Page 15 of Eluding the Billionaire
“Hey, I’m done.” She jumps slightly at the sound of my voice. Obviously, her thoughts were a million miles away. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I say when she turns to face me.
She shakes her head. “No, you didn’t.” Her gaze is laser focused on my eyes. It seems odd until I realize that she’s trying not to look at the towel knotted low on my hips. Now that’s a boost to the ego.
I rub my hand across my chest several times. “Geez, today’s session was brutal. Sorry we were running a bit late, but Sean was held up with an earlier patient.”
Katie’s eyes are now tracking the movement of my hand, and if I had to guess from her heated gaze, she’s wishing it was her hand.
“No … no, really, it’s all good.”
Knowing that she’s interested has me going back to my earlier thoughts. I wonder if she’d like to hop back into my bed. And before the idea is even completely formed, I ask, “Katie, could you help me into the bedroom? Those sessions leave me weak, and I don’t want to stumble.”
Her eyes go saucer wide. “Um, okay.” She moves to stand beside me, and I hook my arm over her shoulders. Her arm slides tentatively around my waist, her hand coming to rest on my bare skin just above the towel.
Forced proximity is another asshole move on my part, but I don’t care. I’m holding her close for the first time since our night together, and even if it’s purely as an aid rather than sexual, it feels really good. Her sweet fruity perfume is tantalizing, but it’s the feel of her silky hair brushing against my chest that has me grinning from ear to ear.
She carefully shuffles me across the room. Maybe I didn’t need to lean so heavily on her, and maybe I could have moved faster. But she feels so good. I want to drag out this moment and remember what we were like together that night. This may be all I get.
As we reach the doorway to the galley kitchen, there really isn’t any need for her to help me anymore, because the space between the countertop on one side and the wall on the other wouldn’t allow us to pass through shoulder to shoulder.
I lean back against the end of the counter, my arm still hooked loosely around her. “Thanks. I think I’ve got it from here.”
With a slight tilt of my head, I touch my lips to her cheek in a casual, friendly kiss that is anything but casual when the touch lasts longer than it should.
I hear her sharp intake of breath and the slow release of air when I remove my lips. She hasn’t forgotten that night, just like I haven’t. I didn’t expect a repeat of our hookup in the hotel room when I coerced her into coming to Cornwall. Really, all I wanted to do was apologize and set the record straight. But now that she’s here, her perfume teasing my nostrils, my hands wanting to run through her dark glossy hair, and her chocolate brown eyes looking at me with melting desire, I’m reminded of why I was initially attracted to her. She’s hard to resist.
But I do, for now.
I walk the five steps to the end of the kitchen, and even though I have my back to her, I feel her eyes on me. With one hand on the door to the bedroom, I loosen the towel at my waist with the other, giving her an eyeful of my bare butt.
Chapter eight
Katie
Don’tlook, I tell myself, but I still continue to stare hungrily at Drew’s naked body.
What a jerk, letting the towel drop and flashing me his sexy butt. He knows how much I liked checking out his perfect, firmly muscled glutes when he stripped in the hotel room. His body may be leaner than it was back then due to the accident, but one fleeting glance has the ability to make me want him all over again.
Finally finding my voice, I shout after him, “That is so juvenile.” His only response is a deep, rumbling chuckle before the bang of the door he just disappeared through. Well, if he thinks his little stunt will have me following him, he is so wrong. I still need more answers before I intend to go anywhere near that temptation.
Wait, what am I thinking? I have no intention of jumping into bed with him again. Sure, our one night was spectacularly memorable. But that’s also the reason why I should avoid a repeat. Drew has the potential to set the bar so high no other guy in my future stands a chance.
I turn and flop down into the single chair in the living room and promptly sink into its cushioned softness. Pure indulgence. I could do with a chair like this for my home office.
The distant sound of the shower being turned on has me pulling out my phone to scroll through emails. The perfect distraction from thoughts of Drew in the shower, water cascading down his naked body. I recross my legs. Thinking sexy thoughts about Drew is not going to get the contract signed. Last night, as I lay in bed unable to sleep, my mind replaying Drew’s accident, our one-night stand, and the reason I’m here in Cornwall, I made a decision. Today, I need to get back to business.
Twenty minutes later, Drew clomps back through the doorway on his crutches wearing gray sweats and a fitted black T-shirt. Oh please, he has to be taunting me now. Everyone knows that gray sweats are a complete turn-on when worn by a guy with a body like Drew’s, all lean, sinewy muscle. I’d bet anything that he’s commando underneath them too. Damn him.
I hold back the groan wanting to spill from my lips and instead, roll my eyes at him before looking back down at my phone. The metallic clip-clop of the crutches on the wooden floor as he advances closer to me makes the phone in my hand wobble, and I place it facedown on my lap and look up. He stares down at me, smirking. Yes, he knows exactly what he’s doing.
He might think he can play me like a puppet, but he knows nothing if he thinks I’m going to sit here meekly and mildly, just looking while he flashes his butt at me or jiggles his semihard cock around in gray sweats. Uncrossing my legs, I stand to bring myself not to his height but certainly at less of a height disadvantage.
Two can play his game.
“So, are you going to tell me what the hell this is?” I wave my hand between us. We stand toe to toe. I realize too late it’s a mistake to stand this close to him. I release a breath, which at some point turned from annoyed into turned-on.
He tilts his head to the side, and his smile has anI knew you couldn’t resist mevibe about it. Why am I hopeless at hiding my thoughts from him? It’s annoying that he seems to be able to read me so easily.
Catching me completely by surprise, he smashes his lips to mine. It’s a hot, wet kiss that makes my knees wobble. His tongue slips between my parted lips. I offer no resistance. I let him take my breath away. But just as quickly as the kiss escalates, he stops. My head is spinning. I stare at him. He rubs a hand across his eyes, then looks away.
