by Ward, Alice
A server in starched black pants and a crisp white shirt sat a plate of food in front of me. My filet smelled delicious, but the thought of trying to eat it turned my stomach. Asher squeezed my hand and turned to face me.
“We don’t have to stay. Say the word, and we’ll walk out of here right now. But before you do something you regret, think about the opposite scenario. What if everyone loves your work? What if they rise to their feet after the presentation and you miss your first standing ovation? Is that really how you want these people to think of you? As someone who couldn’t be bothered to sit through a prestigious banquet being held in their honor?”
I looked to my plate and frowned. “No,” I relented.
“You’re the first on the list,” he continued. “If your work doesn’t get a warm reception, we’ll slip out during the next presentation. But I don’t think that will be necessary.”
I studied the crowd again and realized that everyone had their food. The servers disappeared back to the kitchen and John took the podium in front of the head table. It was too late to run, even if I wanted to.
“Good evening everyone and welcome to the thirty-second annual Arts, International Honors Banquet. We have quite a diverse group of honorees this year, but they all have one thing in common. They are relentlessly pursuing their passions and elevating their fields to levels never seen before. Our first honoree is exceptionally unique and comes to us from a field we typically discount. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Lauren Matthews of EnvisonTech Media.”
John turned and gestured to me and I reluctantly rose to my feet. I concentrated on keeping my face gracious and my feet underneath me as scattered applause rang out across the room. After a few moments, John turned back to the crowd and I sank back down into my chair.
“Like many of you in this room, I’m guilty of having a bit of a discriminatory view of video games. I know several of us have shared the opinion that the gaming industry itself is largely responsible for the decline of arts and culture. But it is because of that opinion that we at the magazine felt it was so important to recognize Miss Matthews. Like many of you, she enjoys a wide variety of artistic mediums. But as you’re about to see, she’s using her vast talents to infuse true art into a medium the rest of us have so foolishly overlooked. Those of us who’ve seen Miss Matthews work agree that it could be revolutionary for our field. Being in Lauren’s virtual world is like walking through the mind of Picasso or Monet. My words could never do her work justice, so allow us to transport you to her world now.”
The lights went dark and a projector in the middle of the room lit all four walls with my graphics. I wasn’t quite sure which images they were using because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the faces before me; everyone seemed mesmerized by my work.
John’s opinion wasn’t just a fluke. They like it. They all actually seem to like it.
I leaned into Asher’s chest and laid my head on his shoulder. “You were right,” I whispered.
“So we’re not sneaking out?” he teased.
I shook my head against his chest. “Absolutely not.”
***
The next morning, I woke up in a haze of confusion and pleasure. Desire raced through my body before I even opened my eyes. I felt Asher’s mouth on my bare breast and his hard, thick cock pushed against my thigh.
“Good morning, baby,” he purred into my ear.
“Good morning,” I mumbled back happily. “What time is it?”
“It’s early. We have hours before we have to leave for the airport.”
He pinched my left nipple between his teeth and moved on to the right. I let my head fall back against the pillow, enjoying the sensations.
“Didn’t you get enough last night?” I teased. After the honors banquet, Asher and I had returned to our room for a marathon love making session. I was surprised that he was ready to go again with so little recovery time. I wasn’t sure I could do the same.
“I could never get enough of you, Lauren,” he replied, his voice a raspy growl. I appreciated his enthusiasm, but all I really wanted to do was pop a few Advil and sit in a hot bath to relieve some of the soreness between my legs.
Before I could speak, Asher dipped his head between my legs, disappearing beneath the sheet and blankets. I felt his hot breath against my thigh just before his tongue hit my clit. He licked me with long, firm strokes, and I instinctively ran my fingers through his curls. I let out one loud moan and he pulled away from me, returning his lips to my chest.
“I know you need to rest,” he whispered. “We don’t have to make love. I just want to make you feel good, baby. You know, it’s not every day a man gets to wake up with the most promising new graphics artist in the world.”
I laughed and kissed the top of his head. “I don’t know if I’d go that far. But you have no idea how much your faith and encouragement mean to me.”
Asher crawled up the mattress and settled in beside me before pulling me into his arms. He put a single finger beneath my chin and turned my face to his.
“I think I probably have a pretty good idea,” he pointed out. “The only equal to my faith in you is yours in me. And I think together, we’re going to be damn near unstoppable. That comment about you being the most promising artist… those words weren’t mine. The art world in general seems to be in agreement.”
He took his tablet from the bedside table and pulled up half a dozen arts pages from some of the biggest newspapers in the world. I couldn’t believe my eyes as he moved from window to window. The headlines were all worded a bit differently, but they all shared the same basic message — everyone thought I was fantastic. Words like innovative, revolutionary, and genius jumped from the screen.
“This is insane,” I insisted. “I’m dreaming. I’ve been dreaming since the day we met. I’ll wake up soon and realize that none of this is real.”
Asher took my hand and put it on his bare chest, just above his heart.
“Does this feel real?”
I nodded and returned my head to his shoulder. “I can’t believe how much my life has changed since the night we met at the gallery. I expected that opening to be the beginning of Deacon’s new life. But I never thought it would change mine. I don’t know how I’ll ever give you everything you’ve given me.”
“You already have,” he insisted. “And you’re giving me too much credit. All I’ve done is love you, baby. The recognition you’re getting now, you earned all on your own. And it’s not just the art critics who are talking about you. Dozens of gaming magazines have emailed asking for interviews. I’m being called a visionary for turning you loose with a computer. If anything, I’ll be the one thanking you for my success soon.”
“Let’s make a deal. From now on, we’ll refer to all success as our success,” I suggested.
“That sounds like a good plan to me,” he agreed.
Asher rolled onto his side and traced circles against my shoulder with his tongue. He ran a trail up to my ear and gently nibbled my earlobe.
“I know you’re sore,” he whispered. “And I don’t need any attention. But I would very much like to make you come before we get out of this bed.”
“Just go slow,” I warned, exhaling the words in a blissful sigh.
Asher spent the next fifteen minutes lightly running his hands over every inch of my body until my skin felt alive with passion. He massaged my feet and calves, left sore by the towering heels I’d worn to the banquet. Finally, he gently parted my legs and lowered his head.
Asher’s tongue worked slowly, circling my entrance, pushing inside, and then circling again. He held my hips in his hands as I rocked back and forth against his face, climbing to release. As his hot, wet tongue soothed my sore body, the soft orgasm that washed over me was the perfect ending to one of the best mornings of my life. I laid on the bed in quiet ecstasy and heard Asher’s phone vibrate on the nightstand. He looked down at the screen and smiled.
“It’s Brian. He’s probably calling to tell me
that your game has broken presale records… Hey, Brian.”
I watched Asher’s face transition from elated to devastated and felt knots tie in my stomach.
I haven’t seen that look on his face since the morning Rachel showed up at the house with that God forsaken envelope. What the hell could possibly have happened now?
Asher jumped up from the bed and started dressing, the phone still pressed to his ear.
“How much? And when did you realize it?” He turned the phone away from his lips and mouthed for me to get dressed. He stuffed his feet into tennis shoes and started throwing our things into suitcases with no rhyme or reason.
“And you’re sure this happened from inside? There’s no way our firewalls were breached and we just don’t know it?”
I had no idea what Brian was saying on the other end, but I knew it had to be bad. Brian was the CFO of the company, which meant something was wrong with Asher’s accounts.
“Okay… okay… keep doing what you’re doing. Lauren and I will be on the first flight back to the states. I want regular updates as you learn things. I want all of the information in hand the moment we land. Yes, I’ll text you with our flight times. No, don’t call the police until I get there.”
Asher ended the call and tossed the phone into his carry-on bag. “We have to leave, Lauren. God damn it, we have to get home right now.”
I pulled my hair into a ponytail and threw the last of my things into a bag. I knew my makeup from the night before was probably smeared all over my face, but I didn’t take the time to check my reflection. I’d never seen Asher move with such sharp determination and I knew we were going home to trouble.
“What’s going on, Ash?” I pressed.
He threw his carryon over his shoulder and took a suitcase in each hand.
“The company’s payroll account has been raided. Yesterday, we had close to twenty million dollars in the bank. Today, it has a zero balance.”
“What?” I gasped, following him out of the suite. “But how could that even happen?”
“I have no idea,” he snapped, racing for the elevator. “Which is why we have to go.”
“I’m so sorry, Asher,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper.
He sighed and turned to me with sad eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bitten your head off like that. I’m just so fucking tired of dealing with catastrophes. Brian said that our systems haven’t been compromised. Which means someone who works for me, someone I’ve trusted, has made off with a small fortune.”
I hardly thought twenty million dollars was a small fortune, but I didn’t press the issue. Instead, I silently followed Asher into the elevator and put a comforting hand on his arm.
“This has to be some sort of a mistake,” I insisted. “I bet we’ll land to a slew of apologies and news that Brian found the money.”
“I hope so,” he replied as his phone rang again. He dropped a suitcase and pulled the phone from his pocket.
“It’s Merritt this time,” he announced with a puzzled frown.
I’m surprised she even has his cell number. What could she possibly want that she couldn’t have called Rachel about? Or me, for that matter. Asher rarely deals with any of the art details directly.
“Hello?” he answered, his voice clipped and impatient.
“What? You haven’t seen her since when? Damn it, I need to talk to her too. Have someone drive over to her condo… you’re kidding me. Okay… yes, for now, just handle the layout the old way. No, Lauren and I are on our way home now. She’ll walk you through the new protocols tomorrow. Yes, I’m worried too. I need to get off here, Merritt, and make some more calls. Thanks for letting me know. You did the right thing.”
He ended the call and tossed his phone against the elevator door. Thanks to the enormous rubber case, it bounced off and landed face up on the floor.
“Asher…?” I hesitated, half terrified to hear what else had happened back home.
He sighed and leaned against the elevator door.
“Rachel left work early yesterday morning. She told Merritt she had a doctor’s appointment and she’d be back after lunch. No one’s seen her since,” he explained.
The news didn’t shock me quite the same way it shocked him, but I did my best to pretend.
“She’s probably not feeling well, that’s all,” I assured him. “She didn’t call to tell you because she didn’t want to interfere with our trip.”
Asher shook his head. “Merritt went to her condo. The front door was unlocked and Rachel was nowhere to be found. Her car is missing, along with most of her clothes.”
So Rachel went missing on the same day twenty million dollars disappeared from the company account. I wonder if there’s a sane person on this planet who’d bet against them being connected.
End of Part 2
To Be Continued in Part 3…
UNRAVELING THE BILLIONAIRE
ALICE WARD
PART 3
BOOK DESCRIPTION
This is Part 3 of “Unraveling the Billionaire” – a five part Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance Series by Alice Ward.
*This story also features Lauren from “My Stepbrother, My Lover.”*
Falling in love with Asher Reynolds had been like stepping into a fairytale. But I was quickly reminded that all fairytales come with a villain… the troll waiting beneath the bridge. Or in our case, the wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing.
One by one, additional problems arose. We stumbled together through the unknown, searching for the truth. But the more we learned, the clearer it became that it wasn’t only our relationship that was in danger. Our lives were in jeopardy as well.
This book is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.
CHAPTER 1
“Ash…?” I gripped Asher’s forearm and stared up at him with hopeful eyes. He scowled down at the screen of his phone and shook his head. My heart sank as our jet slowed to a stop at the gate. The seatbelt lights flickered off and a bell chimed through the cabin. The captain said goodbye over the speaker system and our fellow passengers started moving around us. But Asher remained fixed to his seat.
“No news at all?” I pressed, reaching for my phone. I powered it up while Asher blew out a long breath.
“Nothing good,” he corrected me. “Brian’s been on the phone with the bank all day. The money was moved through a series of offshore accounts. It disappeared somewhere in the Caribbean.”
I bit my lip, startled when my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down and read Kennedy’s message to Asher.
“Kennedy’s waiting with one of the Montgomery jets. She’s in hangar 4A. There’s an escort waiting for us at the gate.”
“Perfect,” Asher said, finally rising to his feet. His jaw was set, his eyes blank. During the flight from London, he’d cycled back and forth between anxious and numb. I preferred his nervous fidgeting to his cold, blank stares. The latter reminded me of the sad little boy I’d seen in the fake yearbook pictures. I couldn’t imagine the pain he must be going through after learning his most trusted friend had disappeared with part of his fortune.
Asher stepped into the aisle and waited for me to follow. He put a hand on the small of my back and led me into the terminal. As promised, an airline employee was waiting with a small, battery powered golf cart and in less than five minutes, we were boarding Kennedy’s jet.
“Kennedy, I can’t thank you enough for meeting us,” Asher said as we stepped into the cabin. My best friend stood from a soft leather couch and greeted us with hugs.
“I was more than happy to. I’m so sorry you’re going through this, Asher. And so sorry that it ruined your celebration,” she added, throwing a sympathetic glance to me. It was hard to believe that less than twenty-four hours ago, I was being celebrated by the heads of my industry.
“There will be plenty of time to celebrate later,” Asher insisted, immediately settling into an empty chair. He buckled his seatbelt and fiddled with his phone.
“
How long before we’re back in the air?” he asked without looking up.
“We’ll be taxiing any second now,” Kennedy promised. She put an arm around me and led me to the sofa. We settled in together and she pulled out a pen and legal pad.
“Asher, I’ve been in contact with everyone back in San Francisco. Parker is at your office and Detective Austin has put an APB out on Rachel.”
“I said I didn’t want the police involved yet,” Asher growled as the jet lurched forward. He grabbed the arm of his chair while I shifted nervously beside Kennedy. She remained completely unfazed by his attitude.
“Yes, I know. I have news, Asher. We all felt it would be best if you hear it in person. Brian had your tech department go through your system with a fine tooth comb. The money was moved with Rachel’s passcode, and the request originated from her work computer. Everything was put into motion yesterday about half an hour before Merritt saw Rachel for the last time.”
“That doesn’t mean Rachel’s behind this,” he insisted defiantly. “I had a bad feeling after Tonya was arrested. It all seemed too easy of a fix. The real blackmailer is still out there. He’s the one behind this and he’s using Rachel to get to me. She wouldn’t steal my money and disappear, not on her own.”
For the love of God, Asher. How bad does this have to get before you’ll acknowledge the truth?
“This is Captain Harris speaking,” a deep male voice called over the speaker system. “We’ve been cleared for takeoff. We should land in California in roughly four hours. Enjoy the flight.”
Kennedy took advantage of the pilot’s interruption and took control of the conversation. She pushed her shoulders back, held her head high, and flat out told Asher how things had to proceed.
“Asher, I appreciate that this is hard for you. But as your attorney, I am obligated to advocate for your best interests. I know you wanted to clear Rachel’s name before you reported the theft. But that’s just not how this works. The longer we tried to hide this, the more suspicious you would look yourself, especially to your insurance company. I know you’re a wealthy man, but I can’t imagine you can afford not to file a claim on this.”
