The Billionaire Princess Read online

Like many great plans, hers sounded perfect in her mind but the execution of it proved difficult. After checking into her room, she sent the suggested script changes she and Christopher made to the senator and Bruce Gordon. Unfortunately, that was as far as she got in her grand plan. Before she could even change out of the clothes she'd traveled in, the Secret Service agents responsible for her security detail insisted she sit down with them and review her schedule for the next several days—a task that took much longer than necessary. In all honesty, she thought the agents over-planned by insisting that they cover every possible contingency no matter how improbable. She always kept her views to herself though. They were doing their jobs. So she always handled their presence and views with a proverbial smile.

  By the time they finished there hadn't been enough time for a relaxing soak so she had to settle for a shower. Somehow she managed it in record time and ten minutes later she stood in front of the closet studying her clothes.

  Would Christopher mind if they stayed in and ordered room service? She could call and ask him. If she called he might assume she needed an early night and suggest they not get together at all. As tired as she was, she didn't want to spend the entire night alone in her hotel room watching television. She wanted company. Okay maybe she didn't want just anyone's company. She wanted Christopher's. She enjoyed their conversation over dinner in Washington and today on the plane. He didn't speak to her as if she was some ditzy blonde like many men did or flatter her the entire time with some secret agenda in mind. Over the years both types of conversations had become almost the norm for her, even with some of the people on the Hill. Christopher, though, asked her insightful questions and challenged her views. He even managed to make her laugh, something she rarely did anymore. At the same time he always offered information about himself. During their last few conversations in fact she'd learned more about him than she'd learned in all the years he and her brother had been friends. And he didn't just share the information one could read online either.

  Selecting a pair of designer skinny jeans and a pastel pink top, Sara carried them both back to the bed. If Christopher insisted they go out instead she could change. For now she planned on staying in for the evening. Pulling the top over her head, she buttoned the two buttons near the neck and then slipped the jeans on. After pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she sat down at the desk to tackle some work. If she kept up as much as possible while in California, when she returned to DC there wouldn't be piles of work waiting for her.

  Less than half an hour later a knock at her hotel suite door pulled her attention away from her emails. She'd only been away from the office since the morning yet her inbox was full. Closing the browser window, she came to her feet. Knowing that Secret Service would have only let Christopher up, she pulled open the door without asking who it was.

  "I mentioned dinner right?" Christopher asked closing the door behind him. Dressed in a dark blue suit he looked like he’d just stepped off the cover of GQ magazine. "Or do you need more time to get ready? I can change our reservation time."

  "You did. I thought we could stay in and get something sent up." After telling him her hopes for the evening she realized how they may sound to Christopher. While she meant them in a purely innocent way, he might think she wanted something more than just dinner. Especially considering their night together in Hawaii.

  Sara moved to stand next to the table. "I'm a little tired and would rather stay in. Maybe get a movie," she said in an attempt to clarify her intentions for the evening. "If you really want to go out, we can. It'll only take me a few minutes to change."

  Christopher reached for the knot in his red tie. "We can stay in." He slid the tie off his neck "I'd prefer that. I just assumed you'd want to go out." After taking off his jacket, he draped it and his tie over the back of a chair. Then he pulled his phone out and canceled their dinner reservations.

  Pleased that he'd agreed, Sara found the room service menu. Like most five-star resorts, the room service menu was extensive and it didn't take either of them long to decide on a meal. While they waited for dinner Sara selected a bottle of wine from the suite's kitchenette. The day before she called the hotel manager and arranged to have the kitchenette stocked with beverages as well as fresh fruit and bagels. Then she grabbed the bowl of grapes from the refrigerator and carried everything back into the suite's sitting area where Christopher waited.

  Now that his jacket and tie were gone, and he unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt, he looked much more relaxed but just as handsome. She liked seeing him like this. He seemed more like the person she remembered meeting when he'd roomed with Jake and a bit less like the man featured on the cover of business magazines.

  "I hope you really don't mind that we stayed in tonight." Sara placed everything on the table, then poured them each a glass of wine.

  "No complaints here."

  He smiled as he accepted the glass of wine from her and for a moment she felt more like a twelve-year-old girl meeting one of her older brother's friends than a mature woman. "Do you live in LA?" She asked the first question that came to mind. She remembered he said he was staying at his apartment in the city.

  "No. I purchased the apartment in LA for my parents to use when they come out to visit one of my sisters. She's a junior at UCLA. They refused to let me buy it for them, so I own it and they can use it whenever they want."

  His answer caught her attention. He talked a little about his family on the plane, but she never read about them in any of the articles she'd seen. "How many sisters do you have?" Sara scooted back into the corner of the sofa and drew her knees up to her chest.

  "Four sisters and they are all younger," he answered trying to sound as if it was a huge burden but the smile on his face ruined the effect. "Caroline works for me. Rachel and her husband still live in Wisconsin and have a two-year-old son. Laura is a junior at UCLA and Kristin will graduate from high school this June."

  She never would've guessed he came from such a big family. "Lucky you. I'd trade a brother for a sister for a few days. Having two older ones isn't always a breeze." Overall Dylan and Jake were great and she couldn't deny she and Jake were especially close. However, both men could be overbearing from time to time, especially when she'd been growing up. "Don't tell either of them I said this. I love them both but they drive me nuts sometimes. I always wanted a sister growing up."

  Christopher laughed a deep rich sound. "I guess we all want what we don't have. I wanted a brother. I had a cousin I was close to as a kid, but it wasn't the same. At least you have one now. Are you two close?"

  Sara pressed her lips together in an effort not to frown. "Not really," she admitted her voice low.

  Sara didn't miss the questioning look he gave her. "Maybe that'll change. You only met, what two years ago?"

  Before she thought better of it, Sara shook her head. "We didn't get off to a great start." Other than Jake no one else knew how much she regretted the way things started with Callie. "I didn't trust her after we all found out and I let her know it."

  Sara searched his face for any sign of his thoughts regarding her confession. Most wouldn't understand or would think less of her. Christopher's expression reflected only a willingness to listen. Something only a handful of people offered her.

  "Right before the family learned about Callie I had ended a year-long relationship with Phillip." She needed him to understand her state of mind at the time. "I let my feelings toward him control the way I treated her."

  "That jerk from the fundraiser?"

  Sara nodded yes as Beethoven's Fur Elise erupted from her phone and there was a knock at the door.

  "Room service," a voice called out from the other side of the door.

  Without waiting for Sara to react, Christopher rose. From her spot on the sofa she watched him cross the room, and she couldn't help but admire his retreating form. Just what did he look like without clothes? On their one night together the room had been dark and it was difficult to see. T
he next morning when they'd woken up he'd remained in bed until she left the room. Just by studying the way his clothes fit his body and the way he carried himself, she knew he put her last boyfriend to shame. Although a little taller than her brother Jake’s six foot one, he appeared to be just as muscular. In her mind a picture formed of how she thought he looked. Closing her eyes she focused on it for a moment before picking up her phone and hitting ignore. Her mom could leave her a voice mail.

  Her parents’ dinner with Jake and Charlie had been tonight. More than likely her mom's call pertained to her brother's impromptu wedding weeks before. Or more specifically, why she hadn't told her mom about it. Not that she hadn't felt guilty about not telling her parents, but it wasn't her place. Instead she'd avoided both her parents as much as possible the last few weeks.

  "I'm guessing that wasn't someone you wanted to talk to." Christopher removed the covered plates from the room-service cart.

  Sara's stomach growled at the smells drifting from the plates and with a self-conscious laugh, she joined him at the table. "My mom. Jake invited them over for dinner tonight. He planned to tell them he and Charlie got married."

  "Now that's a conversation I'd love to hear."

  Sara grinned at Christopher's playful tone. "You and me both. I can't think of any way you could get me to change places with him though."

  Their conversation over dinner covered everything from Elizabeth Sherbrooke's reaction to Jake's news to the commercials they were filming. Never once during their meal did they lapse into silence. Christopher found it refreshing. Rarely did he find a woman he could just talk to. Most didn't share the same interests and values or simply weren't interested in him. Rather they saw him as a big fat dollar symbol that could somehow enhance their lives.

  A few weeks ago he wouldn't have thought he had anything in common with Sara Sherbrooke. Yet the more time he spent with her, the more he realized he'd been wrong. When she spoke of her family, and especially her regrets with her relationship to Callie, he knew family meant a lot to her. The fact that she'd refused a position with a highly respected senator told him she didn't depend on her family name to achieve her goals in life. But despite what he'd learned so far he found himself wanting to know even more. Although he shouldn't consider it, he wanted to dig down even further and get to know her on every level possible. Never before had he met a woman who he wanted to know like that.

  Don't do anything you'll regret later. The warning rang in his head as he refilled Sara's wine glass. He had already taken a step down that path once and while his body wanted to repeat it, his logical brain couldn't decide if it was worth the risk.

  "Do you think Jake survived dinner with your parents?" He could picture the way that dinner party and conversation must have played out.

  Sara reached to adjust her hair and his eyes followed her every movement. Tonight she had her long blonde hair pulled up in a simple ponytail. Something he'd never seen on her and his fingers itched to pull it down. Her choice of hairstyles wasn't the only thing different about her tonight. He couldn't recall ever seeing her dress so casually, and he found it a definite turn on.

  "You could always call him and find out," Sara answered.

  He shifted his gaze toward the blank flat-screen TV on the wall. "Maybe I'll do that. Are you interested in a movie?" One of these days soon, he had to return Jake’s call. They'd been friends too long not to.

  "The hotel probably doesn't have many choices but what kind did you have in mind?"

  Christopher looked back in Sara's direction just in time to see her run her tongue across her bottom lip licking off a droplet of wine. A few hours in bed with you. A mental image of them together sprang to life. "Anything but a romantic comedy," he answered grateful she couldn't read his thoughts. “And with this we can access my movie collection at home.” He held up a small device no larger than a thumb drive attached to his key ring.

  Sara stuck out her bottom lip in and over exaggerated pout. "What do you men have against romantic comedies? Have you ever seen one?"

  She sounded like his sisters. Women in general just didn't get it. Unless a movie had a lot of action or spectacular special effects men didn't want to know anything about it. "They're chick movies. I'd rather sit through the ballet than watch one again." From across the table she glared at him. "Before you ask again, yes, I've seen them before. Four sisters, remember?"

  Sara continued to glare at him. He thought she looked ridiculously cute doing it. Biting down on the inside of his cheek, he waited for her response.

  "Fine, but I'm not watching some crazy superhero movie either."

  He should've seen that one coming. Standing he plugged the device into the back of the mounted flat-screen television. Switching on the television with the remote, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and connected to his personal movie collection. Immediately several movie categories came up on the screen. "How do you feel about the classics?" Before she answered he opened the category file so she could see what titles he owned.

  “I've never seen anything like that before. Where did you get it?”

  “It's not available yet. This is a working prototype I developed since I travel so much,” he answered. "So do you see anything you like?" With his phone he scrolled down the list.

  "Casablanca," Sara said, when the title popped up in the list.

  She'd get no complaints from him. It was the first Bogart film he ever saw. And it had started his love of movies from Hollywood's early days. "Great choice." He selected the movie. "It's one of my favorite Bogart films."

  Sara made herself comfortable on the long sofa. "Really? I like it, but I think my favorite is The Big Sleep with Lauren Bacall."

  He never would've pegged her as a lover of classic movies. He assumed she enjoyed the latest releases more like his sisters. The only other person he knew that enjoyed the classics was his youngest sister Kristen but only original Alfred Hitchcock movies.

  "I'd say that's in my top three followed by The Maltese Falcon."

  "Then we can watch it tomorrow night if you have it," she said turning her face directly toward him.

  For a moment he got lost in the depth of her gray eyes. Like everything else about her, they were beautiful and framed by incredibly long blonde eyelashes. Unable to blink or look away he held her gaze, glad that she couldn't see what was going through his mind.

  "Sounds like a plan. I have all of Bogart's movies." The opening theme of the movie began, and he pulled his eyes away from Sara.

  Somewhere around the middle of the film Christopher opened another bottle of wine. When he returned rather than sit back down in the chair, he sat down next to Sara on the sofa. When his leg came in contact with hers she sent him a questioning look but she didn't make any attempt to put space between them. Soon he found himself paying more attention to Sara than the movie. Every time she raised her glass to her lips or shifted her position, he knew it. Every nerve ending in his body sensed her presence. His skin screamed for the feel of her hands on his body.

  Clenching his hands into tight fists, he mentally cursed himself for sitting so close. By doing so he was only punishing himself. Next to him Sara leaned toward him, her perfume teasing his overloaded senses even further.

  "I know why Rick did it, but I always thought he shouldn't have let her go. It's obvious they love each other."

  He saw her lips moving and knew she had said something. His mind didn't register the words though. It stayed focused on her pink lips. Unable to stop himself, he leaned toward her as one hand slid up her arm.

  "You're right.” He lowered his head toward hers slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away. But she didn't move.

  Their lips touched and red-hot desire shot through his body. Against his, her lips were soft and initially her kisses remained tentative. Soon she grew bolder and when she opened her mouth Christopher didn't pause before slipping his tongue inside. She tasted like red wine, chocolate and something uniquely Sara. As their t
ongues met a tiny voice in his head reminded him that he should back away. Jake's sister was off limits. His body didn't care however. It had wanted to kiss Sara like this ever since he saved her from her ex-boyfriend at the fundraiser. No… correction… he wanted to do this ever since they'd awakened in Hawaii together.

  Twisting his body he let himself fall back onto the sofa cushions bringing Sara down on top of him. With her entire length stretched out on him, he let his hands travel up her back before sinking into her thick blonde hair. Slowly, he worked her hair free of its ponytail. Her hair felt like strands of silk across the tops of his hands. With his hand he brushed her hair off to one side baring her long slender neck to him. Then he left a trail of kisses from her lips across her jaw and down her neck. She moved against him, causing his already aroused body to harden further, and he groaned before he could stop himself. At the sound, Sara's whole body tensed against his.

  "Christopher." Her voice seemed to come from far away. "Christopher, please stop."

  A bucket of ice-cold water couldn't have done any better job dousing the flames of desire in his body than the sound of fear in her voice.

  While she moved back into an upright position the only other sounds in the room were the television and the ring tone from her phone.

  "I don't…" Sara began at the same time Christopher spoke.

  "What's the…"

  Sara tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled shyly at him. "Go ahead."

  The desire that had started to subside a minute before reignited when he saw her state of dishevelment. Her hair hung loose, her lips were red and swollen and her shirt looked as if it hadn't ever seen an iron. Talk. She wants to talk. He recited the words over in his mind.

  "What's the matter?" He kept his eyes locked on her face so he could catch anything her expression might give away.

  She looked everywhere but at him. Then after darting her tongue across her bottom lip she spoke. "I'm not sure this..." Her voice shook. "We got a little carried away once before.”

  Christopher nodded, unsure of what she wanted to hear from him. Assuming she wanted to hear anything at all.

  "Don't get me wrong, I've thought about you a lot since that night in Hawaii, but you're my brother's best friend." She came to her feet. "We're both already avoiding Jake."

  How did she know he'd been avoiding Jake? Had he said something to Sara? Christopher raked a hand through his hair. A big part of him told him she was right. They should refrain from getting involved with each other. Yet despite knowing what they should do, he wanted to explore this thing between them. A physical attraction obviously existed. At least on his end and he guessed on her end as well, if her actions were anything to go by. But this was more than just a physical thing for him. The woman he was getting to know intrigued him, and he wanted to discover more.

  "I've already messed up my relationship with Callie and Dylan. I don't want to mess things up with Jake for either of us.” Her voice caught for a second and he thought she might cry.

  Needing to comfort her as well as touch her again, he reached for her hand and pulled her down next to him. "We can end this right now if you want. After we finish the commercial we can go our separate ways. Your brother never needs to know anything happened between us." His mind searched for its own decision. "Or we can see what happens and tell Jake if and when we're ready." Doing so would not be an outright lie but more an omission of all the details.

  Sara leaned back against the sofa, her face a mask of worry and uncertainty.

  "You don't need to decide now. We're going to be here for a few days. Think about it."

  "Thank you." She smiled and laid her hand over his.

  The warmth from her hand seeped through his skin and spread up his arm. "For what?" His entire body hummed with excitement.

  "Understanding," she said, her gray eyes meeting his, "not pushing."

  He held her gaze, unable to look away. In her eyes he could see sadness and insecurity. The night of the wedding he thought he saw it too, but later dismissed it as his imagination. Tonight he couldn't. It was as clear to him as a neon sign. The why and how of it eluded him though.

  "It's late and we have an early morning. I'm going to head out." Christopher slipped his hand out from under hers. The constant physical contact, combined with her rumpled state, made it difficult for him to remember why they'd stopped kissing. "Do you want to drive over to the studio together in the morning?" With her hands no longer over his, the warmth he'd felt moments ago disappeared.

  The corners of Sara's mouth lifted up to a half smile. "Sure. Meet me here around nine."

  “See you then,” he said walking to the door.

  Christopher stripped off his clothes leaving them where they fell on the floor. He needed an ice-cold shower. Well either that or Sara Sherbrooke in his bed. Since the second wasn't happening tonight, the shower would have to suffice.

  Cold streams of water pelted his body from the numerous shower jets. Goosebumps instantly formed on his skin, yet the desire gripping his body refused to disappear. Gritting his teeth he reached for the soap. What had he been thinking? He never should've kissed her again tonight. Not only did he jeopardize his friendship with her brother but he put their working relationship at risk. If they were going to work on this education initiative together they needed an amiable relationship.

  As he turned to rinse the soap from his chest, the memory of her face when she put an end to their kissing emblazoned on his mind. She looked just as torn as he felt. And as much as he wanted to continue their make-out session, he knew they would both regret it in the morning. It'd be better for both of them if they didn't get involved. Only one problem with that—his desire to know her better combined with his physical attraction to her was making it almost impossible to make a rational decision. Part of him hoped she'd be the rational one and tell him to back off. Then the whole thing would be out of his hands.

  What if she said just the opposite? What if she decided they should see where things go? Most men would say he'd be a fool to say no. Sara Sherbrooke was the total package. If she was any other woman he'd agree. However, they weren't the only two involved.

  Christopher let the cold water run over his face before turning it off. Now that his body no longer felt as if it might explode, he wrapped a gray bath towel around his waist and went back to his room. He dressed in a pair of shorts, then grabbed a glass of bourbon from the bar and settled himself in front of the television. With so many things running through his head, he knew sleep wouldn't be coming anytime soon. A movie with a lot of action and some violence would pass the time nicely.

  Chapter 6