Cold-Hearted: A Billionaire Secret Baby Romance (The Alabaster Club Series Book 2)

by Athena Braveheart

  * * *

  They reached a man sitting in an armchair, flanked by large, burly men on either side. The man had tan skin, dark hair peppered with white and gray that was slicked back and looked hard as stone, and even darker eyes. His suit was black and impeccable and he wore a large stone ring on his pinky finger. He himself wasn’t a large, dominant man, but his aura made him seem like quite a formidable figure.

  “This is Mr. Black. He goes by Mr. Black and only Mr. Black. You aren’t ever going to know anything else about him, except I think Mr. Black might just be the person you need.” The man nodded toward Mr. Black, then back toward Trevor.

  Trevor extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said as the man gave it a firm shake and let go.

  “Pleasure. I’m told you are in some sort of trouble with the Mafia?” he asked. Trevor nodded.

  “I don’t want to get too far into the details, but you can imagine that this isn’t something that’s just going to go away,” he said with a grim face.

  “Well, Mr. Strome, I’m not in control of all that my men do on a day-to-day basis, unfortunately. You see, I’m not one to micromanage. I have my best men do that for me, to keep them in line. What I do have control over, however, is who is and is not to be touched. They know the members of the Alabaster Club are off limits to the old way of making money, if you know what I mean.” Mr. Black took a sip of the drink in his glass.

  Trevor nodded wordlessly, his face remaining stoic, though his mind was spinning and he felt like throwing up instantly. The man sitting in front of him was the head of the Mafia. Trevor felt his heart racing in panic. At the same time, the man had all but told him the only way he’d be safe from his lackeys was if he were to become a member of the club.

  “I want in,” he said finally, forcing his voice to stay unwavering.

  “You what?” Mr. Black asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I want in the club. I’m not sure what the next step is or who I have to prove it to, but I want in the club.” He nodded around the room as he spoke, and Mr. Black followed his gaze. The old man nodded, but neither of the men spoke.

  It was a custom Trevor was growing used to. There was far more conveyed through body language than what was said verbally, and he knew it. He could try to get answers out of this man all night, but as the one who had introduced them had so strongly put it, there was nothing else he was going to learn about this man save for his surname.

  He could play by the rules and hope for the best, but the problem was, he wasn’t entirely sure what the rules were. As with the strange man at the cocktail party, he was meeting new people along the way and learning as he went.

  There were no clear black and white rules to go by, or anyone he could turn to for advice. This was an entirely new playing field he was going to have to grow accustomed to as he went along.

  There wasn’t any other choice.

  He waited, hoping Mr. Black would continue the conversation, but it soon became evident that he was finished with Trevor. In fact, the longer he lingered in the boss’s presence, the more he worried he was going to overstay his welcome.

  With a curt nod, he walked out of the room and went back to mingling with other members in the club, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for anything that might be useful. It was difficult to know which people to hang around, especially with all the veiled conversations that were taking place.

  He wanted to join in, but he wasn’t entirely sure how much of what was being said was code, and how much of it was actual fact. It was much easier to just linger and listen to those who were talking than it was to try to join in with the conversation.

  At the same time, he knew that he couldn’t linger too long with any one of them, or he was going to look like he was eavesdropping, something that was also very much frowned upon by the members of the club apparently.

  Trevor wasn’t certain how long he was going to stay. He wanted to be there long enough to be seen and noticed, and he was hoping at some point someone would say something about the initiation that was also taking place that night.

  But no one did. Trevor started to get the impression he didn’t have much of a chance of getting into the club, and no one was going to say outright what he needed to do to become a member.

  At last, he decided he had stayed long enough to satisfy Allen’s expectations, so he made one last round bidding a few people goodbye. He hadn’t made any more than acquaintances that night, but that was more than enough for him to feel satisfied.

  He wasn’t sure how the internal workings of the club ran, and he decided he must have missed the mark of what he was supposed to do.

  After bidding the last of the men he’d spoken with a good night, Trevor headed back outside toward the limo. The driver had it started and waiting for him, and he slipped into the back seat with a sigh.

  In his mind, he had done everything in his power to make a good impression on those people, but they didn’t seem like they were the kind of people who could be impressed with simple small talk and a good suit. He wanted to talk to Allen and find out why the men were the way they were, but he wasn’t even sure how to get a hold of Allen at all. The elusive man had told him he may not be able to make it, but he had hoped he would.

  He leaned back against the seat when he suddenly felt a light jab in his side. Surprised, he reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a small envelope.

  “What the hell?” he muttered as he slid his finger under the flap and lifted it. He didn’t know how it got in his pocket in the first place. It was a sizable envelope, and he didn’t recall being so close to anyone in the crowd to have someone slide it into his pocket.

  He skimmed the contents of the note. It was brief and to the point, but the gist of it was that he was invited to come back to the club. It wasn’t much, but for Trevor, it was huge.

  If he got an invite to come back to the club, he must have done something right. They didn’t strike him as the kind of people who would bring someone back out of obligation or pity. In fact, there was an attitude about the place that if you weren’t invited back, you’d better forget that you had been there in the first place.

  His phone rang, and he looked down, seeing the familiarity of the number but not realizing who it was.

  “Hello?”

  “You did it!” The voice on the other end of the line sounded jubilant.

  “Did what? Who is this?” Trevor asked, looking at the phone and seeing the number once more. The voice was certainly familiar, but he was having a difficult time putting a face to it.

  “It’s Allen. We met at the cocktail party the other night and I invited you to this getup. Remember?” The voice on the other end of the line sounded like it was teasing, but there was another tone to it that left Trevor not so sure.

  “Oh, yes, Allen. I remember. What do you mean, I did it?” he asked, changing the subject back to the beginning of the conversation.

  “You made the impression you needed to make. I’m guessing you got the invitation to return to the club?”

  “Yes, it was in my pocket. How?” Trevor asked, perturbed. He didn’t know how to form his question, but Allen wasn’t interested in explaining the finer details.

  “Excellent. That’s a good sign. You’ve made it through the initial screening, now we’re waiting on one more vote and you’ll be in the club for sure,” he said, his voice reflecting how cheerful he was.

  Trevor felt his heart skip a beat. He didn’t know how to feel about this situation, but he knew this was a good thing. He was one step closer to being in the club now and solving his problem with those Mafia goons.

  At least, that was the plan.

  “So, what do I do now?” he asked.

  “Nothing. You don’t do anything,” Allen replied. “You wait for them to come to you.”

  He hung up the phone before Trevor had the chance to say anything else. He looked at his phone and sighed.

  Waiting wasn’t going to be easy. He’d be
en doing a lot of waiting as it was, and he wasn’t sure how much more of it he could take. But, if there was one thing he had learned through all of this, it was that he had to play the game by the rules.

  If Allen said that he needed to wait for the next step, then he was going to wait for the next step. He couldn’t afford to ruin this opportunity.

  That was for damn sure.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jules glanced up at the clock and sighed. It was already past nine, getting closer to ten, and she knew by the time she finished with the project, it would be much closer to midnight.

  When she pursued a career in law, this wasn’t the life she had envisioned. Sure, she was working for her dream firm, holding the position she wanted to hold, but this wasn’t the life she had signed up for.

  She put her head down on her desk, wondering once again what it would be like had she taken a different direction back in college. She wouldn’t be here, that was for sure, but maybe she would be happy somewhere else. Maybe she would have been the one with the kids and the family.

  It was so hard to say.

  Her phone buzzed on the desk beside her, and she picked it up, curious who would be texting her after hours. When she saw the name displayed across the screen, her body jolted with excitement.

  It was Trevor.

  Hey Jules. I was at the gym and thinking about you. You should come down so we can have that workout we talked about.

  She smiled. When they had met for a drink he had told her he wanted to show her a few things in the ring, and she had agreed to let him. Of course, she didn’t think he would actually go through with the offer, and she was surprised now to see that he was.

  She shot back, You sure your ego can handle getting beat by a girl?

  She waited for a reply, smiling to herself. It wasn’t long before he told her to get her ass down to the gym. She laughed as she closed her laptop and put her things away. At least this would be something to get her mind off depressing hypotheticals.

  Her gym bag was still in the back of her car, so she really only had to grab her things and go. Within a few minutes, she pulled into the gym parking lot, glad to see that there was only one other car there.

  After she slipped into her outfit and strapped headgear over her face, she headed back out to the gym floor and climbed into the ring, where Trevor was already stepping around and throwing small jabs in the air.

  “Let’s see what you’ve got,” she said more confidently than she felt, pounding her gloves together.

  “I thought you would never ask,” he replied with a grin. Immediately, they began circling and swiping at each other. She could sense he was holding back, giving her time to get a hit in every now and then.

  “Don’t let me win! Come on!” she said, trying to coax more of the animal out of him. He laughed and dodged her jab.

  “What makes you think I’m going to let you win?” he asked as he continued to weave in and out of her swings.

  “Stand up straighter. You can’t judge what my next move is going to be if you keep an eye on my gloves, not my face. There you go!” He laughed as she tried to swipe at him again, giving him the perfect opportunity to hit her right in the face.

  When he didn’t take it, she stood up, looking at him with her hands on her hips.

  “You’re holding back!” she said, slightly annoyed.

  “Am not!” he shot back. He looked at her with a mischievous grin on his face, and she came at him hard. It was a sudden lunge, landing a punch right in his stomach. He groaned as he fell to his knees, and she stood once more with her hands on her hips, laughing.

  “Cheap shot,” he groaned, though if he were to be completely honest, her punch, while powerful, wasn’t strong enough to knock him down like that. He stood and looked at her, shaking his head with amusement written clearly on his face.

  “Was not,” she countered. “Should’ve anticipated that!”

  “Fine,” he relented with a grin. “That was a good hit, if I do say so myself. I’m impressed.”

  Without another word, he swung at her, but she was ready, dodging out of the way and causing him to swipe into the air.

  “Now you’re catching on!” he said with a laugh. Trevor took a step forward until he was standing only inches from her, looking down at her as they both caught their breath.

  “You’re a fast learner,” he said. She nodded, looking away, feeling suddenly vulnerable and exposed in front of him.

  “Thanks for teaching me some of what you know,” she said, unstrapping the headgear and pulling it off. Strands of hair stuck to her glistening face and Trevor thought she had never looked more beautiful.

  “I’m happy you showed up. Part of me was afraid you wouldn’t,” he admitted.

  “You rescued me from the unending pile of work on my desk,” she said. She opened her mouth to continue, but he surprised her, making her swallow her words in shock.

  He bent down and suddenly his lips, those soft lips she felt against her cheek, were on hers. At first, Jules froze in shock, but she didn’t pull back. After the initial surprise wore off, she melted into the kiss. Tingles flew through her whole body as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and trailed his hands down her waist to her legging-clad ass. A tiny voice inside warned her that this was a bad idea, but the larger, stronger voice blocked it out. They were holding each other in their arms, his mouth exploring hers before he pulled away and started kissing down her neck.

  Jules felt her breathing start to pick up again, and she felt herself yearning for him to her very core.

  Suddenly, he stopped.

  “What’s wrong?” she breathed, her eyes fluttering open in confusion. He was pulling her toward the end of the ring with a look of hunger in his eyes.

  “There are too many cameras out here. We need to go somewhere more private,” he said with a devious smile. She involuntarily looked around the room, noticing the cameras for the first time.

  She hadn’t thought of that and was glad that he had. The two of them walked toward the back of the room, and he disappeared inside the women’s locker room with her.

  As soon as they were inside, Trevor pushed her up against the wall and began kissing her with renewed fervor, this time their lust growing with each passing second.

  They found their way into the shower, tearing off their clothes each step of the way. She didn’t care that they were leaving a trail on the floor. It was late enough no one else would be coming to the gym that night, and she knew they could enjoy each other for as long as they pleased.

  Once they were in the shower, Trevor turned it on and a light stream of hot water drenched their naked bodies.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured as his eyes eagerly trailed down her smooth body.

  Jules blushed, feeling slightly self-conscious. It was pretty bright in the shower and she felt vulnerable. Plus, if she was beautiful, then he was fucking Adonis or every Roman sculpture that was crafted to perfection. His abs were made of stone and his shoulders were broad and firm. Everything about him exuded strength and pure man.

  Trevor’s eyes paused at her round breasts, and he reached out to knead them and rub her erect nipples. Bending down, he took one in his mouth, causing her to gasp at the bolt of pleasure she felt. Bending lower, he got down on one knee and lifted her leg, draping it over his shoulder as he licked her wet pussy. She moaned and closed her eyes, leaning her head back as he pleasured her.

  Her yearning for him was so strong she couldn’t hold her climax back. Within a few minutes of him pleasuring her with his tongue and fingers, she came hard. He pressed his lips to her pussy, licking up her juices as she did.

  Jules wasn’t about to be selfish. She looked at him with a smile when he stood up, and she started kissing his firm chest. She slowly worked her way down his ripped stomach and to his hard cock, massaging him with her hand first, slowly jerking him off. She was excited to see that he was large, but not overwhelmingly so. It was perfect, she thought. With
out warning, she put his cock in her mouth, swirling her tongue and sucking as she bobbed her head up and down.

  He moaned as he leaned his head back, allowing the water to run over him while she licked and sucked him. He, too, eager for her, didn’t last long in the shower. Jules took in everything as he came, and she made a show of licking him clean when he finished.

  It was more than he was able to stand. Though she wanted to continue pleasuring him, he pulled her up and the two of them washed each other in the hot stream of water.

  “Come with me back to my place,” he said once they stepped out of the shower.

  “I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.

  “Please? I’d love to be with you longer,” he said earnestly. She didn’t need much more convincing.

  “Alright. Lead the way and I’ll be right behind you.” By this point, she was completely resigned to the fact that her desire for Trevor overpowered every sensible thought. After quickly dressing, she hurried to her car and got inside, eager to be with him once more. Jules didn’t know what to expect; all she knew was that she had to feel him inside her.

  He had woken in her a lust she needed to have satisfied. As delicious and wonderful as it was, bringing her to orgasm in the shower wasn’t going to do it. He had to be inside her. She had to know what that felt like, and she suspected it would be amazing. A slutty part of her thought that she didn’t care that he had a reputation for being a playboy sex god; that just meant he would be great in bed.

  When they got to his house, Jules was amazed at the sight of the place. It was clear he wasn’t hurting for money. But her mind was on other things.

  They rushed inside the house, barely making it to the kitchen before they started tearing their clothes off once more. His hands were all over her body; her hands were exploring his in return.

  Jules stumbled along, not wanting her lips to detach from his for one second, and allowed him to take her back to the bedroom and throw her onto the bed. They were kissing each other with a passion, but it was clear Trevor wasn’t going to wait.