Taking Control (Babysitting a Billionaire #3)

“It’s big enough.” She took the gun from him. “You need to insert the magazine, like so. Then to load the chamber you pull back the slide, like this”—she demonstrated—“and release it. Easy. Here you go.”


After removing the magazine and bullet, she handed the gun and ammunition to Declan. He slotted the magazine, chambered the bullet. “Now what?”

“Take out the bullets. We’ll have a go without them first.”

She stood behind him, stepping up close so she could feel the heat of his skin though his clothes. “Now,” she said, “grip your pistol firm in both hands, but keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.” Her hands rested on his upper arms, steadying him, and a prickle of awareness ran through her.

“Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.” Jess slipped a leg between his and nudged them apart. “Stretch out your arms, and lean slightly forward, but stay balanced. Now take a deep breath, exhale halfway, hold it, and squeeze the trigger.”

He squeezed, the pistol made a slight clicking noise.

“Okay, let’s try it with bullets. Load up.”

Declan took the magazine from her and reloaded competently while she pressed a button. Halfway down the room, a target swung into position. Jess stepped to the side this time, leaving him alone, and he took up the stance she had shown him, arms outstretched, feet apart. He closed one eye, sighted down the line of the pistol, took a deep breath, and squeezed.

He was good. A natural. Most people jumped a mile when they first felt the recoil, but he stood easy and relaxed. He hadn’t hit the center of the target though, which made her feel slightly better and brought a frown to his face. She was guessing Declan liked to do everything perfectly

“Again,” she said. He was slightly better this time but still failed to hit the center.

Jess took the gun from his hand, spun round, and shot a bullet into the center of the target without even aiming.

“Show-off,” he muttered.

She gave him back the gun. “Once more.” She moved back behind him, rested her hands lightly on his hips, turning him slightly. “Focus on the target. Clear your mind of everything else.”

“That’s a little hard with your hands all over me.” But this time he hit the target right in the center.

She still had her hands on his hips and she squeezed. “Put the gun down, Declan.”

A subtle tension ran through his body, but he removed the magazine from the pistol and rested them gently on the counter. He didn’t turn, just stood, hands loose at his side. Jess stepped up closer until she was pressed against the length of his back. She slid her hands around from where they rested on his hips to his groin.

“Jesus.”

“Just checking if anything else has come up,” she murmured. He was becoming hard beneath her palm and heat sank through her body, pooling in her belly, then lower, so her sex tingled and an insistent pulse set up between her thighs.

She needed this.

She tugged his shirt out of his pants, then flicked open the button and lowered the zipper. Pushing her hands inside, she found him hot and hard. She wrapped her fingers around the steely length and squeezed.

He did move then. Grasping her wrist, he tugged her hand out from inside his pants, then turned around, lowered his head, and kissed her. Deep, wet kisses that filled her mouth and made her breasts ache.

With his hands gripping her hips, he picked her up and placed her on the counter without ever breaking the kiss. She was gasping for air now, need filling her as he nudged open her thighs. She tore open his shirt, buttons flying across the room, but she had to touch him. His skin was burning hot. She hardly noticed as he dragged her jacket from her shoulders, threw it to the floor. Her shirt followed, then her bra. At last he released her mouth and she took in huge breaths of air, filling her starving lungs.

Lowering his head, he sucked one tight nipple into his mouth, then bit down, and she gasped. He repeated the process with the other, alternating stinging bites with soothing strokes of his tongue until she was mindless with need.

His hands were at her waist now, unfastening her pants, and she arched her hips up off the counter to allow him to drag them down over her long legs, tugging off her shoes without slowing until she was entirely naked, sprawled on the counter before him. Now his movements slowed. He straightened, gazing down at her with eyes darkened and a dull flush across his cheekbones.

“Lie back.” When she didn’t move fast enough, he placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently until her spine rested against the smooth, cool metal of the counter. He trailed his hand down over her breast, rubbing the engorged nipple so sensations shot to her groin. Then lower so it splayed across her flat belly.

“Tell me,” he said. “Did you bring me down here just to seduce me?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”