Free Stingray Billionaire: The Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) by Alexa Davis

the
Tsar’s favorites, though I still haven’t gotten Witherton to say how he’d know
that.”
    “Yeah,” I say, giving my
glass a big whiff and then squinting my eyes to hide the tears that form. “It’s really something.”
    I walk over to join Nick
on the couch, setting the glass on the coffee table, far enough away from him
he shouldn’t notice the sharp smell of my drink .
    “Tell me something,” he
says as I try to get settled into a cushion that has never felt so awkward to
sit on.
    “What’s that?” I ask.
    “Were you really sick or did you just not want to see
me?” he asks.
    “What do you mean?” I
ask.
    “I mean,” he smiles,
“were you really sick or did you just not
want to see me?”
    I think a moment and
answer, “There’s just no satisfactory answer to that question.”
    “You know I like you,” he
says. “I don’t think there’s been a lot of suspense there. With that said,
though, it’s hard to know how to act when you keep dropping out of existence
for days at a time.”
    “I know,” I tell him.
“I’m sorry about that.”
    That’s all I can manage
to say.
    “So, how do I know that’s
not going to happen this time?” he asks.
    I shrug and scour my
brain for something resembling a verbal response—only I don’t find anything there.
    “Well that’s comforting,”
he chuckles.
    “Oh come on,” I say.
“Don’t you get that I like you too, that this is all just a bit overwhelming
for someone like me? The only time I’ve even seen millionaires was that time
Naomi and a friend of hers dragged me to an NBA game, and then you come into the shop where I work and ask me out. It’s a lot to take
in, you know?”
    “Would
you rather I weren’t as successful as I am?” he asks.
    “I’m not saying that,” I
tell him. “I’m just saying that … I’m just saying …”
    His eyes fixate on mine, and he’s turned toward me, his
left arm resting on the back of the couch. The next thing I know, his left arm
is around me, and I’m kissing his
beautiful lips.
    He grunts, and I pull back, already in the middle
of an apology. Before I get too far, though, he holds up a hand and says, “I
was about to spill my drink.” Nick leans forward, sets his martini on the coffee table, and now he’s kissing me.
    I naturally lean back,
pulling him with me until my shoulders come to rest between the armrest and the
back of the couch. While I may have made the first move, at least physically,
he seems more than happy to take it from there.
    Nick kisses my neck,
whispering, “You’re beautiful,” and I’m covering my mouth to prevent the laugh
from escaping me.
    He glances up, but I tell
him, “Don’t worry about it.” His lips meet mine again. This whole thing is just crazy.
    I look over at the clock on the wall to see how much time
we have before Naomi gets home, but before my mind can process the numbers, I’m
closing my eyes. She said she’d be gone all night. I need to stop worrying all
the time.
    Nick pulls back and my
eyes open again. He says, “This is a bit sudden, don’t you think?”
    He doesn’t know what I’ve
been thinking about in the shower over the past couple of days, or else he
might have a different opinion.
    “I need you to tell me
something,” I say.
    “What’s that?” he asks.
    “Is this just a sexual
thing, or are you looking for something more?” I ask.
    “More,” he says, “always
more.”
    “Always?” I ask. “I don’t
know. I’ve put up a pretty good fight here, and I can’t help feeling like I’m
letting myself down a little.”
    He has to be frustrated,
but he doesn’t let it show.
    “Okay,” he says. “Let’s
talk about it.”
    “See,” I say, “that’s the
thing. I don’t feel like talking. I just need to know that you’re not going to
up and leave if something were to happen between us.”
    “What do you mean?” he
asks.
    “You know,” I answer, my
voice soft enough he’s leaning in to hear me,