Tears were starting to appear in the back of her eyes. She couldn't believe she had trusted a psychopath. "And you're going to do the same thing with me like what you have done with your family. You are sick; Elijah and you deserve to rot in hell!"
"Bitch!" he said before he slapped her, hard.
Her head rolled to the side, her eyes almost falling off of its socket. She felt light-headed as she felt the sharp tip of the knife once more. She felt him take back his hand, preparing for the stab of the knife into her ribs when loud voices appeared. The door was broken down, the loud shouts of "put the knife down" echoed into her ears.
She opened her eyes and saw the police pointing their guns at Elijah. He looked so scared, so fearful that it reminded her of a deer caught in the headlights. Joshua appeared all of a sudden, rushing in and seeing her state. She didn't remember much of what happened then as she fainted, her head slanting as everything turned black once more.
•••
It felt like months by the time she had recovered from the concussion she had received after the incident. Elijah was finally caught by the police after Joshua had run to them. Edward had been in great shock but had agreed to see his friend behind bars. Everything had happened so quickly that she couldn't remember much of that night. She had finally recovered from the biggest bump on her head, but the memories would always stay inside her head. It wasn't something that anyone could forget. But it definitely taught her a lot of lessons.
She turned to her side and found Joshua smiling at her, as if unable to believe that they were back in his apartment again. Side to side, naked as the first day that they were born. They had finally made up weeks later as soon as she had recovered.
He kissed her then, showing her all the things she needed to see. All the words she needed to hear as he traveled down her body. She melted against him, accepting the love that he showed her silently. He kissed the role play as there was no need to. She would always be ready to receive him, and received him, she did.
He thrust into her body, gently, making love to her as if she was a fragile thing. Their pace picked up, and they both hurried into completion, their names on each other's lips.
"I love you," she said as they wrapped their arms around each other.
"Marry me, Lauren." He said, slipping a ring on her finger without waiting for her answer.
She looked at him, smiling as she nodded. There was nothing better than to spend the rest of her life with this man. He was her everything, and she couldn't wait for what life had in store for them.
True Desire
A Billionaire Romance
Oliva J. Summers
True Desire
Copyright 2017 by Olivia J. Summers
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to a person, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
WARNING:
Due to mature subject matter, such as explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older, and all acts of a sexual nature are consensual.
Chapter One
Max Smith stared at his two-year-old daughter as she held an empty bag of chocolate in her hands. A guilty look had crossed her cute face, a toothy grin pasted on her lips. Max had to admit that she was the most precious, beautiful little girl he had ever set his eyes on, and he wasn't just saying that because she was his. Well, maybe he was a little biased.
He reached out to her, touching the corner of her mouth to wipe the smeared chocolate. She had gotten heavier as he lifted her in his arms, cuddling her small body to his hard, larger one.
"You know, sweetheart. If you weren't so cute, I wouldn't be hesitating to give you a small spank on the bum." The little girl giggled, and he pressed a kiss on her chubby cheek.
He made his way to the kitchen, daughter in one arm as Max opened the fridge. Scanning the content inside, he grabbed the milk and set it on the table. He set little Daisy on her high chair, her big blue eyes curious as she followed him around with her gaze. Max began making pancakes while he sang along to the music he had set up earlier. He started making moves with his hips, making the moves so ridiculous that Daisy laughed.
This was the side of him that no woman had ever seen before. Not even the mother of his child as Max had always been a private person. But then again, Daisy's mom had never really stuck around. Soon after she got the money, she had ditched her daughter and left her for him to raise. Not that Max regretted having his daughter, not at all. He just wished she had stuck around to see Daisy grow older.
Thinking about his daughter growing up made him stress out even more. In just a couple of more years, she would start kindergarten. Years would fly by so quickly he would wonder where the time went. And what Max was mostly worried about was later, when she wanted to get her hair done or try out the latest fashion trend.
Hell, he didn't even know what he would do when she got her first crush. Boys were something Max wasn't prepared to talk about with Daisy. Sure, he could warn her and give so much advice. But when that time come, his daughter would need a mother-figure in her life to explain things to her. He wouldn't be able to bring up about the birds and the bees talk.
And years later, he was still single. It had been two years since he had been in a relationship, and even that didn't turn out well in the end. He was almost thirty in a couple of months, and not a single candidate for a wife had crossed his mind. He was so focused on raising his daughter, and further establishing his business which left no time and space for love in his life.
Might just as well be since he was awkward and lacked social skills. His grandmother would always set up social events that he was forced to attend. Max would simply nod, put a fake smile on his face and shake hands when necessary. Most of the ladies had rushed past him, their strong perfumes lingering in his nostrils. It never failed to make him gag though.
But nonetheless, he wanted to respect his Nana and her wishes for him since she only wanted the best for Max and his daughter. But one thing he never understood was her need for another grandchild. Not that he thought Daisy wasn't enough, she was, and his Nana had made that clear before. But she just wanted more children to be running around the house, filling it with joy and laughter.
He finished preparing breakfast and settled it on the table. Grabbing the utensils from the upper drawer, Max placed the fork and the knife on the side of the plate. He began to feed Daisy, stealing a few bites himself before returning to feeding her.
One thing that Max had learned about being a father was that he had to make sacrifices that only a parent would do for their children. Now he fully understood what his mom had been talking about when he was just a little boy.
He finished the remaining and put the dishes in the sink. He didn't have to worry about cleaning after them today since the old lady that comes in twice a week had checked in already earlier on to clean the house.
He picked up Daisy from her high chair and started her bath. Max didn't have enough time to give her a bath, dress her, and do everything that a two-year-old child needed. Hence why he had hired a professional babysitter who looks after his daughter while he was at work. As much as Max hated it, he knew he had to do the best that he could in providing for her.
"A few more months, baby girl, and daddy would be able to relax and spend more time with you." He cooed to the child who was so oblivious to her surroundings.
After letting her play for a couple of
more minutes in the water, Max hauled her up from the tub, much to the little girl's disappointment. He heard the doorbell ring, letting him know that the babysitter had finally arrived.
As soon as Daisy was wrapped in a small towel, Max descended the stairs and flung the door open. A middle-aged woman who was in her late thirties or early forties stood before him; her middle-length hair reached about to her shoulder blades. A warm, kind smile on her face as she regarded the father and daughter.
"Hi, Mrs. Jones. You're just in time for Daisy's wardrobe change," Max said before handing the baby over, carefully as if she was so fragile.
"Running late already, Mr. Smith?" the babysitter asked before closing the door.
"Yep. So, you know the drill already, right? Call me if anything happens to her. I want her fed at the right time, and her naps to be exact on the dot."
"Got it, sir." Mrs. Jones nodded as if she didn't know his daughter's usual schedule.
Satisfied, Max planted a quick kiss on Daisy's head before rushing back to his bedroom. He got ready within ten minutes and grabbing his suitcase from the bed, closing the door behind him.
After he had made sure he got everything he needed, he pressed a final kiss on the baby's soft, downy head before rushing out the door. Max already knew he was late without even glancing at the Rolex watch on his wrist.
He jumped into his BMW, driving out of the automatic garage and heading straight to work. Letting out a sigh, he grabbed his sunglasses and placed it on his eyes, ready to face another stressful day.
•••
Nicole Gerard picked up the spreadsheet that was laid out in front of her. The numbers that occupied the space in her excel document flashed on the screen of her computer. She had been sitting there for about half-hour now, trying to make sense of the sales that had occurred during the last few months.
She still had no idea how she would be able to explain this to her boss. None of the figures on the screen was making any sense. Surely, Max Smith would go crazy again on her.
Nicole had been trying to impress the man, finding ways to make him see that she wasn't the stupid, reckless woman that he thought she was. She might not know much knowledge about being his secretary, but at least she knew some stuff that none of his workers knew.
But during the few months of being his employee, Nicole had found out some things she wished she didn't know about him. There had been a lot of women pining after Max, but none of them had obviously piqued his interest. Most of the messages she got through phone calls or e-mails, had been about their undying love for him.
She could relate in a way with those women. Because she too, was in love with him. One of the girls that stood out most to her attention was Cassy Henderson. She had sent him messages numerous of times, saying she wanted to get back together with him.
She tried not to stress too much about her situation. In just a couple of minutes, Max would walk in and knock on her table and demand for the presentation. She would have to come up with a new, better excuse than her last one.
Nicole was starting to regret taking the job after her brother had forced her to. She knew that Max wouldn't have hired her if she wasn't his best friend's sister. And it just happened that the secretary role was vacant, leaving her no choice but to take it at the end.
The sound of other people typing away on their computer distracted her. She looked up from the screen of her computer, distracted. She was so focused on that particular thing that she didn't notice her boss come in. It was only when he stood before her, unconscious of his presence until he cleared his throat.
"Miss. Gerard," he said. "I'm not paying you for anything here. The presentation that I got you to do isn't on my table up until now. Is there any chance that it will get there at all?"
She looked up at him, embarrassed.
Max wore a tight-fitted, navy-blue shirt that hugged his muscled body. He was well-built and showed that he goes to the gym religiously. His blue eyes tired with shadows beneath his eyes. His brows furrowed. Nicole couldn't help but admire the exhausted, handsome face.
"See something you like?" he said, dryly.
She gave him a bright smile, making sure to add a bit more sweetness to it. She knew how much she annoyed Max, which was why she did it constantly. Just as she had suspected, the frown turned into a scowl, and he walked away. But not before she saw his eyes travel to the V-shape of her shirt that shows off a little amount of cleavage. A thrill went through her.
He is such a grumpy man, she thought to herself.
Sometimes, she wondered how Max had been able to get a daughter. At the age of almost thirty, he was successful and had a cute, two-year-old daughter who he was completely obsessed with. Although Nicole didn't know about the mother's history, she was able to tell that they hadn't ended on good terms. She had even asked her brother about what happened, out of curiosity. But Michael had told her to mind her own business.
"Max, give me another week for this presentation, and it should be ready by then." She said, rushing after him into his office. Nicole hoped that he would give her another chance. There wasn't any job waiting for her if she lost this too.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Max looked as if he wanted to give up on her already, Nicole could feel it. She couldn't blame him if one day he decided to fire her ass for not knowing shit.
"I don't think this is the right job for you, Nicole," Max said honestly, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked so stressed out that it made her feel so bad about herself.
She licked her parchment-dry lips. "I know it isn't...but if you're willing to give me another chance, then I would surely learn as the time goes by."
"I've given you three months already, Nicole. If your brother wasn't my best friend, I wouldn't even have contemplated about giving you the job. But out of respect for him, I still gave it to you."
Ouch.
As much as that hurt, she knew it was true. Max had done his part and gave her the job just as he had promised to her brother.
She swallowed her pride and the sudden lump that had appeared in her throat. "I'll pack up my things and leave. Thank you for giving me the chance to be a part of the company, Max."
She left his office and walked back to her desk. Looking around, Nicole felt sadness hit her. She would miss everyone on this floor, that was for sure. But she should really try to grow up. Find another job that would pay off her bills and rent.
"Far out. What am I gonna do now?" she whispered to herself.
Shaking her head, she picked up the box beside her desk and began to pack. Trying to hold back in the disappointment and sorrow she felt inside.
Chapter Two
Max tried to concentrate on his work, but nothing was sinking into his brain. His mind kept replaying what happened in his office earlier. The look that had crossed Nicole's face made him think about what he said to her. Although, as much as he didn't want to fire her, Max knew he was just dragging out both of their misery if he didn't end it.
At least I gave her the job, Max thought to himself.
He picked up the papers spread on his table, shutting down his laptop in the process. Max left the office and hopped into his car, looking forward to spending some quality time with his daughter.
Traffic had met him by the time he reached the corner. Max tapped his fingers against the wheel, impatient. He glanced at the digital clock on his dashboard, seeing the figure six flashing on the screen. He let out a sigh.
Loud honking came from different directions, lights flashing in the night. Rows and rows of different vehicles were lined up, waiting for the traffic jam to let up. After a couple of minutes that passed by, it finally let up, and he was able to drive and reach home.
As the gates automatically opened, he saw lights turned on in the kitchen. He hopped out of his car and headed to the door, knocking on the wooden surface. The door opened, and he walked in, seeing Mrs. Jones carrying Daisy in her arms.
He immediately reached out to h
er, taking her and pressing kisses on the top of her head. Max hated not seeing his daughter every hour, and not being able to spend time with her. So, to make up for lost time, he tried to come home earlier than his usual time.
"How is she today?" he asked, flinging his keys on the container set on the hallway drawer.
"She was really good," Mrs. Jones said as she followed him to the living room. "She wasn't too fussy at all."
"My little Daisy's been good today, huh?" he cooed to his daughter.
"Dada!" Daisy said.
"Uh, Mr. Smith. Would I be able to talk to you?" Mrs. Jones said as she took it upon herself to sit opposite of him.
"Sure," Max said before settling the toddler on the carpet floor. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I know this might come as a surprise to you but," she paused for a second. "But I don't think I would be able to look after little Daisy from now on."
There was a long moment of silence before it sunk into him. Max stared at the only babysitter he could ever trust Daisy with. And now she was quitting and leaving him with no choice but to let her go. Who could he possibly trust his own daughter within a sea of mistrustful people on Earth?
"What do you mean exactly?" he asked.
"There was an offer from a previous employer of mine. And she wants me to go abroad, and come to England." Mrs. Jones responded. "So, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to take."
"I understand that it is a great opportunity but have you actually thought about it fully, Mrs. Jones?" Max asked.
She nodded. "I'm afraid that I have, Mr. Smith. I'm so sorry for giving out a late notice. But do not worry. I will find a replacement quickly so that someone trustworthy can look after your daughter."
The Lost Seal: A Seal Romance Page 52
