Irresistible Billionaires by Summer Brooks
Zach
When I had realized Clara wasn't coming back, I followed her. "Now I'm the one chasing after her. How ironic." I left some twenties on the restaurant table for inconveniencing the wait staff.
We’d only gotten to nibble at our food, and my stomach rumbled in protest.
When I got to the front of the restaurant, Clara was by the door on the phone. I overheard her conversation.
"Hi, Dad, how are you feeling?Oh…Well, I'm sure that will go away soon…yeah…" I could see her face drop as she spoke to him. She stood fumbling with the hem of her collar for a moment as her eyes slowly rose to meet mine. She looked at me strangely for a second before returning to her conversation. Her voice rose about three octaves. "I have some wonderful news for you. You might get to see me walk down the aisle after all."
Clara pulled the phone back from her face a little, and I could hear some muffled celebratory noises.
She has more invested in this than she’s letting on. My mother wants to see me walk down the aisle, too, how ironic.
The thought of my mother left a bitter taste in my mouth. It almost made me regret striking a deal with Clara.
Clara looked over at me again, but she held up a finger for me to be quiet. She mouthed the word "parents," and I nodded in understanding before she continued her conversation.
"I don't know when the wedding will be yet, but I'll make sure you both get to go." There were a few moments of silence while Clara's parents spoke. Clara bit her lip. "I don't know when you'll get to meet him, but it'll be before the wedding, I promise." Her gaze darted to me. "He's actually here right now if you want to talk to him."
My eyes widened, and I backed up, my hands waving, but she ignored me.
She handed over the phone, and I took it. I picked up the call and positioned the phone in the crook of my neck.
Jealously pinched me when I heard a woman's voice on the other end. It must've been Clara's mother. Clara would pay for ambushing me like that later. I was starting to like her less and less by the second.
Why did she get to have a happy family life?
"Hi, Zach. Clara's told us so much about you. When are we going to get to meet you?"
I shot Clara a help me look, but she just held up her hands in surrender. "We have a lot going on at the office, but we'll try to set up a meeting sometime soon."
"Okay. When you find out the exact date, have Clairbear tell us."
I bit back a laugh at her mother's nickname. "Okay. Thank you."
Then her father chimed in, "I'm glad that I'll get to see my daughter get married before I croak." Clara's father laughed, but then his tone became stern. "But if you make my daughter cry from anything other than happiness, I'll make you regret it."
I laughed. "Duly noted. Well, it was nice talking to you."
Clara's parents answered in unison, "It was nice talking to you, too."
I clicked the “end call” button and turned my gaze to Clara. "Do you want to tell me what that was about, or should I just take my best guess? I thought this was just about the money and security, but the stunt you just pulled with that phone call is making me think otherwise."
Clara tapped the tip of her shoe against the pavement. "I'll tell you, but no pitying stares. Okay?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Okay."
She let out a sigh. "My father is dying. He has cancer, and his final wish was to see me walk down the aisle. I wasn't going to tell him, not yet, but…I don't know…I panicked and it just came out."
I tensed. My mother had said the same thing to me, and for a moment, I longed for the days when I'd been close with her. I was jealous of Clara’s family.
If only my mother hadn't pissed away her relationship by sleeping around.
"I guess we're doing this for the dads then. My father wants to see that I can take something or someone seriously before he steps down from OBEL—hence the fake marriage. He's getting older and is having some memory issues. It's making it harder for him to run the company on his own, but he's too stubborn to let Logan and me take over unless he feels we're ready."
"In that case, let’s do this for the dads," she said and raised an imaginary glass into the air.
I held out my hands and pressed my palm to hers. I chuckled. "For the dads."
Clara looked at her phone and then turned to me, a slight uncomfortable look in her eye. It was as if she were contemplating her next move. "Hey. Do you mind if we go back to my place? I forgot something at my apartment."
I nodded. "Sure. I'll give you a ride."
We walked to the car together. I held the door open for Clara, and I relished in the blush that spread to her cheeks.
"Thanks," she said before getting in. Clara sank into the leather seats, and I cranked the engine. She looked up at the ceiling and then at me. "Is this a convertible?"
When I replied, "Of course, it is," she stared down at her hands. I knew she wouldn't ask the question herself, even though she was dying to. "Do you want to ride with the top down?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yes. I'd love that."
As we pulled out of my parking space at the back of OBEL, Clara cranked up the radio. I wrinkled my nose at her choice. "You like pop music? I pictured you as more of an indie band fanatic. Maybe even an alternative rock fan, but pop? Unforgivable."
She gave my arm a playful nudge. "Don't judge me for my taste in music. I bet yours is just as bad. What do you listen to?"
I wrinkled my nose at her. "Classic rock and occasionally some EDM if I'm at a party."
Clara made a mock gagging noise. "And you had the nerve to judge my taste? EDM makes my ears bleed. It sounds like someone banging together pots and pans and calling it music."
I laughed. "We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I think it's great for dancing."
"Maybe if you're having a seizure because that's the only way you'd be able to keep up with the beat," she quipped.
We pulled out onto the main road, and I looked at her expectantly. At first she didn't quite understand my gaze, her cheeks growing red. She was adorable when she got nervous, which was usually one of my pet peeves. After a few seconds I cleared my throat and darted my eyes from her to the road ahead, and back again.
She jumped slightly. "Oh, right, sorry. I forgot you don't know where I live."
I stifled a laugh. "Did you think I would find your house by magic or something?"
She shrugged. "Maybe." Her eyes rolled over me playfully, and I could feel a heat begin to simmer between the two of us. She darted her eyes away and cleared her throat. "Anyway, turn left at the light. Then go straight. It's only a couple blocks down."
"You live in the city?" I asked.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her twist the ring I'd given her around her finger.
"Yes. I had a good job before I was laid off, and my parents helped a little even after I'd lost my cushy manager position. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to keep the place. Rent is crazy in the city, but I prefer living here. It's closer to everything, so I don't really need to use my car all that much, which is good because I hate driving."
I kept my gaze on the road, but I couldn't help but wonder what her apartment might look like. I was curious if her home was as put together as she tried to appear, or if the ponytail and pantsuit was a façade to hide a messy person who didn't really have anything together. I wanted to know if we were more alike than we thought.
We road in silence but she was enjoying herself, looking around, the wind whipping around her. She would point in the directions I needed to turn, a sweet relaxed smile on her lips. If we were going to do this, it was best she started to get somewhat comfortable with me.
When I pulled up to her apartment complex, I was surprised to find the place looked a little run down. The exterior paint on the building was chipped in places, but the apartments overlooked the city quite nicely. "Where should I park?"
Clara pointed to a tall parking garage that looked like it had seen better days. "Over there."
"In that case, let's try to make this trip quick. I don't care for parking garages. That's how my last car got scratched."
Clara rolled her eyes and then looked at the car’s clock. "Let's park already. We only have thirty minutes before we have to be back."
"Yes, ma'am," I said in a mocking tone and let her direct me to the garage.
Thankfully, we found a spot with no cars on either side of me. One half of my car faced the wall and the other was empty.
Hopefully, someone doesn't park near me or destroy my car.
She directed me to the stairs, and when I gave her an incredulous look, she said, "It's just on the third floor. It'd be silly to take the elevator."
We walked up the stairs together until we reached the door. I held my breath when it clicked open and wasn't surprised when she revealed a nearly spotless apartment.
The place was sparsely decorated with stark-white countertops, a small white couch, and a tiny white ottoman with a button decoration at its center. As I stood in the entryway, my eyes caught on a basket near the couch with a half-finished knitting project. Inside the basket, there was pink and purple yarn and some knitting needles. I stifled a laugh when I saw it, but I said nothing.
Her gaze followed mine to the knitting needles, and she narrowed her eyes at me. "Whatever you're thinking, just stop."
"I can't control my thoughts," I complained.
She moved in so close that I could feel her breath on my face. "Your thoughts show all over your face. You were probably thinking, 'wow, she's a total nerd.' It's good for the brain, so don't judge me."
She poked her finger into my chest, and I walked the last step into the apartment and shut the door. Now our lips were so close they nearly brushed.
"You're such a nerd," I said, and I pulled her closer to me, closing the gap between us to kiss her.
Our lips lingered just a whisper apart, taunting our senses. I could tell she wasn't shocked, and it disappointed me a bit. I liked to shock her. To throw her off her game when she was least expecting it. Personally, I was waiting for her to step away any moment, but she didn't, she held herself there, calling my bluff. But I wasn't bluffing in the least.
Instead of pulling away, she thrust forward, pushing her mouth to mine, deepening the oddly seductive kiss, her tongue snaking into my mouth. She let out a light moan that sent a shiver of desire down my spine. Clara had gone from perfectionist knitter to sex kitten in the blink of an eye and it made me wonder what other secrets she held behind closed doors.
She tugged on my shirt and guided me to her bed.
I lowered her down onto the mattress and straddled her, trailing kisses along her neck and moving them lower toward her chest. I moved my hand to her shirt and tried to unbutton it, but she moved my hand away and undid them herself and then made quick work of her bra. I sucked in a breath and bit at my lower lip. I yearned to touch her breast and caress her nipples with my tongue.
She grabbed me around the neck and pulled me closer so she could nibble on my ear. Her voice was a breathy whisper when she said, "I want you to suck on them," before tracing circles around her areolas.
That was all the invitation I needed. I started slowly, tracing circles that matched hers and relishing in Clara’s breathy gasps as she leaned into the touch.
"I want more than that. Don't tease me." She smiled, and any sense of self-control I had was gone.
I traced her nipples with my tongue, and my other hand wandered lower, trailing down her stomach and past the button on her slacks. I caressed her inner thighs over her clothes. I removed my lips from her breast and saw her gaze follow my fingers.
"That's not going to cut it. You know I want more than that." She reached for my hand, guiding it toward the button on her pants. "If you're going to do this, make sure you do it right."
There was a hint of something dangerous in her eyes. It was like the gloves had come off, and the self-conscious, nervous woman from the restaurant had all but disappeared. The hot sex in her voice had devoured that nervous girl, and all the bossy in her came flooding forward.
Heat seared through me, and I followed her instructions, painstakingly undoing the buttons at her waist.
I slid them down to reveal white underwear with some lace running along the sides. She would not get what she'd wanted—not this time—but I'd give her a preview that she wouldn't soon forget.
Sweat had formed on my forehead, and I slipped my shirt over my head. Clara bit her lip in response and reached out to kiss me, her free hand stroking my chest. Without breaking the kiss, I reached down, teasing her through her panties. She moaned and nibbled at my lower lip. I pressed up against her, and she moved to wrap her legs around me, just around my lower back. Clara broke the kiss and pressed her bare breasts against my chest.
I could feel my slacks growing tighter by the second, but I didn't think I could take this all the way. Not if it would hurt her in the long run. Clara took in the bulge forming in my pants and reached to unbutton me, but I moved her hands away.
"So, are you going to tease me or please me? Which is it?"
She wasn’t going to make this easy on me, was she?
I kissed her again and then gave her best-wicked grin. "Today's focus will just be on your pleasure. Now go ahead and take off your panties."
She slid off the lacy lingerie. I wet my lips and lowered her back onto the bed. As I trailed gentle kisses along the bare skin of her inner thighs, she wiggled underneath me.
I made light circles her with my fingers, touching her from the inside. When she pressed into my hand, and I rubbed her lips between my fingers and teased her with my spare hand. Her moaning grew louder, and she mumbled more and reached down to press my hand into her, so I used my tongue to tease her.
She tightened her legs around me. Shudders went through her body, and she reached up to grab onto my hair. "Kiss me," she said in a breathy whisper.
I removed my tongue from her center and lifted my head to her waiting mouth.
As our tongues tangled together, I caressed her with my fingers, and she tangled her hands in my hair. Clara let out a loud moan, and a shiver ran through her body before she relaxed in my arms.
She pulled back, her gaze resting on me. "That was amazing, but what about you?"
I pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "I'll be just fine, but I don't want to hurt you."
Clara's stubborn smile was back. "You can't hurt me without my permission," she said and feathered a quick kiss on my cheek. "But I think our little… moment has passed. Let's go back to being fake, and you might want to take care of… that before we go back to work."
My lip quirked up in a half-smile. "Is it too late to request some reciprocation?"
She placed a finger on her chin as if she considered it, then blurted, "Yup, it's too late." Then she tugged her clothes back on and got some notebooks and pens to bring along for work.
As I walked into her bathroom, I turned around to look back at her. "Oh, and one more thing. We're meeting with a wedding planner in a few days."
I could've sworn her eyes lit up, but then she ran a hand over her face and groaned. "Well, that's just great. Now I have to tell my friends."