Free The Billionaire Next Door by Jessica Bird Page B

sounds in the duplex.
     
    Whatever it had been seemed to have stopped.
     
    Except then the next burst of lightning came, and in the dead space before the thunder, she heard what had to be a moan. She opened her door, stepped into the foyer, and put her hand on the staircase’s railing. When the low, aching groan came once more, she jogged up and knocked.
     
    “Sean?”
     
    Thunder rolled through the house like a wrecking ball, making the walls vibrate and the darkness of the stairwell seem horror-movie oppressive. Then a hoarse yell came through the door.
     
    She tossed out all propriety and tried the knob. As it was unlocked, she shoved hard and burst into the apartment.
     
    Sean was on the couch, his big body contorted, his boxers twisted around his hips, one arm rigid and gripping a cushion. His head was thrown back, his neck straining, his mouth open as he breathed in ragged pulls. Next to him on the floor was the backpack full of books.
     
    She rushed over and put her hand on his shoulder. “Sean…wake up.”
     
    He shot out of the nightmare like a bullet from a gun, sitting up in a rush, shouting loudly. As he swiveled his head toward her, his eyes were stark wild and the moment he saw her, he cowered back, lifting both arms to cover his head as if she were going to strike him.
     
    “No…” His voice didn’t sound at all like the one she knew. “No,please .”
     
    “Sean?” She touched his thick bicep only to have him flinch away and tremble as lightning flickered through the room.
     
    Another crack of thunder broke out, so loud it was as if the house next door had been struck. Both of them jumped. Then Sean dropped his arms and looked around as if he wasn’t sure what had happened.
     
    “You had a nightmare.”
     
    His eyes went to her face and locked on her as if he were using the sight of her to pull himself out of where he’d been. As he stared up at her, he was breathing hard, the sheen of sweat on his bare chest catching the reflection of yet more bolts of lightning.
     
    He moved so fast, she couldn’t have pulled back if she’d wanted to. His hands clamped on either side of her face and he brought her down hard to his mouth.
     
    He kissed her with erotic aggression, the pent-up energy in his body tunneling into her and lighting her on fire through the shifting contact of their mouths. As she gasped, his tongue shot into her mouth and he pulled her on top of him until she felt him from her collarbones to her ankles. Moving fast and hot, he devoured her, holding her with heavy hands, thrusting his hips up into her so she felt his erection.
     
    When he pulled back, they were both panting.
     
    “Leave now,” he said roughly. “If you’re going to.”
     
    She should go, she really should. She’d never been with someone outside of a relationship, and she and Sean definitely didn’t have one of those.
     
    Except this moment, this raw, incendiary moment, was too enticing to walk away from.
     
    Sean lowered his hands and held out his arms as if wanting to make sure he wasn’t forcing her in any way. “Lizzie, make up your mind. And do it now.”
     
    She shook her head. “I don’t want to go. I’m not going to stop this—”
     
    He was all over her in the next heartbeat, kissing her like a man possessed, like a man who was starving. His mouth and tongue devastated her, and in the back of her mind, she had some dim thought that he was very good at this, had no doubt had a lot of practice.
     
    Her heart ached at the passing realization, but the sting didn’t linger. She refused to let it. She had him here and now and he was…on fire.
     
    His thigh pushed between hers and his need rubbed on her lower belly, a stunning length that left her shivering. As the storm swept in and the rain came down, he stripped off her shirt and pulled her up his body so he could take one of her breasts into his mouth.
     
    She cried out and arched her back, feeling his hands grab on to the