Billionaire Bad Boy's Fake Bride: BWWM Romance by Mia Caldwell Page B

accident with the prototype, and the longer the race went on, the more anxious I became. I was just afraid something was going to happen to you, and it devastated me.” That was as close as she could come to the raw, honest truth at the moment without making herself completely vulnerable.
    His gaze softened, and there was something in his eyes too, and an emotion she didn’t want to analyze too deeply, because it was dangerous. “I’m right here, and I’m fine.”
    She nodded, though she was still trembling. “I know.”
    He shook his head as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, hugging her against him in a warm embrace. “What can I do to make you feel better? How can I fix this?”
    She wanted to say something crazy, like demand he promise to quit racing right then and there, but it wasn’t her place, and even if she had been his fiancée, she wouldn’t have felt like she had the right to make such a life-changing request, especially under the auspices of a command.
    Instead, she surrendered to instinct and said the first words that came to her. “Let’s go back to the hotel. I need you to make love to me, Connor. I need to know that you’re here and whole, and we’re together, at least for now.”
    His eyes widened with shock for a moment, and then he was bundling her against him as they pushed their way through the crowd. She realized Brenda was trying to get their attention, and she deliberately steered him the other way, not wanting the other woman to shatter the moment between them, or cause reality to intrude. She knew they were about to do something really stupid, something for which there might be no return, but after the realization she’d had in the bathroom, and the horror of watching him race, she couldn’t bring herself to care or second-guess the idea.
    ***
    Connor didn’t know what it happened to effect such a change in Angelina, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. She remained glued to his side on the taxi ride back to their suite at the casino, not letting him out of sight or touching distance even once during the seemingly long trip, though it took less than twenty minutes in total.
    Now, they were in the master suite, and he finally had full permission to do all the things he’d been thinking of for the past few weeks. He started by kissing her slowly, savoring her taste. Perhaps it was simply his imagination, but she seemed even sweeter than usual today, and he was certain he could grow addicted to the flavor of her and never be satisfied that he’d had enough.
    Her fingers were busy moving over his body with more haste than grace, and he folded his hands over hers to slow down their trembling, almost jerky, exploration. “Easy. We have all the time in the world.” He whispered the words against her lips. They felt right and sounded good to his ears.
    She relaxed for a moment before stiffening again. She returned her attention to his jumpsuit after breaking free from his hands, though she didn’t seem to be as frantic as she had a moment before. There was still an edge of desperation to her motions, as though she disagreed with what he had said. Perhaps she could hear a giant, unseen clock ticking down their time together.
    That was a depressing thought, and it hovered on the tip of his tongue to suggest they do away with their end-date, but then he was distracted by the forceful way her fingers tugged at his zipper, soon peeling the jumpsuit from his body and leaving him in his fire-retardant underwear.
    When Angelina fell to her knees, her fingers in the waistband of his briefs, he let out a helpless moan, barely having time to prepare himself for the pleasure before she had bared his skin and taken his shaft into her mouth. She worked her tongue and lips down the length of him, squeezing and massaging with the muscles of her mouth, and he surrendered to the flow of desire sweeping over him. He tangled his hands in her curls to hold her close, but not roughly or with