The Billionaire’s Big Bold Wonder: An Age Gap BBW Romance (The Billionaires’ Club)

‘You aren’t Piper,’ I growl at the woman behind the courtesy desk.

‘Nope,’ she says, giving me a smirk. Her hazel eyes run over me, her expression cool. ‘And I’m not nearly as patient as she is when guests harass me. Can I help you, Mr. Blake?’

‘Where is Piper?’

‘Not here,’ she says.

‘Someone’s harassing her?’

‘Yeah, you.’ She narrows her eyes on me. ‘Is there a reason you’re bothering her? Because she may be too polite to throw your rich ass out of here, but I’ve already turned in my notice, so I don’t care if they fire me for doing it.’

I stare at her for a minute, impressed. I can’t remember the last time anyone other than Piper or Jillian gave me shit. This girl—Gwen, according to her nametag—doesn’t even miss a beat. She’s got spirit. And she has my girl’s back. I appreciate the hell out of that.

‘I’m in love with her,’ I say, shrugging. ‘She loves me too. She’s just too mad to admit it right now. Sooner or later, she’ll forgive me for fucking it all up.’

‘Huh,’ she says, making a face that says she’s impressed. ‘At least you’re smart enough to admit you screwed up.’

‘We can be taught.’

She snorts at that.

‘Where is she?’

‘She’s out sick today.’

‘Fuck,’ I growl, my stomach dropping. Is that why she looked so pale yesterday? She’s sick? Why didn’t she say anything? Is she all right? A thousand worries run through my head in an endless parade. My girl is sick, and I’m not there to take care of her. Is anyone there to take care of her? ‘Does she live alone?’

‘You’ve lost your mind if you think I’m telling you that,’ Gwen says, looking at me like I have, indeed, lost my damn mind for even asking.

‘Jesus Christ,’ I mutter, rolling my eyes. ‘I’m not trying to do anything nefarious. I already have her address. I’m just wondering if she has anyone to take care of her or if she’s sick and alone right now.’

Gwen hesitates.

I huff a curse and pull out the note Toby delivered to me this morning with her address on it. I plop it down on the desk in front of Gwen. ‘See? She wrote it out herself,’ I say. ‘We had plans for dinner tonight.’

Gwen examines the paper for a long moment.

‘I’m going over there either way,’ I say. ‘I’d just like to know if I should pick up supplies on the way or if she has someone there who would have already done it for her.’

‘She lives alone,’ Gwen begrudgingly says.

‘Thank you,’ I sigh.

‘Don’t make me regret this!’ Gwen yells behind me as I turn on my heel and sprint toward the door.

Piper lives in a small, rundown complex near the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga campus. It’s not nearly good enough for her, but I’m not stupid enough to say that either. My girl is hardworking, proud, and independent. I’m guessing she’d be offended if she knew I don’t like this place. But I don’t. There are no security gates or guard shacks, no one to ensure she’s safe here. That’s a problem for me.

I don’t want her to worry about someone breaking in or about being here alone or any of that bullshit. I want her happy and safe at all times. Not knowing where she was for the last two months was a fucking nightmare. I drove myself insane worrying about whether she was safe, or if she was in some bar with some bastard hitting on her, trying to slip something into a drink while she studied. The possibilities drove me mad.

If I thought she’d let me, I’d pack her up and move her in with me here and now. Unfortunately for me, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy. She’s not just mad, she’s rattled, afraid to trust. Waking up alone in that bed and hearing I checked out broke her heart. Hearing her say that yesterday fucking killed me. I’ve never been afraid of much. But I’m real fucking worried I’m not going to be able to fix this. There’s a very real possibility that I lost her before I ever had a chance to truly make her mine.

No. I refuse to believe that. Our story doesn’t end after one perfect night together. I won’t let it. Piper is meant to be mine. I’m not backing off and I’m not giving up until she sees it too. If I have to move into her hotel until she knows I’m not going anywhere, that’s what I’ll do. I’ve never wanted much in life, but I want this. I want her.

I pull into a parking spot outside of her building and kill the engine to the rental SUV. Toby was disappointed when I sent him back to Nashville this morning, but I didn’t think running around in a limo would win me any points here. Whoever gave the kid his license should be fired twice. Once for having the audacity. The second time on principle. He belongs behind the wheel of a race car, not a fucking limo.

I reach into the passenger seat to grab shopping bags and Piper’s gift and then climb out, nervous as hell. Can’t remember the last time I felt like this. Okay, that’s a lie. I feel like a teenager on a first date every fucking time I’m anywhere near her. It’s just what she does to me. I can’t get enough of it. Most women annoy the fuck out of me. I can’t wait to be anywhere except in their general vicinity. They don’t make my dick stand at attention. They certainly don’t make my heart race or my palms sweat. I don’t want to know every thought that crosses their minds.

I do with Piper. I watched her for hours in the bar that first night, completely fascinated by her. I couldn’t have taken my eyes off her to save my life. Every shift of emotion across her face had me rooted in place. When she was in my bed, every fucking time she moved, I was hard again, desperate to feel her coming apart around me. Her throaty cries and rapturous expression drove me wild.

I gorged myself on her, and it still wasn’t enough. She’s so fucking deep under my skin, she’s permeated my psyche at this point, become a living, breathing piece of me. I barely know her, and yet I know everything about her. I know what she wants and what she needs. I know what makes her scream and what makes her beg. I know exactly how to unravel her.

I plan to be the one who knows exactly how to love her too. Two months ago, I knew she was it for me. Nothing has changed since then. If anything, the need to make her mine has only become more intense. I know what life is like without her. It’s fucking miserable. Lonely. Cold. I spent the whole goddamn time worried endlessly. I’m not doing that shit again.

The fact that she’s hiding something worries me though. If it’s another man, I’ll bury him where no one will ever find him. I won’t share her. Not even a tiny piece of her. She’s mine…and I mean that in the most fucked up, primal way one can mean it. I’m a possessive, jealous bastard. I don’t deny it. But only a fool visits heaven and doesn’t claim it as his own. I plan to own her, possess her. No one will touch her but me. No one will fuck her but me. She’ll never think about any man but me. Every piece of her will be mine. And every piece of me will be hers. It already is. No one else will ever exist to me but her.

I slam my door and head toward her apartment. Flowerpots line her small entryway. Most of them are empty given the time of year, but it’s obvious she’s getting ready to plant. I make a mental note that she likes to grow things to make sure my staff knows they should defer to her on any and all decisions once she moves in with me. She’ll have free rein to make any changes she wants.

‘Cortez?’ she says, pulling the door open and blinking at me.

‘You didn’t check the peephole, pretty baby.’

She blinks at me.

‘You need to check it before you answer the door, Piper,’ I murmur gently. ‘You don’t have security here. Anyone could walk up to your door and knock.’

‘No one ever knocks on my door,’ she says, frowning at me.

‘Just check the peephole next time,’ I order, my voice firm.

‘Fine.’ She shakes her head, looking at me like I’m nuts. ‘It’s one in the afternoon, Cortez. Our date isn’t until seven.’

‘Gwen said you’re sick.’

‘Oh.’

I look her over carefully. She isn’t nearly as pale as she was yesterday, but she looks exhausted. She has her hair pulled up in a messy bun, her face clean of makeup. She’s wearing an oversized sweater and leggings. Even exhausted, she’s beautiful. So fucking beautiful.

‘You came to see me because Gwen said I’m sick?’ she asks, her voice soft.

‘Didn’t want you here alone,’ I say and then hold up the shopping bags. ‘I brought supplies.’

‘You didn’t have to do that, Cortez.’

‘I know. I’m here because I want to be here, Piper. I want to be the one who takes care of you.’ Fuck, she has no idea how badly I want it. Never in a million years did I think I’d look forward to something like making a woman soup when she felt bad or holding her while she dozed on the couch, but they both sound fucking perfect to me when it comes to this particular woman.

She fidgets from foot to foot, her arms wrapped around herself.

‘How are you feeling, pretty baby?’ I ask, my voice soft.

‘I’m okay. I just didn’t sleep much last night.’ Her gaze drops to the basket looped over my other arm. ‘Um…’

‘If you’ll let me in, I’ll give it to you,’ I tease, seeing the rampant curiosity in her gaze.

She jerks her gaze back up to mine, her cheeks turning pink. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip like she’s debating whether or not she wants to let me in.

‘I guess you can come in,’ she finally sighs, making me smile.

I brush past her into the apartment, getting all up in her personal space in the process. Her soft scent wreaks havoc on my senses, turning my cock to stone. Goddamn. She smells edible. I barely manage to fight back a growl as her tits graze my chest, her belly cushioning my hard cock.

She gasps when she feels it, plastering herself against the door.

‘I missed you,’ I breathe against the shell of her ear, unable to resist. Christ, she has no idea how much I’ve missed her. I knew her for less than twenty-four hours, yet she left a crater the size of the Grand Canyon in my life when she left. I can’t even fucking describe the pain she left behind. It was a constant gnawing ache, like I couldn’t settle or rest.

I don’t feel that way now. For the first time in two months, I feel…peaceful. Whole.

‘Cortez,’ she whispers, her voice shaking. ‘Back up.’

‘In a minute,’ I promise. ‘Did you miss me, Piper?’

‘Cortez.’

‘Please,’ I whisper, nipping at her ear. ‘Just give me that much, pretty baby.’

She hesitates for five seconds. Ten. Fifteen. ‘Yes,’ she finally sighs.

I press a grateful kiss to her temple and step back, giving her a little space. She squeezes her eyes closed, seemingly trying to marshal her thoughts. I give her a second, scanning her apartment. It’s small but cozy. Women are fascinating to me. They can take a shoebox and turn it into a home. Meanwhile, you give a man a mansion, and he can’t even turn that into something inviting. I know because it’s taken an entire goddamn army to renovate mine into something livable…and it still pales in comparison to this tiny apartment.

Piper’s place is full of bold colors and bright fabrics. It’s warm and welcoming, full of life. Colorful throw pillows line her oversized couch and pictures of her family sit on shelves scattered around the room. Mine lacks warmth and life. One day, it’ll be a home. Right now, it’s just a shell. I’ve been dragging my feet on decorating since I officially moved in a month ago, waiting for Piper. I knew I’d find her again somewhere, some day.

‘Nice place,’ I say, meaning it.

‘Um, thanks.’ She pushes the door closed and then turns to face me.

‘You kept the flowers.’ I spot them on the coffee table, relieved she didn’t immediately toss them in the garbage. I half expected that she would.

‘They’re beautiful,’ she says softly. ‘Thank you, Cortez.’

‘You don’t owe me any thanks.’ I turn to her, my eyes locking with hers. ‘I’d have sent you flowers every fucking day if I’d known where to find you.’

She swallows hard, her gaze sliding from mine. ‘Do you want me to take that or…?’ She nods at the basket in my hands again, ignoring my statement.

I bite back a curse and hold the basket out to her. ‘You can take it, Piper. It’s for you.’

‘You don’t have to bring me presents,’ she whispers. ‘Buying me things isn’t going to get me to change my mind.’

‘That’s not what this is.’

‘No?’ She looks up at me, confusion swirling through her seafoam green eyes. ‘Then what is this?’

‘This is me spoiling you because you deserve to be spoiled,’ I say simply. ‘I’m not trying to buy your forgiveness or convince you to sleep with me or whatever else you’re thinking. I just want to spoil you like I would have been doing for the last two months if things had gone differently.’

She chews on her bottom lip again. ‘Where did you go that morning, Cortez?’

‘To get you breakfast.’ I grimace, scrubbing a hand down my face. ‘Do you want to talk here, or would you rather eat first?’

‘Um…’

‘I’ll tell you anything you want to know,’ I say. ‘But I want to take care of you too. If you’re hungry, we can move to the kitchen, and we’ll talk while I make you something to eat.’

‘You want to cook for me?’ she asks, her expression softening.

I stare at her for a moment and then shake my head. She really doesn’t get it, not yet. But she will. Sooner or later, she’ll realize that this isn’t about fucking for me. I’m not here because I want in her pants. I’m here because I can’t stay away. I want everything with this infuriating woman. I want to be the one who cooks for her and spoils her and loves her and cares for her. She’s going to be the center of my world.

‘Yeah,’ I say instead of telling her all of that. She’s not ready to hear it yet. ‘I want to cook for you.’

‘Okay,’ she whispers.

Half an hour later, Piper watches me from the kitchen table, the contents of her basket spread out around her, while I prep chicken to make her homemade soup. She’s been quiet since she opened it. Too quiet, maybe. I can practically hear the wheels in her mind turning, but I’m giving her time to decide what she wants to say.

‘You didn’t have to do all of this for me,’ she finally whispers.

‘I know,’ I say, smiling to myself. Call me crazy, but I don’t think my girl is used to being spoiled. She doesn’t seem to know how to let herself be taken care of. I’m guessing that’s because she’s always been the one doing the caretaking. Growing up with six younger brothers and sisters probably does that to a person. ‘Do you like it?’

‘I love it,’ she says, her soft voice carrying across the small kitchen. Like the living room, the kitchen is cozy and inviting. It’s barely big enough for one person to work in, with a two-seater situated in front of the windows in the breakfast nook on the far side. ‘It must have cost you a fortune.’

‘You’re worth it,’ I murmur, glancing at her over my shoulder as she admires the various bags of rare coffee I picked up for her. Some did cost a small fortune, but she’s worth every penny. Besides, it’s not like I can’t afford it. Speaking of which… ‘We should talk.’

She startles, her gaze darting to mine. ‘A-about what?’

That same panicked look from yesterday crosses her face. This time, I know I’m not imagining it or reading more into it than is there. She’s definitely hiding something from me. I don’t fucking like it. At all. But I don’t push. Not yet. If I want her to trust me with whatever is going on in her head, she needs to know she can trust me. Right now, she doesn’t believe that.

‘About what happened,’ I say, popping the chicken into the oven and then leaning back against the counter with my arms crossed. I tip my head to the side, scrutinizing her. Is it my imagination or does she look guilty? ‘When I woke up that morning, I went to get you breakfast. I had every intention of coming back for you.’

‘But you didn’t,’ she says.

‘I did,’ I disagree.

‘I waited for almost an hour.’

‘Did you snoop, pretty baby?’ I ask, already knowing she didn’t. If she had, she’d already know I’m telling the truth. My shit was still in the closet.

‘What? No,’ she says, scowling at me.

‘You should have,’ I murmur. ‘Then you’d know I’m being honest. My shit was still in the closet, Piper. The café took longer than I expected. By the time I got back, you were already gone.’

‘The housekeeper told me you checked out,’ she says, dropping her gaze from mine as doubt filters through her expression again. ‘I didn’t see a point in waiting around after that. It seemed pretty obvious to me that I was just a one-night stand by then.’

‘You weren’t a fucking one-night stand,’ I growl, pacing toward her. ‘You were never that, Piper. I meant every word I said to you that night. Every word.’ I haul her up from her chair with my hands around her waist. ‘I still mean it, pretty baby.’

‘Cortez,’ she whimpers.

‘You’re mine,’ I snarl, thrusting one hand into her hair to angle her head. Even though I probably shouldn’t do it, I can’t fucking resist. I’ve been dying to feel her lips on mine again for two months. I cover her mouth with mine, swallowing her whimper.

Her fingers curl into my jacket, pulling me closer. And, ah God, I missed this perfect mouth. I missed her soft curves. I missed the way she melts into me and the sweet sounds she makes. I missed every-fucking-thing about feeling her body trembling with need against mine. I claim her mouth in a scorching kiss, trying to coax her soul from her body with my lips and tongue.

She climbs my body, scrabbling to get closer. I boost her up with my hands on her ass, squeezing and kneading her round ass as her legs wrap around my waist. I don’t give her time to think about what’s happening between us. I dip my head and attack her chest, biting her nipple through her sweater while I grind her against my dick.

‘Cortez!’ she cries out, dragging her nails down my back.

‘That’s it,’ I growl and then do it again. ‘Mark me, Piper. Leave your claw marks all over my fucking back, pretty baby.’

‘Oh my god.’

‘I’m your god now, sweet little Piper,’ I croon, releasing one plump cheek to palm her breast. How did I forget their exact weight? Or how sensitive they are? As soon as I pinch her nipple, she goes wild, clawing and biting me, crying out my name. ‘Ah, fuck. You’re going to come, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, yes,’ she chants, grinding against my erection like she’s riding my cock. She’s mindless, her head thrown back as she chases the pleasure. God, she’s beautiful like this. No wonder I couldn’t keep my dick out of her that night. It’s a wonder I didn’t raze Nashville to the ground searching for her.

‘Then be a good girl and come,’ I demand, nuzzling her neck, playing with her tits, trying to touch her everywhere at the same damn time. Fuck whoever designed the clothes standing between my hands and her gorgeous body. ‘Cream your little panties for your god.’

She comes with a shout, bucking in my arms and moaning my name. It’s so goddamn sexy. Fuck. My cock has imprints from my zipper all up and down the shaft. I don’t pay him any attention though. Right now, I’m exactly where I want to be.

I hold Piper close, crooning praises in her ear as she trembles, slowly coming down from her orgasm high. Her body is limp and pliant, her heart pounding against my chest. She’s so sweet and cuddly, but I have a feeling it won’t last long. I decide to start talking while she’s still willing to listen.

‘I was so caught up in you. I forgot to call the front desk and tell them I wasn’t checking out as planned,’ I say, explaining what happened that morning. ‘All I was thinking about was you, pretty baby. By the time I realized my mistake, you were gone. I turned Nashville upside down looking for you. I never stopped looking for you. I’ve been in hell without you.’

‘I want to believe you,’ she whispers.

‘Then believe me,’ I whisper back, nuzzling my face against her temple.

‘I’m scared.’

‘Me too.’

‘Really?’ She cranes her head back, hitting me with a look full of doubt.

‘I’m worried as fuck you’re going to disappear from my life forever,’ I admit, tracing my thumb along her bottom lip. ‘I just spent two months without you. Spending the rest of my life living that way will be pure hell, pretty baby.’

Her gaze tangles with mine. ‘Can we take it slow?’

‘As slow as you want,’ I promise.

She bites her lip, hesitates, and then nods.