All Chapters of A Billion Desires 1: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

When Camille asked to have us invite River over for dinner, she didn't mention Olosa was coming with us until she showed up. Camille knows I hate being a part of any kind of match-making and I know she can't sleep at all until all of our friends are paired up. Having one best friend is killing Camille, but if she has an idea to put Olosa together with River, she's going to be extremely disappointed."Do you guys want to watch a movie?" Camille calls out from the living room. "I'm not so much in the mood to play a game or anything, but sleeping on the couch to a movie sounds fine."The voice in my head is mad. If you want to sleep, go home. Or hell, go go to bed in my bed, just please spare me the time that I need with the man in front of me.I feel like shit immediately. She doesn’t deserve that kind of attitude, especially considering I’m the one stepping out. Over and over I’ve thought to myself that I need to end this before it gets any more out of control. Only, I’m not sure which

His eyes scan over me and I watch as the blue I love turn to black while he drinks in the tailored cut of my pale denim colored suit. The top button of the white shirt beneath my jacket is only level with my nipples, but the cut of the shirt is one such that little more than a strip of my breast is displayed. His gaze fixes on it also, stoking the fires of my own fervour.I only manage to keep his blazing gaze fixed on me for a fleeting moment before he reins himself in and remembers that we're not the only two in the room.To my chagrin."I'm sorry I cut in." He leans his head towards the governor and then towards me. He has a plain black T-shirt and ripped jeans with tears on his thighs and I'm so thankful that he came rolling into my office in them. "I thought you could use them. I've had her for years." He tosses me the keys and I find my voice again."Thank you. River, this is Governor Richard Stratton. Governor, this is River Moreno."Richard stands up and holds out his hand tow

My single splash of color is my tie: light blue to match my eyes — Sierra's suggestion.For all my protestations that Julian and I are going as friends, and as hard as I'm going to try to keep the right side of the moral code this evening, I still want to get dressed up. And to be honest, I want to get Julian a bit hot under the collar because I've already witnessed him in a suit a number of times and I have no doubt whatsoever that I'll be hot all over.He shows up right on time and buzzes my doorbell.It's so childlike…until I reach the door.Standing there with his hands in his pockets looking like a younger, sexier James Bond than I've ever seen, Julian looks me up and down and whistles. "Well. This is going to be hard as fuck."My lips twitch at the compliment and the lust in his eyes. “At least we’ll suffer together.”Sierra is standing in the doorway. "Julian, wow. You're amazing." I'm worried my sister's going to ask to have our picture taken, but bless her heart, she says not

The governor offers his hand first. "Indeed. River, good to see you again. How is business at the shop?"Thankfully, the vandalism has eased off a bit, but I fear reputational damage to our street is already accomplished. We're still losing customers daily," he admits.Governor Stratton shakes his head. "I'm so sorry to hear that. And the woman who was shot? Is she recuperating?""Thanks for asking, yeah, they've moved her to a rehab facility and she's walking again." "That's wonderful news."Not even trying to hide his sneer or bothering to hold out his hand, Julian's father tells him, "I presume you know the protocol for an occasion like this?""Father," Julian cautions with a growl."No need to be defensive, Julian. Whether you are pretending to be or not, tonight is a big night for Camille and I want to make sure there will be no distractions." Julian's dad turns his sleazy, reptilian gaze on me and has the audacity to say, "Nice of my son to upgrade your status for the night. Do

The elevator doors slide open and I've never been so glad to glimpse the interior of my penthouse as I am now.I push against River's chest laughing and he catches my hands, holding them in place as he steps backward from the elevator, tugging me with him. With a movement so quick, I couldn't have resisted it if I'd tried, he spins and pushes my back against the foyer wall. The breath is forced out of my lungs in a rush and in the next, he's there, sucking the exhale into his mouth.Starving for River out of his suit, I push his jacket off his shoulders. He lets it fall behind him on the ground and I start unbuttoning his shirt, starving to get a sense of the heat of his skin. The way his body has teased me, tormented me, tortured me since I met him has me breaking down, presenting him with my sanity on a silver platter.It's still dark in the foyer as he pushes his hands on either side of my head. My curtains are drawn and the lights of the city below can't reach me. With his teeth,