Page 22 of The Kiss that Captured a Billionaire (Heart & Soul #2)
She cracked it open just enough to peek out.
“You know, there’s a word for men who keep showing up everywhere.”
“Persistent?”
“Stalker.”
“Mm.” He tilted his head, the lamplight catching the faint curve of his smile. “That only fits if the subject of my attention isn’t secretly pleased to see me.”
She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched. “You have an over-inflated sense of your own charm.”
“And you,” he countered, “are terrible at hiding your smile when you’re trying to be annoyed.”
“Maybe I’m laughing at the irony—a billionaire in a bespoke suit lurking outside a flower-painted van. Not exactly your natural habitat,” she shot back.
His gaze slid over the van with mock consideration. “I could learn to adapt.”
“Not in those shoes you couldn’t.” She pushed the door open wider and leaned against the frame. “What are you doing here, Theo?”
“Catching up to you.” Like it was the simplest, most inevitable thing in the world. “You ran off without hearing me out.”
She crossed her arms, chilled, before she turned and pulled the blanket around her shoulders.
“You had your chance. You used it to talk about ‘terminating my living and working arrangements’.”
“That’s not what I—” He cut himself off, exhaled slowly, and tried again. “I should have explained everything that night. I didn’t. That’s on me. But I’m here now.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And you think showing up in the middle of the night at a rest stop is going to… what? Win me over?”
“I’m hoping you’ll get so sick of me turning up, that you’ll finally just accept that I’m not going to give up . You mean too much to me.”
“What do you mean ‘I mean too much to you’?”
He took a step closer, lowering his voice just enough to make her pulse trip. “And I mean this?—”
He closed the distance between them. Her eyes flashed when he slid his hands reverently along her jaw. He hesitated a heartbeat, giving her time to pull away.
She didn’t.
Neither of them moved. The air between them was cool and crisp and smelled faintly of pine from the trees above.
“You drive me crazy,” she mumbled.
The smile forming on his lips disappeared when she leaned into him. He swore every kiss with her was a fireworks factory going off.
He groaned and pulled her closer. The blanket slid off her shoulders and tumbled around her knees. A shiver of need pulsed through him. When she started to pull away, a low protest slipped from him.
“Don’t— Rose, please—” he muttered, gazing into her eyes.
“Where’s Nikos?” she asked, her voice husky from their kiss.
He shrugged. “If it’s been over ten minutes, he’s on his way to a hotel about forty miles from here.”
She pushed back against him, and he released her with a sigh of regret. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders when she shivered.
She stared at him in disbelief before she shook her head. “Ten minutes? What happens if I pack up and leave your butt here?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “It will be a very long, unpleasant night. I don’t suppose the bathrooms have a heater in them, do they?”
Rose closed her eyes, shook her head, and chuckled. “No, they don’t have heaters. Plus, they are glorified porta-potties. I don’t think you want to sleep in there.”
“No, I would rather sleep with you. Where it is warm—for the sake of survival,” he murmured.
She glared at him. “I’m the one who should be thinking about survival!” With a huff, she pushed open the van door farther and motioned for him to climb in. “It’s going to be a tight fit. The bed’s not all that big, and with it pulled out, there isn’t much room inside.”
He wiggled his nose in distaste. “We’ll make it work. Unless?—”
She turned at the skepticism in his voice and gave him a reproving glare.
“No, I’m not going to a hotel. You have the choice of the floor, the front seat, or the picnic table if you don’t like it,” she stated.
“I choose the bed,” he said, shrugging off his jacket.
“What are you doing?” her voice squeaked out when his hands moved to his belt.
His lips curved when he unfastened it. Her eyes followed the movement of his hands as he undid his trousers and pushed them down.
“Getting comfortable. Skin-to-skin is better for keeping warm,” he said.
“How would you know?” she asked, her eyes following his fingers as he unbuttoned his shirt.
“Five years in the military,” he said.
She jerked her gaze up to his. “You were in the military?”
His expression softened. “Yes, agápi mou .”
“Oh.” She paused and frowned as if she were trying to visualize him wearing a military uniform. “Did you ever have to get naked with other guys? Awkward—but I guess if you were half-dead you wouldn’t care.”
"Uh, no. Fortunately, that was never necessary. Shall I help you remove your clothing?” he asked with an amused smile.
“I’m fine,” she said with a scowl.
She scooted over on the narrow bed so he could slide in. He straightened the covers and climbed in beside her wearing nothing but his boxers. She slid down and rolled onto her side, turning her back to him.
“I’m only doing this to keep you from freezing,” she muttered over her shoulder. “Don’t think this makes everything better.”
He adjusted the covers over them before he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.
She stiffened at first before pressing her delightful little rear end against his engorged cock.
He ground his teeth when she wiggled back against him.
Heat surged, sweat beading despite the cool night, and it took everything in him to hold the line.
He had always had a very active sex-drive, and knowing the deliciousness of the woman in his arms was enough to scorch his control.
Deciding it was best to think of something else, he forced his body to relax. He was surprised that the mattress was actually pretty comfortable, and while his feet were pressed up against the back doors, he could stretch out.
“Theo,” Rose murmured, her voice drowsy with sleep.
“Yes, my Rose?”
“How did you find me so fast?” she asked.
“You get to blame Nikos this time,” he chuckled. “This one’s on him, but I’ll tell you tomorrow, just in case you do decide to kick me out.”