The DECEIT Collection: A Romantic Suspense full of lies, deception, passion, and DECEIT... (The DECEIT Series)

by Emma Shae

  Sasha felt her climax returning, building in waves, as each one was more draining than the one before it until she lay motionless and at the complete mercy of her benefactor a second time. Sasha then slowly opened her eyes and saw those gorgeous emerald green eyes staring back at her.

  Sasha then begged, Damon, “Please, I need to feel you inside of me now.”

  Damon obeyed her request, and without saying another word, they didn’t need words, their bodies knew what was required, Damon eased inside of her. Sasha raised her hips upward to meet his entry, and he slowly began to thrust inside of her, she matched each one with her own, encouraging him to give her more. As his thrusts intensified, Sasha loved it. She could feel herself getting closer to another orgasm. Damon huskily asked, “Is this what you need?”

  “Yes, give it to me,” and Damon responded, as he willingly gave Sasha all that she craved, desired, and needed, and several seconds later, they both orgasmed at the same instant, and it was sublime.

  Damon collapsed on top of Sasha. They were both spent and completely sated, desiring no more.

  Damon rolled onto his side then and pulled Sasha’s back up against him. The couple was exhausted from their lovemaking, and all they desired was to be together, as one. Soon they were both fast asleep from their exhausting lovemaking.

  CHAPTER 3

  VANESSA’S PLAN

  Vanessa had revealed some vital information to Damon the night before, but there were still so many things that he needed to know. With everything that was currently going on, though, this just wasn’t the right time to hit him with all of the family drama.

  Vanessa decided the best plan was for her to put everything in writing, legally. That way, if something happened to her, Damon would then have a little better understanding of things. At least that way, he could perhaps partially grasp why Emry had suddenly, seemingly, started to fall apart.

  Vanessa didn’t feel well enough to make to trip to Burton’s office this morning, so she would call him to get things started. Vanessa needed Burton to send Tammy, one of his legal transcriptionists, to her home, this morning, so that everything could get rolling.

  Having made that decision, Vanessa called Burton’s office. Then she rang Maida on the intercom system and asked her, “Can you please let the guards know that I am expecting Tammy, from Burton’s law firm this morning. She will present them with a business card upon arrival. Let them know that it is okay to admit her onto the estate. When you finish with that, Maida, could you come up to my room? There are some things that I want to go over with you.”

  Maida had been in the Lockheed employ for a very long time. Trenton’s parents had hired her originally, so she was more like a family member than an employee. Maida lived in their home and took care of all of them, as she had always done for Trenton’s parents. Maida was the family cook, but more than that, she was also Vanessa’s friend.

  Vanessa shared thoughts with Maida, but she had never shared family secrets with her, that was too personal and private. Vanessa’s family secrets were something that she shared with no one except her husband, Trenton Jr, and since he passed away, she had to carry the burden alone.

  Trenton wasn’t just Vanessa’s husband. He was her confidant, her best friend, and someone that she could never replace, not in her mind, or her heart.

  The two of them shared everything. Vanessa and Trenton shared everything, they had no secrets between them, and Vanessa missed that, she missed Trenton.

  When Maida arrived, she tapped on Vanessa’s door, and after hearing Vanessa’s response, to enter, she let herself inside.

  Maida was carrying a tray of food and said, “Ms. Vanessa, since you didn’t come downstairs for breakfast this morning, I brought you a bite to eat. I figured you would be hungry by now.

  “No, Maida, I’m not really hungry this morning, but I would like some of that coffee if you don’t mind. It smells delicious.”

  “Sure, Ms. Vanessa, I’ll pour you a cup.”

  Maida was surprised to see that Vanessa hadn’t dressed for work yet. She was still lying in her bed wearing her gown that she had slept in the night before. Her hair wasn’t brushed and was in disarray. Vanessa appeared pale and drawn, which immediately alarmed Maida.

  Maida worried so much about Vanessa. She was such a good friend, and Maida knew about Vanessa’s heart problem. Maida was aware that Vanessa could not have a fourth surgery. Maida also knew that her old friend was fading fast, and there was nothing more the specialist could do for her.

  “Ms. Vanessa, is there anything else I can get for you?”

  “No, Maida, I’m just a little under the weather this morning, so I’m going to stay home today.”

  “Perhaps that is best. You are the boss anyway, so if you want to take a day or two off, it is nobody’s business.”

  “You’re right, Maida. I can take a week off if I like. With Damon now taking the lead role on the board, I feel confident that I can take some time off, and everything will run as smooth as glass.”

  “I agree with you, Mrs. Vanessa. Mr. Damon is a most capable young man. I’m sure that your confidence is justified.”

  “Maida, on a different note, I have a question for you. You and I will both miss Vita very much, and of course, she is irreplaceable. However, I know that you have been working extra hard to try to keep up with the cooking and the housework since losing Vita, and even having pulled William and Thomas in to help out, that has still been a heavy load for you. I was wondering if you knew of anyone that would like a job here in my household as our new maid.”

  Maida smiled, and her eyes lit up, “Why, as a matter of fact, Ms. Vanessa, I do. I have a good friend, Wanda. She’s looking for a housekeeping job, and she has excellent references. Her previous boss passed away, and his estate is in probate, so Wanda may soon be without a place to live. She would make a nice complement to our household. I’m sure of it.”

  “Why don’t you give her a call, Maida, and if you would like to work with her, hire her.”

  “Why, Ms. Vanessa, I can’t hire her without your approval.”

  “I’m giving you that approval, in advance, Maida, I trust your judgment. Besides, you are going to be her boss, so you need someone that you can trust to carry out your orders.”

  “I am going to be her boss?”

  “Yes, I’m giving you a promotion, and of course, a raise. In addition to being our chief cook, I want you to be our household coordinator from now on. I want you to run this estate the way a captain runs his ship. You don’t have to ask me for an okay because you have it already. You already have access to the household budget account. I want you to command this ship captain, and direct your sailors as their leader from this point forward. I need you to do this for me and be responsible for the organization around this place. If you need to hire a cook’s assistant to help you, I am granting you the freedom to do that. Do you want the job or not?”

  “Oh-yes, of course, I would love the responsibility, and the raise will be nice too.”

  “Well, since you are doing the job already, Maida, I figured that you might as well get paid for it. Thank you for helping me out. Now, go and call your friend, Wanda, and if she says yes, hire her. If she doesn’t meet your expectations, then let her go and interview another person for your maid position. I’m counting on you to steer this ship through this foul weather we are currently trying to maneuver in.”

  Maida smiled and saluted Vanessa, “Eye to eye admiral.”

  “Close enough, you go, girl.”

  Vanessa could hear Maida laughing as she left Vanessa’s room, and it made Vanessa smile knowing that she had not only made her friend happy, but she had taken care of a crucial matter.

  Maida would take good care of everything when Vanessa was gone. Knowing she had someone to see after, not only her household but her family as well, gave Vanessa peace of mind. Maida was a loyal employee and a trusted friend. Vanessa could rest easy, knowing that Maida was now in control. Vanessa tr
usted Maida.

  Vanessa’s plan was lining up nicely. She felt good knowing that Damon would soon have access to her private information after she was gone.

  Vanessa’s secrets would give Damon an arsenal of information at his disposal. Vanessa felt confident that once Damon had access to the ammunition that she was going to give him, he would be able to handle it. After all, Damon was from good stock. Even at his lowest point when he faced the tragedy of losing his wife and child at sea, he was able to pull himself back from the pits of hell.

  Vanessa hoped that after Damon learned all of the hidden family secrets that she was going to share with him, and was allowed time to get over the initial shock, he would be able to take care of everything the way that only a Lockheed would know how to manage.

  With Vanessa’s health deteriorating quickly now, she knew that it was time for her to get her house in order.

  Making Maida responsible for the household staff was a big part of that organization. Maida would help hold everything together when Vanessa was gone. Damon would need her then, more than he realized.

  The estate was an enormous place with its thirty acres and a twenty-bedroom mansion. It was more than an average person could handle, but Maida was not your average person.

  Maida was of Jewish descent and a small child during the Holocaust, so she was used to doing a lot with a small amount. She was born into long hours and hard work.

  All of Maida’s siblings, two brothers, and a sister died in that tragic war.

  Maida’s parents were both killed as they tried to escape Germany, but they were able to save Maida.

  Maida grew up in foster care until Vanessa’s mother in law, Ramona Lockheed, Trenton Sr’s., wife, brought her into her home as a cook, and Maida never left.

  Maida and Vanessa became very close after Edward was born, and for years remained close. After Edward grew up and married n but as Vanessa’s health began to deteriorate, they drifted apart. Vanessa was hospitalized for years and sent away to foreign doctors for treatment.

  After Vanessa was finally able to return home again, the two women were able to rebuild their friendship quickly, and they stayed friends from that day forward.

  CHAPTER 4

  THE EMPIRE

  Vanessa had kept her most intimate family secrets to herself for a very long time, but with her health now failing, it was time for her to make some crucial decisions about her family affairs.

  Vanessa had been born with a weak heart, but she was also a free bleeder, which made her ineligible for a heart transplant. She was fit with her first pacemaker at the age of only twelve and told that it would have to be replaced every ten to twelve years.

  Her physicians warned Vanessa’s family that she must take it easy all of her life, or their child wouldn’t live to be a teenager.

  Her family catered to her all of her young life, but as she grew up, Vanessa tired of being sheltered. She was ready to spread her wings and enjoy the ride, wherever it took her. Vanessa wanted to enjoy life for as long as she could and face all of its challenges head-on.

  Vanessa did exceptionally well in high school in all of her subjects. She excelled in anything that dealt with numbers, though. She loved mathematics and calculus and absorbed analytics like a sponge.

  Upon graduating from high school, Vanessa received several scholarships. She had an open door to any college of her choice, making it virtually impossible for her parents to deny her the opportunity to further her education. Vanessa wanted to go as far as she could in life and pushed herself to get there.

  Since Vanessa’s passion was working with numbers, whenever she entered college, which was the field that she chose.

  College was where Vanessa first met Trenton Lockheed.

  Trenton’s attention was on Vanessa from the first time he laid eyes on her. With both of them going after the same degree, they shared several classes, so they saw each other daily. Trenton was attracted not only to Vanessa’s beauty but to her intelligence as well.

  Vanessa turned many heads in her early years, and even now, was an attractive older woman. She had the most engaging smile and outstanding emerald green eyes, with long raven black hair.

  Vanessa had drawn so much of Trenton’s attention, though, that he barely passed college. Trenton relied heavily on his family name and business for his future career anyway, so he wasn’t extremely concerned with good grades. Trenton’s biggest concern was catching the eye of the raven-haired beauty with the emerald green eyes.

  Vanessa shined as a business major and achieved a Doctorate in half the time that it should have taken her. Having received the highest degree possible in her chosen field, Vanessa quickly established herself as a force to be recognized early on.

  Trenton finally reached his goal of drawing Vanessa's attention, even though his college scores suffered. Vanessa was the only thing that Trenton could think about, day and night. He could hardly wait to graduate from college so that he could ask Vanessa to marry him.

  Thankfully, when graduation day finally came, Trenton asked Vanessa to marry him, and she said yes to his proposal, and they were married soon after graduation from college.

  Shortly after the couple married, Trenton’s parents passed away, leaving not only the business to their only living son but the family estate as well.

  Trenton and Vanessa settled into the family mansion, making Vanessa the queen of her very own castle. Their life together was almost sublime. The Lockheed business, which was already an established entity, flourished under Vanessa’s guidance.

  The couple attacked the business world with full force. With Vanessa steering the ship, and Trenton welding the whip, Lockheed International became an even more significant force.

  As the years passed, the couple had a child, a son, and they named Edward Wayne Lockheed.

  As Edward grew up, Lockheed International grew more substantial and more powerful.

  Trenton groomed Edward to join the family business, so naturally, when Edward graduated from college, he quickly stepped into the vice-president position.

  Edward followed in his father’s footsteps and married his college sweetheart as well, Amilia.

  The couple planned to have a family together, but after several years passed, without children, frustration moved in, and their marriage suffered for it.

  Edward insisted that he wasn’t the problem and forced his wife to get tested. It turned out that Edward was sterile and would never be able to have children.

  Adoption was an option, but Edward was adamant that his child be his own. At that point, the Lockheed lineage could have ceased to exist.

  Trenton, Edward’s father, came up with an idea. His plan was a little far-fetched, but after Edward and Amilia talked it over, they agreed that it was their best option.

  Trenton was to donate his sperm for Edward and Amilia to have a child. That would keep the family bloodline alive and was an option that Edward could accept.

  Nine months later, Edward and Amilia had a baby boy that they named Emry Wayne Lockheed.

  Emry was Edward's pride and joy, and Edward utterly spoiled him. Edward made sure that Emry had everything that his heart desired.

  However, as Emry grew up, with lavish surroundings so commonplace to him, he grew to expect the extravagance.

  Only the most expensive clothes and the best of everything were good enough for Emry.

  Edward never realized that he was adversely harming his son by giving him everything with no restraints. After years of demanding and receiving, it became instilled in Emry to expect that way of life.

  Emry partied all night and slept all day, refusing to attend classes, he was failing high school. Edward tried to have private teachers brought in, but after several failed attempts at that, he finally gave up on his son. Emry soon became bored with his life, and nothing appealed to him. He no longer had any direction in his life.

  Emry’s days became filled with fast cars and even faster women. The idea of working for a livin
g didn’t appeal to him. Enjoyment and pleasure were the only things that held his attention. At the young age of nineteen, Emry had already wrecked three expensive vehicles, and Edward had bailed him out of jail more times than he cared to remember.

  Trenton had planned for Edward to one day move into his position at Lockheed as CEO and for Emry to then transition into Edward’s potion as vice-president. Edward had hoped for that to happen as well since Emry was his heir. However, they both knew that Emry had not prepared himself for any type of leadership position in the company, so, therefore, was not ready.

  Since Emry had never taken an interest in the company, he did not have a working knowledge of how Lockheed International ran.

  Trenton’s father, Trenton Lockheed I, had built the company and put his heart and soul into its development.

  Trenton and Edward were both in agreement that they would not even consider Emry for a leadership position with the company. They felt strongly that further development of Lockheed International would never happen under Emry’s direction.

  Edward was responsible for explaining to Emry that the only way that he would be able to step into the company and hold any type of leadership position was if he trained.

  Emry blew up and demanded that his father fight for his place on the board. Emry felt that he deserved to be a part of the family business because it was his birthright to hold one of the head positions, being the eldest son. He didn’t think that it mattered that he knew nothing about the workings of the company and had no business education.

  Edward wanted his son to take an interest in something, anything, but Trenton was right. The only way to push Emry into being responsible at that point was to take everything away from him.

  Edward understood Trenton’s reasoning, and he was right, Emry was not qualified to run Lockheed International. Once Edward acknowledged that his son was lazy and needed direction, he explained his decision to Emry.