Secrets (Lords of the City)

by Alice Ward

  “We shouldn’t do this, Chelsea,” he told me. “I’m sure you’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions the past few weeks. If we’re going to start things up again, we should go slow… like we did last time.”

  I cradled his face in my hands and stared into his eyes. “Nothing is going to be like last time,” I whispered before dropping my lips to his again. I kissed him softly, gently sucking his lower lip before pulling away. I held my face just millimeters from his and waited for Drake to make the next move. I didn’t have to wait long. He put one hand on the small of my back and the other on my head.

  “God, I’ve missed you,” he groaned before diving for my lips. His mouth enveloped mine, our tongues reuniting. A rush of exhilaration coursed through my body as Drake’s cock stiffened against my leg.

  “I’ve missed you too,” I gasped as he moved his lips behind my ear and then down my neck. He ran his hands down my sides, gripping the hem of my t-shirt and pulling it over my head.

  “I never thought I’d touch you again,” he confessed, tracing his tongue down my breastbone.

  “Touch me, Drake. Touch all of me,” I begged, writhing in his lap. My body was on fire with a longing and need I’d denied for too long. His touched reawakened the woman inside me who’d fallen in love with him in the first place. This was the man who worshiped me—all of me. He admired the fire and passion in my mind that so many others longed to snuff out. He’d made mistakes; he wasn’t perfect. But he was mine. And I had to have him.

  I pulled myself from Drake’s lap and stood before him, kicking off my shoes. He took hold of my hips and pulled me forward roughly, his eyes level with my navel. He tugged down my leggings and panties, his lips never leaving the soft skin of my belly. I parted my legs slightly as his fingers ran up my thigh and then collapsed onto his shoulder as he pushed two fingers inside me.

  “Oh, Drake,” I gasped, reveling in his touch. I wanted more; I wanted to take all of him into me and never let him go.

  Drake rose to his feet, lifting my body with his. I lay against his as he glided into the bedroom and fell onto the mattress. I quickly removed my bra while he stripped out of his clothes and then we laid together, our bodies glowing in the moonlight flowing in through the windows. Drake caressed my face, staring into my eyes as our bodies entwined.

  “I love you so much. I can’t believe this is happening,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. He pushed his cock against my leg and I was hit with sudden panic.

  “Drake,” I gasped as his teeth clenched my nipple. “Do you have protection? With everything that’s going on, I haven’t been taking my pills.”

  Shit, shit, shit. What was I thinking?

  “It’s no problem,” he assured me, teasing me with his teeth again before pulling away. He retrieved a condom from the bedside table; I took it from his hand, tore off the wrapper, and moved to roll it down his swollen, glorious shaft. Drake covered my hand with his and held it still.

  “Slow down,” he whispered, lowering his lips to my neck.

  “I want you. I need you,” I sighed back at him. “We have the rest of our lives for foreplay.”

  “Well, if you put it that way.” Drake rolled onto his back and propped himself up on the headboard, his turgid cock pointing straight at me. I covered it with the rubber and climbed onto his lap, Drake gasping as our bodies reunited. He stared at me, his eyes loosing focus as his cock grew harder. I moved my hips in random, instinctive swirls and Drake stirred within me. Then, I planted my knees on the mattress and slowly started pushing myself up and down.

  “God, I’ve missed you,” he cried again, his voice breaking with both pleasure and emotion. When I opened my eyes and saw a single tear roll down his cheek, I completely understood what had inspired it. Our relationship had never been idyllic, or even normal. Outside forces had tried to tear us apart, but the sabotage we’d inflicted on ourselves had been what destroyed us. We’d both grieved our relationship, and that grief had finally lifted. We were finally where our hearts belonged and this time, we know how to make it last.

  “You’ll never have to miss me again,” I promised, leaning into his chest. He slid down flat against the mattress and I pulled my legs up on top of his. As we held each other, Drake rocked his hips and slid me up and down on his slick, sweaty body.

  “Oh, God,” he moaned as I closed my legs together tight. I clenched my muscles around his cock for half a second and then released him, sending jolts of pleasure through both of our bodies. I’d never felt so full, so satisfied. And Drake moaned that nothing had ever gripped him so tight.

  “I can’t hold myself back much longer,” he warned as I squeezed again.

  “Don’t,” I murmured as I felt myself climb toward release.

  Drake let out an instinctive growl and flipped me onto my back. One hand wove through my curls while his other gripped my ass. I wrapped my legs around his back as he drove in and out of me. We came together, collapsing in a tangled pile of sweat and satisfaction.

  Drake slipped out of me, and then pulled me into his arms. He held me close as our breaths slowed and the tingling in my legs subsided. Finally, he spoke, breaking the blissfully romantic silence.

  “Chels… don’t take this the wrong way. But how long have you been at the hospital?” he mumbled playfully into my ear.

  “Days,” I answered with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I know I smell like latex gloves and cheap disinfectant.”

  “No apologies necessary,” he assured me, nuzzling his face against my neck. “I still have all of your bath stuff from Paris. Why don’t I fill the tub? We’ll sink into the water together and I’ll wash your hair… and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

  I smiled against his lips. “That sounds like too good of an offer to refuse.”

  ***

  The next morning, I woke up filled with euphoria. Drake and I were together and I knew at that exact moment, Stacey and Emma were together again as well. I smiled before my eyes were even open, picturing mother and daughter reuniting. The smile disappeared immediately when I saw Drake standing at his closet, filling a suitcase.

  “Good morning,” I called out to him, my voice breaking with nerves.

  He turned to me, his jaw set. “I owe you an apology, Chelsea. Last night never should have happened. We were both emotional and I let things get out of control.”

  My heart skipped a beat in panic before surging with determination. I had no idea what was going on, but I was going to get to the bottom of it.

  This isn’t about me. Something else has him upset, that’s why he’s trying to pull away from me.

  “What do you mean last night was a mistake? We love each other, right?” I asked, trying to keep my tone patient.

  “I love you more than you could ever know, Chelsea,” he agreed with a sigh. “But my life is so toxic. You deserve so much better than what I can give you.”

  I pulled on one of his white shirts and buttoned it as I walked across the room. I stood in front of him, my hands on my hips. “Do you love me?”

  “Yes,” he replied, his eyes locked on mine.

  “Do you want to be with me?”

  “More than anything.”

  “Does this have something to do with what you wanted to tell me last night?”

  “It has everything to do with it,” he admitted.

  I took his hand and led him toward the kitchen. “I’ll make coffee and you can tell me what’s going on.”

  Drake sat down at the table while I filled the coffee pot. “My mother struck again,” he explained and ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tense and pulsing. Dread filled my body. I knew that Rebecca was capable of doing anything to protect her money and I was certain that whatever had happened had something to do with Drake’s divorce.

  “What did she do?” I asked, leaning against the counter for support.

  He looked at me with pain and rage combining behind his eyes. “She destroyed everything I’ve worked for. My company is ruined, Ch
elsea. I’m ruined. The government has frozen my accounts and I’m being investigated for tax evasion and insider trading.”

  “What?” I gasped. “How did she…?”

  “She planted one of her goonies in my office,” he spat. “I have to hand it to her, the woman is good. When I hired Kevin, I had no idea they even knew each other. He’s worked for me for five years. He just kept his head down and did his job, until Mom found use for him.”

  “He was your accountant?” I asked, trying to understand what had happened.

  Drake nodded. “He was the head of my accounting team. My mother knew she’d never really be able to get me to toe the line when I had a fortune of my own to fall back on. She wasn’t able to convince Alex to sign the post nuptial. The day after I told her I was filing for divorce anyway, the IRS showed up at the office. They’d received an anonymous email listing my wrongdoings, complete with a paper trail. Kevin’s the only one who could have falsified the records and the timing was too convenient for my mother not to be behind it.”

  “If you’re under investigation, why are you leaving the country?” I asked, already knowing the horrible answer. “You’re running away,” I said, my voice low and disapproving.

  “I have one account in the Caymans that the authorities can’t touch. I’m leaving this afternoon. I’ll never beat the charges, Chelsea. I don’t have a choice.”

  “You most certainly do,” I insisted. “You can fight this and finally show the world what a horrible woman Rebecca is. And you won’t be fighting alone. We’ll beat this together, Drake,” I promised.

  He shook his head. “I’ve put you through enough. I know my mother, Chelsea, and she covers her tracks. There’s no way we can prove that I’m being framed. And if we try, her next attack will be twice as bad. I won’t inflict that on you.”

  I poured coffee into two mugs and joined Drake at the table. “The way I see it, there are three possible outcomes. We do things your way, and I never see you again. I can’t leave the country, Drake. My family needs me, and I need them. If we do things my way, we’ll either prove your innocence or we won’t. But my way is the only one that lets us be together.”

  “If I’m convicted, I could spend up to ten years in prison,” he countered.

  “I’d rather miss you for ten years than a lifetime,” I answered without hesitation. I didn’t relish the thought of Drake languishing in prison, but it was better than never seeing him again.

  Drake was silent for a moment. He stared down at his coffee, deep in thought. “There’s something I’m not sure you understand,” he began slowly.

  “You’re still married to Alex,” I said with a resigned sigh.

  He nodded. “I don’t have a choice right now. I have to do what I can to keep my mother pacified. Freezing my bank accounts was just the first step. It’s just a matter of time before they seize everything with my name on it, including this apartment. I’ll be at my family’s mercy for a while.”

  “I’ve had it,” I said, slamming my mug onto the table, not caring about the mess I made. I stood and started pacing the floors. “Your mother has to be stopped, Drake. I don’t know who the hell she thinks she is, playing puppet master with our lives. I know she’s used to getting her way, but that’s coming to an end right fucking now. We are going to get your company back, prove that you’re innocent of the charges, and you’re getting a fucking divorce. We’ve fought too hard and come too far. And she’s going to get out of our way whether she likes it or not.”

  Drake looked up at me, pride dripping from his smile. “I’ve never seen you like this. When I thought I’d lost you,” he began, choking a little on emotion. “I promised myself if I was ever lucky enough to get you back, I’d do anything to keep you. If you’re willing to stand by my side through all of this, after everything I’ve done…”

  I moved beside him and took his hand. “Don’t,” I insisted. “We’re leaving the past in the past, remember. If you really want to bring up the things you’ve done, we’ll start with Emma. Those first few days in the hospital, I did my research. If it wasn’t for Dr. Lekberg’s medicine, she’d still be on the ventilator. Instead, at this very moment, she’s in her mother’s arms. You did that, Drake. You’re the man I love, and you are under attack. I will fight with you and for you until I take my last breath.”

  “Then I’m not going anywhere,” he promised, pulling me into his lap. We held each other in silence for a few moments and then Drake spoke.

  “Deep down, I’ve always wanted to do this… expose my mother for who she is, I mean. But I’m in pretty deep shit, Chelsea. And I don’t know how to start digging myself out of it.”

  “Don’t worry,” I assured him. “I have a plan.”

  End of Part 4

  To Be Continued in Part 5…

  TAMING THE BILLIONAIRE

  ALICE WARD

  PART 5

  BOOK DESCRIPTION

  This is Part 5 of “Taming the Billionaire” – a five part Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance Series by Alice Ward.

  You rarely realize that your life is changing until long after the changes have occurred. My life changed forever the moment my brother invited me to a party and Drake Waters walked into my life.

  There was chaos. Lies and betrayal. Shock upon shock. I cried more tears than I thought one person could possess.

  But there was also love. So much love. More love than I ever imagined.

  Now someone wants to take it all away.

  This book is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.

  CHAPTER 1

  e

  Drake and I stepped out of an elevator onto Stacey and Emma’s hospital floor.

  “I don’t know, Chels.” He hesitated as I tried to lead him down the hallway. “Oliver and Stacey may not be thrilled by our news. Maybe we should wait.” He reached instinctively for his nose, which looked perfect but was still tender from Oliver’s breaking blow.

  “Stacey and Oliver both want to thank you for everything you’ve done, Drake,” I reminded him, squeezing his arm. “And I don’t think they’ll be surprised that we’re back together. Stacey sent me after you last night and I’m sure she told Oliver. She had to give him some explanation for where I was.”

  I looped my arm through Drake’s and we continued down the hallway. Inside, I felt like I was floating across the carpet. I knew we had a long, hard road ahead of us. But I also knew Drake and I would conquer our obstacles together.

  “Please don’t say anything about my problems,” Drake whispered as we neared Stacey’s room. “They have enough going on. I don’t want to burden them.”

  “They’re going to find out eventually,” I pointed out. I felt sympathy flow through me at how worried he was.

  “I know,” he agreed. “But today, I just want to focus on the good. We’ve found our way back to each other. Emma and Stacey are getting stronger. Let’s enjoy that for a while, before we jump into the chaos.”

  “Agreed.” I gently tapped the door and Oliver called out for us to come in.

  “How’s everyone doing?” I asked, pushing slowly into the room. Drake stayed in the doorway while I made my way to Stacey. She sat on the edge of her bed, fully dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. Her bruises had faded to light shades of yellow and green and bright pink scar tissue crisscrossed her arms. Scars and all, she was finally starting to look like herself again.

  “We’re doing spectacular,” she said, wrapping her arms around me. I gave her a soft hug and stood upright again.

  “I spent the entire morning holding Emma,” Stacey continued, a peaceful joy radiating from her face. “Dr. Vines says I’ll be discharged soon. I hope they realize that means I’ll be moving in to the NICU.”

  Drake cleared his throat. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Drake, please come in,” Stacey insisted, her voice dripping in gratitude. She reached out a hand to him and Drake stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

  “We’
ll never be able to thank you for everything you’ve done for us, Drake,” Stacey began, wiping a happy tear from her cheek.

  “No thanks are necessary,” Drake replied, blushing and diverting his eyes to the floor. “I was happy to help. Emma deserves the best care available.”

  I smiled at him and then turned to my brother, whose eyes were fixed on my left hand. Before we left the penthouse, Drake had slid my engagement ring back onto my finger.

  “Ollie…?” I asked softly.

  He looked up and met my gaze for a moment before turning to Drake. He folded his arms over his chest and studied my fiancé. Finally, he cleared his throat.

  “Listen, man, I really appreciate what you’ve done for my family. But…”

  Drake held up his arms in defeat. “I completely understand why you have reservations.” He looked from Oliver to Stacey and then continued. “I made a lot of mistakes…”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Stacey piped up. I held up my hand and wiggled my ring finger. She gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth as a wide smile filled her face.

  “This is such wonderful news.” She slid off the bed and wrapped me in a tight hug. Releasing me, she gave Oliver a playful slap to the shoulder.

  “I told you they’d work this out. Come on, Ollie. Drake’s made his mistakes, but I think we can all agree he’s more than made up for them. I, for one, am thrilled that you’re going to be a part of the family.”

  Stacey embraced Drake while Oliver relaxed his shoulders. He extended his hand, but his jaw was still set firm.

  “Drake, I know you’re a good man,” he offered. “But this is my sister. I love you, but if you hurt her again…”

  “You can break something else,” Drake promised with a teasing smile.