Excerpt of Bidding on the Billionaire by J.M. Stewart

Hannah undid the locks with shaking fingers and pulled the door open, too stunned for a moment to do much more than take in his tall, broad form leaning in her doorway. He had on his pajamas, too, baggy, blue plaid pants hanging low on his hips, a plain white T-shirt, and, of all things, running sneakers.

She darted an obvious glance down his body and raised her brows. “Last minute decision?”

Phone in one hand, he hitched a shoulder, nonchalant. As if he showed up on women’s doorsteps in his pajamas at midnight all the time. Something hot and promising flashed in his gaze, though, and her stomach dipped in the most exquisite way. “Something like that.”

A sense of vulnerability washed through her chest, and her smile fell. She ached to jump on him, to wrap her body around him and drag him inside. She couldn’t deny the sight of him filled her with joy to near bursting. “I didn’t think I’d get to see you tonight.”

“Me neither.” He pushed away from the doorway and stepped over the threshold. “I hadn’t intended to come over. Prepping for tomorrow took longer than I expected, it got late and I thought for sure you’d be sleeping. But I couldn’t go to sleep without seeing you.”

“Is that why you haven’t called in two days?” She hadn’t meant to ask him that, but the expression on his face and the tension mounting between them nagged at her. Something was off. She’d heard enough excuses over the years from guys backpedaling their way out of a date to know when someone avoided her. She’d rather Cade be honest with her.

He remained silent, his gaze searching hers. Great. She sounded like a jealous girlfriend. Cade took another step, closing the door behind him and moved into her personal space. So close every time she inhaled, his scent invaded her nostrils.

“No. You’re right. I’ve been avoiding calling you. You make me crazy, Hannah. I’m in meetings I need to be paying attention to and all I can think about is you. Almost getting caught the other day scared the hell out of me. You want the truth? I don’t do crazy or impulsive. I do safe. I do what’s expected of me, and I do it well, because it’s expected of me.”

He lifted a hand, stroking her cheek, awe in his gaze as it worked her face.

“But with you? I find myself dreaming up ways to rock your damn world. Like fucking you in a public place, because I know, deep down, it turns you on. I don’t take risks like that, but I like making you happy. Getting to watch you is the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen, and your smile afterwards was all the reward I needed.”

He cupped her face in the warmth of his huge hands. Hannah was helpless to do anything but stare. His heartfelt words had hit their mark. Cade McKenzie was a good man, and she was melting beneath the power of him.

“So no, I hadn’t intended to come over tonight. I wanted some time to get my head together, but in the end, I couldn’t stand it. I had to see you.”

Hannah undid the locks with shaking fingers and pulled the door open, too stunned for a moment to do much more than take in his tall, broad form leaning in her doorway. He had on his pajamas, too, baggy, blue plaid pants hanging low on his hips, a plain white T-shirt, and, of all things, running sneakers.

She darted an obvious glance down his body and raised her brows. “Last minute decision?”

Phone in one hand, he hitched a shoulder, nonchalant. As if he showed up on women’s doorsteps in his pajamas at midnight all the time. Something hot and promising flashed in his gaze, though, and her stomach dipped in the most exquisite way. “Something like that.”

A sense of vulnerability washed through her chest, and her smile fell. She ached to jump on him, to wrap her body around him and drag him inside. She couldn’t deny the sight of him filled her with joy to near bursting. “I didn’t think I’d get to see you tonight.”

“Me neither.” He pushed away from the doorway and stepped over the threshold. “I hadn’t intended to come over. Prepping for tomorrow took longer than I expected, it got late and I thought for sure you’d be sleeping. But I couldn’t go to sleep without seeing you.”

“Is that why you haven’t called in two days?” She hadn’t meant to ask him that, but the expression on his face and the tension mounting between them nagged at her. Something was off. She’d heard enough excuses over the years from guys backpedaling their way out of a date to know when someone avoided her. She’d rather Cade be honest with her.

He remained silent, his gaze searching hers. Great. She sounded like a jealous girlfriend. Cade took another step, closing the door behind him and moved into her personal space. So close every time she inhaled, his scent invaded her nostrils.

“No. You’re right. I’ve been avoiding calling you. You make me crazy, Hannah. I’m in meetings I need to be paying attention to and all I can think about is you. Almost getting caught the other day scared the hell out of me. You want the truth? I don’t do crazy or impulsive. I do safe. I do what’s expected of me, and I do it well, because it’s expected of me.”

He lifted a hand, stroking her cheek, awe in his gaze as it worked her face.

“But with you? I find myself dreaming up ways to rock your damn world. Like fucking you in a public place, because I know, deep down, it turns you on. I don’t take risks like that, but I like making you happy. Getting to watch you is the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen, and your smile afterwards was all the reward I needed.”

He cupped her face in the warmth of his huge hands. Hannah was helpless to do anything but stare. His heartfelt words had hit their mark. Cade McKenzie was a good man, and she was melting beneath the power of him.

“So no, I hadn’t intended to come over tonight. I wanted some time to get my head together, but in the end, I couldn’t stand it. I had to see you.”