Page 20 of Riding with the Secret Billionaire

His grip tightens slightly in my hair, the slight pressure sending a cascade of sensation down my spine. "Trish," he says, my name a warning again. "We need to think this through."

"I've been thinking about it for two days," I admit. "Haven't you?"

The raw honesty in my question seems to catch him off guard. His expression shifts, the careful mask slipping to reveal something darker, more primal.

"Yes," he admits, voice pitched low. "More than I should have."

"Then why are we still talking?" I challenge, pressing myself more firmly against him, feeling the evidence of his desire hard against my stomach.

A growl escapes him, the sound so unexpected and arousing that I gasp. In one fluid motion, he lifts me, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carries me the few steps to the bed. We tumble onto it together, his weight pressing me into the mattress in the most delicious way.

His mouth finds mine again, the kiss deeper, hungrier than before. My hands explore the broad expanse of his shoulders, the solid muscle of his back, the narrow taper of his waist. When I slip my fingers under the hem of his t-shirt to touch bare skin, he makes that sound again, halfway between a groan and a growl that sends liquid heat pooling between my thighs.

"Jake," I breathe against his mouth, arching up as his lips trail down my neck. "God, that feels good."

His hand slides under my tank top, spanning my ribs, his thumb brushing the underside of my breast with maddening restraint. I squirm beneath him, seeking more direct contact, but he holds back, his touches teasing, controlled despite the obvious desire radiating from him.

"Please," I whisper, not even sure what I'm asking for.

He lifts his head, meeting my eyes. "What do you want, Trish? Tell me exactly."

The command in his voice hits me like a physical touch. "I want you," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. "All of you. No holding back."

Something flashes in his eyes, hunger, yes, but also conflict. "You don't know what you're asking for."

"Then show me," I challenge, reaching up to cup his face. "Show me what I'm asking for, Jake."

For a moment, I think he might actually do it, might let go of that rigid control and give us both what we so clearly want. Then he closes his eyes briefly, and when he opens them again, the wild heat has been banked, contained once more behind his disciplined facade.

"Not like this," he says, drawing back slightly. "Not in some random motel in Kansas, after two days of forced proximity and building tension. You deserve better than that."

"I deserve to make my own choices," I counter, frustration edging into my voice. "And I'm choosing this. You."

He brushes a curl from my face, the tenderness of the gesture at odds with the restraint in his expression. "You don't even know me, Trish. Not really."

"I know enough," I insist. "I know how you make me feel. I know there's something happening between us that's worth exploring. Isn't that enough for now?"

Jake sits up, creating space between us that feels like miles after the intimacy of moments before. "It should be," he admits. "But there are complications you're not aware of."

"Such as?"

He hesitates, clearly weighing what to tell me. "My business in Nevada... it's connected to your friend's wedding."

This catches me completely off guard. "What? How?"

"I'm handling security for the Kane-McCrae wedding," he says, watching my reaction carefully. "It's a high-profile event with some unique security concerns. That's why I'm heading to Foxfire Valley."

I sit up too, processing this revelation. "So, when I appeared on your ride share app, requesting a ride to the same wedding..."

"It wasn't a coincidence," he confirms. "I was already going there. Taking you along was convenient and allowed me to gather information about the event from someone with inside knowledge."

The implication lands like a stone in my stomach. "You've been using me for intelligence gathering?"

"Not exactly," he says quickly. "The ride share was genuine. But yes, learning more about the wedding and guests from your perspective has been useful for my security planning."

I stand up, needing distance. "So, all of this, the ride, the conversations, the kiss just now, it's been what? Part of your job?"

"No," he says firmly, standing as well. "The ride, yes. That aligned with my existing plans. But everything else, our conversations, my attraction to you, what just happened between us, that's been entirely separate from my professional obligations."

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