Bright Lights and Summer Nights: A Fake Dating Billionaire Sports Romance (Black Tie Billionaires)

My hips don’t still as I continue to push in and out of her. Emma watches me cautiously, her eyelids fluttering open and shut with pleasure with every thrust.

“What if I don’t leave tomorrow?” My heart beats erratically in my chest. I’ve had enough of being sad all day, dreading tomorrow. There’s no reason I have to leave with my family, and even if I had something I needed to get to, I’d cancel it for her.

This can’t be the end of us. I can’t say goodbye to her. Not when it feels like we’re just getting started.

“What?” Emma asks, her hips rocking against mine. I hadn’t even realized my thrusts had stilled until she moves against me.

“I don’t want to leave tomorrow. I can’t say goodbye to you, Emma. Not yet.” Not ever. I keep the last part to myself. I don’t know if she’ll run if I’m completely honest with her, but I do need her to know that no part of me can stand the thought of never seeing her again after tonight.

“Do you mean that?” she whispers. Her eyes flutter shut as I thrust inside her, deep, wanting her to know that this thing between us is far from over. Things can’t feel this perfect to not continue. I refuse to let that happen, and by the tentative way she asked if I meant it, I’m hoping she feels the same.

I run my thumb along her temple, feeling the weight of what’s happening between us as I stare into her eyes. “Of course, I mean it. Tell me to stay. Fuck, tell me to do anything, and I’ll do it for you.”

Her body trembles as she leans into my touch. I can feel her tighten around me, as if my words and me being inside her are too much. Maybe they are—I could come any minute with the way she perfectly fits around me paired with the loving look in her eyes.

Instead of answering, a low moan falls from her lips. She squeezes me so tight I know she’s close to coming. I pick up my pace, wanting to get her that release.

“Tell me to stay,” I repeat, my voice hoarse with emotion. “Please.” My voice breaks at the end of the word, but I don’t care. I can’t care when the look of adoration on her face tells me everything I need to know.

“Stay.” Her breath hitches, as if it took her breath away to say the word out loud.

I don’t let her say anything else. My mouth crashes against hers as soon as she gets the word out. It feels like my heart might beat right out of my chest with happiness. I still don’t understand the depths of my feelings for her since we’ve only just met, but I know she’s someone I can’t let go.

With the tangle of our tongues and the punishing rhythm of my hips, it doesn’t take long for her back to arch off the mattress.

“Preston.” She practically screams my name, her nails digging into my back as she’s sent over the edge. Her reaction to the orgasm has me chasing my release as well. My hips don’t still as I continue to thrust in and out of her, making sure to draw out the orgasm for the both of us for as long as possible.

My lips find hers again, needing to feel that connection to her as we ride out the end of our releases. She kisses me back with so much passion it probably wouldn’t take long for me to get worked up all over again. I slow down, because as much as I want her again, I need to talk to her more. I want to know if she meant it when she asked me to stay. I don’t want to get my hopes up only for her to not feel the same as I do.

Finally, my hips stop altogether while we continue to kiss at a slow and lazy pace. Emma’s the one to pull away, but it’s only to aim the most beautiful smile in my direction. Her chest heaves up and down as she catches her breath.

“Did you mean it?” she finally gets out. Her voice is timid, as if she’s nervous to ask the question.

I nod, slowly sliding out of her but not going far. I keep my hands pressed to either side of her head, holding my weight by my elbows to keep from crushing her. I have to swallow, my throat feeling clogged with how badly I wanted her to ask me to stay and how happy I am she did. “Of course, I mean it.”

She pushes off the mattress and grabs my cheeks and pulls me closer to her, kissing me all over. The kiss slows before she stops it again and presses her forehead to mine. “I need two seconds to get cleaned up, and then we’re talking about this more.”

Before I can respond, she’s slipping under my arm and dashing to the bathroom. I lie there for a few moments, basking in the happiness I feel at tonight not being our last, before I follow her in there.

“Maybe we just shower?” Emma offers with a smile.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

I nod, loving the idea. She reaches inside and turns both showerheads on. We wait a minute for the water to heat up before getting in. The hot water feels good against my muscles as I close the door to the shower. Emma stands underneath the cascading water, letting it run over the blonde tendrils of her hair.

I take a step closer and stand underneath the water with her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her body close to mine. She relaxes into me immediately, and for a moment, we just stand there with the water falling around us, enjoying the moment together.

Emma looks up, resting her chin against my chest. I turn our bodies slightly, wanting to make sure the water doesn’t get in her eyes.

“Hi,” she gets out. Pieces of hair stick to her face, and I move them out of her eyes, wanting to see them perfectly.

“Hi,” I answer, my thumb brushing over her cheekbone.

“So about tomorrow…” Her words trail off as a bit of hesitancy makes its way into her tone.

“Yeah, about tomorrow. What should we do? Go to the club? Grab food somewhere? Or maybe we should visit the beach.”

She smiles, her arms tightening around my middle. “Are you making plans with me, Rhodes?”

“I’m trying to.”

Emma shakes her head and lifts to her tiptoes, bringing her face closer to mine. “I like the sound of plans with you. I’d love to hit the beach.”

“So we’ll go to the beach.”

She looks down at her feet. “I’m nervous,” she admits quietly. I barely hear it over the sound of both streams of water.

“Nervous about what?” I cup her cheek, trying to tilt her chin up so she’ll look at me. She doesn’t let me; instead, she keeps her face down as she stares at the shower floor.

When she finally meets my eyes, my stomach drops. There’s so much vulnerability in the way she looks at me it makes my breath hitch for a moment. Vulnerable is not something I’m used to her being. She’s always so confident and carefree, but right now, it seems she’s scared—I’m just not sure of what.

“What if I’m too much for you?” Her words come out hurried and timid. She winces at the end of the question as if she regrets even asking it in the first place.

I tip her chin up, letting out a breath of relief when she lets me do it this time. I watch her for a minute, wondering how a woman so perfect can believe she’s too much of anything. “What if you’re perfect for me?” I respond, meaning every word.

Her eyes flutter shut for a moment. She leans into my caress. I love that she takes comfort in my touch. Now, if I can’t feel her skin against mine, things feel off, so it’s reassuring to know she might be feeling the same way.

“It’s just that I’m only here for the summer. And I’m still a mess. What if you⁠—”

I cut her off by kissing her. I don’t want her to even waste her breath worrying about what could happen. My entire life has revolved around the future, so for once, I want to live in the right now and enjoy the time I have with her. I know eventually, we’ll have to worry about what happens when I inevitably do have to return to Manhattan, and she has to decide what she wants for herself, but those decisions don’t have to be made tonight.

Tonight, I’m going to enjoy knowing that tomorrow doesn’t hold a goodbye for us. For right now, that’s more than enough.