Page 51 of A Billion Desires

“They—they—they’re all in cages. Instead of where they should be. Out in the wild.”

My old, hardened heart cracked inside my chest. I swore I could hear when it happened. “Oh, my dear, many of these animals wouldn’t make it a day in the wild. At least here, they’re well cared for and preserved.”

She nodded her head while still hanging onto me with a strong grip. “I know, I know, but I can’t stand seeing them like this.”

I hugged her again and kissed the top of her head, smelling her vanilla scent. “Then we’ll leave.”

After we’d arrived back home,Cherry went straight to her room to “freshen up”.

I felt odd letting her go.

Neither of us had said a word in the car after Langcaster picked us up.

I didn’t know what to say or how to go about lifting her glum mood.

As she walked up the stairs, I rounded the corner to my office and made a few calls.

In between work conversations, I texted Cherry and invited her to a late lunch by the pool. She responded quickly and accepted.

A half hour or so later, I heard a slight knock on my door. “I’ve got to go. We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” I said into my phone before I clicked it off. “Come in!” I yelled as I gathered together the papers in front of me and shoved them back into the file.

“Are you busy?” Cherry asked, stepping into my office in a white bikini. She wore a sheer, white wrap around her hips that hung down like a make-shift skirt.

Christ, she was beautiful.

“Not anymore,” I said, my voice sounding husky as I watched her hips sway as she shimmied her way to me. The cups of her bikini top barely held her generous breasts in place.

Her face was clear of the smeared makeup from her earlier cry.

She stopped near the corner of my desk and smiled down at me. “Is it okay if I don’t have makeup on? I can go put some on if you prefer that?”

My heart suddenly sank at her question. And again, I didn’t know why.

It was a straightforward question, that she wanted to know the answer to.

She wanted to please me.

Still, the way my gut twisted over it seemed foreign. “Come here,” I said, opening my arms, encouraging her to sit on my lap. When she was finally seated, I brushed her long hair off her shoulder. “Unless I specifically ask you to dress a certain way or to do your makeup in a specific manner—do as you please. All right?”

One arm slid around my shoulder and the back of my neck. She gazed over my face until settling on my eyes. “Are you sure?”

The scent of her vanilla perfume wafted up my nose, but there was also a stronger, sweeter smell on her skin. I briefly sniffed at her neck. Mmm, coconut. It must be her sunscreen.

“Yes, I’m quite certain. I want you to feel at home here. Wear what you want and do your hair and makeup however you like. If I have a preference, I’ll let you know ahead of time.”

She moved her behind on my lap as she turned her body more to mine, causing my already alert cock to get even harder. “Thanks, Nick. And thank you for the clothes. And for—” her eyes looked down toward my chest before meeting my eyes again, “everything. Is there—” she let her hand wander down to the buttons on my shirt, “anything I can do to thank you?” Her voice sounded low and sexy as hell.

My hand moved on top of hers and held it in place. “Yes, have lunch with me,” I said, smiling at her before I touched my lips briefly to hers in a chaste kiss.

She tried to move her hand out from under mine, but I wouldn’t let her. “I can make you feel good before we eat.” Those long eyelashes of hers fluttered while she shot a seductive gaze at me.

Any man would take her up on that offer.

And fast.

Something inside of me wouldn’t allow that.

I wanted to make sure she was really okay after the shopping this morning, followed by the disastrous zoo incident. No matter how much I wanted to peel this bikini top off, I just couldn’t.

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