Page 145 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10

Monday

I slowly pulled my car to a stop. A valet rushed over.

"What's this?" Penny asked.

"One of the best hotels in the city."

Penny stared up in awe at the gold veranda and the modern glass building it was attached to. "Why are we going to a hotel?"

"I have a surprise for you." When I’d given her a closet full of clothes, her eyes had grown round just like they were now. I loved how cute she looked when I surprised her. I winked at her and climbed out of the car.

I handed the valet my keys and opened Penny’s door. I grabbed her hand and escorted her to the entrance.

A doorman nodded at us as he opened the door. “Good afternoon and welcome.”

"Thank you," I said.

Penny looked like she was worried that she shouldn’t be walking on the marble floors.

But then she was distracted by the mirrors and gold accents on the walls.

And the huge chandeliers that hung from the ceiling.

She’d once compared herself to a Disney princess when she was with me.

I wanted to give her a day where she felt like that again. After putting her through so much hell.

I pushed the thought aside as we walked over to a plush lounge chair. She sat down as I walked up to the counter. I gave the woman my name and she pulled up my reservation. Thank you, Ian. I handed her my card and leaned against the counter.

A bellman came out from the back room. “Welcome back, Mr. Hunter. It’s good to have you staying with us again.”

The few times I’d been back to the city since I moved away, this was where I’d stayed. Well, except for those unaccounted-for hours when I’d apparently been in Isabella’s bed. Breathe.

“It’s good to be back,” I said. And it was.

It had been a long time since I’d felt comfortable in the city again.

I would have been worried that this guy recognized me.

But they were discreet here. Besides, Ian would let me know if anyone had tipped off the paparazzi.

The last thing I needed was for Penny and me to show up in a tabloid.

The woman smiled and handed me back my card and gave me a keycard for my room.

"Right this way, sir," the bellman said and stepped toward the elevator.

I turned back around to get Penny. Ian was sitting on one of the other lounge chairs busy looking at something on his phone. Penny didn’t seem to be aware of him at all. She saw me waiting and quickly hurried over. And she immediately slid her hand into mine. Right where it belonged.

I smiled down at her and we followed the bellman.

"James, is that you?" a familiar voice said.

Mason had just stepped off the elevator. I’d just been thinking how I wanted to reconnect with my friends. But…I kind of wanted to do that one on one with each of them. We couldn’t exactly talk freely in front of Penny about everything that had happened.

But it was really fucking good to see him.

It had been far too long. "Mason. Good to see you.

" I would have hugged him, but I swear it was like I could feel the distance between us.

Even though we were standing in the same place, it felt like we were still in different states. So I just put out my hand.

He shook it. Apparently he felt it too.

I’d fix this. I was going to fix everything.

"I see that you finally took my advice." Mason glanced at Penny. His eyes trailed down her body.

I really didn’t like the way he was looking at her. And what advice was he talking about? I tried to think about our last conversation. I couldn’t remember. I’d probably been wasted. But I did remember what Rob had told me when I called him the other night. That Mason was starting a sex club.

Mason’s eyes were still glued to Penny.

I lowered my eyebrows. Stop looking at my girl like that. The sex club thing combined with the way he was staring made his comment clear enough. He probably thought Penny was a hooker or something. “No,” I said. “I thought you would have heard. I'm getting divorced."

“Oh, I'm sorry, man," Mason said. And then he shook his head and started laughing. "Geez, that's a lie. I'm not sorry at all. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did."

"You two never did get along." The understatement of the year. We all hated Isabella. But again…I wasn’t going to get into all this with him right now.

"No, not at all. So, who is this then?" Mason stared back at Penny.

"This is my girlfriend, Penny." It felt so normal saying that out loud. And good. Really fucking good.

Mason smiled. "Girlfriend? You didn't wait around long. Nice to meet you, Penny." He put his hand out for her.

She shook it. "It's nice to meet you. How do you two know each other?"

"James and I grew up together. Oh, the stories I could tell you..."

"Maybe another day," I interjected and laughed. I needed to tell Penny more about my past myself first.

Penny smiled. "I'll have to hold you to that.”

Mason smiled back at her.

I really didn’t like the way he stared at her.

"Well," Mason said and looked down at his watch. "I have a meeting I need to get to. If you ever change your mind, you have my number, James." Mason winked at me and walked away.

Okay yeah, he was definitely talking about going to his sex club or something. If his parents were cutting him off, it was probably something shady. And I wanted nothing to do with it for a number of reasons.

"What was he talking about?" Penny asked as soon as Mason was out of earshot.

"Yeah, you don't want to know. Let's go to our room."

We stepped onto the elevator with the bellman. Instrumental music flitted through the speakers.

Penny looked up at me.

I smiled down at her, wondering if she was thinking about me pressing her back against the wall of the elevator in my apartment.

Either way, it was just good to see her smiling.

I stared at the freckles along her nose.

Now that I knew how young she was, I could see it. I wondered if Mason could see it too.

I shook the thought away. I didn’t really care what anyone else thought. Mason and I had been through a lot together over the years, but I knew he’d be happy for me. No matter what age Penny was.

The doors dinged and opened. The bellman guided us down an equally ornate hallway to our room.

"If there is anything else you need, please don't hesitate to call the front desk. Turndown service is at nine. Have a good afternoon."

"You too," I said. I slid the access card into the reader and opened the door.

Penny gasped and walked past me. "Oh my God." She practically ran up to the window. We had the most amazing view of the city and of Central Park. That’s why I’d chosen this hotel and this room.

I walked up behind her. "I told you that I could get you to like New York." I pushed her red hair to one side and kissed the back of her neck. My hands slid to her waist.

"It's beautiful."

"You should see it at night." I kissed her neck again as my fingers traced the waistline of her jeans.

She turned around to face me. "Are we spending the night?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"But I have to go back. I have classes."

I sighed. "Me too." I ran my nose down the length of hers and pressed my forehead against hers.

"But I don't want to go back." I was worried about coming here. But I felt…free. Free to be with her in public. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted that.

How important it was. But I wanted her by my side at all times.

I hated going to class and pretending she meant nothing to me.

Penny wrapped her arms around my back and pressed the side of her face against my chest. "Me either."

I breathed so much better when she was with me. I ran my fingers through her hair.

She looked back up at me. "I know I've made mistakes. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for letting me back in."

I didn’t want to talk about Tyler and Brendan. Or Isabella. The past was better kept in the past. I knew that better than anyone. "Thank you for forgiving me."

She kept staring up at me. "You're different here."

"Different?"

"More relaxed, I guess."

"Well I'm not Professor Hunter here. I'm just…me."

She smiled. "James. I still need to get used to saying that."

"You do. Because Rob will give me hell if you go around calling me Professor Hunter." I laughed. Rob was going to give me hell no matter what. I’d been so adamant that I hadn’t started teaching in order to hook up with hot students.

Rob was going to have a field day with this development. I’d never hear the end of it.

"So, James . What would you do on a Monday after eating lunch alone?"

I smiled. "I'd go back to work."

"Was your office around here?"

"Well." I looked out the window. "There." I pointed to one of the buildings in the distance. It overlooked Central Park too.

"Is your headquarters still there?"

"It is."

"Your company must do really well."

"It's not my company anymore. But yes, it does." I smiled back down at her. I never thought I’d be standing here feeling this good. When I’d walked away from everything…I was hoping my life could be different. But I wasn’t sure I actually believed it could be.

Until Penny fell into my arms in that coffee shop.

"And what about after work?"

I unwound my arms from around her and walked over to the bed.

There was a white box on the bed with a red ribbon around it waiting for Penny.

Ian really was the best of the best. I had no idea how he’d gotten all this done in time.

"Sometimes I'd grab drinks with some of the guys I worked with.” Rarely, really.

“Or I'd have dinner back at my place." I usually preferred to be alone. At least once I changed career paths.

"Do you still have an apartment here?"

"No. Not anymore." I’d handed a lot over to Isabella in hopes of her signing the damn papers. None of it worked. But Max would be getting back to me by the end of the week. It would all be over soon.

"What did you do after dinner?"

"It would depend on my mood." I grabbed the box. "Tonight it's your decision." I handed Penny the box.

"What are the options?"

"Open it."

She pulled the red ribbon free and lifted off the top. She picked up a red, silky dress and let the box fall to the ground. The dress was adorned with a sheer red material with small flowers embroidered in it. She’d look like a fucking goddess in it.

"It's beautiful,” she said. She was staring at it like she had the hotel entrance. Like she’d never experienced such luxury. I wanted to change that for her.

"So, I have tickets to an art gallery opening on the Upper East Side. And you can wear that. We can go shopping for whatever else you want. I already have reservations at Eleven Madison Park."

"What is Eleven Madison Park?"

I smiled. It was honestly so refreshing that she had no idea what I was talking about. "It's one of the most prestigious restaurants in the city. I want to treat you to a night as one of New York's elite."

"New York's elite?" She laughed.

And my smile just grew. "Or you can wear exactly what you're wearing. And we can go to a comedy club that I love in East Village. We can walk through Central Park and we can eat at the Tavern on the Green before the show."

She folded the dress and put it back in the box. "I think I'd like to go to the comedy club."

I definitely wanted to see her in that dress at some point. But her skipping the fancy evening gave us a lot more time just the two of us. I should have known she’d do the unexpected. I grabbed her waist and pulled her against me. "God I love you."

She laughed as she looked up at me. "Was that a quiz, Professor Hunter?"

"No. I would have been happy doing either thing. I've just never met anyone who'd choose option two." Yes, she’d look amazing in the dress. But I preferred her in nothing at all.

"And you're happy that I did?"

"Yes." My hands slid to her ass. "Besides, now we have more time for other things."

"You do realize that we came to a hotel with no luggage? And we're probably not staying the night."

Exactly. I unbuttoned and unzipped her pants as I kissed the side of her neck. "Your point is?"

"The people at the front desk probably think we're having an affair."

I bet they do. I let go of her waist and sat down on the edge of the bed.

I hooked my index fingers in the belt loops of her jeans and pulled her closer.

I pushed her sweater up a few inches and kissed her stomach.

"Well, if they already think so..." I kissed her a little lower.

I looked up at her and raised my eyebrow, daring her to make the next move.

But she just stared at me, suddenly shy. Like she was waiting for me to give her the green light to become the little seductress I knew she was. I leaned back and pulled my shirt off by the nape of the neck.

She bit her lip as she stared at me. She knew exactly what I wanted.

I was daring her to strip for me. All this talk about cages and sex clubs had gotten to me. But I didn’t need to go to Mason’s sex club. Because I had my own private show with the sexiest girl in the city.

Do it, baby. I could already feel myself getting hard. Strip for me.