A Baby for the Billionaire(21)

But it wasn't two friends hanging out this time. It might be the start  of an actual relationship, and that knowledge had her heart racing in  her chest.

"You know why I don't mind dancing tonight?" he asked her.

"Why?"

"Because now I can do this." The hand on her back slid lower as he  pulled her in close. She stared up at him, his mouth tantalizingly  close.

"It's a nice new perk," he said.

"Gotta say I'm a fan."

"Yeah?" He danced them in a circle.

"We might be making a mistake, you and I," she said. "But it feels good for the moment."

His gaze caught hers. "I'm sorry I can't give you the promises you deserve."

"I'm not asking for any." They swayed together. "I know you never  expected to have a family, and now Hunter is in your life. You never  thought to settle down, and now our friendship is morphing into  something we've avoided for years. A lot is changing and while you run  headlong after new technological advancements, you've never been good  with big adjustments in your own life."

He looked away.

"See?" she breathed. "I know you, too."

"And you're still standing here," he teased.

"Always."

The humor slid off his face.

"Whatever happens with us, we can't lose what we have."

She smiled at the serious tone. "I'm not sure we can control that," she replied. "But we can try like hell."

"That's a plan I can get behind."

"Then dance with me," she said. "Let's worry about the rest later."

The music changed, and with a grin, he spun her out onto the floor and  then back into his arms. Tossing back her head, she laughed. No matter  what came next, in this moment all she felt was joy.         

     



 

 …

"I didn't think you had it in you," Clara said as they unlocked the front door. "Dancing for hours. Look at you."

"I couldn't disappoint on our first date, could I? Besides, I had to make you forget about Tim."

"Poor Todd. I'll have to let him know there won't be a second date."

"No?" he asked, kissing her neck from behind.

"Though maybe I should thank him. A little dose of jealousy seems to have done wonders for you."

"I wasn't jealous."

"Sure." She glanced over her shoulder.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not much."

"Uh-huh." She pushed the door open and walked inside.

"Welcome home," Emily said, coming into the hall. "How was your night?"

"Very fun," she replied. "How was Hunter?"

"Good as gold and now sleeping like an angel."

"Thanks for watching him," Walker said.

"It wasn't any trouble." She glanced at her watch. "Though I should be off. The baby monitor is on in the living room."

"Thanks again for the help," Clara said as Emily tossed her coat on and opened the door.

"Anytime," she said before slipping from the penthouse.

Clara stared at the closed door behind her for a moment. With Emily gone  and Hunter settled, there was no one to interrupt them again.

Take things slow. This is all new territory. You don't have to rush into anything.

Except she really wanted to rush with every fiber of her being.

Walker leaned back against the hall table, watching her.

"We should probably, uh, go to bed," she said.

The corner of his mouth quirked. "No arguments here."

"I meant our own beds."

"Did you?"

She opened her mouth and closed it, feeling adrift. As if sensing her  unease, he took pity on her and pushed himself off the table. "The way I  see it we have two options."

"Which are?"

"Option one, we say good night, go to our separate rooms, and take this slowly."

"Or option two?" she whispered.

He reached out to cup her face, pulling her close for a searing kiss.  "We do that. A lot. Personally, I vote for option two," he murmured  against her lips.

"You're a persuasive negotiator."

"It's how I made my millions."

She pressed her hand to his chest, feeling the hard planes beneath her palm.

"Grab the baby monitor," she said.

His grin widened as he left her long enough to get it from the living  room. Returning to the hall, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and  held out a hand to her.

Make your choice. Do you want to jump down the rabbit hole? It might lead to heartbreak.

But some things were worth a little pain.

Crossing to him, she slipped her hand into his.

Together they climbed in silence. When they reached the upper landing,  she pulled him toward her room and away from the sleeping baby.

She backed into the bedroom, pulling him with her. Moonlight streamed  through the wide windows she hadn't drawn the curtains over, so she  didn't bother with the light switch. As much as she wanted this,  darkness gave her confidence.

Walker closed the door behind them and set the monitor by the bed. When  he turned back to her, she couldn't hide the shiver that raced down her  spine. There was no denying the naked lust on his face, and she could  barely believe it was for her. All her.

His gaze ran down her body with a slow thoroughness that left her breathless.

"See something you like?" she asked.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea."

"Just so you know, the feeling is entirely mutual."

"Really?" With a grin, he reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head. "How about now?"

Her mouth went bone dry at the sight of his naked chest.

"Oh yeah," she purred. "Much better."

In fact, the sight of him went a long way toward banishing her nerves.  Walker never hesitated to go after what he wanted. Maybe tonight she  could take a page from his book and just enjoy the ride, to hell with  the consequences.

If all they'd get was one night, she'd make the most of every second of it.

"Two can play this game," she said.

And reached for the zipper at the back of her dress.

 …

Had he ever seen anything as beautiful as Clara?

She pulled her hair over one shoulder to unzip herself, and Walker could  barely hold still as the material around her shoulders gapped.

There was no uncertainty as she wiggled her curvy body and sent the navy dress he'd drooled over tumbling to the floor.

"Damn," he breathed as her body came into view for the first time.         

     



 

A black lace bra cupped the full breasts he couldn't wait to taste.  Matching panties completed the set and left her naked of anything else.  She put a hand on one cocked hip and waited for him with an arched brow.

But he was not a man to be rushed. Giving himself a moment to enjoy his  first sight of her, he let his gaze wander over her luscious body. His  mouth watered at the thought of all the things he couldn't wait to do to  her. All the ways he'd make her scream out his name.

He barely realized he was smiling when she let out a little laugh.  "Should I be worried about the way you're staring at me?" she teased.

"Worried? No." Giving in to his desires, he drifted closer to her. "Should your toes be curling in anticipation? Absolutely."

"Someone's confident."

"I'm not just a genius when it comes to computers."

She laughed, her expression wide and open. "Big words."

He reached her side. "I'll prove them."

The humor slid off her face. "Please do."

Loosening the reins on his self-control, he cupped her cheek and drew her closer.

Clara's breath hitched as her palms touched his chest. Her fingers  fluttered over his bare skin before she ran them down the muscles of his  abdomen.

Christ, do it again.

He wondered if she heard how hard his heart pounded when she touched  him. If she had any idea of how he was fighting against his instincts to  toss her backward onto the bed.

He'd had this dream dozens of times over the years, and now the reality  was so much sweeter. Bending lower, he ran his lips down her throat,  gratified to hear her breath come out as a quiet gasp. The small sound  had him hard as iron in a second. A fact that wasn't helped by the  delicate touch she ran along the waistband of his trousers.

"Beautiful," he whispered against her skin as he guided her backward.

"See now, that's just what I was thinking," she said, sliding her hands  back up his chest as he waltzed her toward the bed. "How could you keep  all this from me?" She drew little circles around his chest as she  spoke.

"Sorry," he said, unrepentant.

Rising to her tiptoes, she brushed her lips over his. "Make it up to me."

With a growl, he threw away any desire to be a gentleman and encircled  her waist with his hands. She let out a little squeak as he tossed her  onto the wide mattress. Her hair flew around her face as she bounced on  her landing. Had he ever seen a sexier sight than Clara batting back her  curls to look up at him with surprise in her eyes, clad in nothing more  than some black lace he couldn't wait to shred?

"Come here," she said, getting to her knees on the edge of the bed.