Bargaining for the Billionaire (4 page)

MadHatter3000: LOL. Still not sending you a pic.

BookNerd: Take them off.

She didn't answer immediately. He tapped his finger on his laptop as he waited.

MadHatter3000: Panties?

BookNerd: All of it. Then tell me how you feel.

H
ad she completely lost her mind?

Maddie dropped her shaking hands onto the sofa beside her and sank back into the cushions, staring at her laptop screen. Every limb seemed to be shaking. His words taunted her with what she wanted so badly she could taste it. Flirting with him was easy. Dave was sexy, in a subtle kind of way. She had to admit, her panties were already damp and her clit throbbed with the promise of the night. The idea that someone else would help her achieve orgasm was a lure she couldn't resist. Tonight, at least, she didn't feel so alone. Hannah was right. There was something addicting about that.

Except her mind had gotten stuck on the doing part. The thought of taking her clothes off had an ultra-vulnerable sensation twisting through her. She'd told him nothing but the truth earlier. This wasn't like her. In fact, she'd only done this kind of thing with one other man. Grayson.

Grayson Lockwood was the first man to get past her defenses, and look where that had gotten her? Which was exactly why she was here. This
wasn't
like her. Oh, she'd tried once or twice, but every single time she got close, she got cold feet. Since her assault, she'd never been able to make it past kissing. Having sex with someone always came down to one point: could she trust the man she was with? The answer had always been no. Sadly, she'd learned the hard way that she couldn't trust Grayson, either.

Hannah might be a diehard romantic, but she was right about one thing. Maddie was lonely, and it ate at her. Now that her two best friends had found their other halves, she yearned to find the same thing. For all her bravado, deep down, she was a little girl with a heart full of impossible dreams of Cinderella and Prince Charming.

Neither was she ready for another relationship. No, what she needed was something in the middle. Which meant, if she wanted company after the auction, she had to go
all
in. No matter how nervous she felt.

Besides, she really did like this guy. He was nice. Talking to him somehow set her at ease.

She gave a firm nod and sat up straight.
You can do this.

Before she could decide what to do or say, another message popped onto her screen.

BookNerd: Nervous?

Maddie sighed. God, how did he do that? She must look like a ninny….

MadHatter3000: A little.

BookNerd: Me, too. My heart is hammering. We don't have to do this, you know. We could end it here and say goodnight.

The answer to that came as easily as her next breath. If she ended it here, she'd regret it.

MadHatter3000: I don't want to end it. I'm just nervous.

Of course, her mind now filled with uncertainties and questions she shouldn't ask. She stuffed her finger into her mouth, biting down on the short nail. What she liked about him was his honesty, but this particular question was of the “uncertain of herself and completely not sexy” variety. She had to ask, though, if only to put it out there.

MadHatter3000: Is it a turn-off? Am I ruining this?

That had to be one of the most vulnerable things she'd admitted to a man. It was right up there with the night she'd confessed her past to Grayson.

BookNerd: No. It's natural. Truth is, part of me is wondering if you think I'm pushing.

MadHatter3000: Are you?

Because he'd asked, and now she had to know.

BookNerd: Not intentionally. I find this arousing as hell. You're straight up with me, about who you and what you want. And I can't seem to help myself. But I don't want to give you the wrong impression, either.

MadHatter3000: You're not. TBH, your honesty is nice.

BookNerd: :) I'm glad. Ask me anything.

MadHatter3000: May I ask what you're wearing?

BookNerd: Same thing I wore to work today. I haven't changed yet. Shirt and slacks.

MadHatter3000: Tie?

BookNerd: Nope. That baby comes off the minute I get into my car at the end of the night. ;)

This discovery sent little flutters of excitement pulsing through her. Her panties were positively wet now. God, he was a corporate man. There was something so damned sexy about a man in a full suit.

She yearned to ask him what he did for a living but held back. The truth was, she had no desire to get to know him beyond what she needed for their date. She wasn't even sure if she wanted this to go beyond the one date. He intrigued her, though. That he was sitting over there, still fully dressed, told her a lot about him.

BookNerd: Would it help if I went first?

Her shoulders slumped, and she released the breath she wasn't aware of holding. God bless the man for his patience.

MadHatter3000: Yes. Please.

BookNerd: Ok. What would you like me to take off?

Maddie leaned back, tapping her fingers on her laptop, but the answer entered her thoughts seconds later. That was too easy.

MadHatter3000: The shirt. I like chests. If you workout as much as you say, I imagine you have a nice one.

BookNerd: Would you like proof?

Maddie stuffed a nail into her mouth, heart thumping like an out of control jackhammer. Did she? Hands down. She had almost a fetish with men's' chests. Of all the places on a man's body she found sexy, that one topped the list. A broad chest and well defined pecs and shoulders could make her cream her panties. Did she actually have the guts to say yes, though?

MadHatter3000: I won't send you one in return.

BookNerd: I'm okay with that. I promise I won't ask for anything you're not comfortable with.

MadHatter3000: Thanks. Can I ask you something?

BookNerd: You can ask me anything.

Maddie bit her bottom lip. She shouldn't. He'd already told her he'd rather the first time she see him naked to be in person, but that naughty part of her was dying to know….

MadHatter3000: If I asked you to send me a pic of your cock…would you?

BookNerd: Damn. You with the questions. You're killing me. Honestly. LOL Do you want one?

MadHatter3000: Would you?

BookNerd: No. ;)

She grinned. Damn it, she couldn't help it. She had to hand it to him. His confession meant for all intents and purposes, he was old fashioned like her. God, that was sexy, if only because it was so rare. She'd tried dating after she broke it off with Grayson, but that she wouldn't sleep with them meant most guys never made it past the first date.

MadHatter3000: LOL Now who's the tease?

BookNerd: Honestly?

MadHatter3000: Please. My nerves are shot.

BookNerd: Are you trembling?

Maddie stared at the screen. His intimate question sent her mind spiraling off in another direction. It was just words, yet her mind easily envisioned the way they'd leave his mouth. Soft, spoken on a husky murmur. She'd bet he had a bedroom voice. Smooth and velvety. Just the thought had her stomach flip-flopping and her clit pulsing.

She reached down, easing the throbbing between her thighs by stroking her slit through her panties, typing an awkward, one-handed response.

MadHatter3000: Yes.

BookNerd: God, I love that. It's a big turn on when a woman trembles in my arms. But the first time you see my cock, I want you close enough to touch it. I want to be able to feel your hand wrap around me.

Oh God, that did it. He was so damned laidback and subtle that all these little sexual tidbits he tossed at her hit their intended target…zinging straight to her core. No sooner had she read the words than the thought filled her mind. Wrapping her hand around his length as she stroked him. What did his cock look like? Was he long? Thick?

She found her clit through her panties and rubbed, allowing herself the moment. The pleasure that would wash over his features, though, was the ultimate. That. That's what she missed the most about sex, what she'd enjoyed about her carefree days in college—her partner's pleasure. What she craved, in the darkness of night when even B.O.B. couldn't satisfy the throbbing in her clit? A partner. A hot guy who made her cream her panties and who'd put his hands and his cock all over her. She wanted the luscious feel of his warm skin against hers. His hard cock sliding in and out of her. And she wanted to watch his face when his orgasm claimed him, to hear what he sounds he made. Did Dave groan softly? Or tremble quietly?

Yeah, when Hannah had told her she was having an online fling, Maddie had understood the need.

BookNerd: Tell me what you want, baby.

This, too, got her.
Baby.
A term of endearment filled with inherent intimacy. All it did was fill her mind with more fantasies. Of him whispering the words in her ear. The fantasy wrapped around her like a lure, and before she'd made the conscious decision, her fingers were typing out the word.

MadHatter3000: Ok.

Hands trembling, she sat back. She prayed he knew what she meant, because she wasn't sure she had the nerve to say it.

BookNerd: Give me a sec.

Nervous and edgy, Maddie set her laptop aside and stood, then crossed to the front windows and closed the blinds. Goose bumps shivered across her skin, and her stomach churned. She was alone in her own living room for crying out loud, but vulnerability still wrapped around her like a shroud. She could do this. She wanted this. Right?

Her laptop pinged moments later, and she turned her head. Standing out on her screen was a picture. In it, he appeared to be seated on a white couch, or perhaps a chair. He hadn't included his face. It was a picture from the neck to the waist, but it gave her an unprecedented view of his body.

She was sure her mouth had to be hanging open or that drool dripped off her chin, because for a moment, all she could do was stare. He had strong, thick shoulders and beefy pecs. The muscles of his abdomen were well-defined without being body builder obnoxious. His biceps were firm and well rounded. Oh, yeah. Christina definitely had good taste.

He also had a tattoo. A beautiful orange and gold phoenix covered his left pectoral muscle, rising out of orange flames and gray ash. One wing disappeared over the top of his shoulder, no doubt spilling down his shoulder blade. The tail ran down his arm. It stood out on his tanned skin, yet it wasn't flashy. The phoenix stood for rebirth, rising from the ashes. The thought of which did nothing but fill her with an overwhelming need to know the story behind it.

Pulled by the power of him, she moved to the couch and sat, her fingers trembling with a heady dose of arousal. Her head filled with erotic visions of him. If Dave were here, she could definitely see herself climbing that hot body….

MadHatter3000: Not bad.

BookNerd: lol Do I meet with your approval?

MadHatter3000: You'll do. ;) May I ask another question?

BookNerd: Ask away.

Maddie hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Memories flooded her mind. Similar chats with Grayson…Lonely nights when she'd been too shy to tell him, too, what she wanted. He'd coaxed them out of her gently with a husky,
“Tell me what you're wearing, baby…”

She shook off the memories and refocused on the picture. He wasn't Grayson.

MadHatter3000: Are your nipples sensitive?

BookNerd: Very.

Maddie stifled a groan. Drawn in by him, by the intimacy of the moment, of the question, her fingers kept typing. God, this was too easy. Surely that had to be a bad sign.

MadHatter3000: I love a man with sensitive nipples. Do you like them licked, sucked, pinched…?

BookNerd: Yes. ;) It's your turn, sweetheart. Shirt. Off, please.

Maddie stared at the screen. Heat shivered across the surface of her skin. How was it that such a simple demand could be so sexy? Was this what Hannah had meant? What she'd had with Cade? Maddie had to admit it was arousing as hell. Such a simple thing yet so…powerful. Her nipples tightened almost painfully, aching for the stroke of his fingers, which drew up images of his hands. They weren't showing in the picture. Were they smooth and soft? Or rough with callouses?

Mind made up, she set her laptop aside and stood. She could do this. Gripping her T-shirt by the hem, she whipped it off her head and dropped it the floor at her feet. Cool air rushed over her skin, and an ultra-vulnerable sensation twisted through her. She sat again and reached for her keyboard. It wasn't like he could see her, but that's what it felt like. Like she was getting naked in front of a lover for the first time.

MadHatter3000: Ok.

BookNerd: God, do you know how sexy that is? And? How do you feel?

MadHatter3000: Honestly? Feels a little strange sitting here by myself, half naked.

BookNerd: You're not alone, sweetheart. I'm right here with you.

God, how she wished he was….

MadHatter3000: May I ask what you're doing? Are you…

She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. It wasn't like she'd never done this before, but it still seemed too bold to ask a relative stranger.

BookNerd: Stroking myself? I'll admit I've rubbed myself through my pants, but no. It would be rude to start without you. ;) It's killing me, because I can't help imagining that patch of red curls between your thighs. I want to bury my face there and taste you. Inhale your aroma and stroke that sopping pussy with my tongue. You wet, sweetheart?

Oh God.
At the thought, liquid heat curled through her, settling in the exact spot he'd mentioned. To have his mouth between her thighs, lapping at her. Her clit pulsed, throbbing and begging for release. She reached down, stroking herself through her panties again. She had to admit it. The thought of him over there, doing what she was, occasionally rubbing his cock because he was so aroused he couldn't help himself, provided a luscious lure.