The Billionaires Sub by MS Parker Page A

his was from Princeton. Different economic and social backgrounds. He’d been born and raised in Hollywood, as far from southern Ohio as one could get. The sizes of our families, the way we’d been brought up, none of it was even close to being similar.
    But as we talked, I found myself being drawn to him more with each passing moment. There was something about the way he talked, the way he carried himself that told me he was lonely, and that he’d been that way for so long that he’d accepted it as how he’d always be.
    I didn’t want him to be.
    The realization hit me partway through the movie I wasn’t paying attention to and distracted me even more. I shouldn’t have cared if he felt lonely, or at least not more than I would’ve cared about some other near-stranger.
    What I was feeling for Cross, however, was definitely not stranger-ish. It was...complicated. Or, at least, it had the potential to be complicated. I didn’t really want to think about it at the moment. I had enough on my plate. Fortunately, Cross didn’t seem to notice my internal debate, and our conversation continued as normal.
    As it got later, I began to wonder about other things, things better left unsaid. Things that had started with his kiss, his touch. I wondered where he would take me if I reached for him, if I didn’t stop us this time. I knew what I’d seen at the club, and what Juliette had told me, both about Cross and about what it meant to be a Dominant. I knew that he wouldn’t do things the way my ex had done them. A part of me shied away from that idea, away from the unknown. But another part of me – a part I’d never truly acknowledged until now – wondered how I would feel about trying any of the things Juliette and I had talked about.
    “I can have my housekeeper pick up a few things for you before she comes over tomorrow,” Cross said suddenly. “I’m assuming you’d prefer not to wear either that dress or the clothes from the club tomorrow.”
    That brought back a question I hadn’t thought of since I’d gotten up. “How did you know what size to get? It fits perfectly.”
    His gaze ran over me. “Yes, it does.” His eyes met mine again. “I had her get one based on the clothes we sent to the cleaners.”
    That made sense. “She doesn’t need to do that,” I said. “I’m sure I can go back to the apartment first thing–”
    He stopped me with a simple touch, his fingers on mine. “Let me take care of you, Hanna. Until we find Juliette.”
    I didn’t know when things had gone from me to we , but I couldn’t say that I minded. Especially here, where I didn’t know anyone, it was good to have someone on my side.
    “The guest room is yours for as long as you need it,” he said. He stood and held out a hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. “And I’ll make sure you have something more comfortable to wear tomorrow.”
    “What about tonight?” The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
    His fingers tightened on me briefly, then he let go. “I’m sure I can find you something.”
    For a moment, I wanted to tell him that I could sleep in the nude...and that he could sleep with me. Then the moment was gone, and I remembered that sleeping with him would be a bad idea.
    So I didn’t say anything. And he didn’t say anything. He disappeared into another room and emerged a minute or so later with a shirt in his hand. He handed it to me, letting his fingers linger on mine for a second longer than he needed to. Then he was saying good-night, and going back into that room again.
    It was easier falling asleep than I thought it would be, than it should have been, considering all that’d happened. I knew a part of that was pure exhaustion, but I also knew that another part was because I’d curled up in his shirt and breathed in the scent of him until the darkness came.
    When I woke up, it didn’t take me long to remember where I was or what had happened. It also didn’t take me