Very Bad Billionaires (2 page)

“Haven’t you had enough sadness in your own life? Why do you need to examine other people’s grief?”

She jerked her chin up and a flash of emotion sparked in her eyes. “I want to help them. If there’s a way to ease the hurt and anguish, I want to discover it.”

Alston snorted and poured them both a new glass. “There’s no way to shortcut time, Bryce.”

“You can’t be serious. You honestly think time is all people need to heal? To learn to live again?”

He shrugged and she rolled her eyes before taking another sip. “Then you should be an expert at it.”

“I think I manage just fine.”

“All alone, without a family, a wife, children? A man in his fortress. Yep. Definitely fine.”

Alston set his glass on the table and stared at Bryce. She’d always been feisty. Opinionated. The handful of times they’d run into each other and chatted—talking politics or current events—she’d never backed down. But she’d never pushed him or goaded him into anger. A thrill ran through him as he imagined bending her to his will—binding her arms behind her back and hearing her beg for it.

He flashed a smile and took another sip. “I have you.”

“Not yet.”

Alston paused.
She can’t be serious
. No twenty-one-year-old with enough curves to wreck a Maserati could possibly be interested in him. She’d have her pick of any hot young stud in the city. She didn’t need him. He raised an eyebrow.
One way to find out
. “So, any lucky guy you’re seeing?”

Bryce’s tongue darted out and wet her lower lip. Alston wanted to dive across the table and chase it down.

“Not a one.”

“Not possible.” The woman oozed sex. She might not be half naked and shaking her ass, but that dress hugged every sumptuous inch of her. And the necklace kept dragging his eye down to her breasts. She had to know the effect.

“I’ve never found the right guy.”

“Never?”

She shook her head and Alston reeled. “Are you telling me a woman as gorgeous and smart as you has never had a proper boyfriend? I don’t believe it.”

“Well, you can believe whatever you like, but it’s true.” She drained the rest of her second glass and leaned back in her chair, showing off the necklace as it sparkled between her breasts.
Shit
. He stared at the diamond as the light split in a thousand tiny cuts, casting rainbow shadows over her bare skin.

“What about in college? Boarding school?”

“Nope. I don’t know why that comes as such a shock, Mr. Hayes.”

“Alston.” It came out as a growl and her eyes widened. “Tell me. What’s your perfect man?”

She swallowed. “Someone bold. Assertive. Powerful.” Pulling herself off the chair, she leaned forward, letting the necklace slip between her cleavage. “Someone like you.”

Damn
. The words slipped from her lips and reality came along with them. He’d invited her to drinks to get over his ridiculous obsession, not give into it. No matter how many times he’d fantasized about her, how many times he’d wished they’d met any other way, the truth remained. He could pass for her father. He’d taken her in. Made her his legal ward. The guardianship might be over, but that didn’t change anything.

He couldn’t give in to his wants. He couldn’t take what he didn’t deserve.

* * * * *

I said it. Out loud.
Bryce’s heart thrummed in her chest and blood whooshed in her ears. She’d seen the way he looked at her—watching the necklace dip lower and lower between her breasts, glancing at her hips as she shifted on the chair. He wanted her. This was her chance to make him admit it.

“I’m thirty-six, Bryce.”
And gorgeous
. She loved his short and sexy beard and his hair long enough to hold onto.
Mmm
. She could run her fingers through it all night. And his body.
Oh, God
. She’d stolen enough glances while he swam or worked out to know how much muscle a well-cut suit could hide.

“So? That’s not old.”

“I’m your guardian.”

“Not anymore. What you used to be doesn’t matter.”

“How can you say that?”

She shrugged. “We hardly know each other.”

“I know enough.”

A bolt of anger welled up inside her and Bryce slapped her hand on the table. He wasn’t going to slip away. Not when they were so close. “Stop arguing!”

Alston’s eyes flashed to match her own. “I don’t take orders from anyone.”

“Then don’t. Take what you want instead. Take me.”

He reached out and scraped his fingers across her cheek. Sparks of lust and heat shot through her, straight from her face to her clit and back again. They were electric.

In seconds, he’d risen from the chair, leaned forward, brushed his lips across hers.
Yes! Please kiss me.
Bryce closed her eyes, expectant and ready. But nothing happened.

She fluttered her eyes open as he pulled away. Gone was the lust. The desire. Cold indifference was in their place.

“I’m sorry, Bryce. We can’t. Think about the press. We’d be tabloid fodder for weeks.”

Bryce snorted and rolled her eyes. “So you’re going to let Page Six dictate your life?”

“No.” He straightened up in the chair and frowned. “But I have to think about the consequences of every action.”

“I see.”

“I’m sorry. I should never have invited you here. I should have let you go.”

Bryce folded her hands in her lap and bit her lip to keep from saying any more. It wouldn’t get her anywhere at the moment. Alston stood up and dropped his napkin on the chair. “Goodbye, Ms. Meadows. I hope the outside world treats you well.”

She nodded, watching as Alston receded into the hallway. She’d had a chance—there’d been a moment where he’d almost said yes. But he’d pulled away.
Damn Alston Hayes and his self-control.
She thumped the table with her fist.

She wasn’t a crumb of bread to brush aside. And she was going to prove it.

Chapter Two

Bryce crossed her legs, rubbing her panties across her swollen sex as she thought about Alston. How dare he lean in for a kiss and back away.

She remembered when she’d first come to the estate. Thirteen with awkward arms wrapped around herself and eyes too big for her face. She’d stared up at her benefactor while he’d talked to the staff. Would he be a new family? Would he replace all that she’d lost? No. He’d dismissed her with a nod, a clap on the back, and an introduction to Malcolm.

She’d learned in minutes that generosity was all he could offer. New clothes, fancy furniture, expertly prepared meals. But no substitute for her mother. A few weeks later and she’d arrived at boarding school. The place where she’d live most of the year, figuring out how to grow up on her own.

After a while, when the pain had dulled, and the years wore on, she’d changed. Gone was the awkward little girl and in her place a hormonal, sexual young woman. Daring boys to kiss her between classes, craving the spark she’d read about in books late at night. But no one ever lit a fire within her—the one she read about, dreamt about, craved. Except him.

As she sat in the empty wine cellar, she thought back to the summers away from school. Hot, humid days spent sitting in the pool house window, waiting for Alston to take a swim. Watching through tinted Ray Bans as he peeled off a t-shirt and dove into the water. Stroke, stroke, breathe. Stroke, stroke, breathe.
God, to be that water
.

He’d jump out, pulling himself onto the stone before slicking back his hair, and she’d bite her lip to keep from groaning. How could scrawny nineteen-year-old boys ever compete with Mr. Hayes? It didn’t take a genius to figure out why she’d never managed a steady boyfriend.

And now that she’d had a taste…All she could think about was actually having him. Wrapping her legs around him in the dark as he sunk his shaft deep inside her.
Mmm
. As much as he wanted her to, she couldn’t leave. Not after catching a glimpse of the real, breathing man beneath the mask. The one who wanted her, Bryce Meadows.

Chewing on her lip, she glanced down the empty hall. If he weren’t going to act on his attraction, she’d confront him and drag it out of him. One kiss at a time. Hopping off the chair, she slipped down the hall, checking for Alston in every open door and entryway. Past the gym, the pool, staff quarters, the kitchen fit for a castle. No sign of him.
Damn it
.

Alston had pretty much declared his private quarters off-limits years before. But in the moment, she didn’t care. Sliding off her shoes, she hustled down the main hall to the double doors of Alston’s wing. No need to alert Malcolm by the clattering of heels. A minute later and she’d slipped inside. Padding into his waiting area, she glanced in his bedroom, closet, bathroom. All empty. That left the office.

Bryce swallowed. What would she say when she found him?
Kiss me? Fuck me? Make me come?
She blushed at her own foolishness. She’d probably just clam up and wish she were invisible. Squaring her shoulders, she turned the handle, pushed open the door, and…nothing.
Damn it. Where is he?

She turned to go when a naughty thought popped into her mind. One look around his office wouldn’t hurt, would it? Maybe she’d find something she could…use. Before fear took over, she crept around his desk and pulled back his chair. After slipping onto the seat, she clicked on the computer.

It was wrong—invading his privacy like a peeping tom—she knew that. But if her time was up, what did it matter? She’d be out on the street tomorrow, never to see him again. A pang of regret echoed through her and she clicked on his web browser.

Up popped his top sites. Stock market, news, business portal, BDSM site.
Wait, what?
Bryce clicked on the link and a BDSM matchmaker flooded her screen.

Discreet, professional, always guaranteed. Meet your next partner today.

Wow
. She didn’t know what to think. The dominance she could see—he ordered everyone around all the time. But…bondage? More? She’d never considered it.
Is that why he ran away?
The thought of Alston Hayes, standing over her bound and blindfolded body…She shuddered.

Closing the web browser, she clicked the only desktop folder that didn’t shout business.
Videos
. A folder full of videos, ranging from minutes to hours filled the window. She clicked on the first one and squeaked in shock.

A woman laid spread eagle, bound to the bedposts with cuffs around her wrists and ankles. Her bare breasts bounced as she lifted her head up and down, craning her neck to see off camera. Bryce had never seen anything like it.

She knew BDSM existed, hell, who didn’t these days? But seeing it? Actively watching a woman, bound and immobile? It sent a wave of pleasure through her body, and she squirmed in the chair. As she watched, a naked man walked up to the woman and covered her eyes with a blindfold. His muscles flexed in his back and ass, and as he leaned over, he tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear. Just like Alston.
No! It can’t be
.

She swallowed and crossed her legs, rubbing against her swollen sex. The man brought out a paddle—small and flexible—and ran it up the woman’s legs. He drew out gasps and moans before tapping it right on her bare pussy.
Oh my God!

Bryce watched—transfixed and spellbound—as he tapped in steadily increasing beats. He hit her a little harder each time, turning her on and smearing her arousal all over. One final thwack and she came, face contorted in a silent scream. He hadn’t even used his hands or mouth, and she orgasmed.
Unbelievable
.

She’d never seen another woman orgasm before—not a real one at least. Once, she’d caught a handful of porn clips with a friend at boarding school. Staring in curiosity as couples fucked. But none of the women looked anything like the one on-screen. When she came, it was incredible.

Bryce could barely stand the ache between her legs. Watching sex so intense and raw made her crave an orgasm of her own. Without thinking, she pulled up her dress. Hitching the black fabric over her thighs, she slipped her fingers beneath her panties.

The first slide of her finger across her clit sent a shudder through her and she fought to keep her eyes on the video. The man had traded a paddle for a handle with fringe.
What do you do with that? Tickle someone?
Bryce worked her fingers up and down as the man spun the device around in his hand, picking up speed as he inched closer to the woman.

Oh!
He smacked the woman with the fringe in a path up her inner thighs until she quivered beneath him. Every brush against the woman in the video sent a wave of pleasure through Bryce’s clit. Her muscles clenched and she picked up speed, rubbing faster and harder until the edges of an orgasm toyed with her.

After few minutes, the man set the new toy down and used his hands, teasing the woman’s clit with gentle strokes until she screamed out again. But he didn’t stop. He just worked her harder, prolonging her orgasm, drawing it out, making her shake and spasm on the bed.

Bryce swallowed and opened her mouth, panting in arousal as the man pulled away to stroke his cock. Thick and ramrod straight, Bryce licked her lips and leaned in closer. She couldn’t claim to be a virgin. But she hadn’t been with a ton of men. And she’d never seen one so…endowed.
Mmm
. How would it feel to be dominated by a man like that? Turned on, filled up, crying out in ecstasy.

Unwrapping a condom, the man slid it on and positioned himself at the woman’s gaping entrance.
Oh my God. He’s going to fuck her.
Bryce stroked herself again, watching in wonder as the man thrust himself home. The woman came in an instant, arching and screaming and pulling on the restraints as he fucked her. Again and again he pumped, slamming into her as she gasped and trembled.

As he came, groaning his release into the condom, Bryce teetered over into the abyss. The room fuzzed out, her brain shocked white, and she gripped the chair to keep from falling over.
Holy hell
.

* * * * *

Alston inhaled in a rush. Bryce coming had to be the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. And he’d seen a lot.

Tucked away inside his library, he’d poured himself a scotch and sat down. As he’d sipped the drink, he’d tried to rid himself of her memory, failing miserably. The door chimed, and assuming it was Malcolm coming to check on him, he’d let it go at first. But when the man didn’t show up, he’d gone to his monitor to check.

The whole wing was equipped with closed circuit video surveillance—necessary for a man of means like himself. He’d watched her sneak in, tiptoe to his bedroom and continue down the hall. He could count on one hand the times she’d been inside his personal space. She wasn’t invited.

Anger had flashed hot in his mind, but he stilled when she hesitated at the door to his office. Would she go inside? And if so, what would she do? In minutes, he had his answer.

When the video popped up on screen, he’d nearly bolted into the office and dragged her out by the hair. But he could see, even from the camera in the ceiling, how her shock gave way to arousal. How her legs trembled with every smack of the paddle, how she bit her lip to keep from gasping out loud.

But he’d never expected an orgasm. As she slipped her fingers beneath her panties and pleasured herself, he groaned and gripped the table for support.
Christ almighty
.

Her chest heaved up and down, bouncing the diamond like a penny on a mattress, and he couldn’t look away. Over and over she rubbed her fingers, faster when the scene intensified on screen, slower when the couple backed off. If he didn’t see her with his own eyes, he’d never believe it. Watching bondage play turned her on.

The video neared conclusion and Alston tensed. He could tell she was close—parted lips, flush cheeks, fingers flicking with each thrust of hips on screen. And then she came. Head thrown back, eyes fluttering shut, lost in a haze of bliss. Her whole body trembled, and he longed to be there, wrapping her up in his arms and never letting go.

The video man pulled the condom off and Alston frowned. What would she think? Bryce blinked her eyes open as he turned around on screen, spent condom in hand, and winked at the camera. The shock was palpable. She jumped in the chair, hand flying to her mouth as she yanked the other out of her panties.

She stood up, grabbing a tissue and wiping herself off as he strode out of the library.
Just as I thought. Fun to spy on, but horrifying in real life
. She probably thought he was a pervert. A deviant. That he’d let her peep show go on so long was ridiculous.
Weak
.

How dare she watch one of his videos and glimpse a bit of the life he worked so hard to keep hidden. And for what? A cheap thrill in his desk chair before she got on with her life? If she’d ever been interested in him before, she couldn’t possibly be now. She needed to leave.

Busting into his office, Alston cleared his throat and raised his chin. “Some light entertainment before bed?”

Bryce shrieked and jumped back, staring at him with wide eyes he hadn’t seen in years. “Oh my God. Alston. I’m sorry—I didn’t—”

“You didn’t what? Mean to sneak into my wing barefoot and hop on my computer? Or is it that you didn’t mean to orgasm in my desk chair?”

“I—I don’t know. I just—I shouldn’t—”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t stay. I’ll speak with Malcolm. You can leave first thing tomorrow.”

“What? No!” She palmed her hips in indignation. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”

She stomped her foot and scowled. “You can be such an asshole!”

Alston smirked. “I seem to remember being called that before, yes.”

She stalked around the desk, bare feet silent on the plush wool rug, until she stood right in front of him. Without heels, her head barely cleared his shoulder, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“What if I told you watching that video turned me on?” Reaching out, she stuck her index finger smack into the middle of his tie. “That you turned me on?” As she said it, she ground the pad of her fingertip into the silk, needling him with more than words.

Reaching down, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand up to his lips. He opened his mouth with a smile before latching onto her finger and sucking. He could still taste her arousal all over her.
Damn. So sweet
. A few licks of his tongue and she’d softened, the rage pouring out of her and desire taking its place.

He let her hand go and it fell limp to her side. “That can’t be true. You can’t want the man you saw on screen.”

“But it is. Don’t you see? I’m not afraid of you. Of what you like.”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know enough. I watched that whole video—I know what I saw.”

“That was a mistake.”

“Then you shouldn’t go around leaving things like that where anyone can find them.”

“They can’t. The house is secure, the staff would never dare. And I never pegged you as the breaking and entering type.”