Taming the Billionaire

#4 The Wasted Night

"I want to drink by the beach!" Elise pouted, making a cute face.

There was no way Nolan could deny Elise when she looked so charming. He couldn't believe that, even though he felt tempted to spend a night with her, he was in no rush.

They picked up a carton of beer and headed toward the beach. If and whenever Elise wanted to rest, they could take a hotel room. Nolan didn't want to spoil everything because he wanted more than just sleep.

The entire ride, Elise stuck her head out of the rooftop of his car, breathing in the fresh air that rushed through her face, ruffling her hair. From time to time, she would scream her name or something random in ecstasy. Even though she had dated a rich man for three long years, she had barely sat with Mike in his car. There was no possibility of such rides. They always met in secret places. How dumb was she? There were signals everywhere that she was in a toxic, wrong relationship. It was probably always unilateral.

Elise threw her heels in random directions, jumping on the cold sand as she gulped down some beer from her bottle. It was indeed cold. But she didn't care.

The sky was clearer there. But so were Elise's head and heart. She drooled over Nolan, smiling sheepishly. This man came to her life as an angel. She felt like giving him something in return. She rushed back to the car while Nolan went looking for her heels.

"Where do you want to go now?" Nolan asked aloud for her to hear.

"Open it!" Elise returned, louder.

She took out the neatly wrapped gift box from her purse. It was the costliest thing she owned. But it was worthless to her. Why couldn't she wait for one more day? Hell, why did she even buy something so luxurious? She looked at Nolan, who was now on his way to her.

Nolan had a perfect smile plastered on his outwardly handsome face. He waved the pair of heels, smiling so brightly that it reached his sparkling eyes. She could not help but feel a flutter in her heart. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she had ever felt that way. Mike persuaded her for a long time before she responded to his effort that she had assumed to be honest. Only if she knew it was just for some frivolous bet.

She shook her head. There was no way she could fall for another wealthy playboy just right after her breakup. She looked at the box again. It was the costliest thing she owned. Did she really want to give it to an already rich person?

"Is it for me?" Nolan asked over her shoulders, leaning further to keep her heels inside the car.

That sudden movement made Elise startle. But soon, tingles replaced them as Nolan's hot breath fanned the side of her neck.

"What? No! Why would I give something so costly to someone I just met?" Elise pushed him away, creating some space between them. It was better that way. She was getting weird sensations when they got close every time. Why was she losing control so easily? She gulped down the rest of the beer, running wildly towards the beach.

Nolan chuckled before following this free-spirited woman. Perhaps he wouldn't mind following her to hell as well.

The two simply sat, watched the night sky, and drank. Even the silence was comfortable.

"How many women have you slept with?" Elise asked out of the blue, making him surprised.

"I didn't keep count of it!" Nolan chuckled a little, gulping some beer. Were they finally talking? He hoped so.

"Is it that many?" Elise's eyes popped out, gawking at him.

"Maybe!" Nolan smiled. "What about you? Did you keep a diary?"

Elise pouted, pretending to be offended. But soon, her cover was blown as she couldn't control her smile. Nolan didn't mean harm. He was just being playful with her.

"One. I wish I had not fallen for that douchebag!" Elise puffed. She really wished she could go back in time. Her heart ached more from his games than from heartbreak. The picture of him having s*x with Helena still bothered her despite the amount of alcohol she had consumed that night. It was probably more than what she had for an entire year.

"Do not lie!" Nolan taunted. But soon, that expression became serious when he saw her being serious about it. "Really? What a douchebag to leave such a loyal girlfriend!"

"How do you know he left me? I left him!" Elise narrowed her eyes. Indeed, it was she who ran away and broke up. Mike was the one cheating on her behind her.

"Of course!" Nolan snickered, looking straight at the sea.

"You don't believe me!" Elise sulked.

"Why did you break up when you bought that expensive gift for him earlier that morning?" Nolan wanted to figure out what happened on that one day.

Elise sighed. She contemplated if she should speak such intricate details with a stranger. She looked at him again. She was never going to see that handsome face again. Why would someone like him ever want to do anything with her? Maybe he took pity on her that night or used her as a pastime to get rid of something or someone. Perhaps that young, beautiful yet clingy lady. But it wasn't like she didn't benefit anything. If not for Nolan, she would be sucking up her tears in her room now. What harm would it bring if she poured her heart in front of this stranger on that wasted night?

"I caught him cheating on me." Elise looked down as if the sand on the beach was the most beautiful thing. She felt humiliated even to say that she wasn't worth someone's loyalty.

"Douchebag!" Nolan shouted, raising the beer bottle to uplift her spirits. But when she didn't look up, he again raised the bottle, screaming louder this time. "Douchebag!"

Elise couldn't help but laugh at Nolan's childishness. She raised her beer and screamed her lungs out, "Douchebag!"

"If it makes you feel any better, the lady from the pub was my first and only girlfriend who dumped me before leaving for another country to study. Now she is suddenly back and wants to get together, as if I don't have a life without her and a toy she can throw when she wishes and take back when she wants." Nolan spilled.

"What a horrible woman behind that pretty face and expensive clothes!" Elise badmouthed, making Nolan chuckle. She smiled back when it worked how she wanted.

"What is more horrible is that my family is forcing me to marry her. Well, if you can still call us a family." Nolan smiled, but the pain flashed through his eyes.

Elise looked down. She knew how hard it was to have a tough family. "At least you still have something to call a family," she mumbled.

Nolan was visibly worried. Did he mistakenly upset her even more?

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"There is nothing to talk about. My mom is dead, and my father..." She looked down. Well.. she has always told everyone that she was an orphan.

Nolan didn't rush her. Neither he pitied her. He just waited for her to speak next.

"No matter how much I want to tell you he is dead, tonight I have this huge urge to speak my heart." Elise laughed painfully as a teardrop escaped her eyes. She wiped it off, struggling to hold the rest. How cruel was fate to her? It would have been really better if she were an orphan. She lived like one, anyway.

Nolan just stared at her, fighting the urge to embrace her. She was too pretty for him to cry like that.

"I am just some unwanted illegitimate child of someone too big that

I am like a stained mark on his perfect image." Elise gulped her saliva, pushing back her sobs. When Elise turned away, ignoring him, he knew she was hiding her tears.

Nolan sighed. There was nothing he could do or tell Elise to comfort her. But he was going to find her father's identity and make him suffer like she was suffering.

Nolan hesitated for a moment. But then he wrapped his hands around her. Elise wasn't expecting it, but it felt comfortable. It made her feel warm. She wiped off her tears, forcing a smile.

"You are not as bad as I thought," Elise giggled. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or her heartbreak, or her attraction to this man, but she had no problem being herself around him.

"Why would you presume me to be bad?" Nolan quacked his brows.

Elise didn't reply. She simply kept looking at him in admiration, or probably the alcohol was making her feel like that. Whatever it was, she couldn't control it. She looked down at his lips, blushing when their kiss flashed before her eyes. Well, they looked inviting. Would it be too much if she kissed them again? They were both adults and single. Right! She was single.

"Don't look at me like that." Nolan gulped a chunk of saliva, trying to ignore her but failing miserably. No matter how many times he tried to look away from her at something else, he ended up looking at her. Everything about her was magnetic.

Instead of looking away, Elise was now looking directly into Nolan's eyes, making his heart thump. He couldn't breathe or think of anything else other than wanting to kiss her. Then hold her and play with her ruffling hair.

Nolan tucked the hair covering Elise's pretty face behind her ear. She felt a tingle, closing her eyes. Her face turned red, but she didn't move away. She pouted, expecting him to kiss her anytime soon, when he cupped her cheek, caressing her neckline.

When Nolan got dangerously close, his hot breath fanning her face, she could feel the blood rush to her cheek. She felt like her heart would fall from her chest, or all the butterflies she felt in her stomach would be the reason for her death. When he didn't kiss her, she got a little irritated. She grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer to her.

"If I start now, I might not want to stop," Nolan whispered, making her quiver. The tension between them is getting too much for both of them to control all those gushing emotions anymore.

Elise simply nodded her head. She didn't need to be chaste. She had all the right in the world to do something reckless, especially that night.

Nolan smiled. He simply pecked her lips, making her want more. But when he moved to kiss her forehead, she felt something else altogether. When she opened her eyes to meet his warm eyes, she was pleasantly surprised to find that lust wasn't the only thing controlling him. He had a hint of affection. Or he was good at being that sweet and gentle. Whatever it was, she needed them to feel special and worthy that night to get rid of all those negative thoughts crushing her spirit.

"Let's go somewhere warmer." Nolan offered, getting up. Elise didn't mind this time when she held his hands. She knew what he desired. It would be wrong if she told herself she didn't want any of it for herself.