Page 39 of Torch

“My father. He built his empire by gaining money from it. It’s how he opened his first business. Over the years, my father has taught my siblings and me everything about the stock market. We were all good with numbers just like him, so we caught on pretty quickly.”

Brit pouted. “Now I feel like a bitch for coming at you like that.”

I sat up, moving closer to her. “Don’t ever call yourself that. Trying to protect yourself hardly makes you a bitch, Brit. I can’t even say that I blame you because I've been tight-lipped about what I do.”

“But why though?”

“Now it’s your turn not to get offended,” I said to her. She grinned but nodded her head. “Long story short, I have a hard time trusting women and their intentions. My father is very wealthy, and it’s made me a target for women who wanted to date me strictly to get a piece of the pie.”

She was silent for a moment. “So, you wanted to make sure I wasn’t a gold digger?”

I frowned at her. “Brit, I never thought you were a gold digger. But being cautious is like second nature. When your father is a billionaire, there are vultures everywhere.” Brit sat quietly, her eyes wide as saucers. “What?” I questioned in confusion.

“B-billionaire?” she sputtered.

I didn’t even realize I let that slip. Not that I cared. I was certain of my feelings for her at this point. Brittney would be around for the long haul if I had anything to do with it. So, her finding out something like this was bound to happen, eventually.

“Yes. Have you ever heard of Romano’s Palace?”

“The hotel?” she asked, then gasped, sitting up straight. “Wait, your last name is Romano!” she exclaimed.

I laughed, nodding my head. “My father owns them. He and my mother grew up in a tough neighborhood. My mom was eighteen when she got pregnant with us. My father worked dead-end jobs for years while we stayed with my nana. He would always take a little of his money and invest it. Over the years, he gained more and more until he hit big. He opened his first hotel when we were six. As time went on, my father’s empire grew, but so did the number of snakes in the grass.”

“Well, I can see why you would be cautious. I know that kind of money would make most people sell their souls.”

I rubbed her calf muscle before giving it a squeeze. “Thanks for being understanding, but just know, I never looked at you like that. I mean, you’re literally sleeping on your best friend’s couch while trying to get your business off the ground. You had a man who was willing to provide you with whatever you wanted, but you turned him down because that relationship served you no purpose. That right there showed me money doesn’t rule you.”

I admired that about Brittney more than anything. Most people would be too afraid to start over with nothing. They would have taken the bait rather than work hard for what they wanted.

Brittney wrapped her hand around the nape of my neck, bringing our lips together for a quick kiss. “Thank you for seeing that about me. It’s crazy how you can see what my own parents couldn’t. Having money is nice but…”

“It can’t buy you happiness,” I finished for her.

She swallowed, staring into my eyes. “Right.”

Silence lingered between us. The air was thick with tension. One second we were gazing at one another, and the next, our lips crashed together. This kiss was different from any other kiss we had shared. It felt like we were sealing the deal right then.

My hands roamed over her thighs, squeezing. Brit released a moan into my mouth. My dick was already painfully hard. I didn’t have to second-guess where she wanted this moment to go once she got up to straddle my lap. Brit broke the kiss long enough to pull my shirt over my head.

Her lips were back on mine in a second. I gripped her ass, rubbing her against my hard rod. I knew she could feel it. Those pajama shorts she wore were thin, and my basketball shorts didn’t do much to disguise my arousal. Our tongues tangled as she began to rock with me, chasing her release. Her whimpers and moans had me ready to blow.

I sucked her juicy bottom lip into my mouth before attacking her neck. I sucked and licked, causing her to shiver. “Christian,” she panted.

I knew she was close. I could feel her body tremble as I never slowed my pace. “Let go, beautiful. Come for me.”

Right there in my arms, she cried out as she came. I didn’t wait for her to recover. I stood with her in my arms and made a beeline to my room. As soon as I had her spread out on my mattress, I stripped her down to nothing. Brit lay there, watching me with glazed-over eyes.

“Christian, please.”

I bit my lip, dropping to my knees. I grabbed her ankle, dragging her to the end of the mattress. Propping her legs over my shoulders, I kissed the inside of her thigh. “Please what, baby? Hmm?” I hummed, kissing her lower lips.

Brit whimpered, thrusting her hips up. I swirled my tongue dangerously close to her wet center. She had the sheets in a tight grip, watching me intently. “Please touch me.”

“But I am touching you.” This time I lightly dragged my tongue through her wet folds.

She released a mewl, caressing my arms. “I need more.”

“Hmm. Do you need something like this?” I asked as I sucked her clit into my mouth. She threw her head back with a moan. “Or something like this?” I began to French kiss her pussy, loving the taste of her essence.