Bare Skin: A Billionaire Romance (17 page)

So what if some random guy just watched us have sex in alley. It didn't matter, that shit probably happened all the time.

Right?

“Limos aren't...” Searching the sky for an answer, he said, “Personal. But walking is.” His hands fell onto his chest, flattening the creases. And I couldn't stop my gaze, my eyes were drawn to his power, his strength. I was melting again, ready for round two.

Flicking my eyes away, I folded my arms, making a feeble attempt to regain control over my own body. “Really, how so? We can talk in a limo, just like walking.” The words came out, but my insides were pulling me in a different direction.

I wanted more, more of him. I could feel my panties growing wetter, desire crawling its way back between my thighs.

I wanted him again, and again, and again.

“No. A limo would just make me want to take you in the back seat. Which isn't a bad thing, but walking will get us there quicker, you only live a couple blocks from here.”

That's right, he knows where I live.

How did I forget that?

“Why do we need it to be quick?” Fixing my tousled hair, I brushed the knots out with my fingers. “So you can get your dress back?” A light smile kicked to one side, as I let out a playful giggle.

I'm even talking with more confidence.

I could feel the small voice growing, morphing into a confident, assertive woman. No longer was I that uncomfortable child, that dull and weak friend. I had found myself, here in this alley.

Found myself here; in this city, in this life.

My life.

“That's your dress now, red isn't my color. But it's definitely yours.” His thick hand cupped the dip in my spine, fingertips digging in possessively. “Come on, I want to make sure you get home safe.”

“You're really going to keep this up?”

“What?”

“That you care. I mean you got what you wanted, didn't you?”

Say no, say you want more.

“Do you have shit between your ears? I meant everything I said earlier. And I'm willing to show you till you finally believe me.”

Flutters sped up my heart beat, wings cultivating the edges of the muscle and taking flight. A thin smile crept over my jaw, claiming my already flushed cheeks.

Stepping into the light of the busy street, I wrapped my arms tighter round my chest. The night air held a chill, a gentle breeze blew around my legs and hurdled over my skin. Goosebumps jetted up over my arms as I shivered. Rubbing my arms vigorously over the chilled skin, I tried to warm them up.

“Cold?” Kash asked.

“A little.” My eyes scanned the sidewalk, looking to see if any faces lingered on us longer than they should.

Had anyone else stood by and listened?

Watched?

Did others take pleasure in what we did?
I couldn't help but wonder if anyone else besides the homeless guy had seen us.

Although I knew I shouldn't be surprised if they did. We were tucked into an alley, right off a main street. The sidewalk was flooded with people— some stranger than others— but even the most heavenly sent pair of eyes would snatch a quick look at two people ravaging each other in a public place.

I know I would've if I was passing by. Hey, so kill me for being honest, but we all know it's human nature.

Curiosity was a bitch.

The weight of his arms shoved the thought from my mind. “Here.” Slipping his coat off his shoulders, he draped it over mine.

It was strange, the heavy material wrapped me like it was his warm flesh. I felt safe, I felt comfort, I felt...

Complete.

You're insane!

That's impossible.

There was no way I could have had all these feelings from one hot night in a fucking alley, with a guy I didn't know.

But he gave me attention, he gave me everything that lacked in my life.

Touch, desire, want, and... And...

No, stop.

You're becoming obsessed.

I felt childish, like a young, love, swooned girl who had fallen for the first guy she ever slept with.

Kash wasn't my first, but he had given me more in that one moment than the two other guys I had been with.

His hands were magic, his lips were soft and delicious. Every part of him sealed me in a state of pleasure, even when he was just walking by my side.

Is this normal? Or completely crazy?

I'm going crazy.

“Thanks, I didn't know you could be such a gentleman.”

“Well, you don't know me yet. Do you?” His fingers glided softly over the back of my neck.

Pursing my lips, I cocked my head. “I could say the same for you.”

“Why do you think I'm walking you home?”

“I thought it was for safety?”

“That's one reason.” His fingers teased the edges of my hair, sending prickles across my nape.

“And the other?”

Kash's hand curled into the base of my skull, tugging the roots. My head tilted, neck falling closer to his chest. “There's more than one, Willow.”

With his hands tucked snug into my hair, wrapping and twisting the strands, he dropped his lips to my ear. “There's so much I want to know about you...” Pausing, his tongue traced the shell of my ear. “Now that I've tasted your pussy, we can get to the hard stuff.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Does he think I'm easy?

Fuck. Did I just screw up royally?

With those confusing and heated words, he crushed my lungs in the palm of his hand. My chest was rising with anger, exhaling with fury. My body wasn't a challenge, I wasn't a conquest for him to climb and accomplish.

I was never a girl who just gave herself away. But he was hard to resist, even harder to say no to. His hands spoke to my body, telling it what to do and how.

Had I just confirmed to him that I was a woman eager for dick?

Did Kash have some sort of bet with himself to get in my pants?

Did he win?

Because he was so wrong, I'm nothing like that, even if my body was demanding it.

Asshole.

Kash

W
hy did her face go from flushed berry pink to bright crimson? Her shoulders cocked back, feet planting themselves firm into the sidewalk.

“Excuse me?” She snapped. “Who do you think you are?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Holding a finger inches from my face, Willow's eyes blackened with a devilish glow. “I'm not a slut, do you understand me?”

“I never said you were. What the hell is your problem?”

“You know what, I can get myself home just fine. Why don't you go back to the hole you crawled out of.” Her feet skipped forward, heel slamming the pavement with determination.

“Willow, what the hell is your issue?”

“Forget it, Kash, and forget everything else too. I don't need your help, I don't need your smart mouth, and I don't need you.” Her arms stiffened by her sides, fingers clutching the small purse violently.

“We didn't even get into the business part yet, why are you freaking out?”

Huffing under her breath, she shot me a death stare and stormed onward. Her hair bounced side to side, neck filling in with angry veins.

“Fine, go. Have a nice night, Willow. I know I will, I'm already feeling better.”

No, I don't feel better now. What a lie, a bold faced lie.

I wanted to get her home, wanted to hear her tell me all the small quirks she had, all the things she loved, and things she never told another soul.

What the hell is wrong with her? What did I say?

Twirling a hand in the air, I watched her go. I let her think I didn't care, that her leaving didn't matter to me. But it did. And it smacked me harder across the face than it would've if she hit me herself.

Fuck, why is this so hard?

Keeping my eyes firmly on her as she pressed on, the dress made her ass look delicious. Plump and firm, it jiggled with perfection under the red silk. Seeing her go hurt, but watching her go wasn't so bad.

Not with a view like that. Her back was highlighted under the streetlights, each muscle smoothly defined. Following the lines, I let my eyes rest on the two dimples above her ass.

That dress really was the best one for her. It was made for her.

For her beauty.

I planned on following her anyway, whether she like it or not. I had to make sure she got home alright. But I needed to wait a few minutes, give some space between us so she didn't try to elude my protection.

This city wasn't safe, especially at this hour. And a vixen like her, alone and exposed, emotional, and defenseless...

Willow was a walking target.

Didn't she hear the guy in the box?

This City isn't safe after hours.

She needed me. I wasn't going to let some freak off the street threaten her, or worse...

The idea made me sick, curdling my stomach with torrents of knots and boulders. They thrashed around my gut, colliding and spilling into the back of my throat.

Give her another minute, then follow.

The sound of sirens sprung up around me, the loud horns growing from distant to right in my fucking ear in a blink of the eye. I watched three of them go streaming past, making a sharp left down the street in front of me.

That's the same way Willow went.

Shit, let her be okay.

If something happened to her...

In a flash I went from stationary to running. Following the feet of the woman who captured me and didn't even realize it.

Everything around me turned from static to a hazy fog. The faces blurred together as my feet slammed the ground, the buildings morphed into one large pool of red. I had one sight in mind, one image, one goal.

Willow.

Turning the corner, a large crowd had gathered, blocking my view. The bright flicker of flames were throwing their mangled fingers in the air, a soft billow of white smoke was floating up into the deep navy colored sky.

Shoving my way through the people, I caught the red of Willow's dress up in the front. You couldn't miss her, she was the only shining star in the cloudy air. Bright, glowing, and out of place.

She was on her knees, hands pressed firmly into her face. The red gown bunched around her feet, making her look like a lost mermaid in the standing crowd. The skin of her back glistened under the shotty street lamps, sparkling and glinting as she fell forward in despair.

A black tunnel formed in my vision, washing away the rest of world and carving out a hole for just her. I lost control, lost my sense of self. My body turned from man to monster, going from shoving to actually tossing bodies out of my way.

I shut out everything else around me, there was nothing that was going to stop me from getting to her.

An unexplainable fear had coated my chest, turning my heart from beating to rampaging in a fury. The razor's edge was cutting away at my body, feeding my muscles adrenaline. Every inch of me was shaking, trembling, from my lungs to my toes.

If something had happened to her, if someone had hurt her...

Grabbing her shoulders, I coiled myself around her body. “Willow, are you alright?”

She didn't speak, she wouldn't lift her head up. Her face was frozen on the flames, tears streaming down her cheeks in waves. All she could do was shake her head, and sob.

“What's wrong? Are you hurt?”

The loud buzzing bells surrounded us, mixed with yells screaming from the fire trucks for everyone to move back, the chalky scent of burning debris filled the air.

Lifting my head to take in what was happening, I could see an old building burning. Flames were spewing out from every corner. The orange sparks even ate away at the shingles, their long talons clawing out from underneath the eaves.

“No, no, no.” Willow whispered between gasps and tears.

I had no idea what was going on, what was burning, and why she was so distraught over it. The building looked vacant, run-down, abandoned.

Catching my bearings, I realized it was the Old Candy Mill. A small shop that had thrived in this city for decades. Until a few years ago, it was owned by an older couple, a nice hard working couple.

Then all the big businesses came in, taking over every mom and pop shop around. That was one of the reasons I started investing. The big time corporations were putting everyone out of business, ruining the lives of so many hard working people. No one could afford to do shit anymore.

I wanted to stop that, needed to stop that.

The dark hole that was left when my grandmother died, it was a time I wanted to go back to, wanted to change.

But I couldn't. Time doesn't go in reverse, the damage was done. I couldn't give her back to my family.

That was one thing I knew I could never give myself, never give my family. The one thing I would change if I could fix everything from my past.

But I knew I could fix the future; if I could give to others and their families who deserved it, my money was theirs for the taking.

Like I said before, I don't do tears.

But I do anger.

This country had enough problems, but people deserved the right to work for themselves. They deserved the right to take a family owned business and pass it down to their children and their children's children.

I had grown tired of watching all the best places close their doors, the owners forced away and into depression. Forced to lose their home, their security, everything they had worked so hard for.

Before I got here, a lot of them had even gone as far as to commit suicide because they didn't think they had anything left to live for. It was a form of death by design, death by manipulation and greed.

I understood that feeling completely.

But I was lucky.

It didn't work; three strikes and you're supposed to be out.

Unfortunately, I hadn't made it to them in time. They were gone, and so was the Old Candy Mill.

Willow's shoulders slumped forward, her hands grinding into the cold ground. “Why? Why now?” Slamming a fist down, she curled her knees under, cupping her calves.

She looked so defeated, so pained. I didn't like it, but I had no clue why she was so heated over this.

“I don't understand? Why do you care about that place, it's been closed forever.” Rubbing her back, she finally lifted her face to mine.