Chapter 18 Iwant to touch the Martin. I am aware that I probably shouldn't. Although it's in the Hardin studio. And the Hardin studio is basically my office. Which more or less says I am allowed access to it right? Still. I don't think the higher ups would want me taking a fifty-thousand-dollar guitar off their display wall. I mean the room is humidified for fuck's sake. That's the level of bougie we are talking about here. Still. It's right there. A guitar that price has to sound good. The fact that it's been held and played by the biggest names in music aren't the only reasons it's worth that much. I'm thinking Brazilian rosewood, mother-of-pearl-ebony. I just want to brush my fingers across the gloss... "Amanda." Callum's voice rattles me so hard I think my heart stops beating. I whip around, my cheeks flushed, my hair spinning, my face panicked. "Callum. Hi." He narrows his eyes, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "You alright?" "Oh yeah, totally fine. Yeah. I'm great. You just...scared me is all." He studies me and swallows, smiling and brushing my hair from my face. His eyes watch my hand, then trail down my arm across my breasts and the rest of my body. I'm wearing a green maxi-dress today with black boots and fish-nets. He's wearing what he always does- a fitted suit, navy this time, with a white button up underneath. He notices that I am looking at him, the same way I noticed him looking at me. And I swear it just got hot in here. But it's not from the humidifier. "Alright well. I was thinking we should grab dinner tonight." Callum says before turning to walk back out. "Oh. Yeah, of course." There's a beat of silence as he keeps walking. I call out after him. "You mean like a business dinner?" "No. Like a date," he answers without looking back. Oh... I guess I should have known we would be going on dates considering our agreement. Very public dates. I mean, if people can't see us, what's the point? And I know he is a Hardin. I know he has a lot of money and can spend a lot of money and is worth a lot of money but this...I guess for some reason I just wasn't expecting this. We are having dinner at the Rise, a steakhouse at the top of one of Charlotte's tallest buildings. From here, I can see the entire Queen City- the stadium, the Bank of America Building, even the amusement park in the distance, lit roller coasters and all. We have a candlelit table covered in a black cloth next to the railing. There's a private bar and fairy lights and jazz music playing. And suddenly I am having flashbacks of Vegas. "This is lovely," I say as I pick up my wine glass and take a sip. It tastes expensive. Everything here is expensive. "Do you like it?" he asks, smiling from across the table. The light from the candle casts shadows across his face, accentuating the flecks of silver on his temples. "I mean if it makes the people with the cameras happy-" "There's no cameras here," he cuts me off. I smile and glance around. "Are you sure?" "Yes." I look back at him. "How do you know?" With that, he just smiles. It's a small smile. Only about a third of a smile. But a smile, nonetheless. "Because I paid to make sure there wouldn't be." I smile, narrow my eyes and smile again. "You have to pay to keep the paparazzi at bay?" "I'm a Hardin. I have to pay for everything. But...sometimes it's worth it." He adds another third to that modest smile, giving me almost a whole one, and I smile too. Our food and drinks come- a center cut sirloin with roasted red potatoes and garlic asparagus and a caprese chicken with a candied pecan salad- and the waitress tops our wine glasses off. "So, how's the studio?" he asks after taking a bite of his steak. I bite my lips in a smile and shake my head. "It's unbelievable. You do know where I come from. I am used to studios in the back of chain guitar stores and janky garage set ups. This is...I don't belong here." Callum leans in. Close enough that I can smell him. Close enough that I can taste him. His stormy blue eyes lock on mine and his jaw tenses in seriousness. "Yes. You do. I wouldn't have hired you if you didn't." I pick up my glass and trace the rim with my thumb. "No offense, Callum, but you hardly looked at my profile." "That's true. But I did look at what mattered. And I listened to your tapes. I fell in love with- I really liked your tapes, Amanda. You have raw talent. And in a world where art is literally being smothered by technology and greed, raw is hard to find." I study him, trying to decide how much of myself I want to give. But between those words, his eyes and the way being this close to him makes me feel, I can't lie to myself. And I can't hold the walls up anymore. "Music saved my life. It saves my life every day." He leans back, reaching for his glass. "How so?" "Well. My family was very picket fence. Not like yours, I'm sure. But enough that we were never in want of anything. My dad has a name for himself and my mom is very...executive wife material. They liked that I had an interest in music, but they wanted piano lessons. Violin. Solo and Ensemble. Chorus." "You play the violin?" Callum asks with a lilted eyebrow. "I do. Very well, actually. But all my interest in music was in a different vein. One that wasn't allowed to bleed freely. So, I started listening to punk and indie rock when they weren't around. The more alternative the better. To their faces, I was the responsible, put together one with the straight A's. And when they were busy worrying about Kate who was much wilder and always giving them a run for their money, I was able to learn guitar and keys and drums and even make it to a few concerts at the Fillmore..." That finally earns me the full smile as Callum runs his hands through his hair. He shakes his head at me and reaches for my hand, but he stops, resting his hand on the table right in front of mine. "You are...something else, Amanda Ambrose." "A good something, I hope?" I ask, taking a sip of my wine and letting it swirl around warmly in my head. "A very good something." "And to think that it all started with you stripping in Vegas." My words nearly make him spit out his wine. "That was Noah's fault. He made me do it." "And do you always do what Noah tells you to do?" I challenge. And I can tell by the way his eyes darken that Callum is not a man who is used to being challenged. "Do you always do what your sister tells you to do?" he flips it around. "Would it be so bad if I did?" "How so?" I cross my legs under the table and lean in, fully aware that my boobs are on display at this angle. "Well, my sister is the one who dragged me to that auction in Vegas. She's also the one that made sure I went out with you and wouldn't let me just bolt back to the hotel." "Did you want to bolt back to the hotel?" he asks, letting his hand brush mine. "Maybe. A small part of me. But another part of me, a stronger, louder, harder to ignore part of me...wanted to go with you. To meet you and talk to you. Because I knew you weren't the kind of guy who wanted to be up on that stage. And I wanted to know what kind of man that meant you were." Callum lets out a low Mmm sound before taking my hand in his. "And what have you decided?" "I think it's too early to say. I still need to get to know you better." Callum drags his lip through his teeth. There's a beat of silence. And then... "Would you be interested in a nightcap?" he asks. "At my place." I thought Hardin Records was fancy. I thought the Rise was fancy. But neither of those places really holds a candle to the penthouse Callum leads me into. It's in a high rise in uptown. The windows span to the ceiling, overlooking the city. There are two levels, one overlooking the other with black walls and stone accents, marble floors and granite countertops. Everything about it is modern chic. But at the same time there is a coziness to it. A gunmetal colored couch that sprawls in front of the massive mounted flat screen. A minibar. A wrap-around balcony. "Jesus," I let out as I step inside behind him. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Fɪndηovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What was that?" he asks, over his shoulder as he loosens his tie. "Nothing. It's just...you live here alone?" "I do. Why?" Callum asks as he heads over the mini bar and grabs a bottle of cab sauv off the rack. "It's so big," I smile, motioning around. He looks around too. "Yeah. But it's quiet. Private. Nothing about my life is private. But here...I can do anything I want and there's no one watching." Callum steps closer to me, sliding his finger under the strap of my dress. His eyes flash up to mine. "And what do you want?" I ask, my mouth dry. But nothing else is... He doesn't answer. Not with words. Instead, Callum tugs at the strap, letting it fall off my shoulder. "Is this...is this a bad idea?" I whisper. "Do you think it's a bad idea?" His voice is low, hot, and smells like wine and cinnamon. "It's not part of the contract..." "Maybe," his hand traces down the hem of my dress, over the curve of my breast, making my breath tremble. "The contract stays at work. Same as Vegas stays in Vegas. And what happens here...that's its own thing. That's between you and me." I nod my head, and he pulls me against him, our mouths crashing together. I moan against his lips as he works his jaw to part my lips, to find my tongue with his. "I have to be honest with you," he says in a gritty voice as his mouth wanders, showering my neck with kisses and going lower. "I think about this all the time." "About me?" I ask, arching my back so he will keep going. Meanwhile I tug on his shirt to untuck it and reach up inside. I need to feel those abs on my hands. "Yes, about you. Do you know how often you consume my mind?" He pulls back and looks at me, his eyes tracing over my face, down my neck, over the swell of my breasts. It's like I'm a dessert and he's trying to decide which part of me to devour next. His thumbs trace over my nipples, making them instantly hard under the sheer satin dress. "All...the...time..." Callum repeats and I moan. "I think about you too," I say, shuddering at his touch. "Do you? Tell me what you think about," he growls, his thumbs pressing harder, teasing my nipples with more aggression. "Tell me what you need." She lets out a breath. "I want you to fuck me..." "Yes?" "In your bed." "So, take me to my bedroom. And lose the clothes on the way." I know what he's telling me to do. It's not something I've ever done before. But I mean, if Callum can do a strip tease, I suppose I can too. I lock my eyes on his and then slowly turn around and wait. "What's the matter, baby girl?" he asks. "Nothing...it's just...my dress. It unties in the back." It's a corset back and while I can probably figure it out on my own, I think this would be a whole lot sexier if he did it for me. Callum takes a step closer, and he moves my hair to the side. I feel his hot breath on my neck. His fingertips on my bare shoulders. My chest rises and falls jaggedly in anticipation. Then I feel him tug at the satin strings, pulling them until my dress is loose. He slips his hand inside, snaking it around my stomach and pulling me back against him. Then he reaches down, his fingers finding my panties. I gasp as he uses his middle finger to trace the length of me from clit to entrance, down and up and down again. Then, he stops, pulling his hand out and stepping back. Knees trembling from the contact, I take hold of the sides of the dress, pulling it down over my hips. I bend at the waist as I shove the dress to the floor. Then I come back up, knowing full well the way my ass looks with the motion. In nothing but heels, panties and a strapless bra, I step out of the dress and take a few steps. Normally, I am not like this. I wear cotton shorts and band t-shirts and pad around my place barefoot. But this place is different. It's sleek and sexy and it makes me feel the same. I am not me when I am here in his space. I am the girl in the red dress from Vegas. I am his. And I want him. I make my way to the staircase and stop. Then, I turn and look at him. His eyes are hard across the room, watching my every move. I reach around and undo the latch on my bra, letting it fall to the floor. I can feel the heat of his eyes on my bare breasts. After that, while still looking at him, I slide my panties off and step out of them too. Then, I take one, two, three steps up the stairs, look at him and curl my finger in a come here motion. I am not even halfway up the stairs when I feel him bounding up behind me. I gasp as he spins me around, kissing me hard. "You are such a tease. Such a good girl." "Did I do it right?" I ask. Callum smiles into my mouth and pulls back. Then, standing three steps below me he lowers to his knees. He takes one of my legs by my thigh and drapes it up over his shoulder then presses his lips to me. "Oh fuck," I let out, reaching for the railing to hold onto. His tongue slides over my clit and down to my slit and back up. "Fuck me." "Does that answer your question, baby girl?" I nod, because I can't manage words at this point as Callum's tongue laps over me. He finds my clit and suckles, flicking with the tip of his tongue. "That feels so good. I can't...I'm going to..." I stutter, my legs trembling. "I won't let you fall," he assures me. Then he slides his middle finger inside me and thrusts it in and out, his thumb pressing into my clit. "But I will bring you to your knees." My hands tighten on the rail as he pumps his finger in and out of me, faster and harder. I can feel myself dripping down his finger. "Fuck me, baby girl. You're so fucking wet for me." "I need...to come," I beg. "Please." Callum pulls his hand away and grabs me by the hips, yanking me towards his mouth. His tongue finds my clit again, sucking and lapping until the heat rushes between my legs and I pop, my body bursting into the orgasm. "Oh, my God!" I scream as it ripples over me, wave after wave. My legs literally feel like they are going to give out. But on cue, Callum picks me up and carries me up the rest of the stairs. We march to the bed, and he tosses me on it. I land with a yelp and a smile. My body is still writhing from the aftershock of the orgasm, half exhausted and half wanting more. Needing more. Needing...that. My eyes widen as he drops his pants and frees his long, smooth cock from its cage. "Jesus," I let out, watching as he strips the rest of the way down and strokes himself. I will say, just for scale, this man has big hands. Big, powerful, strong hands. But even still, his dick is large enough, long enough that one stroke is a full motion from tip to base. A pump that hardens the veins in his forearm and defines his bicep with each glide. "You want it, baby girl? You want me?" "Yes." "Show me you want me." I lay back and put my feet on the bed, knees wide, pussy waiting. "Mmm..." the groan escapes his lips, low and gravelly as he crawls on top of me. His hands rest on the bed on either side of my head, caging me in. I rake my hands through his hair, releasing the spicy, sweet, salty pheromones of his sweat into the air. And I want him. I want all of him. Callum slides himself inside me and I moan, the stretch giving way to pleasure. "Is it too much?" he asks. I shake my head. "No. No but we shouldn't be doing this," "Oh really? So, you want me to stop?" he asks knowing full well I don't want that. In fact, I think I just might die if he stopped. "No, I just...fuck that feels good. But we...aren't..." "We aren't what? Together? I don't give a shit, Amanda. You might be my fake wife, but the orgasm you're about to have is very, very real." Callum drives further and further, crashing his hips into mine. "Fuck me! You feel so good," he growls. "Do you still think we should stop?" "Don't even think about it," I snap back and Callum chuckles. "That's my good girl. Now who's pussy is it?" "Yours," I whisper. "Say it again!" "It's your pussy, Callum. It belongs to you." With that, I lift my hips up to him, bucking against him harder and harder until the orgasm explodes inside of me before ripping through him. Callum collapses on top of me, kissing me hard. Stealing what little air I have left in my lungs. The next morning, I roll over and it takes me a while to realize where I am. Giant California King bed, wall of windows overlooking the now awake city, sleek stone railing overlooking the living area down below. Callum's. I am at Callum's penthouse, in his bed. And the house smells like...breakfast. I grab the sheet and wrap it around myself, making my way down the stairs. I find Callum in the kitchen. He's in gym pants and nothing else. His hair is tousled from the night before and in the sunlight, I can see the shimmer of a salt and pepper five-o-clock shadow. "Something smells good," I say, sitting at a counter stool. "Veggie frittata," he says, pulling a cast iron out of the oven. It's a gorgeous display of eggs, mushrooms, spinach, onions, feta and peppers. My mouth waters. "I also have multi grain toast and there's coffee." "Yes please. To all of it," I smile and push my hair back from my forehead. I must look crazy right now. But Callum just smiles. He makes our plates and hands me a mug of coffee. We dig in, me sitting on the stool in my sheet and him standing across from me shirtless and perfectly messy. "There's something I'd like to talk about," he says after a few minutes. I stop chewing as dread fills my stomach. He wants me to leave. We shouldn't have done this. We took it too far and he wants me out. A million worries flood my head, and I feel like I'm going to throw up. "I'll...get dressed," I say. But before I can hop off the chair he stops me. "I think...we should move in together." Title: Accidental Billionaire Bride Author: CrushReel Genre: Romance, CEO, Sweet Romance, Modern, Romantic, Office Status: ongoing In "Accidental Billionaire Bride" by CrushReel, a surprising twist reveals that she unknowingly married a billionaire. As they navigate through misunderstandings, their hearts slowly intertwine. With the wise guidance of his grandmother, their journey unfolds in unexpected ways. This sweet romance novel delves into themes of unexpected love and the complexities of relationships in a modern office setting. The characters' gradual emotional evolution adds depth to the narrative, making it a captivating read for fans of CEO romances and contemporary love stories. What sets this story apart is its delicate balance between heartwarming moments and intriguing plot twists. Dive into the world of "Accidental Billionaire Bride" on CrushReel for a delightful escape into a tale where love finds its way amidst unforeseen circumstances. Available to read at CrushReel.