The Billionaire Next Door (23 page)

“Your brother is very nice.”

Sean turned around toward the house. Lizzie stood in the front doorway, her body blocking the view inside, blocking the view to the stairs that went up.

Looking at her now, Sean didn’t want her to know what had happened with his father. Ever. Nothing made him feel weaker or more ashamed than the past, and he wanted to be strong for her. He wanted to be a man for her.

Not a frightened little boy.

Besides, there was the relationship she’d had with his father. Though Sean couldn’t understand it, it was clear she’d been close to the man and there was no reason to spoil her memories of him with stuff that didn’t affect her.

Sean walked up onto the porch and wrapped his arms around her. As she embraced him back, he closed his eyes so he couldn’t see the stairs.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” he said into her hair.

She chuckled a little. “This jeans and T-shirt combo isn’t exactly Miss America–worthy.”

He held on even harder. “The hell they aren’t. To me, whatever you have on is a ball gown.”

She stiffened, but then eased back into him. “You scare me when you say things like that.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid I’ll start believing them.”

He pulled back and looked her in the eye. “Believe them, Lizzie. Trust me and believe them.”

The following Thursday, Lizzie raced for the phone in the living room, leaving a pot of water with a fistful of linguine in it boiling on the stove.

“Hello?”

“Hi.” Sean’s voice was warm over the line.

She smiled so wide her cheeks stretched. “Hi.”

“How was your day?”

“Better now.”

He laughed. “Funny, I feel the same way.”

Over the past week, he’d surprised the hell out of her. He called her every day at least once, sometimes more often. And when she was moonlighting, no matter what time it was when she got home, the phone would ring as if he’d set his alarm to her schedule just so he could check she was safe and sound.

“Are you in a car?” she asked. “I hear a whirring noise in the background.”

“Yeah, I’m on the road again.”

“I don’t know how you do everything you do.” Boy, from what she’d learned, he earned every penny of the money he got for putting those billion-dollar deals together. He worked around the clock and there were very few times when there were no arguing voices in the background as they talked.

Yet, even though he was busy, somehow she was always his sole focus when he called. There had been numerous occasions when people had tried to interrupt and he’d put them off curtly. He even lingered over goodbyes as if he didn’t want her to go. Every time.

“You sound tired,” he said.

She headed back for the stove. “Just not as many daytime jobs in downtown as I’d hoped.”

“Your car come back today?”

“Yes, thank heavens.” She stirred the pasta with a fork. She was glad to have a set of wheels again, but cutting the check for all that work had pained her…and so was what she was about to ask him. The thing was, however, it was the end of the month and although money wasn’t quite a problem, it was going to be in a little while. “Ah…Sean?”

“Mmm?”

“I hate to bring this up, but remember when you said I could live here rent free until you sold the…”

“Absolutely. Don’t you dare write that check.”

“Thank you…really, thank you. I hate to impose, but things are going to get tight for me.”

“I’d offer you a loan, but I have a feeling you’d turn me down.”

“Of course I would! But I do appreciate the break on the rent, even though I wish I didn’t need it.” She cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder, picked up the pot and headed for the strainer in the sink. As she poured, a waft of steam shot up and she leaned back. “Whoa, hot.”

“What is?”

“Spaghetti water.” She put the pot back on the stove and jogged the strainer, making the linguine bounce. “So do you have another busy night planned?”

His voice deepened. “Oh, yeah. Very busy.”

“I think you work too hard.”

“Some kinds of work are a real pleasure.”

“You love what you do, don’t you?”

“I love what I’m going to be doing tonight.” The whirring noise in the background got cut off. Then there were some dinging sounds followed by a dullthunch…

She poured the pasta back into the pot. “Mergers and acquisitions must really interest you.”

“Mergers especially.”

“What are you working on now or is it a secret—” The sound of a knock on her door brought her head around and her heart to her throat. “Sean?”

“Yes?”

She started to laugh and ran out to the living room. As she threw open the door, they both hung up their phones.

“What are you doing h—” She didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence.

Sean dropped a duffel bag and dragged her against him, picking her up as he kicked the door shut. His mouth came down on hers and his hands gripped her hips as he carried her across the room.

She held on to his shoulders, so lost in the kiss she barely noticed that he was laying her on the couch and undoing the buttons down the front of her shirt…and working on the waistband of her jeans.

“I’ve missed my Lizzie,” he growled as he peeled back one side of her bra. “Mmm…”

He closed his mouth on her nipple while he stripped off her Levi’s and her underwear. Then he moved down her body, his lips going to the inside of her thigh and working their way to the very core of her.

He gave her shimmering pleasure, and when she came back into herself, she opened her eyes slowly. Sean was standing above her sprawled, satiated body, ripping off his tie and doing away with his button-down shirt. His eyes burned as he took hold of his fine leather belt and worked the buckle—then his deft fingers went to his fly and there was the sound of a zipper being dragged down.

His trousers hit the floor and she saw his arousal pushing at the thin cotton of his boxers. But then they were gone, too, his naked power revealed. She sat up, drawn by the sight of him, and encircled him with her hand.

“Lizzie,” he moaned, his head falling back.

She worshipped him until he made her stop by pulling her head back with a shudder. As he went for the pocket of his suit, his breathing was harsh and sweat gleamed on his muscular chest. He covered himself and got on top of her.

“I need to apologize in advance,” he said with a rasp as he slipped inside.

After they both groaned, she mumbled, “For what?”

“I’m not going to last long.”

And he didn’t. But neither did she.

The next morning, Sean got up early and made Lizzie breakfast. He figured it was the least he could do considering the double shift she was going to pull today at the BMC emergency department.

As he fired up her coffee and got out a bowl and a spoon for her cereal, he listened to her moving around her bedroom…and realized this was probably why people got married.

Man, he loved this quiet morning peacefulness. Loved the idea he was helping her start her day. Loved the fact that when her work was done, she was going to come back and walk through the door and tell him how she’d spent the hours they’d been apart.

Domestic bliss indeed.

He put the milk carton next to the bowl and brought the box of corn flakes over from the cupboard. Not exactly eggs Benedict with hollandaise, but considering the time constraint and the fact that he only knew how to do hash-slinger stuff, she was more likely to enjoy the cereal.

“Chow’s on,” he called out.

She came right away and he poured the milk for her until she said when. Then he watched her eat. She was dressed in scrubs and not wearing makeup and her hair was all soft and blond and a little flyaway from the dryer.

To him she was the last word in female.

“So you’re starting to pack today?” she said as she sipped her coffee.

“Yup.” He leaned back with his own mug and studied the way the sunlight slanting through the kitchen window hit her cheeks and lips. He wished he had a photograph of her just as she was now, but he was going to have to rely on his memory.

“I’ll help you tomorrow,” she said.

“Thanks, but if you’re home, I’d rather be doing other things with you.” As she blushed, he tilted his head down and looked at her from under his brows. They hadn’t slept much during the night because he’d been all over her. After having spent a mere five days away, he’d been insatiable. “Have I mentioned that I can’t wait for you to get back tonight?” He reached out and brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “I want a repeat of how we spent last evening.”

She turned even redder and kissed his palm. “Sean…”

He smiled. “I love it when you blush.”

Her expression grew wry. “I do it often enough around you.”

“I know.”

As a soft chiming sound came from a clock, she pulled back. “Oh, darn…the time. I’m late.”

When she took hold of her bowl, he said, “Don’t bother cleaning up, I’ll take care of it.”

“You’re so good to me.”

“I want to be even better.”

They headed for the living room together and he loved the soft, secret smile on her face—because he knew he was the cause of it.

The expression was lost as she went over to her purse and took out her wallet. Thumbing through the thing, she cursed softly.

“Not enough cash?” he said.

“I’ll be okay—”

“Here.” He picked up his suit jacket, pulled out his money clip and peeled off a hundred-dollar bill. “Take this.”

She glanced over, eyes widening. “Oh, no…that’s okay—”

“You’re late, right? So it would be hard to stop at a cash machine.”

“Well, yes, but at work they have—”

He pressed the crisp Benjamin Franklin into her hand and wrapped her fingers around it, finding an unfamiliar but vivid satisfaction in giving money to a woman. He just loved the idea he was helping her, providing for her. “Take it.”

“Thanks, I’ll pay you—”

He silenced her with a kiss. Then couldn’t resist slipping his tongue between her lips. When he pulled back, he murmured, “Have I mentioned how I can’t wait until you come home?”

“Yes. And I’ll second that.”