The Billionaire's Prize: Taken & Tempted: (Book 3 Billionaire Bodyguard Series) (7 page)

“Did he ever explain why?” she asked.

“No. The third time I approached him about the issue, he looked like he was going to deck me. He warned me to never ask about it again. Things were fine. He’d handle it. When the time was right, he’d explain.” Cade took a long sip of wine. “That day never came.”

“Do you have an idea what drove his actions? Could you follow the money?” she asked.

The memory pained him. “I thought he was having an affair.”

Kylie gasped. “Oh, that’s such a difficult thing to face.”

Catching the note of heartache in her tone, he glanced at her. He saw his own anguish mirrored in her eyes. He wanted to ask her about it.

Before he could, she said, “But it doesn’t matter in the end. What’s past is past. You can wonder why forever, and the answers never materialize the way you think they should. People make their choices. All you can do is move on the best you can.”

“Speaking for personal experience?” he asked, tracing a damp lock of hair on her forehead, tucking it behind her ear.

She shrugged and moved several inches away from him. Whatever secrets she held weren’t up for discussion. Not yet.

Cade realized how little he knew about her—and how much more he wanted to know. Staying mired in his own bleak thoughts wouldn’t accomplish that.

Unwilling to delve further into the concept of his father having had a mistress, he pulled himself out from under the morose cloud that had descended around them. He noticed her nibbling her lower lip, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“I didn’t mean to depress you,” he said, searching for something clever to say. He came up empty. Though he appreciated that he didn’t need to force small talk with her the way he did with so many other people.

“It’s not that…”

“What then?”

“Cade, how did you know what size I wear? We met once, yet everything in the closet fits my measurements and body type. It just feels strange.”

He shrugged. “An ability I picked up a long time ago. Did you ever go to Ranchero Park as a kid, when the carnival came through town?”

“Sure, I remember those days. My dad used to take me and my little sister on weekends sometimes.” A grin tugged at her lips. “I loved that one ride that spins so fast you stick to the wall while the floor drops out from under you. One year,” she said, warming to the subject, “I won this huge pink teddy bear, bigger than me, by tossing three baseballs into a wicker basket.”

“Impressive. Well, that’s where I worked every summer throughout middle school. I was the kid who guessed people’s weight and age.”

Her eyes widened. “No kidding?”

He grinned. “I got so good at it I eventually started lying, just to give away stuffed animals to cute girls and grandmas.”

“Even then, you were preparing to become a PR master.”

“I guess you could say that.” He sent her a rueful glance. “Not a bad first job, all things considered. My brother Trey worked at the ticket booth and cleaned up after hours. Adam went from handing out prizes at the fake gun range to the strongman hammer. As a teenager he could pound that weight and hit the bell at the top faster and harder than guys twice his age.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I can see that.”

“Yeah, he thought he was pretty badass. You should’ve seen his mullet, though—business in the front, big ol’ party in the back. I’ll have to show you a picture sometime. Totally amusing.”

“Adam had a mullet?” She giggled. “That’s hilarious. But I’m glad he grew his hair all one length.”

“Hey, we were stylin’ back in the day. I had a braided tail that hung down between my shoulder blades. Took me years to get that thing so long.
A great way to get girls to play with my hair.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I’m sure the four of you were breaking hearts left and right.”

“Do you remember the older lady who worked at the friend food stand?”

“The one with the purple hair?”

“Yeah, I don’t think she meant for it to turn out that color. I believe she was going for the redhead look.”

“She missed by ten miles, poor thing. Of course I remember her. I loved funnel cakes coated with powdered sugar.”

“So did we.” He smiled, reminiscing. “We were really poor during those days. My dad and Uncle Joe’s every last dime went back into their fledgling bail bond business. Somehow Marge knew when we’d gone without dinner. She’d sneak us fried Twinkies and elephant ears when her boss wasn’t looking.”

Kylie tilted her head, assessing him. “You’ve come quite a long way from eating funnel cakes for dinner and guessing people’s weight.”

He nodded. “Now it’s my turn to ask you a question.”

Instantly, her eyes veiled, and he wondered what secret she guarded so closely. But that wasn’t his question.

Closing the gap she’d put between them, he rested his arm across the tile behind her. He leaned in and said, “Tell me something, Kylie.” Her tongue darted across her lips in a nervous flick. The sight of that moist pink tip made him swallow a groan. “Why are you wearing a shirt over your bathing suit?”

A surprised laugh burst from her. “That’s a good way to change the subject.”

“Because there isn’t one inch of your body that should be covered up.”

Her shoulders hunched and she gave him a cool stare. “Are you making fun of me?”

“For wearing a shirt in the water, yes. Joking about how attracted I am to you, no.”

A confused expression drew her eyebrows together. “Wait. Is that a compliment?”

“It’s a little more than that.” Without thinking he cupped his fingers around the back of her neck and lowered his face to hers.

Their lips brushed.

Hot tension coiled in his gut. He went rock hard. He tasted the wine on her lips and suddenly needed to taste all of her. Everywhere.

But she pulled back and practically catapulted out of the hot tub. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed now. I mean, to sleep.” Her hands flapped at her sides. Then she grabbed her towel, whipped it around herself, and dashed for the door.

“Kylie.”

“Goodnight,” she told him as she fled.

Damn it. Too much too soon.

He wasn’t used to waiting.

Though he suspected she was inexperienced, he hadn’t meant to startle her. The moment had felt right—really right. A fierce attraction gripped him that he couldn’t fight.

He wanted her. Her innocence, her taste, her sweetness, her luscious body hidden beneath that damned shirt.

All he got was a glimpse of her luscious backside disappearing from view. What wouldn’t disappear anytime soon was his throbbing erection…and the need to have her in his arms again.

Unable to fall asleep, Kylie tossed and turned. Robbing her of sleep was the hauntingly sexy memory of half-naked Cade kissing her in the hot tub, as well as the faucet leaking in her on-suite bathroom. The
drip-dribble-drip
seemed to grow louder until each droplet sounded like a bowling ball hitting marble.

When she couldn’t stand it one minute more, she threw off the covers and padded barefoot into the hall. She rapped softly on Cade’s bedroom door. No sounds or movement came from within. She knocked a little louder.

“Cade?” she whispered.

The thought occurred to her, what if he slept in the nude? And what if he answered the door that way? Torn between wanting his help, wanting him, and her flush of embarrassment, she decided this wasn’t such a good idea. She started to tiptoe away when his door opened.

“What do you need, honey?” His sleep-roughened voice poured over her like liquid seduction.

Not wanting to look at him directly in case he really was nude, she turned halfway and stared at the wall. “Do you have a toolbox handy?” She rushed to add, “If you don’t, that’s okay.”

“A toolbox.
What for?”

“There’s a leak in the shower of my bathroom. The constant drip is driving me crazy.”
Almost as much as the thought of you standing naked two feet away from me.
She twisted her hands together.

“Hell. I meant to call the super and have him send up a repairman. Totally forgot.” He stifled a yawn. “Can it wait until morning?”

“I can fix it.”

“You can?” He sounded unconvinced.

Then she made the mistake of looking up at his face. Even in shadow his blue eyes pierced her, leaving her frozen and breathless. “Sure.” She shrugged, pretending not to notice his tanned skin taunting her from the vee of his robe. “My dad taught me plumbing basics, along with some carpentry and how to change a flat tire. Give me the right tools, half an hour, and I’ll figure it out.”

He tilted his head and his blue eyes burned brightly in the semi darkness. “You’re one surprise after another.”

“Not on purpose,” she insisted.

He chuckled. “I’ll grab my tools.” Scooping up the ties of his robe, he knotted them at his waist. “Let’s go take a look.”

“I can do it myself. I didn’t mean to bother you. I can handle it.”

“So can I, but I’d prefer to pay someone whose job it is to fix my plumbing.”

At the thought of his
plumbing
her gaze dropped below the tie on his robe.
Oh my God.
She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away, but nothing could erase the outline of his impressive package barely concealed by the robe. And he wasn’t even hard…or was he?

Heat tingled in her cheeks, and she tripped over her own feet returning to the guestroom.

“Careful. Here, I’ll turn on the hallway light.” He brushed her arm as he reached for the switch.

“No, that’s okay,” she said in a high pitched squeak. “Not necessary.”

Light flooded the narrow space. “I have to anyway so I can dig my tools out of the hall closet.”

Watching him from the safe distance of her doorway, she decided he looked like a silk-wrapped confection good enough to eat. Her tongue craved his amazing abs.

Now she wished he’d let him keep kissing her in the hot tub. But a man like Cade could have any woman he wanted. Why her?

When no compelling reason came to mind, she sighed and reconsidered her slavish devotion to her schoolwork instead of dating. Apparently, she had suppressed a lot of desire over the past few years. The realization was not a happy one.

She backed into her room and he strolled in carrying a huge red metal box that held enough tools to patch the Hoover dam. “For a guy who pays other people to fix things, you seem pretty handy.”

“As the saying goes, time is money. I can make more for our company giving a one hour interview than tinkering with a thousand faucets.”

With his
model’s face, easy charm, and sharp mind, she understood why.

They entered the guest bathroom. He stopped and scratched his jaw that showed a
light brown five o’clock shadow. “Where the hell did they put the access panel?”

Glancing around, she took in the proportions of the space. “Probably in here.” She opened the narrow linen closet, knelt on the floor, and scooted inside. “Found it. Hand me a Phillips.” He pressed the handle of the screwdriver into her palm. She made quick work of the screws and lifted away the access panel. “I’ll need a flashlight.”

Within seconds he produced a slim LED light. When he poked his head inside the closet, the bristle on his chin grazed her shoulder. “How can I help?”

“It’s kind of tight in here. You won’t fit.”

“I don’t know.” The panty-melting tone returned to his voice. “I’m pretty good in tight spaces.”

She swallowed. “Hold the light while I get a closer look.”

He flattened his right hand on the back wall of the closet to brace himself, and held the flashlight with the other. She sat with her legs crossed and leaned into the opening. “Nothing looks damp. Totally dry in the internal plumbing.”

“I can fix that too,” he said soft and low.

She pretended not to hear him. “I guess the problem is the faucet.”

God help her, he needed to stop with the sexual innuendos because he was making
her
damp. As much as she’d like him to fix her sexual dry spell, the timing couldn’t be worse. Her life had turned upside down and a one night stand with him wouldn’t solve anything. That could only make things more complicated.

Though Cade was probably an amazing lover.
No doubt the best she’d ever have. And he was so gorgeous. Physical perfection.

Damn it all.

Shooing him out of the way, she crawled out of the linen closet and stepped into the large jetted tub. She glanced at the fancy fixture not sure where to start. “Maybe it’s good you’re here. You can show me how this thing works, so I don’t have to bother you in the morning.”

“Let’s find the leak first.”

She nodded. After a few minutes they both figured out that the lever used to channel water from the spout to the shower head was stuck halfway. Leaning over her he used a crescent wrench to loosen and retighten the bolt.

The dripping stopped. She exhaled in relief. “Now I’ll be able to go to bed and actually fall sleep.”

“Who said anything about sleeping?”

She set her hands on her hips. “Just show me how the fixtures work.”

A sly grin curved his cheek. “Like this.”

The second he twisted the chrome handle, she realized she stood in the direct path of the shower. A blast of warm water hit her. She shrieked. “Turn it off!”

“What if I turn you on instead?”

Without waiting for an answer, he dropped his robe to the floor. He was naked.

Oh, my God.

He stepped into the tub, took her face in his hands, and captured her mouth with his.

Between the warm streaming water and the hot brush of his lips, her brain short-circuited.
His mouth seduced her with slow seamless kisses. He sucked on her lower lip, then her upper lip, before gliding his tongue inside. Velvety, searching, demanding. The slick motions scattered sparks across her skin, electrified by the gentle pulsing droplets from the rainwater shower above. 

Sensation overload.

Gripping his forearms, she pulled him closer. He angled his head steeply over hers, deepening their kiss. Her nipples hardened in her drenched camisole and rasped against his chest every time she gasped for breath, the contact whipping up a spiral of desire.

When her hip made contact with his erection she tensed, shocked by his size. And that she’d
somehow aroused the hottest man on earth.

Then he shifted their position, pushing her back against the stone inlay. She shivered at the contrast of the cool tile and his warm body surrounding her.

Following the trickles of water, he dropped a hand from her face and slid his palm down her neck, over her collar bone, between her cleavage. His touch set her on fire. Rounding the curve of one breast with the backs of his knuckles, he turned his hand to cup her. He dragged his thumb over her nipple and groaned deep in his throat.

Inspired by his response, she released his forearm and reached down between them eager to take his length in her hand. To her surprise, he stopped her halfway. He guided her arms up around his neck.

Confused but completely turned on, she obeyed. The muscles in his shoulders rippled beneath her arms. He went back to kissing her, pouring all his attention into the sensual dance of his tongue with hers. Her knees went weak with yearning.

No one had ever made out with her like this. Like her soul held the key to some great secret, and the more deeply he kissed her, the closer he came to solving the mystery.

His thumb caressed the lower curve of her breast, the way she’d wished it had when he’d touched the wine bottle label. She wanted him to peel off her shirt so she could feel his touch more intimately. His hand flattened on her abdomen, tracing the low scoop of her panties beneath the velvet leggings. Then he dipped beneath the fabric plastered to her. Warm water sluiced against her sex.

A shaky breath caught in her throat. His tongue coaxed her to release her moan as his fingers slid down into her seam.

At first she froze. A useless thought invaded her mind, wondering how recently she’d shaved down there. Soon the question disintegrated into careless abandon. The way he caressed her with slow, sensual strokes told her that didn’t matter.  If he didn’t care, then neither did she.

Because nothing felt as amazing as the way his fingers teased, explored and coaxed her flesh to respond to his touch. Deep urges pulsed in her core with every caress. Aching
for more, she lifted one foot and pressed her heel against the tile. He accepted her offering, circling her opening with his middle finger before he glided inside.

The tightness eased with each gentle thrust until her slickness coated his finger. She’d never done anything like this with a man she barely knew. Ever.

Except he was so gorgeous.
And his touch felt so good. And he wanted to give her pleasure without anything in return.

Yes, please.
Her hips began to move with his fingers.

The motion turned exquisite. Her hips bucked and her body rode his fingers and palm. An orgasm built inside her quickly. “Cade. I…we shouldn’t. This isn’t—”

“Come for me.”

The sexy rumble of his demand tripped the trigger inside her. Her thighs clenched and she went freefalling to a
quivering, surging
orgasm. Her cries echoed off
the tile. Hearing herself, she couldn’t believe she’d made those sounds. He stayed with her, encouraging wave after wave of sensation. She released a blissful sigh.

Easing his hand away slowly, giving her one last jolt of sensation,
he
touched his nose to hers. “I’ve wanted to make you come since I saw you in the hot tub.”

“Why?”

After he turned off the shower, he stepped out, grabbed a towel from the linen closet and wrapped it around her like a cape. He scrubbed her arms gently. When he finally he spoke, he didn’t give her an answer but an invitation.

“You ever want to do that again, you let me know.”
He bent and brushed a surprisingly tender kiss to her lips.

Then he swiped his robe from the floor, turned and walked out of her room. Buck naked. His muscular backside made her mouth water all over again.

The door clicked shut behind him.

*

For the next hour she sat on her bed and stared at the door, wondering if she should take him up on his offer, wake him a second time for the sake of selfish satisfaction. Or stay sheltered in her lonely little world. Free of risks, but also free of heartache.

He’d given her a mind-blowing orgasm and he didn’t want anything in return and she didn’t know why.
Finally exhausted and no closer to a logical conclusion, she turned off the light and closed her eyes.

The next morning when her internal alarm clock woke her at 7:00 a.m., her body still hummed with residual sensation. She stretched and felt a faint tingling in her channel. A reminder of how Cade had pleasured her. Her flesh pulsed and she wondered what other aspects of his vast sexual knowledge he could show her. Maybe with his mouth…

She clenched the sheets in her fists. No, no and no.

That
vast
knowledge of his came with eventual rejection. She couldn’t get involved with Cade. Not only was he rich and gorgeous and unattainable, she’d return to Las Vegas when Bruno was no longer a threat.

Except to testify in court should they find the evidence required to put his father’s killer behind bars, she and Cade had no reason to keep in touch. By the time a trial commenced, he might not even need her testimony. After this, she’d most likely never see him again.