Page 111 of Filthy Hot Billionaire
“I can see that. What are you majoring in?”
“Business.” I took another drink. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. What’d you major in?”
“I didn’t go to university.”
“No?”
Kieran shook his head, staring out at the park. “Too many other opportunities to pursue. Steph’s the one who got the fancy education.”
“What is it that you do exactly?”
“In simple terms, I’m a financier.”
“Meaning what? You handle other people’s money?”
“Aye. I’ve got my own management investment company.”
Admittedly, I wasn’t all that knowledgeable about financial markets and such. I’d heard the terms open-ended and closed-ended funds, had learned about portfolio management, but I didn’t have a passion for any of it.
Kieran took a sip of his drink. “Do you enjoy your classes?”
“Not really, no,” I admitted. “There’re other ways to acquire the same information rather than a classroom lecture.”
“Like?” he prompted.
“I read. A lot. Now that I’ve got access to e-books, I read everything I can get my hands on. Fiction, nonfiction.”
I didn’t dare tell him that I’d developed a bit of an addiction to romance, namely the naughtiest of varieties.
“I’ve even checked out the Master Classes.” I glanced over at Kieran. “It’s pretty cool to learn the ins and outs from industry leaders.”
He lifted his glass to his lips, paused to smile. “If you’re looking for me to advocate for staying in school, I don’t have anything to contribute. Unless you’re going into a specialized skill and need to learn standards and whatnot, I’m all for learning while doing. I don’t regret not going. I do, however, have a knack for what I do, so there is that.”
That made sense. I wasn’t looking to be an engineer or an accountant.
“Does it make me a bad person that I don’t want to go back?”
Kieran turned, stepped closer. His fingertips brushed lightly along my jaw as a slow smile formed on his handsome face. “Nothing you could do would make you a bad person.”
I should’ve been wrung out and satisfied after my encounter with Knox in the office, but there was something in Kieran’s touch that had the ability to spark the embers that seemed to be glowing all the time. My body instantly warmed from the gentle brush of his fingers, my senses heightened from the sexy scent of his cologne. Everything about this man spoke to me on a base level.
His blue eyes—such a deep, intense color—remained locked on my face. The reverence and heat I saw in them made me bold, daring. I went up on my toes and pressed my lips to his. Rather than kiss him, I licked his lower lip, then along the seam.
A soft rumble sounded in his chest, his hand cupping the side of my face as his mouth melded to mine.
I wanted him. There was no doubt about it, I wanted Kieran as much as I wanted Knox.
When Kieran took a step forward, I was forced to take one back. Although our lips were engaged in a gentle mating, I felt stalked, as though I was the prey being hunted. It made my insides sing, my heart rate spike, my pussy clench.
He continued the prowl until we were near the sofas. With the ease and dexterity of a powerful man, he somehow managed to deposit both of our glasses on the side table without ever breaking the kiss. And then he was sitting down, pulling me down with him. I straddled his thighs, pressed my upper body to his, and deepened the angle of the kiss.
I loved the feel of his body beneath mine. Hard and firm and strong. It made me feel safe and desired, the way I did with Knox.
I shifted, attempting to get closer, wanting to feel all of him against all of me. My movements earned me another groan from Kieran. I found it sexy and thrilling that I had the power to do that.
Kieran’s hands glided up my thigh then around to my back. Even through the sweater dress, I could feel the warmth of him, the strength in him. I liked not just that he touched me but thewaythat he touched me. There was a reverence to it, a sweetness that made me feel anchored in his arms. It was different than Knox’s touch, though both had the ability to drive me wild. But where Knox was barely restrained—as though he couldn’t get enough of me fast enough—Kieran’s touch was finely tuned—as though he wanted to savor every single second.
Good or bad, I found that I craved both, I wanted both. Ineededboth, and I wasn’t sure if it was something I was supposed to bring up. I didn’t want to lead Kieran on, to let him believe that this would go somewhere on its own. My heart might not exactly belong to Knox, but it was tethered rather tightly. I wouldn’t be able to willingly give him up.
