Page 60 of Unstoppable Billionaire (The Hardcore Novels: Special Editions #2)

I realize I'm sitting cross-legged in his lap, literally cradled in his arms. One hand cups my ass.

The other is at the nape of my neck, securing my head like a baby's.

Hmm. I feel so safe in his arms. Forget Tony Stark.

I'll take the Bastard son of Thor. My mind smiles again.

I'm def gonna learn about that soon! Holy Hades!

If he's hotter than what we just did, I'm down for some of him!

I feel the sweet sensations of Aurei's thumbs gently stroking me in aftercare.

Back and forth. Back and forth. That's comforting.

Mmm. They make me feel ... truly cherished.

I turn my head slightly, laying my cheek on him. My forehead touches his neck. I whisper. "Aurei?"

"Yes, Baby Thang?" He whispers back.

"Thank you."

"Hmm." I hear his throat hum.

"For owning me."

His arms hug me tight. "You … own me." He turns his head and kisses the top of my hair.

Then he gently sinks to the floor, holding me close with my head on his shoulder.

He lies down. He positions me so I'm curled up on his chest. We lay exhausted.

My ear pressed to him hears his heart beating and his breath breathing.

The other ear hears the stillness of the air and his breath blowing it around.

When Aurei speaks, it rumbles in his chest and vibrates into the stillness. "Siri, promise me you will never attempt that without me. Never. Only bare hands. Only my bare hands. Do you hear me?" He hugs me tight. "It's dangerous."

I hear his plea, and my ear pressed to his chest hears the fear in his darkness, and I remember his warrior's face."Aurei. Have you killed someone like that?"

"No. Not like that."

"But you have killed someone?"

He hesitates, then says. "Yes."

"With your bare hands?"

"Yes."

"Was it an accident?"

"No."

"Was it murder?" I lift my head to see his face. My hair envelopes us, shielding us from the rest of the world like a cocoon.

"No. It was in war."

"Oh." I slide up and stare into his face. "Does it haunt you? What happened?"

"You don't need to know that, Beautiful Thang. War is ugly." He puts his hands on either side of my face and slides his fingers in my hair. "You are simply stunning, Siri."

I smile at him. He puckers his lips, and I lay mine on his. I breathe his breath as I hold them there. "Your lips are a contradiction."

"How can lips be a contradiction?" His eyes smile while his lips answer back on mine.

"They are soft and firm." I run my tongue out of my mouth and slide it from one side of his to the other. "You do that sometimes when you are thinking."

"Do what?"

"Run your tongue like this, back and forth." I run my tongue back and forth over his lips again. "It's sexy as fuck too."

"I didn't know I did that."

"And sometimes you stick your tongue in the corner and flick it." I grin at him. "Bet you didn't know you did that either."

He grins. "Maybe I did know I do that." I see trickery in his eyes.

"You were teasing me."

"I was giving you a dose of your own medicine."

I laugh and lay my head next to his. My body bounces as he flexes his six-pack abs to blow a puff of air out of his mouth. My hair flies up with it. When it lands, he does it again.

He tells me, talking fast as it flies up before it lands. "I love your hair, Siri, but it's so thick." He blows again. "I can't breathe when it lays over my nostrils."

I giggle and pick my head up. I rub my nose back and forth over his, kissing him Eskimo style while my eyes shine into his. He grins. "Your nose is getting cold."

Just then, we hear a horn outside in the street under the building. "That would be Angelo. We better get dressed."

"I'm not bashful."

He rolls his eyes and pecks my lips. "Hurry up now. If the stairs don't give him a heart attack, seeing you naked definitely might."

Sitting up, I offer my hand, and we pull each other up.

He steps to his pile of clothes and begins to dress while I retrieve my bra, look half heartily for my panties, then finish getting dressed without finding them.

I'm smelling the flowers when they appear over my shoulders.

Smiling, I ask, "Since we are finished shopping, do you still require I wear them? "

"Yes."

I pout but take them. "This dance studio is perfect!

Just perfect!" I tell him as I bend over at the waist and step into them.

"I'll come down here and work out while you go to your office.

" I pull them up and see he is holding my coat for me.

I walk over and stick my arms in. Pulling my hair out, I turn to him.

"I have a lot to do! I need to work on my Happy routine, and I must get back in shape. "

He looks at me like I've lost my mind.

"You do realize I was planning on returning to Vegas this week when someone showed up in my life and changed my plans."

"Yes, I realize that."

"Then why the 'you're crazy' look."

"You aren't in shape now?" He asks as he opens the door, and I pass through.

"Not in shape for a Vegas dancer that performs six, sometimes seven, nights a week. You have to be in extreme shape to dance that much."

"So you are still planning on dancing six, sometimes seven, nights a week when we return?" He says as he steps out onto the landing. "I thought you were an exercise freak."

"The kind of exercise I did in the apartment isn't the same thing as cardio dancing." He turns to me, head down. He looks like a little boy. I walk over and dip my head to peer up into his face. "Are you pouting?" I ask in disbelief.

"Maybe." He pooches his lips out.

I put my arms around his neck and pull him down to my lips. I tell him as I lay mine there. "Three months is a long time to be away from the spotlight. I might not even have a career to return to."

He puts his arms around me, cups my ass, and picks me up. I wrap my legs around him. "Yes, you will. You and I both know that isn't going to be an issue. You are wicked good. But 4 or 5 nights sounds more reasonable to me. I want to have you all to myself sometime."

"Hmm. When you put it that way."

"Want to unwrap the door before we go?"

"Fuck yeah!" I giggle and let go. He stands back as I rip the paper off! "Oh, My Fucking Golden God! WOW! It's absofuckinglutely beautiful!" The stained glass is a golden-haired dancer hugging a stripper pole on a pair of ballet slippers. The perimeter trim is little blue hearts.

I touch the slippers. He comes up behind me and slips his arms around me. "I knew you studied ballet."

"How?"

"Your body movements when you dance give you away. Remember, my grandmother was a ballerina."

I twirl around to look at him. His eyes are soft and kind.

"You are the sweetest, most thoughtful man I have ever met, Sugar Bare."

He smiles then starts to button up my coat. "We need to go."

"Speaking of bears ... and stained glass doors. What's up there on the top floor?"

"So Curious Thang went up there?"

"Of course."

"My photography studio."

"Oh! Is that where the Bastard lives? I can't wait to meet him." I giggle. "If he is half the fucking machine you are.... Mmhmm! Is he kinky? Cause I do kinky really good."

He doesn't laugh, so I lean up to kiss his lips, making him stop buttoning my coat. "Let's see it now."

"No. Not now."

I hook my fingers in his belt loops and lean back. "Come on. Show me. I promise not to ask too many questions." I drop my weight and tug.

He takes a step forward but braces against me. "No. I need more time."

"Angelo will wait."

"Not we need more time. I need more time." I try to tug him again, but I can't budge him. "I'm not ready to show you yet."

I give up the tug of war, knowing I'm strong but not that strong, and poke him in his ticklish ribs instead. "Why not?"

He flinches as I look at the stairs leading back up and think about making a mad dash for the door. I dart that way, but his quick hand grabs a handful of my hair, stopping me dead.

I giggle. "Come on! Time to 'fess up!" I walk away from him, arching my back. "I'm not afraid of your dark deity side either."

He says with a straight face, holding me firm. "Listen, Siri, I'm being completely selfish here. I want more time with you. I'm not willing to risk what we have yet."

I roll around and stand to face him. He keeps my hair in his hand. I give him my 'I can take care of myself' expression with my hands on my hips, and he chuckles.

"Straight-line then. Why?" I ask.

"I've never shown anyone all of that side of me. I'm afraid that when you see all of him, you'll be so shocked that you will just turn around and walk right out of my life."

"And you would let me?" I smirk at him. "I thought you were never letting me go?"

"I'm not ... in here." He touches his chest. "But I won't stop you if you decide to walk away." He steps up to me and towers over me. Then he scoops me up easily.

I put my arms around his neck. "But I don't think you understand who I truly am. You think I'm an innocent girl who happens to be a sex pot dancer."

Angelo honks the horn.

He thinks of what I've said but is distracted by Angelo.

I put my hand on the side of his face and make him look into my eyes. "I'm neither. I'm more complicated than that."

His phone rings. "I know who you are. You're a Diva."

"I'm more than that." I frown at him as he takes his phone out.

"I've got to answer this. There's a big deal going down. Hang on just a minute."

"Aurei...." He hoists me on his shoulder.

"Umphf." Damn it! My head hangs over his back.

"Ciao, Antonio." He starts down the stairs again but stops to listen. He continues when he talks but pauses when he listens.

What could be so bad about his alter ego that he would think I would walk out on him?

Fucking nothing! I slide my hands down into his pants to feel his perfect fucking muscle.

The rolling and flexing! Ah! Sweet Zeus, I loved watching him fuck me in the mirror.

I'm not letting him go. I just found him.