Claimed by the Millionaire: The Wealthy Frenchman's Proposition

“Why? There’s no real reason for you to be here for the magazine.”

“One of my best friends lives here. Plus, in the summer, it’s a nice place to holiday.”

She nodded. “I don’t own any property.” She was very lucky that her brownstone in Brooklyn was a fixed-price rental. She’d taken over the lease upon her aunt’s death.

He arched one eyebrow at her. “Is that important?”

She shrugged and realized that, to him, it wouldn’t be. And unless she wanted to ruin the wonderful attraction that was flowing between the two of them, she needed to stop being so mired in who she was.

“It’s not. So where is this villa?”

“Not far. Ready to go?”

She nodded.

She started forward but he stopped her with a hand on her arm, drawing her back against his chest. He leaned down and whispered something in French that she couldn’t understand and kissed her neck.

Tingles of arousal spread down her body, tightening her nipples and making her breasts feel fuller. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, one hand at her waist, one hand right under her breasts.

She tipped her head to the side to give him better access to her throat. He whispered her name and kept her close to him before biting her softly and lifting his head.

He took her hand in his and led the way out of the building. They waited for the car. Tristan kept his gaze on the night sky. But Sheri couldn’t help looking at him and marveling that, for tonight, he was hers.

Tristan Sabina is going to be mine. The future didn’t matter at this moment, because she wanted him with the kind of keen longing she’d never experienced before with a man.

He turned to her and lifted one eyebrow as if he were asking her what she was thinking. She flushed and shook her head.

He smiled then lowered his head and kissed her, his lips feathering over hers and his hands skimming down the sides of her body. His fingers brushed against the curves of her breasts and came to rest at her waist, pressing her up into his body.

She liked the way he felt against her. His height made her feel delicate and very womanly. His hands were large enough to span her waist and she felt them wrap around her. Everything else dropped away.

There was just her and Tristan. His lips on hers, his hands on her body and the very essence of him seeping into her cold and lonely soul.

She suckled his lower lip, drawing it into her mouth. His hands tightened on her and his erection brushed against her lower belly. She swallowed hard and pulled back, looking up at him.

She had a little sexual experience, but nothing that had made her feel like Tristan was.

“What is it?” he asked, bringing one hand up to cup her cheek. His thumb stroked her skin and she looked up into his warm gray eyes and felt something shift inside her.

“Why me?”

“Why not you?”

She shook her head and realized that, if she asked questions, she should be prepared to hear an answer that might not be what she was searching for.

But she’d never been a coward, and this night with Tristan…well, she wanted to make the most of it. Be someone she’d never been before.

“Seriously, why are you making a move now?”

“That sounds so crass, ma petite. I have no ulterior motive. I have a beautiful woman in my arms and I don’t want to let her go.”

“I’m not beautiful,” she said, because she knew it was true. There were truly beautiful people in the world and she wasn’t one of them. She was more apt to be described based on her sterling personality. It wasn’t that she was unattractive, it was just that there was nothing that really made her stand out.

“Tonight you sparkle,” he said.

She felt her cheeks heat up with a blush. He lowered his head once again, kissing her, and in his arms she realized she did feel beautiful. She felt worthy to be on his arm as they got in his black Lamborghini and drove through the narrow streets of Mykonos.

He kept her hand on his thigh and his hand on top of hers, moving only to shift gears, and occasionally to lift her hand to his mouth to kiss the back of it.

She leaned her head back against the leather seat and turned to watch him. Tristan Sabina…she couldn’t believe she was alone with him at last.

Tristan parked the Lamborghini behind his villa and got out. Sheri had her door opened before he got there. He offered his hand to help her out of the car. He saw the surprise in her eyes as she took it.

He realized that no one had ever been good to her in the way that men should be toward women. He wanted to change that, at least for tonight.

When she was standing next to him, he tucked a loose curl behind her ear. He couldn’t get enough of touching her. He led the way into his house, tossing his keys on the kitchen countertop and hitting the light switch. She stood awkwardly just inside the doorway. Was this the moment when she’d change her mind?

He wouldn’t pressure her into staying, he thought. Then she nibbled on her lower lip and his entire body went on point. God, he wanted her. Why now?

He’d had a few inconvenient fantasies since they’d arrived here on Mykonos. Away from the office, Sheri had dropped her barriers and started to relax. He’d always liked her cheeky attitude, but seeing her in shorts on Christos’s yacht during the week and tonight in this dress that actually fit her…well, it got to him.

He tried to remind himself that she was his assistant and that this was the kind of situation that Rene always warned him against. Fraternization was firmly frowned upon at the Sabina Group, especially by the CEO, Tristan’s older brother, Rene.

And frankly, now that she was here in the villa, she seemed nervous. Not at all like the sexy woman he’d held in his arms on the dance floor.

“Would you like a drink?”

“No thank you,” she said. “I… Show me your place.”

He shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and tossed it on the bar stool at the kitchen counter. He led her out of the kitchen into a formal reception room and up the stairs to the living room. He’d put on some music and dance with her again. That would relax her like nothing else would.

And he’d have her back in his arms.

“Look at the view,” she said as they stepped into his living room. One wall was all windows, showcasing the view of the city of Mykonos and the Aegean Sea.

“It’s even more spectacular from the balcony. Would you like to see that?”

She nodded.

He put his hand on the small of her back and lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her slowly. She shifted in his arms, turning to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

Blood rushed through his veins, pooling in his groin. He lifted his head. Her lips were wet and a little swollen from his kisses. “Come, let me show you the view.”

He led her outside and the cool evening air surrounded them. She rubbed her hands over her arms. He brushed her hands aside, caressing her and pulling her back against his body.

He kissed her neck and shoulders as she stood still under his touches. Then she turned around and rose up on her tiptoes, taking his mouth with hers. Her tongue teased his and he realized that, though she was a little nervous, she was with him right now.

Wanting him the way he wanted her.