The Boss (A Billionaire Romance) (7 page)

Chapter 14

Once they had filled their stomachs with Sake and sushi, Fredrick sent for the check.

He tipped the server almost as much as the bill and gave the concierge a firm handshake, "Thank you, we've enjoyed every minute."

Clara was proud to be with such a gracious man, and nodded at the server as she passed him on the way out of the restaurant.

When Fredrick glanced down at her, she smiled back and placed her hand in his welcome grip.

"Thank you. For an excellent date."

His eyebrows flickered, as though her intimate action surprised him. It was easy being in his company, but also super exciting--a combination she couldn't recall having with anyone else.

Fredrick turned to her outside the restaurant, his stare intense and passionate as he played with a loose strand of hair about her face. "Thanks for coming tonight."

"I've had fun. You're easy to talk to. Hope I didn't moan on about things too much?"

"We both did a little of that. It's called sharing I believe." He winked and she desperately hoped he'd kiss her before shipping her off in a cab. "It's far too early to end our date, though. Don't you think?"

Clara felt the same and exhaled before the corners of her mouth reached for her ears. "Well, I'm not tired yet, and I'm enjoying myself. So . . ." The last thing she wanted was for the night to end too prematurely again. Not now she'd spent time with him. "What do you have in mind?" she threaded her fingers through his and stood closer, their toes touching.

He pulled their linked hands up to their chest, as if to show how he appreciated the intimacy or, at the very least, to acknowledge it. "Fancy a little Jazz, Ms. James?"

"Jazz?" As someone who delegated little time to a social life, she knew of few places to go. But she was thrilled to be able to recommend a Jazz club. "Oh, if you're a Jazz fan, chances are you already heard about the Village Vanguard?"

He grinned, "You know, not too much."

She suspected he was saying this for her benefit, being the gent he seemed to be.

"Is that where you'd like to go?" he asked with raised eyebrows, hailing a cab.

"Yeah. It's been some time since I went. Just hope we can get in. Did you know, for eight decades the Vanguard has remained relevant by consistently hosting the hippest exponents of the music. The list of performers who played there over the years is an encyclopedia of the top names in jazz."

"You don't say?" he said, eyes wide, grin in place.

She wondered if she was telling him details he knew already as he ushered her into the cab and jumped in beside her.

But she said nothing, enjoying his need to make her think she was more knowledgeable.

Even though this behavior might be perceived as patronizing by some, Clara saw it as chivalrous, though she felt slightly intoxicated once the cab started moving.

"You're a big Jazz fan, then?" he asked.

"Aren't you? Oh, you didn't want to go there for me, did you?"

"Hey, of course I'm a fan." He offered her such a sinful grin and linked her arm, "Well, if I'm being honest, I just want to dance with you without techno and neon banging and flashing at us."

"You old romantic, you." Clara snuggled up against him, loving the idea of smooching on a dance floor with a man again. Last time she danced in a man's arms was with her ex at her aunt's wedding, around six years ago. "We'll probably need classic Jazz for a slow dance, so here's hoping they take requests. If it's modern, there's no chance."

"What's your preference?"

"Classic. One of my all time faves is 'Feelin' Good' by Nina Simone. You?"

"Oh, I love that one. Although, wasn't she a little crazy?"

"Bipolar disorder, they say. So I'm not sure crazy is politically correct."

"Okay, sick then. Not crazy at all."

"Better." She smiled. "So, do you have a favorite?"

"Um, my choice would be Armstrong's 'Wonderful World.'" Fredrick gazed at her lazily, and she breathed in his spice. "Who doesn't love waking up to that reminder?"

She imagined what a wonderful world it would be to wake up next to him, listening to Armstrong singing in the background, and gave an unconscious squeeze to his arm.

The cab took them to Seventh Avenue, where they lumbered out of the cab at the Vanguard.

She remembered how packed it was the last time she went there. "What if they won't let us in? We haven't booked."

Fredrick frowned, "Of course they'll let us in."

Moving straight to the front of the queue, he whispered to the door attendant and offered him a bundle of cash.

The big guy tipped his hat and waved them through the double doors, loud groans at their backs from annoyed people left to wait in line.

Clara tried not to enjoy the VIP treatment, but she did.

Just a little.

The door attendant clicked his fingers for the hostess to take them to a booth near the stage.

Once seated, a waiter came over and took their drinks order. Fredrick smiled at her and said, "Haven't been here in years. Great choice, Clara."

After Clara settled for a few minutes, enjoying the sexy ambience and moody music, something bothered her.

How does a fire fighter afford all this?

He must have tipped the door attendant a few hundred dollars outside, and the bill he picked up at Sushi Nakazawa in Greenwich Village was another few hundred dollars.

Where does he get his cash?

Not a fire fighter's salary, that's for sure.

Is he a criminal on the side?

Shit, he's not a gambler too, is he?

I can't go through that again.

Fredrick offered her his hand in a silent request to dance when the singer belted out Nina Simone's version of Just Like a Woman, "Shall we? It isn't quite your first choice, but it's Nina's take on a perfect song."

"Love this version and this song, so sure," she said, her suspicions over his finances threatening to ruin a heavenly evening.

But she wouldn't allow it, for once.

She needed this night and never realized quite how much she'd missed being with a man until now.

On the dance floor, somehow transported to another time, way before her time, she rested her cheek against his robust chest and moved with him between the other dancers.

His hands held her hips and his fingers spread out over the top of her bottom.

The heat beneath his touch and the erotic electricity building under her dress as their bodies moved against each other made her pull him in closer against her.

"Can I ask you something?" said Fredrick.

Clara peered up at him, smirking, feeling a little cheeky and relaxed, "You know you're already asking something by asking if you can ask me something, right?"

He kissed her nose, "Hey, get you, you little minx."

Clara watched the dazzling display of teeth and tongue in front of her. "Sorry, what did you want to ask?"

The lights were dim, but she swore she saw his cheeks blush. "Are you glad you gave me another chance?"

His huge, hard body stopped moving against hers, awaiting her answer.

Her breath hitched, and her fingers gripped the back of his wavy hair.

Looking deep into his eyes, she replied, "The night's not over yet, but so far I'm so . . . glad."

"So glad you say?" Fredrick pulled her in tight and resumed their dance. His gaze now fixed on Clara's mouth, "So, would it be too soon to steal a kiss?"

"There's no theft if it's freely given," she breathed, buzzing with excitement.

A smile played around his lips before his mouth delicately brushed against hers and his hot breath coated the tip of her tongue.

She closed her eyes, absorbing his taste and the surrender involved in any first kiss, and held him tightly against her.

When his mouth left hers a moment later, she missed the connection and opened her eyes.

He smiled softly down at her, "Such soft lips."

"I use balm," Clara said, then cringed, feeling ridiculous.

He sniggered, "Well, it works." The song they danced to ended and he took her hand, leading her to the table. "Fancy another drink?"

Ensconced within his embrace, she never wanted to leave it.

"I'd much rather stay right here."

She pulled his mouth on hers and ignored that the next song was not for a romantic slow dance, and that she was kissing a guy in the middle of an empty dance floor.

His tongue slowly explored hers, and the feeling of glorious swelling in his pants against body made her panties damp.

His hands moved to her cheeks to cup them and he pulled his glorious mouth away.

She wished they were alone, especially when she found his pupils enlarged and his breathing deepen.

He asked, "Hey, is this leading to something?"

"Oh, I sure hope so," Clara grabbed his hand, leading him out of the club and into a cab.

"Where to?" Fredrick asked, "You should choose. Where would you feel safest?"

Clara hadn't even considered her safety might be compromised with Fredrick, "Your place near here? Mine’s way across town."

He gave the driver his address and the journey was lost in a glorious haze of heavy petting on the back seat.

Chapter 15

The elevator wouldn't come down to the ground floor quick enough for them, so Fredrick lifted Clara and carried her up two flights of stairs to his apartment.

Clara giggled, "I'm quite able to climb these stairs on my own you know."

He didn't even break a sweat, and smirked, "Maybe I just couldn't wait to get my arms around you, huh?"

His eyes glistened with mischief.

Clara sighed.

When he set her down to unlock his apartment door, she became more aware of the dampness between her legs and a throbbing sensation deep inside.

I want this man in the worst way.

Her fingertips tingled with the need to touch him, and her flesh awakened, as though charged by electricity, yearning to be touched.

Watching him struggle to unlock the door, seemingly in slow motion, was torture.

But this did show his excitement, which only aroused her more.

Finally inside, their gaze met and locked, and the intensity swept her further away from reality on a tidal wave of emotion.

Fredrick kicked the door shut behind them a fraction before he slammed her against the adjacent wall and kissed her hard, his hands gripping her hair at each temple.

Clara busied herself unzipping his pants as their tongues entwined, and his hands moved lower to massage her breasts over her dress.

Desperate to remove all obstacles between them, to experience his flesh against her palm, she pushed his pants out of her way until her hand was able to move unobstructed behind his trousers and underwear.

When she wrapped her fingers around his generous, smooth cock, he broke away from their passionate kiss to groan at her touch, "Wow, Clara. You move fast."

His kisses moved to her throat and his hot breath sent shivers over her back.

She groaned, "Problem?"

With a more vigorous motion she rotated her hand, enjoying how hard, how hot, he was against her palm.

"Depends? You want this night to end before it's begun?"

Clara wanted a quick fuck and long slow sex all at once.

More than anything, she wanted it now.

"Where's your bedroom?" His hand slipped behind her panties and Clara threw her head back in anticipation. "Oh my . . . "

Fredrick smirked down at her.

His fingers made their way inside--one, two, then three.

She squirmed at the slowness of his touch and he said, "Yes… you're beautiful, Clara."

Clara groaned, his handling of her, his words, him--all so arousing, and she clenched down on his fingers.

"You're so soft, so wet. My cock's going to love being inside you."

Weakened by her need, Clara could only sigh, "Ah."

"Let me see you. I want to cast my greedy eyes on every inch of you." Clara grieved the loss of his internal caress.

When she opened her eyes to see why he'd stopped, he pulled her dress up over her head in one glorious movement.

"Fuck," he said, gaping at her in her underwear.

Clara wrapped her arms around herself and crossed her legs instinctively.

But when his eyes lingered, his breath hitched, and he licked his lips, she dropped her defensive posture and straightened her spine.

The throb inside her quickened and she reached beneath her underwear to touch her clit in some hope of release.

"You're as perfect as I always imagined." Fredrick's smile almost ate up his face, his focus on her hand between her legs. "I am crazy happy that you want this as much as me."

Clara didn't want to bring herself off again, like she had done for too many sexless years.

She wanted his touch, his cock, him.

She wanted to be held, fucked, kissed, and to slide over his body, with only a film of sweat between them.

Once her bra and knickers were cast aside, she glared up at him and whispered, "Take me to bed now, Fredrick. I want you."

Still grinning, he pulled his shirt over his head and kicked off his underwear, then marched her through the enormous apartment to his bedroom.

Oblivious to her surroundings, all she saw was him until they reached his room.

The bed was huge and the room was luxurious, but all she cared for was what was happening between them.

He lifted her and threw her backwards on his bed, then prowled up to her on his hands and knees.

"And I want you, Clara."

On his way, he kissed her feet, licked her legs, buried his face in her stomach, and she squirmed beneath the attention of his greedy tongue and hot breath.

When he reached her nipples and licked them, she gasped at the colossal waves of warmth and twinges about her body, "I want you inside me. Please."

"Music to my ears," he whispered, his eyes locked on hers, his thumb circling her sex.

Once he slipped his fingers inside her again, he fucked her with slow smooth strokes at first, then becoming faster.

She couldn't reach his cock, being so much shorter than him, and when she tried to kiss him he moved out of reach.

His intense stare devoured her every reaction.

She needed him.

However good his fingers felt moving inside her, they were no substitute for his weighty member.

"Please."

His eyes turned black as he pushed her legs up, pelvis back and then sunk his cock deep inside, "Ah."

He didn't move at first, he just filled her up and kissed her softly.

Then he said, "I've been thinking about this moment, Clara. For so long."

Clara gasped at the fullness, at the stimulation, at the pleasure written all over his face, and dragged her nails down his back when he moved out and in with perfect control.

She wondered what he'd thought about her, whether she would live up to his expectations.

But only briefly, because she couldn't so much think as experience, and she delighted in him.

With his closed eyes, wearing such an expression of concentration, he was the beautiful one.

Soon, wave upon wave of pleasure almost overwhelmed her, and she feared she might lose her mind with her need for release.

"Faster, Fredrick. I'm almost there."

Fredrick's eyes sprung open. "Hold tight." His mouth crashed down on hers for the deepest kiss while he pounded into her, his flesh slapping against hers, his hips grinding. "Ah, yeah. Fuck."

The release she needed gripped her internal core tighter with every pound between her legs.

Their heat mingled and with their bodies in perfect synch, they rushed to a mutual and explosive climax.

As they sighed and held each other in the aftermath, she thought, this is going down as her best date yet.