Chapter 23 Julia

Gus's face shifts into a frown unlike any I've ever seen. His expression is so tight, it looks painful. "He did what?" he practically growls through his teeth.

I swallow hard and exhale before I repeat it all back to Gus.

Julia, I've been in love with you since I was fifteen years old. I want you—and only you. I want to marry you. Start a family with you. Be with you forever. How could you not know?

The confession had been weighty and unexpected, arising after I placidly informed him that Gus would not be leaving. Jay's cheeks had darkened from pink to red, and I swear I'd never seen him—or anyone—look so betrayed.

I tried to explain to him how much Gus means to me. I even broke my NDA a second time to tell him about the deal and show that I never planned on falling for Gus. Jay's only response was to tell me he loved me.

"And what did you do?" Gus asks, clearly using all his willpower to keep his tone measured and even. "Did you…"

"I said I needed to think."

Immediately, a look of hurt crosses Gus's face, but he quickly stifles it by folding his lips over his teeth and inhaling. "Okay," he breathes out. "Fine. Let's think."

"No, I don't need to think," I clarify, my heart surging when he reacts so thoughtfully. "I only said it to get some space from him and to let him down easy."

Confused, Gus raises an eyebrow. "In what way?"

"I don't love Jay," I say before I shift to face him and put my hands on his shoulders. "I do love him as a friend, and I have since I was a teenager. But we're not supposed to be together."

"He's not what you want." Gus works hard to keep the delight from his face, but not hard enough. A wry smile dances at the corner of his lips like a perpetual wallflower.

"He doesn't fuck me like you do," I go on, rubbing his shoulders as I speak. "He doesn't make me go wild when he's inside me…nor does he make me miss him when he's away."

I pause. Gus is thrilled in that stoic way of his, I can tell, and sometimes I wish he would give in and tell me how much he wants me without feeling fearful or ashamed.

Baby steps.

"These days, he doesn't understand me like he used to," I continue. "He doesn't realize I want different things for my life. More than partying and wandering and fucking."

"None of that," Gus agrees. He draws closer to me, focused on my mouth.

"Well, except for the fucking." I pull him close too. "I want it the way you do it. Filthy. Mean. Risky."

"Right now?"

I nod. "I don't want to think about Jay until the morning. Tonight, I only want to think about you. You and the way you were honest and vulnerable this afternoon."

Now Gus refuses to look at me. His gaze stays locked on our thighs, our laps, our knees. "You don't have to encourage me or build me up."

"Yes I do," I reply, frowning. "You don't think our conversation affected me? Gus, I've never been more in awe of you than I was today. If anything, hearing you share the things that have hurt you made me want you even more."

Finally, he looks up, face hopeful.

"I'm obsessed with you," I say, smiling before I tenderly kiss his forehead. "And I'm glad the feeling is mutual."

He breathes out, relieved. "Me too."

"Fuck me, August," I whisper, stopping myself from making more demands.

Gus presses his forehead against mine. "You ask and I give," he responds, practically in warning. "Are you sure it's what you want?"

"Yes."

With his bravado back in spades, Gus slips out of my arms and rises to his feet. He holds out his hand, motioning for me to take it. Once I do, he guides me to the wall, slowly backing me towards it until the paneling touches my shoulder blades.

"Positive?" he inquires, keeping his voice low.

"Yes," I insist, just short of getting annoyed and outright begging him to take me.

"Because you still seem upset, honey. Are you trying to get me to fuck your problems away?"

"Yes." I don't lie.

A chuckle escapes his lips. "We're going to talk later," he murmurs, his hardness pressing against my front with tantalizing pressure. "I'm going to take you dirty, like you asked, but afterwards I'm going to clean you up and you're going to snuggle up next to me like you always do, and we're going to talk. Understood?"

My heart patters uncontrollably while my bones melt into a puddle on the floor. Did I create this sensitive monster? He's everything I've ever wanted and more. Considerate, caring—and obscenely sexy. Fuck, I'm so lucky.

I nod vigorously. "Please, August."

Without warning, he picks me up and spins me around before pinning me to the floor—the fucking floor.

I land hard enough to make my eyes widen, and I briefly wonder if Gus dropped me so carelessly by accident. But the hungry, wicked look in his blue eyes reminds me that Gus Winter probably isn't prone to accidents.

This is all for me.

Gus positions himself over me. His big body is a cage, boxing me in with the promise of a hard fuck in my near future. His hand weaves between us and hikes up my short hemline before yanking the top of my dress down hard. Seams snap and split, and I should be irate with him for destroying a sixteen-thousand-dollar dress, but I'm too overcome with need.

The top and bottom of my dress are bunched around my waist, leaving all my best parts exposed. My breasts. My bare pussy. My skin tingles with the cool of the Vienna evening, but I'm hot in my own skin. I don't know how much more of this sinful wind-up I can take.

Breathing heavily, Gus wets his lips with his tongue. The expression on his face is ravenous, and he rakes his gaze over my body, lingering on my breasts before his eyes meet mine and remain there.

"You won't let me do it," he challenges lowly. He scoots his knee forward to nudge my legs apart. "Fucking on the floor. A rich princess like you. You'd never."

"Try me, asshole."

To my surprise—and delight—he releases a soft chuckle. "I don't know what I prefer: When you call me an asshole or when you call me Daddy."

"Pretty soon I'll call you a tease, because I'm half-naked on the floor and I'm bored to death."

He hates and loves my smart mouth. Eyes narrowed, his hand grips my chin and pulls my face up for a bruising kiss. When I'm panting and biting at his lip, he pulls my face away from his and grits out, "Fine. You want it fast? I'll keep my promise."

Suddenly, he hoists me up and flips me onto my hands and knees before shoving me back to the floor. My cheek touches the carpet, and I'm grateful for the high pile protecting my skin because Gus isn't going to be gentle tonight. At all.

"I'll always give you want you want," he reminds me needlessly.

I know.

My dress gets stripped off me, leaving me completely naked. In true Gus Winter fashion, he won't leave loose ends. Picking up right where we left off yesterday—right when he spit on my asshole—his fingers graze the spot once again.

"Tight," he murmurs thoughtfully before he presses a single fingertip into it, barely daring to broach the entrance without lube. "I'll have to do something about that."

"Please." The word escapes me. It's too early in the night to beg, but I can't hold back.

Moments later, Gus's tongue presses against my asshole. Expletives immediately spill from my lips. I lean forward and claw at the carpet, desperate for purchase. My body is lighting up with taboo pleasure, tingles spreading from the sensitive nerve endings out to the far vestiges of my body. He isn't the first man to lick my asshole, but he's more meticulous than any man before him. His licks are slow and insistent, like he wants to fuck my ass with his tongue. The thought makes me so needy, I begin to thrust my hips against the carpeted floor beneath me.

Would I have ever guessed that this steely, brilliant, demanding billionaire, would be so skilled at tonguing an asshole? Hell no—but it's a revelation.

To my chagrin, he stops. I'm about to protest when he plants a kiss on one of my cheeks and murmurs, "Every part of you. I've kissed every single part of you, Julia Ridgeway."

He owns my body. Owns it—because I give it to him willingly.

"Don't stop at kissing," I murmur while I stare at him over my shoulder. In this position, I have to strain to look at him, but it's worth it to watch him part his lips with his tongue and return his careful exploration of my most intimate hole.

Minutes later, when I'm nearly boneless from anticipation, Gus rises to his knees. His fingertips are seated just inside my back entrance, and the promise of full penetration lingers between us.

"Unfortunately, I only have one cock," he informs me needlessly, taking up a careful massage with his fingers. "I know how you prefer two."

I scoff. "I made one comment about taking two guys and you're obsessed with it." I look back and find him gloriously shirtless, tan skin on display. "At this point in my life, I'm happy with your cock alone."

He doesn't linger on the comment. His mouth goes to my ear instead, drawing in my earlobe for a hard suck before he says, "So you don't want me to fill your pussy with something while I fuck your ass?"

My jaw drops—his mind never ceases to be filthy. "Yes."

"You fucking freak, I knew you'd love that idea." He gives my ass an affectionate squeeze. "What toys did you bring?"

"My vibrator is back in my room," I answer brightly.

"Go get it."

Surprised, I crane to look at him again. "Sorry, you want me to get it?"

"I'm not the kinky slut who needs to use a toy on herself when her ass gets fucked." Gus rises in challenge, standing over me while I lay on my stomach at his feet.

I flip over onto my back and stretch, giving him a show. Sure enough, his gaze follows the line of my body and I indulge in the motions like a cat—until realization forces me to a screeching halt. "Shit. Wait. I completely forgot I'm sharing a room with Jay. He might be there."

Gus's expression darkens. "Might? Will he be there or not?"

"I told him I was spending the night with you, and he said he was going out for a drink."

"He won't be there then?"

I shake my head. "He shouldn't be."

"So, no Jay. Great." He smirks through his dark, appreciative gaze. "Get your ass up and get your toy."

"Fuck off," I counter. "I'm not getting it. I'm already naked."

"And?"

"I'm not going. I don't feel like shoving my teeny dress back on, and I'm certainly not going out there naked. Looks like we'll have to do this vanilla, baby boy."

Gus shoots me a look. "You think I'd fuck your perfect body in any way remotely resembling vanilla?" he nearly curses. "No. We can do better."

"Well, one of us will have to give in, won't we?" I challenge. I rise to my feet and stand toe to toe with Gus. He stares down his nose at me, and I stare right back.

"Alright then," he says, chuckling. "I'll go under one condition."

"Yes?"

"While I'm out of this room, you have to be too."

Confused, I frown. "You want me to wait in the hallway? You're so tacky. What do you think I'm going to do, steal from you?"

"I don't give a shit about stealing. Take whatever you want from me. No, I want you to stand in the hallway and wait for me, like a good girl, exactly as you are right now."

Even more confused, I glance at my bare body. "Naked?"

"Tell me your safe word," is his way of saying yes.

Holy shit.

I'm not sure if it's the surprise of the challenge or my inexplicable desire to stand naked in the hallway, but I'm speechless. I stammer over words, trying to muster up the appropriate reaction. Nothing comes.

Gus clearly delights in my shock. He leans forward, grinning, feigning innocence. "Julia, I asked for your safe word."

"There are cameras in the hallway," I remind him, trying to ignore the rush of excitement coursing through me.

"Safe word."

"And anyone could come around the corner and see me."

"And your safe word is…"

"And what if someone sees me while I'm vulnerable and tries to—"

Gus's hands go to my shoulders. "I promise you, if someone sees you naked and needy, I'll fuck you right in front of him. I'll intimidate the shit out of him because no other man could fuck you like I do. Now, are you going to prove you know your safe word, or would you like to wait here on the couch?"

NO I nearly scream. "Paris."

"Good girl."

We go to the hallway and my heart is racing. Lingering in the doorway, I look both ways, but Gus doesn't seem the least bit concerned. In fact, he looks calm as he holds out his hand, beckoning for me to join him.

Deep breath.

I step into the hallway, completely naked, and a burst of anticipation fills me. My skin tingles with goosebumps and every sound makes me uneasy, but those misgivings pale in comparison to the red-hot lust that strikes me.

Gus's lips graze my cheek. "So beautiful," he murmurs, eyes trailing shamelessly over my bare body. "You really are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

My lips part and I'm about to tell him he's the finest specimen of man on the entire planet when he bends to whisper into my ear, "Wait here, you perfect, needy slut. When I come back, I'm going to give you everything. Tell me you understand."

"I understand."

He beams. His hand rests comfortably on my cheek. "I think I waited my whole life to meet you," he murmurs. Once more, he peruses my body—the body I'm going to let him claim tonight. Backing away, eyes fixated on my pussy, he smiles.

Motherfucker strolls around the corner like he has all the time in the world.

And there I am, naked in one of the grandest hotels in existence, at the mercy of every guest nearby. The thrill of being caught is so profound, my heart beats through my chest. I can see the gentle movement fluttering right above my breast.

Anticipation makes the seconds pass like hours. My body is tingling with need, my arousal heightening while I await Gus's return. Every single sound fills me with more breathless expectation. This man does things to me that I cannot even put into words.

But then I hear it:

The elevator beeping down the hallway.

The mechanical wind of the doors opening.

Voices.

Footsteps.

It's undeniable: Someone is going to come. Someone is going to find me naked in the hallway.

My heart is pounding and my hand instinctually grips at the locked door behind me. The footsteps grow louder and the voices get closer.

This is it.

At the precise moment when an older couple rounds the corner at the end of the hallway, Gus appears and shields me with his body. Lightning quick, he opens the door and shoves me into his suite, barely keeping me out of sight.

"I hate you," I hiss, adrenaline pumping. I leap into his arms, my body alight with a burst of energy that makes my hands tremble while I fumble to hold his shoulders. "I will literally hate you until the day I die."

"At least you'll be thinking about me," he murmurs before he latches his hands under my bare thighs and wraps my legs around his waist.

I grin until I realize he's empty-handed. "August, where's the vibrator?"

"Couldn't find it," he answers, voice steady. "Don't need it though."

Surprised, I pull my head back to get a better look at his face. His expression is quintessentially Gus: stoic and unmoved…which would be fine if he weren't about to screw the living daylights out of a hot blonde with literally no backdoor hang-ups.

"Are you sure?" I ask, determined to pinpoint the source of his weirdness. "It's in my suitcase. Right on top in the little zippered thing."

"I couldn't find it," he repeats.

Hm. Disappointment strikes me; I was looking forward to whatever he had planned. The thought of Gus taking my ass and toying with my pussy at the same time had quickly become a non-negotiable—and I hate to be disappointed. "I'll get it," I volunteer.

"You don't have to," Gus insists, tightening his grip on my thighs. "We don't need props. We can do fine on our own."

I let out a scoff and wiggle out of his grasp. "I've been waiting since December for you to take my ass. We're going to do it the kinkiest way we can."

"Julia—"

I dip into the bedroom and grab the robe from the bathroom before shrugging it on while I head to the door to the suite.

Gus stands in my way. "You don't need to—"

"What's your deal?" I demand, still confused by his caginess. I layer on my saddest, most concerned expression. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You? No, god no," he promises. He moves forward to take me into his arms—like a sucker.

I dart past him and lunge for the door, barely managing to wrench it open and fling myself into the hallway past Gus. Laughing, I run.

"Julia," he hisses again. "Hold on."

"Catch me if you want me," I whisper when I round the corner.

My suite is at the end of the hall around the corner, and I barely make it there ahead of Gus. With steady hands, I manage to put the keycard into the door just as he catches up to me. Triumphant, I push open the door to the suite—

And my stomach drops when I see Jay.

My best friend Jay.

A guy I've known since I was fifteen.

A guy who traveled the world by my side.

A guy who tearfully and sincerely confessed his love to me—his desire to marry me and start a family with me—no less than thirty minutes ago.

A guy with his cock buried deep inside another woman.