Billionaire Unmasked(5)

Coming back to reality, Hope tried to pull away from him. “Jason, I—”

“Don’t,” he growled. His arms tightened around her. “Don’t tell me that you didn’t want that and a whole lot more as much as I do.”

She couldn’t tell him that, because it would have been a lie. There had been enough lies in her life. She hadn’t expected her body to respond to desire like this, but she had a volatile reaction to Jason. “I did want it. If I didn’t, you’d be screaming in pain right now from me nailing you in the balls with my knee.”

And God help me, I do want more. But I can’t. I can’t do this.

She would never give herself over completely to physical desire, and she knew instinctively that with Jason, it would most likely be all or nothing. He was never tepid in anything he did, and she was fairly certain he’d want everything from her.

A low husky chuckle vibrated against her ear. “I’m happy to know you haven’t changed much,” he said, amused.

Oh yeah, I have—you’d be surprised how different I am. “You don’t know me anymore.” She pulled back slowly, to wean herself off the incredible feel of his body against hers.

He grasped her by the shoulders, and wrapped her more tightly in his jacket. “Maybe I don’t,” he conceded. “But I want to catch up. I want you. Spend time with me tonight, Hope. Let’s go on an adventure together like we did when we were kids.”

That comment hit like a bolt of lightning to her heart. Her little adventures with Jason had been the highlights of her childhood. Granted, most of their so-called adventures ended up in the local candy store because Jason was addicted to chocolate, or the ice cream shop because she’d begged him to take her, but Jason had always made those simple excursions seem like crazy expeditions. Looking back, he’d been a very good sport about playing a sea captain or an explorer when he was already in high school, just for her amusement. “I’m not ten years old anymore,” she muttered unhappily.

“Believe me, I’m well aware of that fact,” Jason replied darkly, enigmatically.

Hope put her hands on his muscular biceps. She looked up at him and searched his expression, able to decipher very little in the dim lights of the patio, except for the hint of desire that lingered in his eyes. “Why? You have women falling at your feet on a daily basis. Why me? Why now? You could pick the most gorgeous woman in the room back there if you want to kill some time.” Jason Sutherland was a billionaire investor, and at the age of thirty-one, he was one of the most sought-after bachelors in the world. Even if she was an old family friend, why did he want to spend any time with her? Although Hope owned a home here in Amesport, Maine, she didn’t live here, and Jason had flown in just to attend Grady’s engagement and New Year’s party. Both of them would leave in the morning. Maybe he was just restless and bored. Still, there were plenty of attractive women inside for him to pick from if he just wanted a one-nighter. She couldn’t give him what he wanted, and she wanted more from him than she was capable of accepting. Jason made her crave him like a highly addictive drug, but she knew she was unable to absorb him like she wanted to do.

Jason shrugged. “I did pick the most attractive woman at the party, and I don’t need to kill time. I just don’t feel like pretending tonight, Hope.”

The profound sense of loneliness in his voice echoed in her soul. Hope wasn’t even going to act as if she didn’t know what he meant. She knew. Jason was surrounded by people, lived in the world of the mega rich, but Hope knew from experience that it was difficult to know what people’s motives were when they claimed to be a friend, or when they claimed to care. Most of the world they’d both grown up in was superficial at best, which was why she avoided the media and chose to live outside of that sphere as an adult. However, Jason didn’t have a choice. He was a little young to retire, and it wasn’t part of his personality anyway. He was driven, and always had been.

Hope lifted her hand to his face and stroked over his rugged jawline. She loved the feel of the stubble beneath her fingers. “You have more to offer than money,” she told him softly, honestly. Beneath his brutal, businesslike exterior, Jason had the heart of a man who had done just about anything to cheer up a grade school geek who had been bullied during her childhood years. He’d even been willing to make a fool of himself when he was supposed to be a cool high school kid. That heart still beat in this man’s chest. He’d just learned to cover it well with social ennui and the “kill or be killed” survival instinct in business, just like her brothers had.