One Weekend with the Billionaire novel Chapter 68

I’m not sure I’m ready to show Braxton the painting I was working on today. It isn’t finished yet, and it’s not like the other paintings I’ve done for him to see. He might not like it. He might even think it’s not any good, which would be a hard thing to hear. Not that I think he’d say anything to hurt my feelings on purpose, but I am good at reading people’s expressions, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to tell if he thinks it’s crap, even if he says otherwise.

Beyond that, as he pulls me along out of the dining room and toward the art room, I am wishing he would’ve said something to me about the lawsuit that Jeff is filing against him. Braxton hasn’t mentioned it since he got home. He’s acting like there’s nothing wrong, and I know that’s not the case. I’m sure he just doesn’t want me to worry about it, but I am worried about it. If my mom hadn’t told me about the lawsuit, I wouldn’t know there was anything wrong at all. Braxton is keeping it from me to protect me, but he needs to trust me. He needs to confide in me.

Once we reach the art room, Braxton releases my hand and goes inside to look at my artwork. I slow down and linger closer to the door. He stops before he walks around the front of the easel and looks at me, as if he’s trying to gauge whether or not I am okay with him looking. I am still hesitant, but I say nothing, and Braxton rounds the corner.

I watch his face as he takes in the unfinished piece I left on the easel earlier in the day. He cocks his head slightly to the side as his eyes widen slightly. His eyes roam the canvas, widening even more, and then he looks from the piece to me and then back again several times. Eventually, he shakes his head slowly from side to side, and a tangle forms in my stomach as I try to determine what he will say. He seems to like it, but I won’t be sure until he speaks.

"Wow," he finally says. "This is… amazing, Julia. Just… wow. I don’t even know what to say."

I come over then because I want to make sure he can decipher what it will be. I am not surprised he found something nice to say about my work because that’s just how Braxton is--complimentary. What I am not sure of is if he knows what he’s looking at.

"It’s a couple," I say, as if he couldn’t tell. "Locked in an embrace. On the beach."

"I can tell," he says, with a warm smile, reaching for my hand. I give it to him, and he pulls me closer. "It’s beautiful."

"Obviously, it’s not finished yet," I continue. "I wasn’t happy with some of the angles, so I decided to take a break. It’s been a really long time since I painted people."

"You should paint them more often," Braxton says with a smile. "I love it."

He thrusts deep and fast, and I grind against him. He’s hitting me in all of the right places. I bite my lip; it feels so good. Braxton’s mouth takes in a nipple, his hand working the other. I close my eyes and tip my head back. I can’t stand how good he feels inside of me. I’m afraid I might float away and never come back as I am lost in wave after wave of ecstasy.

Braxton keeps me at the peak of euphoria for so long, I lose track of time. When he finally hits his own tipping point, I rest my head against his chest and wait for him to fill me with his warmth. He grunts again and then his body spasms against mine, and I feel his essence inside of me, filling all of the cracks and crevices, making us become one even more thoroughly.

Breathing deeply, Braxton rests his head on top of mine for a long moment before he sighs loudly and then kisses the top of my head, pulling me even closer to him, his strong arms wrapped around me tightly.

"I love you with all of my heart, Julia," he whispers.

I know that he does. I can’t speak at the moment, my heart is pounding so loudly in my chest as I struggle to suck in air, but when I can, I will tell him I love him with all of my heart, too. I just hope we can find a way to get out of the trap Jeff is setting for us because if I can’t stay with Braxton, I think I might die.