Banking the Billionaire (Bad Boy Billionaires Book 2)(78)

And tonight, I was going to make sure it paid off to pay attention.

“Where are we going?” Cass asked as we stepped out onto the deserted rooftop patio on the other side.

“Just doing a little experiment, honey.”

“Experiment?” she questioned suspiciously.

She had good reason. I wasn’t really sure how my plan was going to go over, but I had to try. This was the kind of opportunity smart men didn’t pass up.

“Just a little pleasure versus fear tug of war.”

“Fear?” she snapped. “What the f*ck are you up to?”

“Come here, baby,” I coaxed with a tug on her hand when she turned for the door. “I promise to make this whole ordeal worth your while.”

“Ordeal? That’s not a f*cking promising word. Ordeal suggests pain and suffering.”

I laughed.

“I don’t like to suffer, and if you make me, I’ll be sure to return the favor.”

“Duly noted,” I agreed.

All the way across the patio now, I pulled her toward the fire escape ladder and urged her to go up in front of me. She didn’t exactly do cartwheels.

“You want me to go higher? Are you crazy? You know I f*cking hate heights. I already threatened to murder Georgie in her sleep for choosing this as the venue, and she’s my best friend. I like her better than you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

I laughed. “I do love your honesty.”

“Oh, yeah,” she grumbled as I pushed her to the ladder and put her foot on the first rung for her. “Well, I honestly hate you right now.”

Tucking my chin into her neck, I breathed her in before whispering my words out. “No, you don’t.” My lips smoothed over the skin as I twisted my head back and forth. I nipped the soft flesh with my teeth and then sucked it into my mouth, sliding the tip of my tongue over it gently to soothe the sting. My beard rubbed at the surrounding skin, and she shivered.

“Thatch,” she whispered but didn’t say more.

“Go up the ladder, Cassie,” I ordered softly, giving her one last squeeze with my arms before stepping back to spot her.

She paused for a moment but didn’t look back, scurrying up the ladder and moving quickly away from the edge.

As soon as I reached the top and traversed a safe number of paces away from certain death, she charged me. Her nerves were driving the conversation, and it felt unnatural to see her anything but confident and in control. I actually felt bad for a minute, that her discomfort was making me feel special, but when she fisted her hand in the material of my shirt at my chest, any regret retreated immediately.

“What’s this about, Thatcher?”

I smiled. She glared.

“Do you trust me?”

“No.” Her answer was emphatic and immediate and completely devoid of thought.

“Cass,” I stressed.

“Fuck!” she shouted, frustrated, and squeezed her eyes shut. “Yes. For some completely insane reason, I do. And I have not one clue why since you’re a psychopath.”

“Takes one to know one.”

“Thatcher—” she snapped, and I lunged.

My lips slammed to hers aggressively, and she didn’t delay or hold back.

A gasp moved from her mouth to mine as I pulled her body flush with a hand at her ass. Her skirt was short, and the tips of my fingers just barely grazed the skin of her thigh.

My hand flexed at the feeling, doing its best to leave my mark on the perfect canvas of her skin whether either of us gave it permission or not.

I nibbled at the plush padding at the center of her lower lip, and she tugged at the short strands of hair where my beard met my hairline.

“You want me to take your mind off the heights, baby?” I asked, pulling my lips off of hers just enough to speak clearly.

“You already were, you idiot. Now I’m thinking about it again.”

When I put my mouth on her, I had a feeling she’d forget again.

I smiled with my lips against hers. “Not for long.”

Starting slow, I wrapped my arms around her body until they met in the middle of her ass. I gripped her soft flesh until she moaned.

“You have on panties, baby?” I whispered against her mouth.

When she bit her lip and shook her head, I couldn’t hold back my groan or desperate need to know if she was telling the truth.

Roughly, I bunched the fabric of her skirt in my hands and slid it up until there wasn’t anything between my palms and skin. I dropped to my knees in one smooth motion, and her head fell back as her hands found my hair and tugged.

Leaning forward, I put my tongue right to her bare clit.

“Goddamn. I will never be the same,” I told her * honestly. Now that I knew she really would go out without anything under a little skirt like this, I’d be constantly out of my mind wondering when she’d do it again.

Settling one leg over my shoulder, I licked and sucked her * until her knees started to shake. With two hands at her hips, I lifted her other foot off the ground and urged her to settle the other leg over my shoulder too.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. “I am literally sitting on your face right now.”

Right where I want you. I nodded and flicked the tip of my tongue against her clit.