The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 196

Orion

The leather seats of my Bentley had never felt more comfortable as we pulled away from the Federal Commerce Building. The city lights blurred past the windows, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that matched the euphoria coursing through my veins. I couldn't stop replaying the moment Aveline had walked into that auditorium like some kind of corporate goddess of war.

"Aveline," I said, letting out a long breath I felt like I'd been holding for hours, "do you have any idea how magnificent you looked back there? Did you see my uncle's face? I thought Devan was going to have an aneurysm."

Her smile lingered for a moment before fading slightly. "Well, honestly, I was so caught up in the adrenaline of the moment that I barely paid attention to their reactions." Her expression grew more serious as she turned to face me. "But don't get too excited yet. We may have made the deposit, but we haven't won the contract. Are you confident about the actual bidding presentation in three days? Please don't tell me I helped you clear this hurdle only for you to stumble at the most crucial moment."

The shift in her tone made me instantly serious as well. Looking at the genuine concern in her eyes, I felt compelled to reach over and take her hand, needing her to understand the gravity of what we were facing.

"I guarantee we'll win that contract," I said, my grip tightening on her fingers. "We have the most innovative infrastructure design, our cost projections are thirty percent below our competitors, and our timeline is aggressive but realistic. Plus, our environmental impact assessments are revolutionary—we're talking about carbon-neutral construction processes that will set the industry standard for decades."

Aveline gently pulled her hand free, flexing her fingers with a slight wince. "Okay, okay, I'm convinced you'll win. You can stop trying to crush my bones now."

I immediately felt terrible. "God, I'm sorry! I'm still running on pure adrenaline from today."

"It's fine," she said, massaging her hand. "I'm pretty wired myself. I've never made such a dramatic entrance at such a crucial moment before." She grinned at me with obvious satisfaction. "How did I do? Did I give off proper superhero vibes?"

I couldn't help but grin back. "Honestly? Your performance back there was so impressive I nearly got aroused right there in front of the entire auditorium."

"Orion!" She smacked my arm, her cheeks flushing pink. "You can't just say things like that!"

"What? It's a natural biological response to excitement," I said, completely unrepentant. "Besides, that white suit, that commanding presence—it was incredibly turn-on-inducing."

"Stop it!" she laughed, though I could see she was pleased despite her protests. "Do you have any idea how exhausting today was?"

I scratched my head sheepishly. "Is that why you couldn't answer my calls?"

"Exactly. The paperwork alone was insane—I don't regularly pledge billions of dollars worth of equity as collateral. There were international banking protocols, legal verifications, currency exchange authorizations. I barely had time to breathe, let alone take phone calls."

The full magnitude of what she'd done hit me like a physical blow. "Wait. You actually mortgaged your shares? You put your entire business empire at risk for me?"

She shrugged with studied casualness. "Too late to worry about that now. The decision's already made."

I felt something shift in my chest, a warmth that had nothing to do with physical attraction. "God, I love you. You're my perfect —" I caught myself just before the full word escaped my lips.

She tilted her head, studying my face with sudden interest. "Your what? I could have sworn you were about to say something else."

I laughed, scrambling for a cover. "Warrior. You're my perfect warrior."

"Nice save," she said, but her eyes remained skeptical. "At least you're not backing down from the 'I love you' declarations anymore. That's definite progress."

"Well," I said, pulling into a parking space beside an upscale French restaurant, "you did just save my entire career. It seems like an appropriate time for declarations of affection."

She looked around at the elegant exterior lighting and valet parking. "Why are we here?"

"I thought we deserved to celebrate," I said, turning off the engine.

"We only submitted a deposit," she protested. "We haven't actually won the contract yet. You need to stay focused."

Instead of getting out, I turned toward her, sliding my arm around her waist and drawing her closer. The subtle scent of her perfume—something expensive and sophisticated—filled my senses. My gaze drifted down to the way her white suit jacket curved over her breasts.

"If we win the actual contract," I said, my voice dropping to something rougher, "how do you think we should celebrate?"

I watched her expression change as she registered the shift in my tone. Her breathing became slightly shallower, though she tried to maintain her composure.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. "I was thinking we might explore every possible position imaginable."

Her face turned bright red, but instead of pulling away, she seemed to melt slightly against me. "Who said anything about celebrating with sex?"

"I can't help it," I murmured, letting my hands trail along her sides. "Being around you every day, watching you be brilliant and powerful and absolutely irresistible—it's impossible not to have completely inappropriate thoughts about you."

She slowly lifted her hand and placed it on my chest, then let it drift lower until she could feel exactly how much our conversation was affecting me. Her eyes widened slightly at the confirmation.

"You're impossible," she breathed, but her hand didn't move away.

Instead, to my complete surprise, she took my hand and guided it beneath her skirt, pressing my palm against the heat between her thighs.

"Well," she said with a wicked smile, "maybe a small celebration is in order after all."

The invitation in her voice was unmistakable.

My response was immediate and instinctual. I leaned across the console and crushed my mouth to hers as my fingers explored the prize she'd offered. I found the slick, soaked seam of her panties, pressing down until she moaned into my mouth. In one fluid motion, I unbuckled my belt, the metallic click loud in the quiet car. Aveline hiked her skirt up around her waist, reaching down to help free my thick, hardening cock from the confines of my trousers.

She shifted in her seat, pulling her panties to the side with practiced ease. With one hand on my shoulder for balance, she guided the head of my cock to her wet entrance. I pushed forward, and she sank onto me with a raw, choked gasp. The tight, hot sheath of her pussy engulfed me, and I groaned, burying my face in her neck.

There was no room for slow seduction. This was frantic, necessary. I gripped the steering wheel with one hand and her thigh with the other, driving into her with deep, greedy thrusts. The car rocked with our rhythm. Her head fell back against the headrest, her breath coming in ragged pants, her scent—a mix of expensive perfume and raw arousal—filling the small space. My name was a desperate prayer on her lips just before a sharp cry tore from her throat, her inner walls clenching around my cock, milking me in waves of pure bliss. That was all it took to send me over the edge in a blinding, guttural release.

We stayed like that for a moment, tangled and breathless, the windows fogging from our heat. The frantic energy slowly subsided, replaced by a deep, satisfied hum.

Five minutes later, I was starting the engine again, both of us looking considerably more relaxed though somewhat disheveled. Aveline was attempting to fix her hair in the passenger mirror while I tried to focus on the road instead of the lingering scent of our encounter in the air.

As I pulled away from the curb, something in my peripheral vision made me freeze.

There, standing near the restaurant's entrance, was a figure I hadn't seen in months. Tall, dark-haired, wearing an expensive suit that looked out of place on someone who was supposed to be hiding overseas.

I blinked hard and looked again, but the figure had vanished into the crowd of evening diners. My hands tightened on the steering wheel as an icy knot formed in my stomach.

"Everything okay?" Aveline asked, noticing my sudden tension.

"Fine," I said automatically, but my mind was racing. As we drove through the city toward her house, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. The euphoria from our victory was rapidly giving way to a creeping sense of unease.

*What the fuck was Dwayne doing back in New York?*