Page 40 of The Billionaire's Temporary Governess (French Conquests 2)

That alone filled her with desire for him. Appreciation for him. She kissed him back with increasing intensity, then pulled her lips away from his to look up into his face, searching. All she could see there was heat equal to her own.

She pressed her breasts against his chest, determined now that she would be the seducer, not he. The feel of the rough hairs on his chest against her much softer skin excited her. She let one hand slip down under the water to reach for the thick column that jutted out between his legs, stretching toward her with yearning.

Despite the coolness of the water relative to the blistering summer heat, the skin was hot, and he throbbed in her hand.

She had never wanted anything more than to feel him slide into her. The outdoor setting was even more stimulating. This was naughty. So very naughty.

“What if someone sees us?” she managed to ask, a little concerned.

He chuckled softly as he nuzzled her ear. “We’re on my land. There’s no one for kilometers around. We’re good.”

Good,she thought.

Tightening his grip, William lifted her off her feet, and immediately she wrapped her ankles around his back for stability. She helped to guide him inside her, and with a single, swift stroke he was buried deep. The water made her buoyant, as if she was floating in space. She surrendered to his powerful, secure arms.

She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed with a mixture of pleasure and contentment. No matter how heated and exciting their lovemaking got, it also brought her a feeling of solace and belonging.

He began with slow, deep strokes, but they soon increased in intensity as the excitement of the setting, the water surrounding them, and the clean fresh air began to overwhelm them. Their grip on each other tightened, and when she sensed her orgasm was near, she shoved her hand down between them, finding the excruciatingly hard nub of her clitoris, and began to rub it in frantic circles, even as his pubis slapped against her hand. It was a full-on assault to all her senses, and the final tremors that overwhelmed her were excruciatingly blissful.

When their breathing returned to something resembling normalcy, he let her stand again, kissed her deeply, and began to bathe her slowly, rubbing down her arms, her breasts, her belly with clear, fresh water.

“Nature’s bathtub,” he murmured.

“At least we’re making up for those showers we missed,” she joked. They held onto each other and laughed.

William lay on his side on the blanket next to Naisha, propped up on one elbow, listening intently as she regaled him with stories about her career. About the time she and two other models rented a Jeep and drove off into the outskirts of the Sahara in Morocco on a whim, because one of the girls was a naturalist and wanted to see a spiny-footed lizard up close. Naturally, they’d gotten lost and night had quickly fallen. The only reason they hadn’t come to grief was that they were found and taken in by a Berber family who, fortunately, spoke French so she was able to communicate with them. That night, she had the best roasted goat meat she’d ever eaten.

He lightly drew circles with his fingertip around her shoulder as she talked about the frantic pace of costume changes backstage at runway shows, where girls would hurl themselves at each other’s throats over misplaced accessories, and overexcited stage directors cussed them out in five different languages.

He was surprised at how much he enjoyed listening to her. Not just to her stories, but her voice. He loved her aptitude for drama. She had a way of making even the most mundane story sound like an adventure.

He found himself wishing he’d been part of her life then, not just a witness but apartof her life, being there for her and with her, just as he had imagined all those years ago when he was young and besotted with this beautiful, energetic, smart, sexy woman.

What kind of life would he have had with her, if things hadn’t turned out the way they had? What would have happened if young Naisha and young Liam’s lives had turned out the way they’d dreamed of, talked about, in their innocence?

Things had been perfect, promising, golden and then, thanks to Sofia’s deceit and his father’s autocratic meddling, everything had been lost. What if he’d had the courage to defy his father’s orders, breach the conventions that bound his life so tightly, and refused to marry Sofia?

Even though he certainly didn’t know then all that he knew now, it was clear to see that their hastily arranged marriage was doomed to failure even before it happened. And the people who had been hurt the most were himself and Willa.

What if things had been different? What if Naisha had become his Countess? Would they have finished school in the United States like they’d planned, and then return to Provence to get jobs? Would their kids be running around the château now?

“Oh, so sorry for boring you.” Naisha’s voice broke in. “I didn’t realize you’d be so uninterested in a story about how the elastic in my underwear snapped during an Academy Award afterparty. I thought you’d be fascinated to hear how Nicholas Cage winked at me when he caught me stepping out of my panties and popping them into my purse.”

He kissed her softly. “I was just thinking of how much more fun your life is than mine.”

Her eyes grew round with disbelief. “You’re joking! Dude, you’re rich enough to buy a small island state. You’re so powerful that, if you were alive a hundred years ago, people would approach you bowing.”

He shrugged. “I’m also responsible for the livelihoods of literally thousands of employees in several countries, the shareholders of multiple companies, and the running of my family estate.” He paused and then added significantly, “Not to mention making sure that my own little family is doing well, even under trying circumstances.”

She seemed to know at once what he was talking about. “Willa’s going through a tough time, but she’s going to be fine. She craves your love and attention, and you give it to her selflessly. I can tell when you come home exhausted, but you never make that an excuse to pass her door without going in.” She patted him on the arm in a soothing, reassuring gesture. “You’re a great father, Liam.”

He wasn’t so sure about that, but he nodded and kissed her. “I’m glad you’re here for her.”

She kissed him back. “I’m glad I’m here too. And not just because of Willa.”

Consumed by the power of her kiss, he suddenly didn’t feel like talking anymore. He enfolded her in his arms and drew her down to him, gently pressing her back against the blanket as he covered her.

14

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