Page 30 of In the Heir (Westerly Billionaire 1)
He looked her over appreciatively, then smiled. “Ready?”
To spend another day with you, pretending we’re just friends?
Their eyes met, and her heart began to thud in her chest. Yes. I know I’m crazy to do this to myself, but I want to be with him—even if it’s only like this. She put her lanyard with her key around her neck and closed the door behind her. “Let’s go.”
“Did you sleep well?” he asked with an innocent expression on his face.
She could have lied, but she didn’t. “Like crap.”
They looked at each other and both laughed. He bent and placed a hand on one of his knees in preparation for racing. “I bet I can beat you to the elevator.”
“I bet you can’t,” Alisha said, holding her room key so it wouldn’t fly free as she took off in a run.
“What do I get if I win?” he asked, falling into stride beside her.
She quickened her pace. “No need to ask because you won’t.”
A couple opened their door and made sounds of disapproval as Alisha and Brett thundered by them. Their opinion didn’t matter, though. Alisha felt young and free as she rounded the corner with Brett at her heels.
She was preparing to announce victory when he snaked an arm around her waist and swung her around. She came to a full, sudden stop against the length of him. Any protest she might have uttered against his last-minute cheat was forgotten as her body settled against his. She didn’t wonder if he was as affected by her: evidence of his excitement surged against her stomach.
In a near whisper she said, “I won.”
“Then what do you want?”
She bit her bottom lip. Would one kiss break her promise? What was a kiss in modern society? Little more than shaking hands, right? As long as I don’t sleep with him. “One. One kiss. But only that.”
With a groan he swooped down and claimed her mouth with his. It was the kind of kiss a woman might wait her whole life for—hungry and primal. She opened herself to it, gave herself over to the pleasure of it. Had they been anywhere else but in the elevator foyer, they would have been tearing each other’s clothing off, but they confined their passion to the kiss.
“Eww, they’re kissing,” a young girl said.
“Don’t look. Just keep walking. We’ll take the other elevators,” the woman, likely her mother, said firmly.
Alisha and Brett jumped back from each other. They both fought to catch their breath.
“You’re killing me,” he said in a strangled voice.
As she came back to her senses, Alisha was confused and embarrassed by her request. “Oh my God. I’m an idiot.” How do I expect him to believe I’m not going to sleep with him when I melt every time he touches me?
He cupped her face with his hand and ran his thumb gently over her lips, silencing her. “I’m the idiot. I can’t keep my hands off you.”
“I wish—” Alisha stopped. What do I wish? That being with him didn’t feel as good as it does? I didn’t know anyone could make me feel the way he does. Because of him I know I can trust a man, really trust him. He can be strong without being cruel. He’s giving me back a piece of myself I hadn’t realized I’d lost. How do I wish that away? “I wish you weren’t Rachelle’s brother.”
He let out a harsh breath. “Another unfortunate reality I can do nothing about.”
Brett knew he wasn’t being fair to Alisha. He listed the reasons in his head, again and again, why her request that they remain just friends was for the best.
But when she’d asked him for one kiss, every shred of sense left him. That was the wonder of being with her. Before he met her, he would have described himself in terms of who he was at work: relentless, focused, controlled. Not even the boy he’d been before he’d taken over his father’s company had ever laughed too loud or raced down a hallway not caring what others might think. There’d been no room for foolishness in the life that had been mapped out for him.
Piano? Waste of time.
Vacation? Only if it had networking potential.
Relationships were private. Public displays of affection such as what he’d just indulged in with Alisha would have been considered below him. Westerlys had a reputation to uphold. They kept their feelings and their scandals to themselves, and they always came out on top. Always.
But at what cost?
When it comes to what really matters—we lose every time.
He sighed and pulled Alisha into his arms, this time simply holding her. He tucked her head beneath his chin. She was tense within his embrace for a moment, then relaxed and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek on his chest. “We’ll figure it out, Alisha. It won’t always be like this.”
She nodded but didn’t raise her head. He inhaled the light scent of her shampoo and nuzzled the side of her head before he could stop himself. That little indulgence was enough to affect their breathing, and he stepped away because if he didn’t, he knew he couldn’t resist tasting her sweet lips again. “I don’t know about you, but I need that run.”
She pressed the button on the elevator, then glanced at the stairs. “We’re only five decks down from the track.”
Without another word they both charged up the stairs and paused only to catch their breath when they reached the right floor. He opened the heavy glass doors, and they walked out together into the bright sunlight. As if they’d done it a hundred times before, they fell into a comfortable matched pace.
The workout felt good, even better with her company. He wasn’t one who talked much as he ran. For him, half of the benefit was emptying his mind and letting the fall of his steps lull him into a sort of meditation. He always ran alone because the few people he’d tried to run with chattered nonstop, which had denied him what was usually the only peaceful part of his day. Alisha either understood that or also preferred the silence.
He normally ran five miles a few times a week, but the track on the ship was small. He lost count after about thirty times around and decided it was close enough. When he slowed to a walk, Alisha did as well. “Shower, then breakfast?”
Wide-eyed, she blushed. “Oh. Sure. That sounds great.” She tucked a loose tendril of hair back into her ponytail. “It’s really windy, but it’s beautiful up here, isn’t it?”
It sure is. He was enjoying every aspect of the cruise more than he’d ever imagined he would, but she was to blame for that. “What do you feel like doing today?”
“I had planned to check out the shops and then lose twenty dollars at the casino,” she said.
“Only twenty? If you don’t risk big, you can’t win big.”
“I’m okay with that. I’ve worked too hard for what I have to throw it away like that.”
“At least tell me you play blackjack.”
“Penny slots only. I dare you to try them and not have fun.”
He’d try anything she suggested if she asked him in that cocky tone of hers. “You’re on.” He caught his reflection in the glass window of a restaurant they passed, and the expression on his face took him by surprise. His smile was wide and bright. The corners of his eyes were wrinkled with laugh lines. He looked—happy?
My family is in a state of crisis. I’m lusting after a woman who has no intention of sleeping with me. Why am I smiling?
He pulled open the glass door that led back to the stairs and had his answer as soon as he looked at Alisha. Because she is.
It’s that simple.
And that fucked up.
A couple of hours later, Brett walked into the ship’s jewelry store with Alisha. She’d said they could skip it, but he wanted to know her taste. “Do you prefer diamonds or rubies?” he asked.
She shrugged and tucked her hands into the front pockets of her jeans like a child who had been told not to touch anything. “I’ve never cared much about jewelry. I’d rather spend my money on a new lawn mower or a hot water heater.”
He turned and frowned at her. He didn’t see the world the way she did, but he liked the way
she thought. Unless her practical side stemmed from desperation. “Do you need either of those?”
“Not yet, but when I do, I’ll have the money to buy them because I didn’t spend it here.” Pride shone in her smile.
He tried to imagine the wives of his work associates saying something like that and doubted any of them ever had. They wore their diamonds like war trophies. Alisha wasn’t like that. She wasn’t in constant competition with the women around her. She was simply herself. And unlike the women he usually dated, the more time he spent with her, the more he found to like about her. Still, he wanted her to leave with something—a tangible reminder of this trip. “If you had the money, what would you buy?”
She gave him a funny look. “I don’t need anything.”
“It’s not about need.” He put his hand on her lower back and guided her toward a display. A salesperson came over and said all the precious stones were half-price for that one day only.
Alisha shot Brett an unimpressed look and said in a tone for only him to hear, “Which means they are all normally priced at twice the value.”
He silently agreed, but it wasn’t the cost that mattered. He wanted her to wear something he’d given her. Something more personal than the lanyard.
“Are you shopping for something in particular?” the salesperson asked.
Brett pursed his lips and kept his gut response to himself. Yes, do you have a necklace or a bracelet that says, “Don’t even look at me, because I’m taken by a man who has to sort out some family issues before we can fuck? He’s not here with me because he flew home, but I’m definitely taken.”
“No, just looking,” Alisha answered politely.
The salesperson not so subtly checked her left hand, then said, “We have our own jeweler aboard who designs incredible engagement rings for much less than you’ll find in the United States. And they come with a guarantee. If you need it repaired or resized, it’ll be covered. Cruises are a wonderful time to pop the question. We even have a wedding coordinator on board if you feel that spontaneous.”
Alisha tensed beneath his hand and said in a rush, “We’re not . . . he and I are . . . we’re just friends.”
Brett fought a sudden urge to punch the knowing smile off the salesperson’s face. Instead, he said, “We’ll call you over if we have any questions.” The salesperson took the hint and set his sights on another couple. Once they were alone, Brett decided not to address the awkwardness of what the salesperson had said. He returned the focus to his original goal. “I know your taste.”
