Always the Baker

Chapter 10

10

B rax

I opened the door to my penthouse, gesturing for Billie to enter first. She hesitated for a split second, then stepped inside. Her eyes widened as she took in the view.

“Wow.” She moved toward the windows, which was my favorite part of the penthouse too. I could sit there and look at the view for hours. “It still takes my breath away, every time I see it.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her in awe. “Pretty cool, right? Make yourself at home. Do you want something to drink?”

Billie nodded, tearing her gaze away from the view. “Sure, thanks.”

I headed to the kitchen, grabbing two glasses from the cabinet. When I turned back, I saw Billie standing in front of my smart fridge, her hand hovering uncertainly over the touchscreen. It didn’t take but a few seconds for her to remember how to use it. My mind took me back to yesterday when she first tried…

“Uh, how do I...” She trailed off with an innocent smile.

“Here, let me show you,” I said, going to stand beside her. I reached out to tap the screen. “It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it.”

Billie laughed nervously. “Right, simple. Just like rocket science, I bet.”

I chuckled. “Nah, way easier than that. Watch.”

I demonstrated how to navigate the menu, selecting sparkling water for both of us. The fridge dispensed the drinks with a soft hiss.

“There you go,” I said, handing her a glass. “Now you’re a certified smart fridge operator.”

Billie took a sip. Her eyes flashed with amusement. It made me want to continue to introduce her to new things—big and small. To invite her into a new world. “I’ll add it to my résumé.”

As we moved to the living room, I noticed Billie’s gaze darting around, taking in every detail. She perched on the edge of the couch, looking a bit out of place.

“So, what do you think of the place?”

Truth was, I saw what we had as something that could be long term. I wanted her to love it. I wanted her to love me.

“It’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

I watched as she reached for the remote on the coffee table, then paused, biting her lip. “Um, how do I turn on the TV?”

“Voice command. Just say ‘TV on’ and it’ll work.”

Billie cleared her throat.

“TV on,” she said hesitantly. When nothing happened, she tried again, louder this time. “TV on!”

The massive screen flickered to life, and Billie jumped slightly, making us both laugh. “Oh! That’s convenient.”

It was refreshing to see someone so genuinely impressed by things I took for granted.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.” I agreed. “Takes some getting used to, though. I still sometimes forget and try to use the remote.”

Billie relaxed a bit at that, laughing softly. “Good to know I’m not the only one who can be technologically challenged.”

Feeling her hand on my arm brought me back to reality. I accepted the drink she offered and gave her a quick kiss on the temple before we headed to the living room.

As we sat there, talking about nothing of importance and sipping our drinks, I found myself more and more intrigued by her. We were interested in each other for different reasons, and the more I knew about her, the more I wanted to know.

We talked about our hobbies and interests, not paying much attention to the TV.

Billie’s phone vibrated. She glanced at it, and a frown covered her face.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s… it’s my mom. Do you mind if I take this?”

My head shook, and I watched as Billie stood up, phone in hand. “Hey, Mom,” she answered, her voice tight. “No, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I told you, I’m just… visiting a friend.”

I tried not to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing snippets of her conversation. Something about bills and her mom needing help. Billie’s responses were clipped, tense.

“I’ll be home soon, okay? Don’t worry. I’ll get it under control,” she said finally, ending the call.

As Billie returned to the couch, I noticed the worry lines creasing her forehead. The cowboy hat covering her head was removed as she plopped down into her seat with a loud exhale. She was trying to hide it, but something had clearly been bothering her for a while now. I wanted to ask, to help if I could, but I didn’t want to pry. Instead, I decided to lighten the mood.

“So, about those painting skills of yours… Think you could do a portrait of me? I’ve always wanted to be immortalized in art.”

She laughed and scooted closer to me, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Trust me, you don’t want that. I don’t do portraits for a reason. I’ll have you looking like Little Bill .”

It took me a second to think back on who Little Bill was, and when I remembered, I released a bark of laughter. As funny as that was, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. “I see you got jokes, but are you good? That call sounded pretty intense.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just some family stuff.”

Her eyes darted around as she spoke. I’d seen that look before… on fans trying to sneak backstage, on industry people fishing for inside info. On women holding back. On men trying to use me to get forward. It was the look of someone hiding something.

I debated pushing it. On one hand, I barely knew Billie. On the other hand, I felt weirdly protective of her already. In the end, I decided to let it slide... For now.

“Well, if your family needs anything, let me know,” I offered. “I’ve got connections all over the place.”

“Thanks,” Billie mumbled, fidgeting with the hat next to her. I didn’t think she could get sexier than she was in that dress, but when she put that hat on after the wind picked up, I was in love. “So, um, tell me about your next album. Any big collaborations planned?”

I started my usual spiel about the upcoming record, but part of my mind was still stuck on that phone call. What was Billie hiding? And why did I care so much?

I’d known her for all of five minutes, but something about her pulled at me.

Whatever it was, I knew one thing for sure… I wanted to know more about Billie Hopkins.

The Next Evening

We headed out to a little bistro I frequented often for a late dinner, just a few blocks from my place. Billie’s eyes were wide as she took in the city lights, the honking cars, the constant stream of people. I couldn’t help but smile at her excitement. She said she was from here, but she couldn’t have lived here for long, because this was her reaction every time we went out. Those small town, country roots she mentioned were still sprouting, no matter how she tried to hide them.

My hand slipped between her thighs as I relaxed in the back seat of the town car. She wanted to cruise through the mountains after dinner, so since I’d be driving then, I wanted a break on the way to dinner. I asked her if she wanted to drive one of my cars and she made me laugh when she said she didn’t drive cars with names she couldn’t pronounce.

When Billie spread her legs, I looked over at her. My dick instantly began to harden. Just touching her and looking at her was enough to arouse me. Having a quickie wasn’t my intention, but I’d never deny either of us.

“What you doing?” I checked.

“Giving you more room.”

“Mm.” Sliding my hand up higher, I swallowed hard, feeling the warmth and wetness sitting at the seat of her panties. “What you over there thinking about that’s got you wet like this?”

Billie laughed as she leaned slightly to unbutton my slacks. “Being here with the man of my dreams. Every time I think about the time we’ve spent together, every time I look at you, my heart skips a beat or my pussy leaks.”

She caught me so off guard with the truth I didn’t have an immediate response. It didn’t seem to matter because she lowered herself and took my dick into her mouth. Her head was so sloppy I had to pause to lower my pants more. Relaxing further in the seat, I took a handful of her braids to try and guide her movements, but it wasn’t needed. Billie’s head game was phenomenal.

I didn’t have to coach her. She experimented and gave more of what got any type of reaction out of me. All it took was a brief confirmation of, ‘just like that,’ or ‘yeah, sweetheart, that’s so fucking good’ and she’d go in.

Grunting as my stomach clenched, I slid my fingers into her panties to toy with her wet pussy until my cum shot down her throat. I pulled her onto me, pushing her panties to the side. As she slid down, my eyes almost rolled into the back of my head. I’d slept with numerous women over the years, but Billie’s pussy wasn’t just pussy. Billie’s pussy felt like home.

Gripping her waist, I briefly glanced at the street signs we were passing.

“You got five minutes to get exactly what you need.”

Her mouth lowered to my ear as she confirmed, “I can get it in three.”

And she did. Maybe even less. Between her bouncing, tightening walls, and grinding, she had us both cumming in what felt like seconds. We rushed to clean up and make ourselves presentable. I wiped the small patch of sweat that had accumulated on my forehead, causing her to giggle.

Yeah.

I was falling in love.

Only a moment passed before we arrived.

As we were seated, I noticed a few heads turn our way. I caught snippets of whispered conversations.

“Isn’t that the girl from TMZ?”

“The one with Brax Adams?”

“I wonder if he’s going to do a popup show before he leaves.”

Billie must have heard it too. She ducked her head, suddenly very interested in her menu.

We’d only ordered our drinks when a young woman approached our table, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Oh my God, it’s you!” she squealed, looking at Billie. “I saw those pictures online. Your art is amazing!”

I watched as Billie’s face covered with confusion. Had people started searching for her already? She opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again.

“Oh, um, thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

The fan pressed on, oblivious to Billie’s discomfort. “What’s your medium? Oil? Acrylic? I’d love to see more of your work.”

Billie’s fingers tightened around her water glass. “I, uh, I work with different things. I like to experiment.” She turned to me with pleading eyes. “Brax, didn’t you want to tell me about that new song you’re working on?”

Taking the hint, I smoothly redirected the conversation, giving Billie a chance to catch her breath. As I chatted with the fan, I couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises my mystery girl was hiding.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Billie’s hesitation when talking about her art was strange. For someone who’d studied it, she seemed awfully uncomfortable discussing her work. My curiosity was definitely piqued.

That was the only interruption, and I wasn’t surprised to learn she was visiting from Virginia. After that, we had dinner, and it went smoothly. As we left the restaurant, I decided to probe a little. “So, experimenting with different mediums, huh? Sounds interesting. What’s your favorite so far?”

Billie’s eyes widened slightly.

“I like to keep an open mind. Try new things. Hey, isn’t that new club you mentioned nearby? We should check it out.”

I let her change the subject but filed away her evasiveness for later. As we walked down the neon-lit street, I found myself stealing glances at her. The city lights played across her hair, making the braids shimmer. She looked both excited and nervous, constantly taking everything in with those wide, dark eyes.

“You’re really not used to all this, are you?” I asked, gesturing to the nightlife around us.

She shook her head. “I don’t go out on my own a lot, remember? My usual idea of nightlife is a quick drink and then ducking away on Saturdays.”

I laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Well, prepare to turn up, Hopkins.”

The club was pulsing with energy, bodies moving to the beat. Billie looked overwhelmed at first, but soon she was grinning, swaying to the music. I pulled her close, and our bodies moved together.

“Having fun?” I shouted over the music.

“More than I’ve had in years!” she yelled back, her face flushed with excitement.

We danced for what felt like hours, lost in the rhythm and each other. When we finally stumbled out of the club, breathless and laughing, I knew I didn’t want the night to end.

“I think we should go back to my place.”

Billie bit her lip, not hesitating for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

The elevator ride up to my penthouse was charged with tension. Thick tension. As soon as the doors closed, I had her pressed against the wall and my lips on hers. She responded eagerly as her fingers tangled in my shirt.

We barely made it down the hallway before our clothes started coming off. I lifted her onto the kitchen counter, trailing kisses down her neck as she whimpered my name. It was only fitting that I feast on her pussy since it had quickly become my favorite meal. After she came and squirted all over me, I lifted and allowed her a moment to compose herself.

What followed was wild, passionate, and intense. Billie was full of surprises, matching my energy and then some. As we lay tangled in my sheets afterward, catching our breath, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this… alive. Being with her gave me a feeling nothing else did. Even with all the fun, exciting, and adventurous things I’d done, being with her was on a different level.

As I turned to look at Billie, I caught a flicker of something in her eyes. Guilt? Worry? It was gone in an instant, replaced by a soft smile, but it left me wondering. What was going on in that pretty head of hers?

I woke up to sunlight streaming through my windows and an empty space beside me. For a second, I panicked. Had Billie left? But then I heard movement in the kitchen and relaxed.

Padding out of the bedroom, I freshened up in the bathroom then found her fumbling with the coffee maker. She was wearing one of my T-shirts, which hung adorably large on her smaller frame.

“Need help with that?” I asked, coming up behind her.

Billie jumped, nearly dropping the coffee pod.

“Jesus, you scared me!” She laughed nervously and melted into my embrace. “And yeah, maybe? This thing looks like it could launch a rocket.”

I reached around her to press a few buttons, and the machine buzzed and came to life. “There you go. Rocket launched.”

She turned to face me. Her beautifully brown eyes looked troubled despite her smile. “Thanks. I, uh, hope you don’t mind me raiding your kitchen.”

“Not at all.” I pushed her braids off her shoulders. “You aight? You seem off.”

Billie’s smile faltered. “I’m fine. Just thinking about some stuff back home.”

I was about to press further when her phone buzzed. She glanced at it. Her frame instantly went slack.

“I should take this,” she muttered, stepping away. “It’s my mom.”

As she disappeared onto the balcony, I couldn’t help but overhear snippets of her conversation.

“No, Mom, I’m fine. Yes, I know, but I can’t just drop everything and come back. I’ll figure it out, okay?”

Go back? The pieces weren’t adding up, and I felt my stomach knot with uncertainty. What exactly wasn’t Billie telling me?