Page 23 of The Billionaire's Proposal

My heart rattles against my rib cage. I don’t want this to end up in me breaking down like I did in the weeks after she died, but I know I must confront the reason behind my abrupt shift from the heated passion in the bathroom to the chilling detachment when we emerged.

I touch her face. “My fiancée was terrified of the ocean. This was as close as she wanted to be. She enjoyed sunbathing on the terrace.”

“Do you like the ocean?”

I take a heavy breath. “I love it.”

“So, you gave it up for your girlfriend, sorry… fiancée.”

“Mostly. If we were at the beach, I’d jump in and swim. It made her anxious, so I never stayed in long. It was important for me to accept her and her fears.”

Her hands slide up my arms, and she cups my jaws. “I’m sorry I snapped at you on the boat.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. I was wrestling with being on the boat. It stirred up feelings that I keep pushed down. Then tonight. God, being with you. Inside you felt amazing.”

“Was that your first time since she died?” she asks with a strained voice.

Shaking my head, I grab her hands from my face but hold them between us. “No. But it was the first time I wanted the person more than the release.”

“You seemed to enjoy our performance.” Cameron laughs, breaking the tension.

I can’t help but let out a small chuckle. “I wanted to be buried deep inside you all night.”

“So, what made you change your mind?” Cameron’s smile melts away.

“I saw her standing outside the bathroom,” I begin, my voice tinged with a hint of regret.

“Who, the woman from the boat?”

I nod slowly, the memories resurfacing as I speak. “Yes, Elena… she bears a striking resemblance to Phoebe. The night Phoebe passed away, she was dressed in red. So different from what Elena wore tonight, but the similarity in their features…” I let out a sigh, my gaze distant.

“Elena reminded you of what you had lost.”

The slight movement of my head is all I can manage. “I was hit with a pang of guilt and betrayal.”

I take her face in my hands. “I loved her, but you make me want to live the life I wanted for myself. Taking chances. Will you take a chance and stay with me tonight?”

I inch closer. My lips suspended slightly above hers, waiting for an answer. She’s so fucking beautiful, and it’s time I move forward, though never forgetting the past.

“Yes,” she mutters as our mouths dance together. It’s soft and slow, the opposite of our bathroom encounter. She unbuttons my shirt without ever losing contact with my lips. Her hands slide over the ridges of my torso. “Were you born with these?” she asks as her short nails roam over my abdominal muscles.

“Ha. I wish.”

Cameron rakes the shirt off my shoulders, and it softly lands on the weather-resistant tile. Without warning, she sinks to her knees and continues to undress me. I watch her with such joy, as she takes out my erection and inspects it.

“It doesn’t have abs, if you’re looking for some,” I joke.

“It has ridges.” Then with the flat of her tongue, she runs up the length of me. She licks and sucks until I’m on the precipice of blowing my load.

I fist her hair in my hand, guiding her at the pace I need. “Fuck, Cam… I love the way you suck me.”

She takes me so far she gags but continues. Her mascara runs down her cheeks, and she’s stunning like a priceless black and white photo. I pull out, and she gasps for air.

“Come here, Bella.”

I kiss her so fully, so completely, that nothing or no one crosses my mind but the risk-taking entrepreneur in front of me.

It occurs to me that she’s fully dressed, and my pants are wrapped around my ankles, so I step out of them and lead her into my bedroom. There, I move her straps, suckling the skin of her shoulders, and the dress falls.

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