Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Billion Desires 1: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

"Of course, Governor." If he was expecting that threat to shatter me, he's very much mistaken. With River with me, nothing can shatter me.Governor Richard Stratton spins around and leaves my office — thankfully without spitting in my doorway first. I follow him back and lock my office door with the deadbolt, tired of all the unwanted callers. I truly do need to get some work done. But now River and I are alone and I'm exhausted from the adrenaline rushes and I just want to lean against him.Reading me like a book, River turns me around to face him and encircles one hand around the edge of my neck, his thumb sliding back and forth along my jaw as he brings his nose and mouth up the opposite side of my neck, his warm breath soothing my racing heartbeat.I hold on to his waist, curling my fingers into the unbuttoned green and black plaid shirt he's wearing."Why are you here?" I finally manage to get out. I know there's no possible way he's gotten a head start on work at the shop since

When I'm warming up, Julian punches me in the stomach. Not forcefully, but forcefully enough to catch me because it's something I was not ready for and it causes me to blush. I push away from the hood of the car and he walks to the gravel shoulder in front of me to battle.What does he think he is doing? I'll completely annihilate him.I bet the punch he just threw was the first in his life."When are you gonna stop fucking judging me for crap that I can't help, River?" he yells out, surprising me yet again by throwing another punch at my face. I turn away from it and he ends up punching my shoulder instead. The punch was tougher than I thought. "Behind every corner, I defend you. I paraded you around in my life because I'm so fucking proud of who you are and all that's done is gotten you to despise me. And why? Because I was born into a wealthy family?Because I was ambitious and utilized the tools available to me in order to succeed? " He hits me again and can land a blow on my jaw

I didn't quite get him. I step back, studying those blue eyes of mine that I love so much and I notice him trying not to look away from me."I'm not asking you to change, River." Do I want to become his hard ass? Hell, fucking, yes, I do. But not at the cost of severe inner turmoil or an existential identity crisis."I know, but I'm trying to embrace a little personal growth," he jokes."And you think shoving my cock in your ass is how you'd like to proceed with that growth?""Are you trying to talk me out of this? Because if you don't want—"I cover his mouth with my hand and hug him with the other. "Don't even get to get to the end of that goddamned sentence. Yeah, I want to do this with you, but there's a lot going on in our lives presently. Do you really want to complicate it with dealing with losing your ass virginity?"This makes him laugh."Let's discuss this in the car. It's getting cold and I think we should thank our stars that we haven't gotten caught yet.""It's just a hug

"You could've just asked me to climb onto the bed," he growls.I flash him a roguish grin. "I'll be gentle when the time arrives, but that isn't now." I roll him onto his stomach, sitting atop his thighs and whack him on his butt before smoothing my palms across the skin to alleviate the burn.He thrashes about under me, using his hands to push against me, trying to roll over so that he can look at me. I push down on his legs, but his extra weight wins and he rolls me across the bed.He rolls with me, holding me down on the bed, with my arms trapped between my legs under his body.Exactly as I wanted.He's on top of me and if I flex my wrist, his middle fingertip will land on target. Physiologically, fight or flight is as close to being turned on as you're going to get. I want him to fight me so his running heart circulates more testosterone throughout his body, stimulating his lust, numbing his nerves and desensitizing him to pain."Kiss me," I whisper. Come on, River. Lean in. Open

He opens his eyes and the creases at the corners, the furrow of his brow, and the compression of his jaw all bear witness to the shame he feels and I abhor it."You're still the same man you were." I place his hands on my chest over my heart. "You've trusted me with everything. I promise on my life, I'll never use it to hurt you."I have no idea why I did say those things instead of telling him that I love him and that it was the best sex ever, but it seems to be the trick and bring him back out of his own head a bit. His fingers clench into my chests and he puts his forehead on mine."I'm glad it was you."I don't coax him on further. I instead rub myself against the body wash dispenser attached to the shower wall and set to work kneading his muscles. I work down his entire body until I'm kneeling on the shower floor, taking his foot into my lap and rubbing soap onto his arches. "Julian, you don't have to…but damn, that feels so fucking good."I smile to myself, that's the first tim