CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Their celebration had all the earmarks of a seduction. Gaylord-style. Roses. Fake champagne. Candlelight and soft music. An amazing dinner. The only thing out of place was the Monopoly game, but then he wasn’t a Lothario in the traditional sense. He didn’t need to try very hard.
A few days ago Billie might have called him out on his surprise but tonight she felt no such urge. This heat that had been shimmering between them was pushing them together, slowly but surely. She could kick and scream, fight it until she was exhausted but deep down that wasn’t what she wanted. She’d crossed over last night into a scary no-man’s land but turning back was impossible. Something inside of her had been awakened after his kiss and pretending they were just buddies wasn’t something she could do anymore.
They were a couple now, and she wanted to see what being Tyler’s woman would be like.
She didn’t however want to make it too easy for him. Knowing Tyler as she did, he appreciated things more when he had to work for them at least a little bit. She wanted to draw this seduction out and enjoy it as much as possible.
She stood from her chair at the dining table and went to retrieve the Monopoly box, holding it up for his inspection.
“How about a game while we eat our dessert?”
The chef had prepared a decadent chocolate cake to go with the chateaubriand and the garlic twice baked potatoes and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. Every bite had melted in her mouth and made her taste buds dance.
“You want to play, babe?” His blue twinkled and he seemed to be in a playful mood. “We can do that.”
Tyler pushed the dishes aside while Billie set up the game. It started the usual way but tonight it was more difficult to focus. She was distracted by his deep chuckle and his hands when he moved his token around the board. She’d never noticed before but he had a small scar on his thumb and a patch of freckles behind his elbow. Every single thing about him had become fascinating, making it tough to function in the real world.
As usual, Tyler bought every single thing he landed on while she was more cautious with her cash. When she landed on Boardwalk she easily had the money to purchase the property. Three turns later she landed on Park Place and she was off to the races. Tyler didn’t stand a chance as she began building a hotel empire. Thirty minutes later he surrendered his yellow properties to pay for rent and she began building there too with hotels on all three spaces.
“I’m screwed,” he groaned as he palmed the dice for his turn. His token was about to go through some dangerous territory and one wrong roll could almost wipe him out. “You’re a shark when you get the lead, baby. Have a little mercy.”
“Cry to your mama. Come on, roll the dice.”
Shaking his head and laughing, Tyler tossed down the two dice and they skittered across the board, stopping right by the Community Chest cards. He’d rolled a ten.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m fucked.”
Indeed, Tyler was in a sticky situation. He’d landed on Park Place and owed her big. Clearly he didn’t have enough cash – again – to pay. Billie was eyeing his two red properties. If he gave her those, she could build more hotels. But that would still be letting him off easy.
He held up two one hundred dollar bills. “This is all I have.”
“That is not all you have.” She tapped his property cards. “You’ve got some valuable real estate.”
Rubbing his chin, he appeared to be delaying, hoping for a reprieve. “If I hand over those properties I might as well just fold my tent and go home. It will be all but done.”
“You don’t know that for sure. You could make a big comeback.”
He eyed the board and then her mountain of cash. “Just how do you think I would manage that? Steal your money when you’re not looking?”
Ha. Like that would happen. She was always watching him, especially tonight.
“How about…?” Billie considered his situation and wanted to be merciful. “Both of your red properties and I’ll let you keep your cash.”
“How about,” Tyler countered immediately, “I give you one red property, one hundred dollars, and…the shirt off of my back.”
Wait. What? Tyler was offering his shirt? For real? She hadn’t seen that coming. Honestly she thought he’d be much more subtle about his seduction but now he was basically offering to strip for her.
When she really thought about it, a traditional seduction simply didn’t make sense. They had too much history as friends. But there was something more when she looked into Tyler’s eyes.
He was nervous.
Tyler Gaylord – sex god and movie star – was afraid of being rejected. For good reason too, because she’d been hot and cold since the day she’d agreed to this crazy engagement. He thought she might say no so he’d thrown out a goofy offer so if she turned him down he could play it off like it was part of the game.
So Billie had two choices. Refuse his shirt and demand both properties. They’d go to bed together but still very separate, the sexual tension still building between them. She wouldn’t have to deal with the reality of this relationship for at least another day and could sit back and pretend nothing had changed. Or she could throw caution to the wind. Something that did not come naturally to her. Her entire life she’d needed to always think ahead, be careful, strategic. Living wild and free was something other people did, but not her. Frankly, she didn’t know if she had the courage. Once she said yes, nothing would ever be the same.
Too late. It’s not the same now.
If she’d learned anything in her life it was that she had to move forward. Looking back over her shoulder and pining for what might have been wasn’t the answer. There could be no room for doubts.
She stuck out her hand and wiggled her fingers in a come-hither motion. “Hand it over then.”
Before I change my mind.
Tyler didn’t move at first but then a slow smile crossed his gorgeous face and his blue eyes darkened with…desire? Lust? The pupils were blown wide.
Tugging the cotton t-shirt over his head, he placed the garment in her outstretched hand. His scent hit her immediately as she tossed it casually over her shoulder. Her mouth went dry at the display of manly attributes before her. His chest was wide, his stomach flat, and the skin golden from the California sun. There was just a sprinkling of hair around his pectorals and then lower on his abdomen, a treasure trail that disappeared under the waistband of his jeans. Her fingers itched to reach out and explore it, find out if it was as silky as it looked.
Her palms began to sweat and she had to concentrate on her lips and tongue to be able to speak. “You still owe me a red property and a hundred bucks.”
Chuckling, he retrieved the rent but didn’t set it on the table, instead holding it out so she had to reach for it, their fingers brushing.
Billie wouldn’t have been surprised if sparks had actually flown from their flesh where they touched. Her hand visibly trembling, she shoved the card and the money to the side as her stomach tumbled and twisted in her middle. The chocolate cake suddenly seemed like a bad idea. Tyler would have to be blind not to see her turmoil and she wasn’t in the habit of disguising her emotions with him anyway.
Tyler held out the dice. “Your turn.”
This time she held out her hand, palm up so he could dump the dice into it. Distracted, they played a few more turns but the next time Tyler landed on one of her properties with a hotel he only had fifty dollars.
At this point, the sexual tension was sky high and the temperature in the room felt like it was a hundred degrees. She was hot and bothered, and all she wanted to do was open the window and hang her head out to get a lungful of fresh air. She’d had to set his shirt aside because whenever she inhaled she was getting a hit of Tyler that made her head swim.
“Looks like I’m busted,” he said, holding his lone fifty dollar bill. “Unless you’re willing to make a deal.”
“I’m listening,” she said, her voice coming out like a frog’s croak.
Just take the pants off, dammit.
Billie hadn’t had sex in almost a year and now she was acting like some sex-starved female, panting after a hot guy. The intimate act had never been all that important to her, frankly. She’d enjoyed it but she hadn’t screamed anyone’s name when she orgasmed or felt the earth move under the bed. Sex was good and nice, and she liked the closeness. Not once in her life had she fantasized about ripping off a man’s jeans and kissing whatever she bared.
Not once. Until tonight.
Now it was all she could think about. She’d seen Tyler in various states of undress many times over the last five years and it had never affected her the way just seeing him without a shirt did now. He wasn’t a modest man and he’d done partial nudity in his movies but this would be different. Tonight he would be all hers.
Leaning forward, his lips hovered mere inches from hers. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek and she reached out, running her fingertips over his stubbled jaw.
“Perhaps we can work out a deal that will be mutually beneficial.”
Tyler’s voice dripped sex and the promise of pleasure to come.
Enjoy it.
Dinah’s words echoed in Billie’s head and for maybe the first time in her life she tossed away all of her inhibitions and grabbed the brass ring.
“It’s going to cost you,” she said, her own tone breathless and needy. He couldn’t have failed to notice her own arousal. Her cheeks were hot and her hand had wandered down his neck to his chest where it had splayed out over his heart, feeling it thud strongly under her palm.
“I’m ready to pay the price. Are you?”
Yes. A million times yes.