Billionaire Auction by Brynn Paulin

Chapter Seven

Kendrick rose from the bed before the sun touched the horizon. It was his way. He enjoyed the peace of the early morning hours. He threw on some sweats and made his way to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. While it percolated, he leaned against the marble counter island and used his phone to check his email and answer messages. He also ordered clothes for Moriah to be delivered by 9:00 AM.

He pondered what he’d do about Jofre. Kendrick might have allowed Jof to quietly retire with forfeiture of benefits had he been a decent human being and simply returned the money. After all, no organization wanted the intrusive inspection and media attention a scandal like embezzlement brought. Fraud charges made clients and shareholders nervous and was bad for business. Instead, Jof had decided selling his daughter to raise the funds was a clever idea. That made Kendrick simply want to turn the bastard in to the authorities and be done with it.

“Hey,” he heard from behind him.

Kendrick turned to find Moriah, sleep-tousled in his T-shift, making her way to his coffeemaker.

“You’re up early,” he said. As she poured her coffee, he resisted the urge to press up behind her and kiss her neck, his hands roaming their way under the shirt—pulling it over her head. That way she’d be naked and ready for him, and he could bend her over and slide his hard cock deep into her warmth.

But not yet.

Her first time wouldn’t be a morning quickie in his kitchen. He’d do it right, make her first time special for her, and do his level best to erase the previous night’s events from her memory. He wanted her to have no regrets.

He watched her and noted she liked her coffee light and sweet, like her personality. He loved that about her. He knew for a fact she tasted sweet, too.

She joined him at the kitchen island, taking a seat on one of the stools. “I usually get up early, but even for me this is a bit before my normal wake up time. I must have missed you,” she mused.

Aww.That touched him with unusual warmth. She was going to turn him into a sap.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Starved,” she admitted.

“I’ll make you breakfast,” he declared, moving toward the refrigerator. He opened the door and proceeded to remove ingredients for an omelet. He also took out some strawberries.

“Oh. Um…” Moriah smiled. “Thank you. It’s very kind of you to want to cook for me, but I’m vegan, so fruit is just fine for me. Promise.”

“Oh.” Kendrick returned all the non-vegan items to the refrigerator. “I’m actually vegetarian, but I know a few vegan recipes. I’ll make you something. Fruit isn’t enough.” Especially with what he had planned for her.

“Do you like to cook?”

He nodded. “I do. It’s my guilty pleasure.”

While he cooked, they chatted about other hobbies they both enjoyed and secret talents they both possessed. He was thrilled by how easily the conversation flowed and how light and fun it was. It had been a long time since he laughed so much.

During the meal, the conversation turned to quieter, more mundane things like studies and work. They avoided discussion of her father or the auction, for which he was grateful. It was almost too easy to forget that they weren’t dating. To his surprise, being with Moriah just felt…right. Last night, he’d wanted to save her. Today, well, he was beginning to think he might want to keep her.

When they’d finished the last of breakfast, Kendrick retrieved the rosewater-infused berries from the fridge, which he topped with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

He purposely brought one spoon with him to the kitchen island. “May I have the pleasure of feeding you?”

She smiled. “You’re asking, but do I have a choice?” She opened her mouth to receive a spoonful.

“Unless you have a sincere and valid reason why I shouldn’t, I expect you to say yes.” He fed her again.

“What happens if I don’t do what you want this weekend?”

“Again, if you have a sincere and valid reason, we’ll talk. I’m not an ogre. But if you’re just being a brat, what do you think?” he asked.

“I have a feeling the threat you made on the plane, that you’d spank me, is one you’d follow through.”

Kendrick nodded. “You’re correct.”

“Why?”

He sent the question back to her. “It’s who I am. But tell me, why shouldn’t I?”

She shrugged. “Because it will hurt.”

“So will it when I take your virginity.”

Moriah frowned and made a disgruntled little sound. “That’s different.”

“It is? It all leads to feeling good. What if I promised to follow it with pleasure?” He brought the spoon back to her mouth. Moriah’s tongue darted out to lick her lips before she accepted his offering. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and she seemed to be thinking.

“We should shower,” she said suddenly. “Together.”

Surprised, Kendrick dropped the spoon in the bowl, and it bounced with a clank. Apparently, she wasn’t thinking what he’d thought. “What made you decide that?”

“I just think we should get acquainted with each other’s bodies before we sleep together. Plus, I really just want a shower.”

Picking up the spoon, he gave her the last bite of berries then got up and deposited the bowl in the sink. Things were moving faster with Moriah than he’d anticipated, and he really wanted more time to set up a special night for her, but why not indulge her desire? Some of the best things in life were unplanned, so the saying goes, and surely, he could control himself—and her—from going too far.

“All right. Follow me.”

Kendrick led her to the large master bathroom. He retrieved extra toiletries from the drawer of the two-person vanity and gathered towels from the cabinet.

“Feel free to use whatever you need. Then come in here.” He showed her to the bathing area. Moriah seemed in awe of the luxurious room. His favorite part was the rainfall shower area, but she seemed focused on the enormous soak tub. Though the floor was heated, he turned on the fireplace for her.

“Would you prefer a bath?”

“No, no,” she said wistfully. “Maybe another day. I want to shower…with you.”

Nodding, he said, “I’ll be back shortly. Enjoy until I return.” He then left her to bathe.

Back in his office, Kendrick contacted the designer he’d chosen to dress Moriah and arranged to have her new clothes delivered immediately, much to the delight of the designer who seemed more than happy to drop off the collection himself since Kendrick promised to pay extra for the trouble. Then, he contacted his weekend personal assistant. He instructed her to make lunch reservations at his favorite restaurant. Also, she was also to arrange a chef to come in and prepare dinner for a seven PM mealtime—and he needed roses. He wanted lots of candles and roses throughout the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. And the bathtub filled.

“I need all this to happen by seven tonight. And don’t let me down. I’m trying to impress a lady.”

“No problem, Mr. Bergana. It will be perfect,” his upbeat assistant promised. “She’ll fall in love with you by the time I’m done.”

Kendrick laughed. “Well, yes, I guess that would be nice. Thank you.”

After he hung up, he returned to the bathroom to find Moriah already in the shower. Beyond the glass and steam, her naked body glistened under the water drops tumbling from the ceiling like a summer rain shower. She stared up at the spray, allowing the water to cascade down her form like a slow-motion movie scene.

His cock immediately hardened. This was a very bad idea. He turned to leave, but she spotted him.

“Get undressed,” she called. “This shower is perfect.”

Cursing his luck but unable to disappoint her, he disrobed and joined her. Upon seeing his cock standing proudly, her eyes widened. She stared. “Oh my God, it’s so big.” To his surprise, she reached out and drew her fingers along his length.

He nearly spewed at the featherlight touch. Damn her innocent charms.

“Okay. That’s enough,” he groused. Gently, he turned her around so her back and beautiful ass were to him.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

The humor in her tone wasn’t lost on him. Little brat. She might be a virgin, but she obviously wasn’t a blushing one. At least not at the moment. Moriah seemed to know exactly what she wanted and how to get it. What exactly was in those books she’d read?

“No,” he replied. He poured shampoo in his hands then lathered her hair.

“Then why did you stop me?” She sighed as she leaned her head into his touch.

“Stop you from what?” He knew what she meant, but he was going to make her say it aloud.

“Touching your… You know, touching it.”

“It?” he laughed.

“You know what I mean.”

Kendrick guided her to rinse her hair. “If you want something from me, just ask.”

“I want to touch your penis,” she blurted, her voice rising nearly an octave. She was obviously a little embarrassed stating her desires aloud, but she was braving her way through the experience. He’d reward her for that.

“You can wash me while you explore,” he said and put the soap in her hand.

She turned to face him with a smile. He returned it and stood there in all his naked glory, his cock so fucking hard it was damn near pointing at her in accusation.

Moriah bit her lip and lathered the soap in her hands. Then, looking him in the eyes, she proceeded to clean his chest. Kendrick was never one to be unsettled by a stare down, but hell, her eyes—all sparkling and mischievous—were something beautiful to behold. It would be waaay too easy to fall for her. He needed to be careful. He only had her for the weekend.

But why couldn’t it be longer? He’d thought about her far more than he should for the past few years, and it had taken him less than three seconds last night to decide she was his. When he loosened his grip on himself, he realized he wanted her for far longer than a couple days. He wanted her here with him permanently. But that was a topic they’d discuss Monday morning when he dissuaded her from leaving. Because once he claimed her, that was it. She’d be his.

Unaware of his possessive thoughts, Moriah soaped his shoulders and arms, then his torso and stomach. He held his breath, waiting for her to grab his dick, but she didn’t. Instead, she knelt before him and washed his feet.

His balls ached watching her from that angle. Her breasts bouncing as she moved higher and scrubbed up and down his legs, his cock brushing against her head during the ministrations. If she noticed—she’d had to notice—she chose to ignore it.

But finally, she looked up at him, and she tentatively grasped his cock. “It’s smooth,” she murmured as she stroked the length. “But not,” she added, tracing the thick veins running along the length. With her other hand she cupped his sac, and he cursed himself a fool for ever agreeing to this. What had he been thinking?

Now, he tried to think of anything and everything that would prevent him from coming on her face or her tits—yeah, that would be a beautiful sight. No! He had to think of something else. Why, oh why, did her lips have to linger so close to the head of his dick?

Moriah allowed the water the fall over his soapy erection and rinse it clean. Then she rubbed the tip along her cheek, as if memorizing the texture. She studied it then lifted her eyes to his and enveloped his hardness with her hot mouth.

He groaned in unison to her as she tasted him. Slowly at first. Back and forth along the shaft. He could feel her tongue swirl along the length. She then released him with an audible pop.

“I’ve only seen this on the internet,” she confessed. “Am I doing it right?”

Straining for control, he nodded. Shrugging, she lifted his cock and licked it underneath, from the base all the way to the tip. Then she sucked it back into her mouth and nearly choked herself on it in an effort to consume all of it.

“Careful,” he managed, not wanting her to gag—not this time.

But Moriah ignored him. She took him deep again. And again. And fuck if she didn’t suck him like a damn pro.

Just when he couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled back.