Obsessed Heir (Billionaire Heirs #4)

Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Abigail

“ C an we do a couple without the dress?”

Every muscle in my body stiffens.

“Excuse me?” I squeak out. I must have misunderstood what she said.

“Barron can cover you with his arm,” Holly explains, her voice as casual as if she’s asking if I need a break.

My ears are ringing so loud the sound drowns out everything else. How can they possibly expect me to do this? I can’t… She has to have seen what I’m wearing under this. No, I can’t do it.

Barron is standing right behind me, close enough that I feel the heat coming off his body…and other reactions. He’s aroused, and the awareness it triggers sends conflicting emotions crashing over me. How am I supposed to go flat-out naked in front of him ?

“Come on, little thief,” Barron’s deep voice rumbles in my ear.

The nickname stings, a painful reminder he’ll never let me live down. I straighten my shoulders, steeling myself against the emotions boiling inside me.

Asshole. He dares to bring up that incident now? How could a rich, self-centered jerk like him ever understand what it’s like to be me? His parents gave him everything, while my only parent walked away, leaving me on my own to go hungry.

His thumb comes down, burning a trail along my shoulder. The touch is gentle, almost tender. But I know it’s far from that. Holly couldn’t have been more on point. He really is the big, bad billionaire, while I’m the helpless nobody caught in his spell.

Move … move away before this goes any further.

But my body doesn’t care about my outrage and indignation. Instead, the sensitive skin along the inside of my thigh tingles with awareness. It’s a reminder of what it was like to have his thumb stroking me intimately.

Goose bumps race up my back and along my shoulders. Has he noticed my body’s reaction to his touch? The flush of embarrassment washes over me from head to toe.

He switches arms, bringing down the other strap. I instinctively put an arm across my chest, letting the dress slide to the floor at my feet. I’m left exposed and vulnerable, practically naked, with Barron shadowing me.

“It’ll just be one quick picture, then we’re done, I promise.” Holly still sounds so calm as she takes the last shot she needs.

A rush of cool air surrounds me, reminding me I’m all but naked, with Barron McClelland standing nearby…aroused.

“Barron.” Holly’s voice breaks into my daydreams. “Let’s have your right arm covering her.”

Only Barron isn’t behind me now. Is he having second thoughts too? I smother the urge to glance over my shoulder. After what he did to me earlier with those wicked fingers, I’d want to shrivel up if I’m met with that look of disdain.

“ Barron ,” Holly snaps, to get his attention. “Your right arm over her chest,” she continues in a normal tone. “The left at her waist.”

He moves in close, his suit brushing against me, and brings his arm to cover my breasts. Saliva pools in my mouth again as I move, not knowing what to do with myself.

“This okay?” he asks gruffly.

“Abby, left cheek toward your shoulder,” Holly directs while she has the camera click several times. “Let’s try…” She tilts her head. “Can you bring your hands up to grasp his biceps?” She holds her hands up, showing where she wants me.

I match her example, my fingers curling around his arm. Part of me wants to squeeze the solid muscle and see if it’s as hard as it seems.

“Hmm, can you move your left hand up to cup his cheek…” Holly says, pushing the limit.

Oh dear. Several images of him, all kinds of pissed off, flash through my mind. Even that doesn’t change the fact my nipples are stiff peaks against his sleeve. I’ve come this far…

Swallowing nervously, I move to do as she asks. His hand settles at the edge of my breast, his fingers stretching out alongside of my body. The same fingers he buried in my folds a few minutes ago.

I glance up, meaning to avoid poking his eye out, but I meet his gaze for a brief second. There’s no anger, no ridicule, no smug amusement, or mocking grin. Just a man looking me in the eye…making moisture pool between my thighs.

I tear my gaze away, concentrating on cupping his cheek while trying to keep my fingers from trembling. His skin is warm and utterly smooth past the line of his beard. Whatever else I expected, it wasn’t the shot of desire that runs down my center, leaving me aching.

“Okay, I think we’re done here.”

Holly’s voice, sounding entirely too satisfied, intrudes on the moment. It’s like she literally burst a bubble around me. The weight of responsibility, of what I agreed to do, falls away. I pull my hand back and bring my other arm up under his, covering myself. The hard tips pressed against my forearm and palm send heat through my cheeks.

I bend down to retrieve my dress from the floor. My hip bumps up against the unmistakable evidence of his arousal, stopping me in my tracks. I should loath the fact his body’s this close to mine.

Instead, my pulse echoes between my thighs, triggering another mortifying release of moisture from my traitorous body.

“I’ve got it,” I croak, my voice sounding strangled and hoarse even to my own ears. I hold out a hand to stop him. This little encounter has left me out of sorts. I don’t need anything else making it worse.

I lower myself, setting my knee on the plush carpet for a second to maintain my balance. Then I push up, clutching the dress to my chest.

In a useless attempt for a sliver of modesty, I turn to give both of them my back. Doing my best to ignore Barron’s presence, I slip one arm into a sleeve then the other.

“These are fantastic,” Holly gushes, focusing on the camera’s rear screen. “You two have ridiculous chemistry.”

I run my hands along the slits in the skirt, straightening the dress. Then I let my hair fall forward to cover my chest again, avoiding a glance at my nipples. I’ll die if they’re poking out between the strands.

I can’t muster the nerve to look at Barron, and I won’t let Holly talk me into anything else. I’ve already gone way beyond anything I could have imagined when I agreed to help.

“I’ll head back to my room.” I don’t even give her a chance to say a word as I hurry past her to fumble with the knob.

As soon as I shut the door, I exhale in a rush. Tension, embarrassment, and fear flow out, leaving me weak.

Stop it. The man hates you.

I fold my arms tightly across my body as I start down the hallway.

I’m not as steady as I should be. My legs tremble beneath me. I reach out to brace myself against the wall, needing the extra support to make it down the corridor.

Turning the corner into the kitchenette, blessed relief courses through me as cool, clean air fills my lungs. I can see where I’m going, and it doesn’t feel like I have something dangerous nipping at my heels.

Halfway across the living area, I realize the blackout curtains are open. I avert my face, rushing the last few steps to avoid glancing outside.

If anyone’s in the room, they’ll be wondering why I’m hurrying through without bothering to say hello. Honestly, I’m not sure I could manage a conversation right now anyway.

All I want is to get to my room and drag the covers over my head. Although I don’t know what I’m hiding from. I basically bared it all to Barron and even allowed him to touch it.

Embarrassment burns at my cheeks as I relive the moment Holly walked in. Just a few seconds before…

Miss Opal’s door is closed. She won’t be back until at least after dinner. Which means I can stay locked in my room.

Hurrying inside, I close the door firmly behind me and lean against it the way I’ve seen in so many of the old movies Miss Opal enjoys watching. The tension coiled inside me starts to fade away.

Somehow, I made it through all that without falling apart.

I cross the room and sink into bed, where I burrow under the covers. Even here, I feel like I’m surrounded by Barron. I’d swear I can smell his scent lingering in the air.

Reaching out, I get the robe I left at the foot of the bed this morning. I jam my arms into the sleeves and tighten the belt around my waist. With my height, it’s nearly down to my ankles, yet I still feel naked. It’s the underwear, or lack of underwear, that has me squirming. No, not really…

Reality comes crashing down on me.

Oh my God. I just let Barron McClelland, a man I hate, finger me to orgasm.

And I loved it.

I bring my hands up and bury my face in the fluffy sleeves. How am I ever going to face him after this?