Give Me More--A Sexy Billionaire Romance A.C. Arthur (the giving tree read aloud .TXT) 📖

day. They sacrifice it all for their careers and they’re given a pat on the back. Why was I supposed to do something different?”

“So that’s the reason you decided not to marry my son?” Marva nodded after she spoke again. “I see. You thought you wouldn’t be able to continue on your career path while being married to such a high-profile man. Oh, I definitely see now.”

While Grace wanted to tell Marva that she couldn’t possibly know what Grace had been feeling then or what was motivating her now, she didn’t. The irony of the situation was, if anyone in the Gold family could relate to what she’d gone through with RJ, Marva was the one. She’d attended college and worked briefly as an educator before marrying Ron and becoming the legendary man’s partner. In the years she’d been a Gold, she’d also become a very notable philanthropist, starting several initiatives to aid schools specifically in underrepresented communities.

“Ron was that man for me,” Marva went on. “His big personality, the company, the fortune, even that fancy Rolls-Royce he rode around in, was a lot for a girl like me who’d come from much humbler beginnings in Baltimore.”

“I know you were able to build a separate life and identity for yourself within the marriage,” Grace said in the hope that they could speed past this part of the conversation. She knew Marva’s backstory, had done all her research prior to this interview. They didn’t need to rehash any of it.

“Then why didn’t you believe you could do the same?”

“I didn’t want to,” Grace immediately replied, realizing then that it had boiled down to that simple fact. Grace hadn’t wanted to re-create herself under the Gold name; she’d wanted to have her own name personified first and was certain there was nothing wrong with that.

“That makes sense. But how do you feel now? Are you certain you became fixated on doing this story because you believe you’re the one to tell it, or was it partially because you knew it would bring you face-to-face with RJ again?”

Hours after that very long conversation with his mother, Grace stared down at RJ next to her, wondering if some of Marva’s observations might be accurate.

“If you keep staring at me like that, you’re never gonna make it to your last interviews and I’ll be late for a call I have scheduled with the office.” He didn’t open his eyes when he spoke, and she wondered if he knew she used to stare at him every morning like this.

With a grin, she shook her head, figuring he probably did know and had enjoyed it. RJ may not seem interested in the personal attention the media always wanted to offer the Golds, but he enjoyed any attention she gave him. The thought warmed her heart.

“I can’t believe you’re here. That you stayed.” That wasn’t what she’d planned to say to him, but the words had tumbled free anyway. “I mean, when I finished working it was really late and I just climbed into bed.” She’d known he was there, had even cuddled up to him for a while, intending her touch to initiate foreplay. Then they’d get to the business of sex like they’d been doing each night and afterward he would return to his villa. But the sex hadn’t happened and he hadn’t left.

His eyes were open now, holding her gaze intently. “You were sleeping pretty soundly when I woke up. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“So you undressed and joined me in the bed instead of leaving?” It was obvious that’s what happened, but she wanted to him to tell her why he’d done it.

He reached over to take her free hand, weaving his fingers through hers. “I didn’t want to leave last night.” He looked at their hands and then returned his gaze to hers. “I didn’t want to be without you again. For ten extremely long years I vowed to sleep alone and I intended to honor that decree forever. I wasn’t going to let anybody else in, Grace. Not into the space that was reserved solely for you.”

In that moment her heart felt like it was breaking again, but this time for the sadness so easily detected in his tone. “I never meant to hurt you.”

With an easy smile, RJ brought her hand up to his lips, kissing each of her fingers. “I know. I understand what you did and why you did it.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, because she was. She was sorry that she hadn’t talked to him about what she was feeling, sorry that she hadn’t given their relationship the respect it deserved by ending it better.

He reached for her then, pulling her until she was on top of him. He hugged her close, whispering, “Don’t apologize, baby. It’s in the past. We’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

Grace held on to him for what felt like hours. She inhaled the fading remnants of his cologne, felt the steady strength of his body beneath her. This wasn’t a memory. She felt everything—the overwhelming sense of remorse mixed with the undeniable push of hope. Easing away slowly, she placed her palms on his chest and adjusted herself until she was sitting over him, her legs spread, her pussy flush against his dick.

His arms had fallen to his side but he continued to look up at her, not speaking, just watching and, she suspected, waiting to see what she would do next. She grabbed the hem of her nightshirt, pulling it up and over her head before tossing it onto the floor. He waited a beat before lifting his hands to cup her breasts, kneading them gently. She leaned into the touch, arching her back to give him better access. Then she lifted slightly off him, just enough so she could reach a hand behind her, lowering it to rub along his dick.

He didn’t make a sound, but in the early morning light she could see a muscle tightening in