Page 56 of Billionaire Bad Boy Auction

“You’re sure?” I asked. My chest heaved up and down. I prayed she wouldn’t tell me she changed her mind. My cock throbbed to the point of being almost painful.

“I’m sure,” she whispered.

I slid slowly inside, inch by excruciating inch. She groaned and writhed beneath me, but she didn’t push me away. She wanted this as much as I did.

As soon as I was fully seated inside her, I began to move. Slow at first, just a gentle rocking of our hips together. But the more she moved with me, the faster and more urgently we went.

Her hands gripped my shoulders tightly while her nails dug into my skin. I welcomed the pain. It just made it that much hotter. Her tight muscles gripped me like a vise before slowly releasing their hold. I could feel her walls tightening around me as she neared her second climax. Her breathing was ragged, and her body trembled under mine. I picked up the pace, thrusting deeper and harder into her wet heat. Her nails dug into my shoulders again, leaving tiny red marks that would eventually fade but serve as a reminder of this moment.

As she screamed out in ecstasy, I felt myself being pulled over the edge. Every muscle tensed. I let go, losing myself in her tightness.

After what felt like an eternity, we both collapsed onto the bed, spent but satisfied. She laid her head on my chest as I stroked her hair and listened to her heartbeat slowly return to normal.

“I should go,” she murmured.

“You and I both know you’re not going anywhere.” I got up and pulled the blankets back. “Get under the covers.”

“It’s three hundred degrees.”

“That’s just a little dramatic.”

She did it anyway, climbing under the covers while I turned on the fan overhead and the one I kept next to my bed. I got in beside her. She curled against me. I didn’t typically do the snuggle thing, but for now, I was going to give it a try.

I felt her breathing slow and knew she was falling asleep. I stayed still and let her drift into sweet oblivion in my arms. I thought I was tired, but I couldn’t sleep. My thoughts were running a mile a minute.

I eased out of bed, careful not to wake her. I pulled on my briefs and stood at the edge of the bed watching her. The room felt too small all of a sudden, the weight in my chest pressing too hard, too deep.

I walked out of the room, being careful not to wake her. I walked downstairs and moved to stand in front of the window. I stared out at the lake. The moon was nothing more than a sliver. The lake looked black and endless.

I rubbed a hand over my face, exhaling slowly. Was this a mistake?

My pulse was still uneven, but it had nothing to do with what happened between us. That had been right. Too right. And maybe that was the problem.

I wasn’t good at this. Letting someone in. Trusting that they wouldn’t take what I gave and twist it into something ugly. She hadn’t given me any reason to doubt her—not once—but that gnawing hesitation still sat heavy in my gut. People let me down.

Always.

I never let anyone get close because I knew it was only a matter of time before they let me down. People were rarely honest or genuine. At least, not in my experience. I wasn’t sure Portia was like that. I wanted to believe she wasn’t, but how could I know for certain? It was about putting myself out there and I wasn’t sure I could do that.

What if I was the problem? What if I was the one who ruined this before it had a chance to be something real?

She didn’t deserve to be hurt. And if there was one thing I knew about myself, it was that I was damn good at keeping people at arm’s length—pushing them away before they could get close enough to see the cracks.

She was up there, trusting me enough to fall asleep beside me. Trusting that I wouldn’t let her down. I wasn’t sure if I could promise that. But damn it, for the first time in a long time, I wanted to try.

I grabbed a glass of water, taking a few drinks before locking things up. I headed back upstairs. She was still sound asleep. I spent a few seconds looking at her before I climbed in beside her. I pulled her into my arms, holding her close. I inhaled the scent of her hair.

It was familiar and calming at the same time. I closed my eyes and let myself relax, physically and mentally. Nothing was going to happen in the next eight hours. I could let my guard down.