Page 16 of The Tycoon (The Douglas Brothers #1)

dolly

“Oh, ok! Here are some good ones,” I say, my eyes scanning over my phone’s screen. “Ready?”

Nodding his head, Sutton runs his hands along my bare legs as I drape them over his lap. Turning to look at me, he gives me a sly smile that turns me into jelly. It’s a good thing I’m semi-prone on the couch. If I was standing, I’d fall right to the floor.

“Fire away, Princess,” he replies, his voice deep and silky.

Pausing for a moment, I gather my wits to ask another series of “would you rathers.” We’ve been answering odd questions for the past hour while waiting for his assistant to bring us dinner.

Some questions have been surprisingly deep, others mildly insane.

Our answers have aligned with one another’s for the most part, which only solidifies what I know in my soul.

I feel like I’ve known him for years now.

Everything seems so easy and perfect with him, I want to pinch myself to make sure that this isn’t another fantasy my brain has constructed.

“Ok, would you rather be too hot, or too cold?” I ask.

He huffs a chuckle, giving his answer without taking a second to think.

“Too cold.”

Lifting a brow, I give him a curious look. For someone who supposedly loves lounging on exotic beaches and spends time in the sauna daily, his answer surprises me.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he begins dancing his fingertips up my calf to my thigh.

“Now I have you to keep me warm if I’m too cold.

I’ll have you cuddle up with me and I’ll be at the perfect temperature.

Hmm…maybe I should buy us a cabin up in Alaska.

The thought of being snowed in with you sounds mighty fine to me. ”

I can’t help but laugh. While I approve of his answer and think he’s the sweetest thing ever, this is now the fifth location he’s suggested we buy a house in.

First were Hawaii and Positano because I’ve always wanted to go to both but have never been.

Then he brought up San Diego so I could go home whenever I wanted.

Next came Orlando because I love theme parks, and now Alaska so I can keep him warm.

I know he has the means, but he doesn’t have to say things like this to impress me.

I don’t think there’s anything he could do to make me want to leave him.

“You know, they do have cabins we can rent, Sir. We don’t have to buy one.”

Shrugging his shoulders, he locks his needy eyes to mine.

“While yes that’s true, do you really want to climb into a bed that still has traces of the previous occupant’s semen? We all know that housekeeping isn’t as meticulous as they claim to be, even in the swanky resorts.”

Twisting my face in disgust, I try not to think about all the hotel rooms I’ve stayed in over the years, and how they were probably all caked in invisible DNA. On second thought, maybe hotel rooms aren’t as wonderful as I once thought.

“Ew. Good point, Sir,” I say.

“Mmhm, I always know what’s best, Princess.

Just let me spoil you with a few vacation homes.

After I buy our actual home, that is. Oh, speaking of,” he says, pausing to play with the lace hem of my silk pajama shorts.

“We have a house showing this Friday at ten. There’s a new construction that just came on the market up in The Groves.

It’s beautiful, I know you’re going to love it.

Five beds, five baths, a little under five thousand square feet. It’s pretty perfect.”

Taking in a breath, my eyes widen as I register his words.

I’ve heard amazing things about the new Master Planned community just north of Dallas.

I’m shocked that there is a chance that we might live there, in what sounds like a gigantic house no less.

With the best school district in the state, it would be a wonderful place for us to have a family.

To put down roots. It’s everything I’ve always wanted.

Now I really, really want to pinch myself.

“The Groves? Are you serious?” I ask, my voice lifting.

Nodding his head, Sutton gives me a flirty wink. A smug expression falls over his face while his fingertips trail upwards towards my panties. He’s quite proud of himself, but he deserves to be. He’s too damn perfect.

“Serious as a heart attack, Princess. I’ll pull up pictures of it after dinner. You’re going to love the kitchen. It has a massive island,” he says, his gaze dipping from my eyes to my lips, and back again.

My heart all but jumps into my throat, I know exactly what he’s thinking.

We had a brief discussion earlier about things we would like to try.

I somehow mustered up the courage to say that I’ve always wanted to be thrown onto a kitchen counter.

I still can’t believe I said it out loud, but it seems to have made an impression on him.

Now I’m equally excited, and nervous, for Friday.

Clearing my throat, my attention moves back to my phone.

Blinking at the screen, I try my hardest to focus on the questions staring back at me.

I hear him chuckle as the tip of his index finger makes its way under the seam of my panties.

My breath hitches from his wanton touch, my cheeks start to flush.

I know we don’t have any time to fool around but God, does this man love to tease me.

“You’re so bad.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” he purrs, his finger grazing my hip. “How bad I can really be.”

I lift my eyes for a split second to look at him, it’s just enough time for me to see his ravenous expression. Clearing my throat once again, I squeak out the next question in the hopes of distracting both of us.

“Ok, here’s a good one! It’s kinda dark, but interesting. Ok. would you rather be strangled to death, or be smothered to death?” I give it a moment to marinate before I answer. “Well, that’s easy! I think I would rather be strangled!”

As soon as I finish my sentence, Sutton’s touch stills on my skin.

He quickly pulls his finger from my panties, settling off an alarm in my brain.

I turn to him, my face scrunching in confusion as I notice a sudden change in his demeanor.

Gone is the confident, cocky man that I’ve been enjoying the company of.

He’s turned into something I don’t recognize.

Sitting ramrod straight, his handsome face is completely void of all emotion. His eyes are so dark, they’re almost obsidian in color. They stare at my neck with an intensity that makes my skin pebble and my pulse race.

“No, you don’t,” he replies, his voice flat and removed of any warmth. “It’s a terrible way to go, you don’t deserve that hell.”

Hissing something under his breath, his bare shoulders tense and start to hunch. I can’t make out exactly what he’s saying, but it sounds just as ominous as what I was able to hear. What the hell is going on?

“Sir?”

His unblinking gaze stays on my throat, something dangerous flashes behind his eyes. His icy voice grows in volume, sending a sharp chill down my spine.

“Can’t do that to you. I won’t. Not you. Never you,” he whispers.

Swallowing hard, my anxiety spikes. I try to break his trance by moving my head so that his gaze is forced to meet mine.

“Sutton? Is…is everything ok? Are you ok?” I ask, my voice tight with uncertainty.

He continues to stare for another ten seconds before his trance finally lifts. The switch within him is like night and day, it’s almost as if he was able to somehow reclaim his soul.

“What? What now, Princess? I…I’m sorry…I uh, I think I dozed off there for a minute,” he says, lifting his hand to swipe across his face.

“Dozed off?” I ask, my expression peppered with concern.

Shrugging his shoulders, he gives me a devilish smirk that disarms me. He doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest by what just happened.

“Well, we haven’t been getting a lot of sleep these past few nights, have we?”

Nodding in agreement, the frown refuses to budge from my face. He isn’t wrong, we’ve been indulging in each other to the point of exhaustion. I could probably fall asleep right now, if given the opportunity. However, I am rattled to my core.

“I suppose you’re right, Sir, we are both tired…but you weren’t yourself, it was like you were possessed. It really scared me,” I admit.

Lifting his hand, he reaches to cup the side of my face. Swiping the pad of his thumb along my lower lip, he hums in an effort to soothe me.

“Please don’t worry, my sweet Dolly. This will happen from time to time, it’s been happening since I was little.

When I don’t get proper rest, I can have what Mama calls waking dreams. Now I know they can be a little scary, but I assure you, I always snap out of them quickly.

I’m not possessed, I’m just bone-tired, is all.

I’m sorry for scaring you. I hate that I’ve worried you. ”

Kissing his thumb in reverence, my body softens from his words. I’m still uneasy, but his explanation does make sense to me.

“Waking dreams,” I repeat softly.

Seemingly pleased by my response, he leans in to press a barely there kiss upon my mouth.

“Waking dreams,” he whispers, letting his lips brush against mine as he speaks. “Which I wouldn’t have had if I was adhering to the rules I set forth for us. I have not been doing my job as your caretaker, have I?”

“Of course you ha–”

“Shh, no. No, I haven’t, Princess,” he continues, his whisper taking on a hard edge. “I’ve been selfish with you. You haven’t slept more than three hours over the past three nights, and neither have I. That’s unacceptable. We will be going to bed after we eat dinner and we will be sleeping.”

Keeping my gaze on his, I watch as he pulls back.

My knee-jerk reaction is to laugh and roll my eyes, but I know he’s deadly serious.

I’m disappointed to say the least, but he does have a point.

We are both exhausted, having some quality rest would do us some good.

I would like us to enjoy our last full day together before he leaves me for his business trip Friday afternoon.

“Yes, Sir.”

“That’s my good girl,” he purrs.

Opening my mouth to thank him, I’m interrupted by the melodic alarm of his elevator.

“Ah, speaking of dinner,” he says, gently moving my legs from his lap. “And not a moment too soon. I can think of nothing better than a belly full of double cheeseburgers and milkshakes to have us sleeping like babies.”

Offering me a wink, he quickly stands from the couch. Holding out his hand, he waits patiently for me to sit up properly.

“That does actually sound like heaven,” I reply, my stomach rumbling right on cue.

Taking his hand, I carefully stand from the sofa.

Waiting for him to step before me, I follow a couple of paces behind.

My eyes drift over his muscular back, languidly taking my fill of his physique as he walks.

Perhaps we should have waited until after his assistant had dropped off dinner before getting into our pajamas.

“Would you like me to grab you a shirt really quick so you can be decent?” I ask.

Glancing over his shoulder, he arches a dark brow.

“Why would I want to do that?”

My eyes fall to the wooden floor as we near the elevator. A twinge of jealousy pricks my brain as I think of his beautiful assistant. She’s the type of woman that has inherited sex appeal. With long dark hair, soulful eyes, and legs for days, she’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.

“She’s awfully flirty, Sir.”

Halting his steps, he turns on his heels to face me. A humored look passes over his masculine features, but I’m not sure what’s so funny.

“Who? Savannah? Savannah is flirty?”

Nodding my head, I fight the urge to place my hands on my hips.

I’ve never been the type of girl that has felt the need to stake her claim, but I did not care for the way she and Sutton spoke to each other when she brought over my bathing suit.

It didn’t really bother me at the time, but the more I think about it, the more annoyed I become.

“Yes, Sir. I think she wants to get into your pants,” I say.

Chuckling low, he leans in to kiss my forehead. Giving me a wink, he turns back around and takes the final steps to the elevator.

“You have nothing to worry about, Princess. I promise you, there is no other woman for me. Now put a sweet smile on that beautiful face of yours and play nice.”

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, I walk to stand next to him. Plastering a full smile on my face, I gently tug on my silk and lace cami in my attempt to look presentable. While I know that Sutton wouldn’t try anything with Savannah, I can’t shake the feeling that she’s trouble.

“Yes, Sir. I’ll play nice, I promise,” I reply, holding my breath as the doors to the elevator open.