If it involved the TV, there were things he wouldn’t mind watching with her either. “If I watch this with you, you are going to owe me a lot more than a kiss.”

“No promises.” Elaine laughed as she turned the TV back on and went to sit back to the couch.

What the hell did I get myself into?
Trent grabbed the bottle of wine he’d left by the door, got two glasses from the kitchen, then joined her on the couch. He handed her a glass and then raised his glass to hers. “I’m going to need this tonight.” He laughed and put an arm around her, and she snuggled in close to him.
Maybe this won’t be so bad.

He was thankful she’d already watched more than half the movie before he arrived.
I was wrong, this is worse than I thought.
His fears were coming true as he heard the sniffles start next to him. Trent reached over, grabbed several tissues, and handed them to her. She smiled at him, wiped her tears, and blew her nose.
What part of this is supposed to be romantic?

Elaine turned off the TV and said, “That was so good. Did you like it?”

Hell no!
She really couldn’t believe he would enjoy that, could she? But the look on her face said otherwise. “I enjoyed the wine.”

Elaine gave him a playful slap. “That is not what I meant.”

Trent tipped her chin and kissed her. “I will enjoy this more.” When his mouth claimed hers again, she gave a small gasp. That was all the encouragement he needed, pulling her hard against him, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. She tasted so good it almost blew his mind. He couldn’t get enough, and he plunged deeper, stroking her tongue with his, straining to be closer. Trent slid a hand down her body, palming one of her breasts, swallowing her moan as he pinched her nipple through the thin T-shirt. Elaine was hot and so responsive. He would make this a night to remember.

Lifting the shirt over her head, he tugged her bra down, revealing her erect nipple, taking it into his mouth eagerly, groaning. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, and her back arched, giving him full access to savor one breast before moving to the other, sucking and licking fervently. His hands unhooked her bra, and it fell to the floor. Then he slid her pink silk panties down her naked body.

He stood and quickly stripped his clothes off, not caring about the buttons popping off his shirt. He paused only to put on a condom. There was only one thing on his mind at the moment and that was to have her.

In one swift movement he lifted her against him, and she called out, “Trent.”

“Put your legs around me,” he ordered. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he lifted her higher. Kissing her, he carried her to the bedroom. Her soft wetness pressed against him. Without releasing her, he laid her on the bed and moved over her. She opened her legs for him, inviting him in. His hand slid between her thighs.

Lifting her hips, she grasped his shoulders. “Please.”

He stroked her clit with his cock, never taking his eyes off her. She trembled with need and desire, and so did he. “You’re so wet. Elaine, tell me what you want.”

She wiggled and tried to pull him closer. He resisted the urge to plunge deeply within her, stopping at her entrance. “Ohh,” she whispered.

“Tell me,” he demanded. Her head tossed from side to side as he stroked her clit with his cock again. “I . . . need you . . . inside me . . . please . . . I can’t . . .”

In one motion he entered her fully. His body hunched over hers. She met him thrust for thrust, angling her hips, giving him access to enter deeper. She was so tight. He wanted it to last forever. He rode her fiercely, demanding as he pumped in and out of her. “Tell me how it feels.”

Her fingernails raked down his back. “You feel so good inside me. Don’t ever stop,” she panted.

He could feel excitement rising inside her, tighter and tighter. He felt her coming, her back arching off the bed, her hands clutching at him.

“Elaine.” He buried himself deep inside her with his own release.

He collapsed on top of her, his chest rising and falling in time with hers. They lay, not speaking, both unwilling to move. After a few minutes Trent rolled to one side and pulled her to rest against him. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and together they drifted off to sleep.

***

The next morning she woke to Trent pressed against her back, his hand still holding her bare breast. This was the first time he stayed until morning. It was . . . nice. That didn’t change the fact it was also risky. She stirred slightly when he spoke softly near her ear.

“Good morning.”

Rolling over so she could look at him, she said, “You shouldn’t still be here.”

“And why is that?”

“You know very well why. Because no one, and I mean no one, can ever find out we have been . . . been intimate.”

Trent chuckled. “We were real intimate last night, wouldn’t you say?”

Elaine pulled herself away from him and sat up. “I’m not joking, Trent. We had an agreement when I accepted the job.”

“I said I wouldn’t kiss and tell.”

Why does he need to make this so difficult?
She knew why. It was because he couldn’t understand what her fears were and didn’t consider them valid. At Another Chance she’d seen so many people lose everything over something stupid. She was not going to let that happen to her. “The fact that you find this funny only shows you have absolutely no understanding of how hard I have worked to get where I am today.”

Trent now raised himself to sit on the bed. “And I haven’t?”

How could she expect him to understand? Not only was he rich and powerful, he also was a man. The world used a different lens when viewing a woman struggling to make it to the top. Mistakes were not so easily forgotten. “There is no risk to you in this situation. No one will care, but I’m the one with everything to lose. If this gets out I would be forced to quit my job. But that would only be the beginning. Any future job offers . . . well, let’s just say they would all come expecting more than I’m willing to give. My career would be over.”

His tone also changed. “I have respected your wish for privacy. But you cannot go through life worrying about what others might think or say about you. If you do, you will shut yourself in a box while everyone else keeps living.”

It was a good way to describe her life: in a box she’d created herself for emotional protection from anything or anyone who could hurt her. There were things she needed to resolve, get answers to, before moving forward and taking the risk of truly being happy. “You make it sound so simple when it’s not.”

Trent shook his head. “There is nothing simple about it. It is a conscious choice each day to live my life my way.”

Live his life his way. Well, yes. That was evident from his
pleasure
in Dubai.
And then I let him into my bed. What was I thinking?
It just made her angry. At him. At herself. She couldn’t help the bark in her tone next. “Without consideration of who gets hurt as long as you get what you want.” She knew her words must have stung, but once they were spoken, it was too late to take them back.

“Part of your statement is true. I have always done what I wanted. My parents could verify that for you if you don’t want to take my word for it.”

Having another opinion of him might help, but what mother wouldn’t defend her son? “They are not an impartial party. I bet you do no wrong in their eyes.”

His tone had softened as he began to talk of his family, which caused Elaine to begin to relax as well. “I’ve never pretended to be an angel. In fact, I guarantee I gave my parents a few gray hairs when I was younger and probably added a lot more as an adult. Some people are better at following orders than others.”

She had been rebellious herself but for different reasons. Reasons she was not ready to share with him yet. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want to learn more about him. “What does that mean?”

“My grandfather was a Marine, my father is a retired Marine, and my two older brothers are also Marines. My two younger sisters, who decided to follow in my mother’s footsteps, became nurses. You can tell I don’t fit in those molds.”

He definitely wouldn’t have made it through the military with his lack of ability to take orders. And it must have been challenging for him to grow up in a home where he chose not to follow in his family’s footsteps. But even though he was different from them, at least he had them, knew who they were. She wondered if he knew how lucky he was. All she ever wanted was to know who her parents were and whether she had any siblings. It had been difficult never having anyone she could call family. No tears came when she thought of those questions. Those tears had long ago dried and were replaced by a determination to one day find answers. “You’re right, Trent. I can’t picture you fitting in those roles. So you are one of five? I would have thought you were an only child, a very spoiled only child.”

“Way off mark. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. There were times things were tough, and we all had part-time jobs through high school. I was not spoiled, but I will admit, I was a brat. With my father deployed, sometimes for long periods of time, I acted out more than I should have. They say there is one in every family, and I’m that one.”

“You seemed to have outgrown it.”

“Don’t be too sure about that.”

There was no hint he was joking and, from everything she’d read about him, he was right. She was happy the tension between them had all but vanished, but that didn’t eliminate the issue. He needed to leave before others began to get up. “Trent, the sun will be up soon, you need to leave now.”