Billionaire: Billionaire Romance: Billionaire Tiger (A Billionaire New Adult Shifter Contemporary Romance) Read Online Free Page B
have the company of someone...not so obvious."
Lara gulped at the implication. No, it couldn't be. Manik was not suggesting what she thought he was. All she could say was, "Oh..." Then, haltingly, tentatively, "This hotel...this is where you're staying?"
"No," he replied. "My place is a short ride away. And I'd very much like to take you there, Lara--if you'd let me."
"For another drink?"
His fingertips slipped nimbly from her hand down to her wrist. "No, Lara. Not just for another drink."
Lara's mind reeled at the thought of it. Surprise, bewilderment, fear, and most of all, disbelief—pure, incredulous disbelief--spun like a whirlpool inside her. Reflexively, she drew back her hand. No, this was not happening. This could not be happening. Manik was too beautiful, too exquisite, too perfect. There was no way he could be seriously suggesting this. There was no way he could mean it. She was a pear and he was a magnificent tiger. Perhaps Manik did not want the obvious and needy Gemma, but he
certainly
could not want her. Men like him did not offer what he seemed to be offering to women like Lara. The simple pleasure of his company was all that she knew she could expect from such a man.
"Manik," she said, "there's really no reason for you to say that. You're a kind, generous man. You're good and you're smart and you're funny. And there must be someone else you'd rather..."
"There isn't," he said, gently interrupting. "I've only just come to this country. I don't know anyone in America, not really. But I know what kind of person I like, and it isn't someone obvious. It's someone intelligent, and kind, and warm, and real--everything that I can tell you are. And sexy.” He winked.
"We haven't even had a whole evening together. How do you know all that about me?"
"I know, Lara. I know it from the way you spoke of the tigers; the way you talked of the danger they face from man, how important it is to help them, how horrible and sad and heartbreaking it would be to lose them. Your compassion for them touches me. I feel the same way, more than you know. But I'd like you to know. I'd like you to trust me. I want to tell you how much more I feel for the tigers than anyone else ever could. I want to show you...," he trailed off, still holding her wrist, and looked out the window, not at anything in particular. Somehow he seemed to be looking at something far, far away, something that only he could see.
Lara studied Manik as she had during the presentation. There was that look again, the look she had seen on his tiger face, repeated there on the infinite handsomeness of his human features. It was a look of the deepest sorrow, the deepest heartbreak in all the world. Seeing him look that way close up, she felt like crying. What was it about Manik and the tigers, really? What could it be?
He turned back, and when he looked at her this time, Lara almost felt some unknown physical force picking her up and carrying her into his eyes. "Come back with me, Lara," he said. "Back to my flat, back to my bed. Please spend tonight in my bed with me, and you'll understand. I find your body undeniably enticing. I need you in my bed.”
Her disbelief was now total. Lara felt as though she could topple over, out of this chair, at any second, except that he still had her by the wrist and it felt as if he would never let her go. And hearing the way he spoke, she hoped he never would. Against all reason, in spite of the pure and utter unreality of this moment, Lara wanted nothing more in the world than to do as Manik asked, to share his bed, to feel his incredible body atop her, to be kissed by that exquisite face, to know his length and hardness thrusting deep inside her, to feel his climax shuddering from him to her. This man, her heart told her, was unlike any other she had ever seen or met, and she wanted to know how truly unlike any other man Manik was.
A moment later, they were making for the hotel lobby and his Jaguar.
CHAPTER
Lara gulped at the implication. No, it couldn't be. Manik was not suggesting what she thought he was. All she could say was, "Oh..." Then, haltingly, tentatively, "This hotel...this is where you're staying?"
"No," he replied. "My place is a short ride away. And I'd very much like to take you there, Lara--if you'd let me."
"For another drink?"
His fingertips slipped nimbly from her hand down to her wrist. "No, Lara. Not just for another drink."
Lara's mind reeled at the thought of it. Surprise, bewilderment, fear, and most of all, disbelief—pure, incredulous disbelief--spun like a whirlpool inside her. Reflexively, she drew back her hand. No, this was not happening. This could not be happening. Manik was too beautiful, too exquisite, too perfect. There was no way he could be seriously suggesting this. There was no way he could mean it. She was a pear and he was a magnificent tiger. Perhaps Manik did not want the obvious and needy Gemma, but he
certainly
could not want her. Men like him did not offer what he seemed to be offering to women like Lara. The simple pleasure of his company was all that she knew she could expect from such a man.
"Manik," she said, "there's really no reason for you to say that. You're a kind, generous man. You're good and you're smart and you're funny. And there must be someone else you'd rather..."
"There isn't," he said, gently interrupting. "I've only just come to this country. I don't know anyone in America, not really. But I know what kind of person I like, and it isn't someone obvious. It's someone intelligent, and kind, and warm, and real--everything that I can tell you are. And sexy.” He winked.
"We haven't even had a whole evening together. How do you know all that about me?"
"I know, Lara. I know it from the way you spoke of the tigers; the way you talked of the danger they face from man, how important it is to help them, how horrible and sad and heartbreaking it would be to lose them. Your compassion for them touches me. I feel the same way, more than you know. But I'd like you to know. I'd like you to trust me. I want to tell you how much more I feel for the tigers than anyone else ever could. I want to show you...," he trailed off, still holding her wrist, and looked out the window, not at anything in particular. Somehow he seemed to be looking at something far, far away, something that only he could see.
Lara studied Manik as she had during the presentation. There was that look again, the look she had seen on his tiger face, repeated there on the infinite handsomeness of his human features. It was a look of the deepest sorrow, the deepest heartbreak in all the world. Seeing him look that way close up, she felt like crying. What was it about Manik and the tigers, really? What could it be?
He turned back, and when he looked at her this time, Lara almost felt some unknown physical force picking her up and carrying her into his eyes. "Come back with me, Lara," he said. "Back to my flat, back to my bed. Please spend tonight in my bed with me, and you'll understand. I find your body undeniably enticing. I need you in my bed.”
Her disbelief was now total. Lara felt as though she could topple over, out of this chair, at any second, except that he still had her by the wrist and it felt as if he would never let her go. And hearing the way he spoke, she hoped he never would. Against all reason, in spite of the pure and utter unreality of this moment, Lara wanted nothing more in the world than to do as Manik asked, to share his bed, to feel his incredible body atop her, to be kissed by that exquisite face, to know his length and hardness thrusting deep inside her, to feel his climax shuddering from him to her. This man, her heart told her, was unlike any other she had ever seen or met, and she wanted to know how truly unlike any other man Manik was.
A moment later, they were making for the hotel lobby and his Jaguar.
CHAPTER
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