Rachel smiled back and felt her heart in her throat, but she managed to swallow it back as she reached out her own delicate hand.
“Hi, I’m Rachel.”
Riley’s warmth felt good. Rachel could imagine falling into those arms and staring for hours into his pools of green and amber, that smile shining on her like sunshine. She mentally kicked herself, trying to apply the brakes as she felt her heart flutter, her palms begin to sweat, and her breathing quicken just being in the presence of this guy. She felt herself grow warm down below, and she smiled up at him as she thought of him whisking her away to the bedroom.
He released her hand and gestured at the stage. “Well, what do you think of it all?”
“This is the most spectacular thing I have ever seen. I don’t think Broadway could even come close to this.”
He chuckled. “That’s good to hear. It took quite a bit to put it together.”
Rachel cocked her head. “Were you involved?”
He looked at her and smiled. Then he nodded his head a bit as he appeared to think about it. “You could say that.”
She smiled. “Pretty amazing project to be a part of, must be a good one for the resume.”
He nodded. “One I’m proud to stamp on there.”
“I would be too. I mean, just look at it.”
Riley looked at her and paused for a moment. “I have to ask, and I hope this isn’t rude if we have, but I have this feeling like we’ve met before?”
She paused. “I don’t think I’d forget you, but I know what you mean. I feel like I’ve met you before too.”
“Hmmm, well in that case, I’d like to get to know you,” Riley quipped as he cocked a brow at her, and he moved his massive frame a bit closer.
Rachel giggled nervously. “Yeah?”
“Mhmm, what about you?”
“Well, I think I’d like to get to know you as well. Where are you sitting this evening?” Rachel looked around at the room and was surprised to see how much it had filled up and how everyone was sitting, seeming to wait for something.
Riley chuckled. “Well, right now I have to get up there and give a speech, but afterward, how about you join me at the front table there?” He pointed to the table that was dead front and center where only another couple and older man sat.
“Oh wow, yeah, that’d be great. Who are you speaking for today?” Rachel asked, assuming he was from one of the companies.
Riley winked. “You’ll have to wait and see. Go take a seat, and I’ll see you in a bit.”
Without missing a beat, Riley strode back over to the stairs. As he reached the bottom, the lights turned down and rock music began to fade in. Rachel hurried to the seat that was open at the table and gave a friendly wave to the others who sat there. The younger man who sat there gave her a big grin. He was short and stocky, with a muscled neck under a burly beard and thick, black curly locks.
“Hi there, I’m Max.” He reached out a hand, and Rachel shook it.
“Hi, sorry, I’m Rachel. Your friend Riley told me to take a seat over here, is that ok?”
The girl gave her a warm smile and nodded. “Of course! I’m Justine. This grump over here is Michael.”
The older man gave a small smile and a wave; his watery blue eyes looked up at her past a wrinkled face and a thin white mustache. He was small and frail. Even dressed in his well-styled suit, it looked baggy. Rachel guessed he had to be in his late seventies.
She took a seat and looked up at the stage. Riley had taken his spot behind the podium, and the music began to fade out as everyone clapped and cheered. He looked out and waved. Rachel felt herself glowing up at him and that million dollar smile. Who was this guy?
The applause died and Riley cleared his throat, looking out over the huge audience of over a thousand people.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me tonight. I’m Riley Harris and this night is something special—this is the night that dreams come true.”
Rachel’s jaw dropped and her breath caught. It was him. She had actually met and had talked to Riley Harris, and now here she was sitting at his private table. She looked around. She so badly wanted to tell Sarah; however, her table was a distance away. Her eyes returned to the handsome billionaire on stage.
“I see a lot of new faces here tonight… and a lot of old ones. Some of you know me personally. Others of you have heard about me or read my story. I’d like to take a minute to talk about what brought us here today.”
Riley paused and looked at Rachel. He gave a smile and a wink, and she felt herself grow warm again. Was this really happening? She felt herself smile as she realized this wasn’t a dream.
“I was born and raised in DC. My father was a restaurant owner in Bellevue during the nineties, but died of a massive heart attack when I was nine. My mother had a major surgery, and unbeknownst to her doctors, she became addicted to the pain medications she was given.”
Riley paused and let the silence linger for a moment.
“Without my father there to run the restaurant and with my mother unable to take care of herself, let alone us, we quickly lost the restaurant. Then we lost the car, then the appliances, and then one day… we were evicted from our house.”
Riley had grown stoic as he recalled the painful memories, and the audience was quiet, listening
intently to his story.
“I was only thirteen. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I knew I had to do something to get us by. My mom would sit on the streets and beg for change, so she could buy more drugs. I was left to gather food, find shelters for us to float through, and educate myself.”
Rachel felt herself growing emotional. She had never known anyone who had grown up on the streets. Her life had been simple, boring even, but she had never had to find food or seek shelter, or take care of a sick mother.
Riley continued, “I kept this up for five years. Child services was always chasing my mother and I, but I couldn’t imagine leaving her side, even if it meant having a warm home, consistent meals, and a family. She was lost behind her illness, but every night as we lay on the cots at the shelter, she would tell me memories of my father. I couldn’t let her go, but progressively she got worse, and by the time I was eighteen, she passed away one night from an overdose.”
He paused and his eyes looked to the podium. His hand came up and wiped away a tear that had streamed down his cheek.
“I was devastated and alone. I knew at that moment, my life could go one of two ways: I could remain on the streets, or I could change my life. I knew there had to be a way to do it, and that was to start working for people. So I scraped up enough change to buy a sponge, a bucket, and some car soap. I asked the owner of a sandwich shop in Bellevue if I could use his hose and wash cars for customers; he was gracious enough to say yes.”
Riley looked to the elderly man at the table and smiled.
“That was the man who changed my life, Mr. Michael Francis.”
The audience erupted in cheers and applause. Michael looked back and around, giving a little wave to the audience.
Riley continued, “Michael took me under his wing. He let me wash cars out front for the summer. When he found out I didn’t have a home, he invited me into his. When fall came around, he hired me to work at the sandwich shop, and I loved it. To this day, I can still make a mean Italian sub.”
The audience laughed, and Riley looked out over the faces.
“Michael also ran a small real estate business on the side. He saw how I interacted with customers, my genuine desire to talk to people and make them smile, and he thought I would be worth investing some time and education into.”
Rachel looked over to Michael and saw he was beaming up at Riley, like he was his own son.
“He got me to school, then helped me apply for college, and then when I graduated, he gave me a small loan to invest. And boy, did I invest.” Riley chuckled, and the audience laughed and cheered.
“Within a year, I had flipped three properties. Within five years, I owned blocks upon blocks of rentals all over DC. And a decade later, I opened the doors to Harris Real Estate, a multi-million dollar real estate agency. And last year, on my thirtieth birthday, it became a multi-billion dollar agency with locations all over the world.”
The audience burst into an explosion of applause and loud cheering. Riley grinned and gave a small bow at the gesture, then he raised a hand and the audience settled.
“But tonight, we’re not here to talk about growing the company or making more money. Tonight, we’re here to give back to the community, give back to DC and help our beautiful, wonderful city grow. DC has a homeless population of over 10,000 people, and due to an expansion of high cost rentals pushing out low-income families, the number is growing every day.”
A soft chatter went over the crowd; many seemed surprised at the information, and Riley watched and nodded.
“People need to be given chances, and more than anything since I had my first taste of success, I’ve wanted to give back for all those who helped me and for all those in need. So ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to announce that thanks to all our efforts, this summer we will be opening the doors to a community in Southeast Washington that can house over 5,000 people, and we will be providing access to healthcare, recovery programs, job fairs, and one-on-one counseling so citizens who wish to work their way out of poverty can do so.”
This time the audience roared as they all stood and applauded Riley. He was beaming as he waved, gave another bow, and brought his hands together in a show of thanks.
“Tonight, we celebrate, so please, enjoy the food, the drinks, the friends, and remember… Dreams do come true.”
With that the music faded and the audience went wild as Riley walked off the stage and waved. Rachel was in awe as this celebrity she had just met made his way down the steps and toward their table. He smiled and his hand rested on Rachel’s shoulder. She stared up at him as she glowed with excitement.
“I had no idea!” She shouted over the roar of the audience behind them. He chuckled in response and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“I figured. Don’t worry about it.”
The applause died down, and the room was abuzz with chatter and conversation. Riley gave Max, Justine, and Michael all hugs and then sat down at the table and turned his attention back to Rachel.
“So, tell me a little about yourself.”
Rachel laughed and smiled at him. In a matter of minutes, she had fallen hard for this guy.
“I don’t think anything I say could compare to that.”
He quirked a brow. “Well, good thing it’s not a competition.”
Over the next few hours, Rachel and Riley made conversation, though pauses were common as people stopped by to congratulate Riley and talk about the project with them. Rachel was surprised that he introduced her to each one, considering that they had just met, but she appreciated not being left out. She did take a brief break to run over to Sarah, her best friend squealing as she learned where Rachel had been hiding all night.
“I told you! I made this happen!” Sarah grinned, her eyes huge as she looked at Rachel who couldn’t stop smiling.
“I know! You did, how did you do that? Whatever, it doesn’t matter, this is so amazing! And he’s so sweet and down to earth, but I have to get back over there!” And in a dash, Rachel returned to the table where Riley was sitting. He smiled up at her and pulled her seat back out.
“Making sure your friends aren’t worried about you?” he asked as he rested his hand on her back. She could feel the warmth there and wanted to push into it even more.
“Yes, Sarah can worry, so I didn’t want her to think I had disappeared or ditched her. Thanks again for inviting me over. This evening has just been… well a dream.”
The two chuckled and Riley looked at her with that deep gaze of his.
“Would you like to come back to my place tonight?” Riley asked, his eyes sincere.
Rachel felt her stomach drop and her throat grow tight—this was not her normal territory at all, this was a continent away from her usual date. This might even be on the moon in comparison. She thought for a moment, and a mischievous, sexy smile curled on her lush lips as her eyes met Riley’s. Hell, you only live once.
“Yeah, that would be amazing.”
Riley grinned. “Awesome. Give me a few minutes, and we’ll head out.”
Rachel stammered, “Wait, now? Don’t you have to stay and ya know….” she gestured at the room, “host?”
He shrugged and gave a playful look. “I put the thing on. Everyone knows what they’re doing, plus I’m paying a team to take care of it, and it ends in a half hour anyway. Let’s go enjoy some time alone.”
Rachel felt her heart pounding in her chest. The warmth grew in her middle, and she felt the excitement send shivers down her spine. In a swift motion, he had put on his coat, swept Rachel up in hers, and took her hand as they headed toward the back exit, laughing and giggling as they began to explore each other with curious hands. Her hand held his, and he gave a good natured squeeze and looked down at her.
“I got a private ride out of here to my home up in Chevy Chase. Hope you don’t mind a bit of a drive.”
She put her other hand on his muscular forearm and looked at him with hungry eyes. “Not at all.”
In moments they were in the car. By the time the driver had made it to the freeway, Riley reached down and pressed his thin lips to hers, his beard tickling her soft cheeks. His scent was strong, sandalwood and cherry blossoms, and his lips tasted sweet. Rachel felt herself grow wet at his touch. Then he gently pulled back and looked her in the eyes, seeming to study her.
“Rachel Ellington, who are you?” he whispered, his voice low and silky as he nibbled gently at her ear.
She giggled and her lips explored his neck and worked up to where his beard met bare skin. She gently flicked her tongue against his flesh, and he groaned in pleasure at the sensation. The car sped on and before she knew it, Riley had opened the door and whisked her up in his broad arms, his eyes glowing with sexual excitement. She laughed, feeling intoxicated by the experience.
Rachel was too busy kissing Riley as he pushed through the giant front doors and down the never-ending hall to the grand bedroom to notice much at all. The only thing she wanted to focus on was the feeling of his body beneath his suit; she so badly wanted to tear it off and explore the skin beneath it. His lips eagerly brushed her with kisses, while his hands gripped her small frame tightly, and Rachel felt herself become wet and hot in excitement as he gently rested her on the king-sized bed.
Riley reached back and unzipped her tight dress. Rachel reached up and ripped his coat off and began to work down the buttons of his shirt. He pulled her dress over her hips and legs, his fingertips greedily digging into flesh and his lips and teeth grazing her bare breasts. Rachel felt herself hiss at the touch. She undid the last button and quickly pulled his shirt off to reveal the Greek god that was hiding beneath.
Riley pawed at her lace thong, his lips never stopping as he explored her curves, even as he skillfully slid her panties off and over her toes. Rachel grabbed his belt buckle, quickly undid it, and pulled his zipper down, getting even more excited when she found his hard cock pressing at his briefs. He helped tug his pants and socks off. Then with a quick tug she pulled down his briefs, and his rock hard dick sprung from the confines of the clothing.
Riley pushed her back with his kisses, his giant body looming over hers. Her hands reached behind his head and ran through his thick hair as she pulled him down to her breasts. He smiled and mischievous eyes looked deeply into hers as his lips wrapped around her points and his tongue gingerly swirled around her hard nipples. She felt herself grow slick. Her warmth was searing hot, and all she needed in that moment was him. She needed to feel his lips, his tongue, his bulging muscles, and his throbbing shaft inside her.
She took her legs and wrapped them around him, causing him to growl in pleasure as his member brushed her own swollen, yearning clit, slippery from her excitement. She smiled up at him as she teased him, not letting him thrust himself inside her just yet. She moaned as his big cock teased her, gently sliding over her clit and blissfully stimulating her. She felt herself swell in anticipation. Her searing heat was now in the full throes of desire. She reached up and kissed him intensely, their tongues exploring each other as their hands grasped and kneaded at one another in desperation. .
With a quick breath, Riley slid inside of her and Rachel screamed in pleasure; he felt so damn good. He started slow, each motion making her ache for more. Then he hit her nice and deep, hitting that spot within her that made her toes curls and her hips squirm in excitement. He sneered greedily for her as he rocked back and forth, her wetness and warmth, all he needed, wrapped around his member.
Rachel arched her back, her legs still wrapped around his middle as she pulled him closer and felt him slide even deeper. He moaned, and his eyes rolled back at the sensation. She reached up and passionately kissed, licked, and nipped his clean chest. His motions rippled in the muscles that held her up, and he felt so good as his thrusts grew quicker.
She screamed and moaned at the feeling. She bucked in desire. Her arms wrapped around his neck held her up and off the bed so that every sway was made that much more pleasurable. He buried his face in her bouncing breasts, and she squeezed his shoulders as she pushed herself closer to him.
She felt the sensation prick within her; the coming orgasm ebbed at her, and she felt the building explosion as her eyes rolled back. Riley watched her with burning eyes. He thrust harder and faster as she pushed him on with gasps and groans, until she felt the tension come to a head. With a deep thrust he hit her core, and she felt the orgasm release in rocking, hard waves. She squirmed and screamed at the top of her lungs. Her throat burned as the words escaped her lips, and she felt pang after pang of pure delight. As the waves quieted and the warmth of post orgasm began to spread over her body, she looked up at him with a smile, and he grinned back.
“Having fun?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Mhmmm,” she breathlessly moaned back.
With a quick, smooth motion, Riley flipped her onto her stomach and grabbed her hips with his big hands. He slapped her ass and eagerly pushed himself inside her warm, tight, dripping and delectable cherry. He gasped and began to thrust his hips in instinctual satisfaction. His own orgasm built, and he felt his balls tighten against his pulsing dick. The feeling of her brushing his member so deep was more than he could take, and with a final thrust, he could no longer hold himself back, and he felt himself explode inside of her.
“Fuck yes,” he growled as he pulsed inside of her. The sensation began to quiet as he finished.
With a gratified sigh, Riley flopped down on the bed and rolled next to Rachel. She watched him with half closed eyes, as the post bliss relaxation covered her body in a warm blanket. He looked at her with a dazed expression, reached a hand up to brush her cheek with his thumb, and smiled softly.
“Who are you?” he whispered.
She gave a warm smile back. “I guess you’ll have to find out.”