Loving The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport) (7 page)

“Promise.”

It took several more minutes before Warren stopped kissing her long enough to stand up.

While they’d been in the library, someone had cleared away the dinner dishes and prepared the table for dessert. They had even set out new candles.

“You’re going to love this.” Warren pushed her chair in for her and then sat after moving his chair next to her.

Ruth suspected she could be served a bowl of prunes and not even notice or care. “Besides chocolate, what else is in this dessert?”

Warren gave her a precise description of sachertore including what part of Europe it originated in. While he did that, she touched the locket he’d given her with her initial engraved on the front. He loved her. It seemed impossible, but the proof was all around her. Closing her eyes, she replayed the time they’d spent kissing tonight.

“Would you like some coffee?”

At the feminine voice, her eyes shot open. “Yes, please. That would be great.” Coffee and cake appeared in front of her.

“Do you require anything else tonight, Mr. Sherbrooke?”

“We are fine, Marsha. Thank you.”

Warren waited until Marsha exited before he spoke again. “Are you working tomorrow?”

Ruth couldn’t resist the cake calling to her. “No. A friend wanted today off, so we swapped days.” She took a bite of the cake, and the rich combination of chocolate and apricot bombarded her taste buds. “Wow.” She went for another forkful.

“Delicious, right?”

“That word doesn’t adequately describe it.”

Warren dug into his own cake. “Let’s spend tomorrow together.”

Ruth pretended to think about it for a moment. “Promise to have more of this cake, and you have a deal.”

“Ouch. Now the truth comes out. You’re here only for my cake.” He put a hand over his heart.

“Not
only
for the cake.” She leaned over and kissed him, cutting off anything else he might say.

Warren pulled her onto his lap. “This is the most enjoyable dessert I’ve ever had,” he said when he pulled his mouth away.

“Me too.”

She watched him pick his fork up.

“Does that mean you’ll spend the day with me?” He raised a forkful of cake to her lips.

“Most definitely.” She took the cake he offered. She’d have to find a recipe for this dessert.

“Do you want to see the rest of the house, or do you want to finish your cake?” He slipped his hand under the hem of her sweater and rubbed her lower back.

It wasn’t fair that his hands were so smooth. No matter how much hand lotion she used, her hands stayed dry and rough all winter long. She was about to comment on that when his fingers moved up her back. Heat radiated in every direction. Why had she picked such a heavy sweater tonight?

“This will be here later.” Ruth put down her fork.

Warren gifted her with a sensuous smile, one that hinted he intended to give her more than just a tour upstairs. With what she hoped was a smile she stood, ignoring her stomach’s flip-flops as her pulse raced.

He kept her pulled close as they walked down the hallway and up the magnificent staircase in the foyer. The entire mansion was silent. She couldn’t hear any noise from outside. Even in the dead of night she could hear cars driving by her apartment building. Here the only sound was their footsteps as they crossed the marble floor and climbed the stairs.

“I can’t believe you ever leave here. It’s amazing.”

Ruth walked into what Warren told her was his mother’s private sitting room. For a moment, guilt told her to leave; the room belonged to a complete stranger. How would she feel if someone walked into her bedroom? Then again, she wasn’t alone. Warren stood next to her, and he had offered her a tour.

Warren glanced around the room then looked at her again. “I do love it here. It’s hard to leave sometimes.” He leaned closer to her, his lips inches away from hers. “It’ll be even harder to go now.” He kissed her, leaving her with no doubt about what he meant.

Concern over standing in his mother’s sitting room evaporated from her thoughts. The only thing she could focus on was Warren and the way his lips moved against hers. Stepping closer, she pressed her body against his as he traced her lips with his tongue. Ruth didn’t hesitate. She opened her mouth and rubbed her tongue against his, eliciting a groan from Warren. Then suddenly he pulled back.

“There’s one more room up here.” His voice came out as a ragged whisper.

She knew what room he meant. She swallowed. “Show me.”

Chapter 6

Warren led her into a corner room. Immediately, her eyes zeroed in on the huge bed covered with a navy blue bedspread. When she heard the door close, she took in a deep breath and turned, hoping he’d come to her. At the moment, she wasn’t sure her legs would carry her to him.

Ruth watched him walk toward her, acutely aware of his tall athletic physique. Despite the love and desire telling her this was right, panic momentarily set in. Sure she’d fooled around a bit, but she was still a virgin. While she knew most of her friends were having sex, and had been for a long time, she’d decided to wait, much to the dismay of a few boyfriends. She didn’t want to have sex just to have sex. She wanted it to be with someone she loved and who returned the feeling.

And here he stood.

What about Warren? He’d never discussed his sex life with her; she assumed he’d slept with a few women. She’d seen pictures of the beautiful women he’d dated.

It doesn’t matter. He’s here with me now.
The silent reminder pushed away the panic. Then he gathered her in his arms and kissed along her jaw until he reached her mouth. As Warren ravaged her mouth, his hand disappeared under her sweater and cupped her breast. His finger dipped inside her bra and caressed her nipple.

Ruth leaned into his hand and tore her lips away from his, the need to tell him how she felt overwhelming her. “I love you.” She kissed his neck and then his cheek before she went back to his mouth again.

Warren walked her backward until her legs hit the bed. “Can we get rid of this?” He grabbed the bottom of her sweater and paused.

Grabbing the material from him, she yanked it over her head. “Since we’re getting rid of clothes, do you need any help?” Ruth undid the top button of his shirt. “Or do you want to do it yourself?” She slipped the next button from its hole.

“It’s all yours.” He unzipped her skirt and pushed it down her hips.

Ruth undid all the buttons and pulled away, so she could enjoy the view. It had been a while since she’d seen him without a shirt. She liked the subtle changes she saw now. He’d always been athletic, but now his muscles were more defined. Unable to look at all that naked flesh and not touch it, she ran a hand over his heart and down his stomach.

“Time for this to go.” Warren’s hands skimmed across her back, and he unclasped her bra.

She took a step forward intent on pressing her body against his. He wouldn’t let her. Instead his gaze left her face and raked across her body. When he looked up at her again, there was no mistaking the passion in his eyes. “I could look at you all night.” He took her nipple in his mouth, sending red-hot heat to her core.

Ruth moaned and let Warren push her onto the bed. She’d never ached like this before. Her body wanted his touch everywhere. Grabbing his ass as a way to get him closer, she realized he still wore his pants. “We forgot something.” She went for his belt buckle, but he stood before she could do anything.

Warren ditched the rest of his clothes and rejoined her on the bed. When he pulled her tightly against him, she hooked her leg over his thigh, hoping he’d get the hint. More than anything, she wanted him to touch her. Warren didn’t keep her waiting. And when he slipped a finger inside her, she grabbed his shoulders and hung on as he teased her to the breaking point.

Could a person die from pleasure? She suspected she was about to find out. But if she was going to die, she might as well take Warren with her. Ruth reached for him, but before she could do little more than wrap a hand around him, he pulled away. She opened her eyes and watched him get off the bed.

“Be right back.”

Confused, she almost protested. Ruth watched Warren grab his wallet from the pants he’d discarded on the floor. When he grabbed something from inside the wallet and tossed it on the nightstand, a light bulb went on inside her head.

Thank goodness Warren’s brain still worked. A condom hadn’t occurred to her. Someday she wanted kids, but not now; protection was a must tonight.

Warren’s mouth came down on hers hard and hot as he positioned himself over her. She considered telling him she’d never had sex but never got the chance. He joined their bodies, and all thoughts stopped. Only pleasure remained.

***

“Stay here tonight.” Warren propped himself on an elbow. He had no idea what time it was and didn’t care. All that mattered was keeping Ruth in his arms as long as possible.

“Is that a good idea?”

He reached out and ran his hand through her dark hair. “Why wouldn’t it be?” His hand trailed down her arm.

“This is your parents’ house and there are employees around. What if they say something to them?”

“No one will say anything to my parents,” Warren kissed her, “or anyone else.” He pulled down the blankets, uncovering her breasts, and teased her nipple with his fingers. Ruth’s eyes drifted shut, and she smiled.

“Are you trying to influence my decision?”

“Is it working? If not I know a lot of persuasive techniques.”

Ruth’s eyes popped open. “You don’t play fair.”

“When it’s something I want, I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.” He continued to fondle one breast while he took her other nipple in his mouth.

Her fingers dug into his hair as she moaned. “You win. I’ll stay.”

He pulled his mouth away. “You won’t regret it.” Before she could answer, he kissed her and set out to fulfill his statement.

Chapter 7

“I wish I didn’t have to go back tonight.” Warren wrapped a second blanket around them as they sat on his private balcony watching the sunset. They’d spent the night before and all day at the mansion. But it was getting late, and he had classes in the morning.

“Me, too.” She snuggled closer to him. “Let’s not talk about that right now.”

“Fair enough.” He squeezed her. “What should we talk about?”

“Depends. If I ask you something will you answer me truthfully?”

Cautiously he answered, “Yes.”

“When did you realize you loved me?”

“Does it matter?”

Ruth tilted her head and studied him. “I guess not, but I’m curious.”

“That morning when you found me on the beach.” Already he could guess her next question.

A faint smile appeared on her face. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Just as quickly as her smiled appeared, it vanished. “You started dating what’s her name right after that, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t say anything because we were friends.” He watched the waves crash on the shore. “I figured if I said something it could ruin our friendship. Then I met Beatrice in Boston. My family liked her, so I thought I’d see where things went.”

“That makes sense I guess.”

“Right before Christmas I intended to tell you. I even called you to see if we could meet.”

Ruth shook her head. “You never asked to see me. We didn’t see each other until after Christmas.”

“When I called, you’d just broken up with someone. It seemed like the wrong time.”

“That was two months ago.”

“I know. But after that call I wasn’t sure it was a good idea.”

“What changed your mind?” Ruth took his hand.

“Our kiss on New Year’s Eve.” Before she even moved her lips, he knew what her next statement was going to be. “And yes, I know that was more than a month ago.” He kissed her to keep her from talking. “Being with me can be difficult. My family can be overwhelming at times, and we both know the media is constantly circling us like vultures. I wasn’t sure you’d want to deal with all that. Eventually, I figured I’d never know unless I asked. Valentine’s Day seemed like the perfect time.”

“The media thing doesn’t thrill me.”

A sliver of dread raced down his spine. “Are you having second thoughts about us?”

“No. Besides, if the media starts digging around, they’ll only find out how boring I am.” She rubbed his arm. “And I’ll probably like your family. Your brother Mark is nice.”

Warren blew out the breath he’d been holding. “I won’t subject you to the entire Sherbrooke clan at once. None of them will be around here until the summer anyway. And even then, I’m not sure how much time they’ll spend here. My father is preparing to launch his campaign for the Senate in the spring.”

“A slow introduction sounds good.”

When had her feelings changed? Did it even matter? Ruth loved him and he held her in his arms. “Next weekend come up and stay with me in Boston.”

“What about your brother?”

“Please. Donna stays with us enough that he can’t complain. Besides, I doubt we’ll leave my room much.” Warren stood and pulled her up with him. He couldn’t stay much longer if he hoped to get a little sleep.

He kissed her neck as he walked them inside. “Will you come?”

She nodded.

Warren stopped near his bed. “Can you stay longer?” He wasn’t the only one with an early morning tomorrow. That didn’t mean he wanted their weekend to end.

“Maybe just a little bit.” She unbuttoned his pants.

A little longer wasn’t enough, especially since they’d already wasted several months. However, tonight it would have to do, and he’d make sure they didn’t waste any more time in the future.

About the Author

I started writing at the age of 10 on my grandmother's manual typewriter and never stopped. When I am not driving my 3 daughters (ages 7, 5, and 5) around to their various activities or chasing around our two dogs, I am working on a story or reading a romance novel.

You can visit my website www.christinatetreault.com or follow me on Facebook to learn more about my characters and to track my progress on my current writing projects.