CHAPTER 2: I WANT TO BE HERE

Damon

I turn from the balcony, and there she is. My woman for the night. Her body is flattered by a sequin blue dress that clings to her like it was made just for her. Her hands are pressed to her sides, like she’s unsure of herself.

My eyes trail down slowly, taking in her slender frame and the curves sculpted perfectly for her body.

Damn, she’s gorgeous.

I approach her, stopping right at the tips of her feet.

She looks down, like she wants to disappear, her eyes conveniently anywhere but on me.

“Look at me,” I command, like she’s just committed a sin.

Damn right. She has. I’m Damon Noble, the most wanted billionaire bachelor. I’m the best there is. Her eyes should be on me and nowhere else.

Her honey-brown eyes lift, scared. She’s nervous.

My lips twitch into a half-smile as I sweep my gaze over her and again.

She seems inexperienced. Could this be her first time as an escort?

Whatever she is, she’s not fooling me. I bet she’s no more innocent than the rest. Just another gold-digging woman out for my money. Just like Christina, my ex-fiancée, who took millions from me and ran off with her boyfriend the night before our wedding.

My eyes hold hers for what feels like seconds. She stands before me, looking like she’s about to cry.

“Are you a virgin?”

Her brows rise, cheeks flushing at the question.

“No,” she mutters, reluctant, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, too shy to meet my gaze.

I reach out and gently remove her mask.

Damn. I made the right choice.

She’s just as beautiful as the photo, more even.

But she still won’t meet my eyes.

She lowers her face.

I don’t let her.

I take her chin and tilt her head until her gaze locks with mine. “Don’t look away.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, almost like she feels forced to be here and would rather be anywhere else.

“You’re coming with me,” I lean closer.

She hesitates but doesn’t pull away when I take her hand and lead her toward the elevator.

Her breathing quickens as she glances sideways at me.

Fuck, she’s irresistible.

I lean in and kiss her, right there in the elevator, with hunger. My mouth claims hers desperately, tasting her strawberry-flavored lip gloss. She gasps softly into my mouth but doesn’t stop me. Her body eases into mine, trembling.

I press her back against the elevator wall, my fingers brushing the side of her dress as her breathing grows louder.

The elevator dings open.

I break the kiss. “Follow me,” I whisper. She looks at me, breathless and dazed.

She follows, her eyes uncertain, as I lead her into a luxurious suite.

She stands by the door, silent.

“What are you so afraid of?” I ask, walking to the minibar. I pour two glasses of wine and step over to hand her one.

She steps back, avoiding my hand.

“Suit yourself,” I gulp the liquid down, drop the glass on the table, and fix my gaze on her.

“Why would a man like you pay one million dollars just to sleep with someone like me?” she asks.

My eyes narrow. “And who is someone like you?”

She swallows. “A nobody.” Her head lowers again. “You shouldn’t waste your money on me.”

I chuckle. “I’m a billionaire. My money never runs out.”

I step closer, drawing her in with my voice. “Isn’t that why you’re here?”

I bet I have at least fifteen years over her, and yet here this young lady is willing to sleep with a man she's never met. Why else, if not my money?

She looks up at me, her hands clenching at her sides as my nose brushes against hers, my lips near her cheek. “Of all the girls offered to me, you caught my attention.”

My fingers graze the top of her breast, and her breath hitches. “You’re more special than you think.”

My lips move to her ear, trailing slowly down her neck. I kiss her there, and she lets out a soft sound, not quite a moan.

My hands move down over her hips, and I feel her tremble.

“No,” she whispers.

I stop and step back.

“I’ll never take advantage of a woman,” I mutter, almost upset, impatient. “If you don’t want to be here, you’re free to leave.”

I shrug off my jacket and toss it onto the bed. I stand there, hands in my pockets, watching her, waiting for her to make a choice.

Her fingers twist around each other. She looks like she’s thinking.

“I want to be here,” she finally responds.

A smug grin spreads across my face.

Breaking her tonight in my bed will give me the utmost satisfaction.

I don’t wait.

I lift her into my arms.

Her body melts against me as I lay her down on the bed.

My eyes linger on her, admiring her beauty.

I kiss her again, her mouth, her neck, her shoulders, everywhere.

I slide her dress down, and she covers herself with her hands.

I chuckle, gently pushing her hands away. “Don’t deny me the pleasure.”

My eyes roam over her from head to toe as she flushes again, too shy to meet my gaze.

Fuck.

She’s incredibly hot.

I kneel at the edge of the bed and pull her foot into my hands. I kiss her toes, then her ankle. I move higher, along her leg, to her thigh, and she gasps.

She’s already wet.

Perfect.

I rise over her again, kissing up her belly, her chest, then her neck. Her eyes shut, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip like she is trying to hold back the desire building inside her.

But I will not stop.

Not until I make her scream in pleasure and drop the innocent act.

She lets out a moan but cuts it off fast, like she regrets making a sound. I feel her breathing grow quicker, her whole body trembling beneath me.

Her eyes lock with mine, and I see the confusion in them. The shock. The way she cannot understand the pleasure I am pulling out of her.

Then she raises her hand, reaching for my mask.

“Not yet,” I snap, slapping her hand away.

She looks shocked.

I don’t give her time to react as I thrust into her.

She cries out, a tear trickling down her cheek as her hands grip the sheets. Her eyes hold mine, like she’s daring me for making her feel this way. Her lips part like she wants to say something, maybe fight it, maybe confront me, but no words come out.

I move inside her slowly at first, letting her feel every inch of me as her body tightens.

She tries to stay quiet, but I hear her soft moans.

Then I go harder. She tries to cover her mouth, tries to hold it in, but I keep going.

Her moans break free, louder, needier, no matter how hard she tries to stay quiet, as her legs wrap around me. I feel her give in.

She arches under me, her nails pressing into my back. Her whole body reacts, fierce with hunger, like she has been craving me for decades, until we both climax. She comes shaking, crying, moaning into my ear.

I collapse on the bed beside her and watch her turn away, pulling the sheet over herself, covering her body as if she is ashamed.

What is her deal?

I just gave her every woman’s secret desire, to be fucked by a billionaire like me, and paid handsomely for it.

I sit up, staring at her back. “Don’t pretend you didn’t have a good time.”

I don’t understand. She should be all over me, begging me to take her again. Yet here she is, avoiding me.

She turns to face me with eyes full of tears and confusion, like she has just committed a crime.

“What’s wrong?” I go soft, even though I know I should not. No woman is to be trusted.

“Why me?” she whispers. “Why did you choose me?”

I stare at her silently as she hugs the sheet closer to her body.

“I want to know the man beneath the mask,” she says quietly. “Take it off.”

“No,” I retort harshly.

I cannot risk her recognizing me and selling our one-night stand to the media. The last thing I need is my sexual adventures splashed across headlines. I cannot afford any scandals right now, not with the huge deal I am about to close.

“But… you have seen me,” she mumbles.

I lean in close. “Because I am paying for it. And I like what I have seen.”

She blinks fast, her lips trembling. “I want to see the face of the man who touched me. Please… take off your mask.”