I want You Deeper

He leaped at the chance to change the subject. “She wouldn’t mind, I’m pretty sure. I know my sister, and she loves having you around all the time.”

“Like a sleepover every night.” She stared at him. “You didn’t answer my question.”

He studied his brownie, looking for anything to distract him from this uncomfortable conversation. “About my penthouse?”

“About your money. Your sister said you’re super wealthy.”

Now, this was awkward. If there was one thing he didn’t like talking about, it was money. He considered himself very lucky. Sure, he’d come up with a great idea, but he attributed most of his success to timing and aligning himself with the right people. He’d been excited when he’d seen just how well his company was doing but at first, he’d poured all the money he made back into his venture. He’d heard that was the right thing to do.

“I’ve never really spent my money,” he finally said. “It’s in an account, and my financial manager handles it. I keep an eye on it, but I don’t feel the need to spend it right now.”

“So you’re in denial.”

She was watching him, eating her brownie while she did so. Over the past few years, he’d gotten used to people-women, especially-taking an interest in him because they’d heard he was a billionaire. It had given him a love-hate relationship with his money.

“I love the financial security, but I’m just not into things.” He shrugged, realizing he’d never opened up to anyone about this. It felt good to finally talk about it. “I flew first class on my way back, but that was just so I’d have a private, comfortable place to sleep. I love my condo, but I’m only there to sleep. I guess I just have been too focused on work to enjoy it.”

Alyssa leaned forward, setting her plate on the coffee table. She reached back to pick up her milk and took a long sip before finally speaking again.

“What do you want to do?”

Jeremy set his plate down and frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

“With your money. If you could do anything, what would it be?”

He sat back and thought about it a moment. He didn’t have to think long, though. He’d fantasized about it for a while. “Spend an entire month at a beach house. Doesn’t matter where. Maybe one of those islands where the water is clear, bright blue.”

“The Caribbean?”

He shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

“So why don’t you do it? You have the money.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

His eyes narrowed. “Work. No way could I take even a week off right now. I just got back here.”

If he had to be honest, most of it was guilt. He’d been scaling up their manufacturing operations overseas and without his hard work over there, they wouldn’t have achieved the success they had now. But he still felt the need to help his business partner out, having been gone so long.

“Especially not with the cafe taking off like this,” Alyssa said.

Jeremy nodded. “Good point. But Emily seems to keep things running just fine without me. She just needs to hire a couple of people to help so you can focus on your own business.”

“Can I be honest?” She looked at him, her eyebrows raised in question.

He hoped she would. This conversation was bringing them closer than the kiss had. He felt close to her. It terrified and exhilarated him at the same time.

“Sure.” He adjusted on the sofa, putting his knee closer to her leg, which was taking up part of the middle cushion. If she minded, she didn’t indicate it.

“I don’t want to leave the cafe,” Alyssa confessed. “I kind of enjoy working there.”

“I’m sure Emily will let you help out all you want but keep something in mind. You’re about to get popular.”

Alyssa laughed. “Right. I can dream.”

“Not a dream. I predict you’re about to find your days filled with meetings and creating proposals-and whatever else it is people who run marketing firms do. I probably should pay more attention, but we don’t market our stuff.”

“Pretty much what you said,” she responded. “At least in the early days. Eventually, I’ll have to hire someone who can help with some of that.”

But even then, she wouldn’t have time to work at the cafe. And she’d no longer be sleeping on his sister’s sofa. Which meant if he wanted to keep seeing her, he’d have to make it formal. He’d no longer be able to count on showing up at the cafe or his sister’s apartment to hang out with her.

“I should get going.”

Jeremy’s brain was doing the talking there. The responsible part of his brain that knew he had to get up early tomorrow and go to work. But his body was betraying him by not moving.

“I’ll walk you to the door.”

She stood first, picking up the blanket and wrapping it around her. Why did he have a feeling she was protecting herself by doing so? It wasn’t like it was all that cold in here, but who was he to say what was cold to her? He just wanted to be the one to warm her up.

As Jeremy followed her to the door, he wondered if he should try to kiss her again. A goodnight kiss was perfectly reasonable, right? But he wouldn’t even try if he didn’t get a signal from her.

At the door, she turned and looked up at him. “Thanks for the brownies and pizza.”

He smiled. “And for kicking your butt in that game?”

“Yeah, no thanks for that.”

She was smiling, too. But her smile gradually faded as he continued to stare down at her. It wasn’t that difficult. When he looked at her these days, he couldn’t seem to pull his gaze off her.

Since he was forcing himself to stand still, he knew she was the one who moved to close the space between them. She also rose on tiptoe slightly, her face positioned toward his. There was no way he could resist.

This time, the kiss was sweet and filled with longing for more. He could have deepened it, but he decided this was exactly what both of them needed. The promise of more to come tomorrow and the next day and the next.

“See you tomorrow,” he said as he pulled back and looked down at her.

Her eyes gradually opened, and she nodded. With fumbling hands, he somehow managed to unlock the door and find his way out without hitting himself in the face with it. Yes, she was getting to him.