by Marian Tee
An eternity seemed to have passed by the time she finally made her way to him, and her dimpled smile popped out as she greeted him cheerfully, “Howdy, partner.” Before he could answer, she went on teasingly, “Don’t think I didn’t notice you staring at me the entire time.”
“I see.” His tone was silky. “Was that why it took you so long to come to me?”
“Aww. Were you jealous?”
“Do you want me to be jealous?”
“Just a bit,” she admitted.
“If that’s the case, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes.
“Because I wasn’t just a bit jealous. I was jealous as hell---”
The shamelessly eavesdropping bartender looked at them with disgust. “I’m outta here,” Marvin grumbled and threw his dishwashing cloth on the counter before walking off.
Neither the billionaire nor Kharis paid him any heed.
His little mutant’s eyes were glowing, so much so that it almost made his jealousy worth it.
Almost.
“If you keep trying to push my buttons,” he growled under his breath, “I’ll have no choice but to punish you.”
And her brown eyes twinkled even more. “Promises, promises.” He made a move to reach for her, but she quickly danced away, giggling. “I gotta go,” she said. “Duty calls.” She blew him a kiss before whirling away.
And work she did, that much was true, but the entire time she also continued to play the game with him---
A game he had always faked playing, a game he had always won---
Until her.
Seduction had always been in the billionaire’s blood, only to turn out too damaged to find the slightest pleasure in it. As the years passed and he had grown into adulthood, he had played the game only because it was what was expected of him. But no woman had ever been a worthy challenge, not even Karolina---
Until her.
And said she-devil found her way back to him a couple of minutes later, her monstrous face now more revolting because of the playful frown she wore.
“You’re staring at me too much,” she told him chidingly, breathlessly.
“I can’t help it.” And the billionaire grimaced because this indeed was true. “I’m just having a hard time believing that your clown face’s actually grown on me.” She giggled at his words, and the sound, even after all this time, was still magical.
“You’re really funny.”
He supposed he was, with her.
And that was the thing, wasn’t it?
The idea of love – or “finding the right one,” as Derek Christopoulos had liked to put it – rarely crossed the billionaire’s mind, but when it did, he had imagined that it would mean uncovering the mystery of another person. And it was so with Kharis. There were so many little surprises about her. She was good at numbers but hated reading books. She loved to play sports even though she was tremendously accident-prone. And most excitingly of all, she was a virgin who had the most sexually adventurous spirit---
Every moment with her was a revelation, and the young billionaire had expected that.
But what he had not expected at all that in getting to know Kharis---
He would discover new things about himself, too.
He had found out about his temper because of her, had learned what real disbelief felt like because of her. He had come across so many other types of feelings – amusement, appall, anger – all the fucking things that he had faked his entire life.
She had made them feel all those things without even knowing it, and it was for that reason, the billionaire acknowledged grimly, that he might never be able to let her go ---
Even if there came a time she’d want to leave him.
“Hey.” Her soft, concerned tone called him out of his thoughts like a siren’s song. “You have that look again.” Her brows furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
Marvin called for her from the other end of the bar before he could answer.
“Don’t mind him,” his little mutant insisted. “Is it work? The Elm Street property?”
He shook his head. “No.” And this, unfortunately, was the truth. The Elm Street deal had been closed yesterday, leaving him without any excuse to continue staying in Angel Falls.
And yet here he still was.
“Kharis, get your butt over here!”
Ignoring the bartender’s yelling, the billionaire leaned forward, and Kharis’ eyes automatically closed as his lips touched her cheek. So damn close to the corner of her lips---
But it wasn’t time yet.
He pulled away, and she sighed as her eyes opened.
“Still not on the lips,” she whispered.
“You know why,” he whispered back.
His little mutant shook her head. “Do I really?”
“Kharis, darn it!”
Wincing, Kharis said, “I better go.” She started walking backwards, and winking at him, she said, “Don’t miss me too much?”
Impossible, the billionaire thought as he watched her spin away. He missed her like he missed breathing, because the only time he didn’t think of Death was when he was with her.
So was this love then, Christien asked himself grimly, or was this merely a means to an end, a survival technique that his self-preservation instincts had cooked up?
The thought played in his mind while he watched Kharis move about, working hard on today’s exceptionally busy Tuesday crowd.
Monthly bingo extravaganza, Kharis had shared with him earlier in a whisper, and with the victors usually sharing their prize winnings with everyone at Howdy.
Once in a while, her gaze would drift to his, and whenever their eyes met, she would smile her dimpled smile before mouthing, Miss me?
He would answer with a solemn nod, mouthing bad, Badly.
And every time – every damn time – her whole face would light up, and she’d wave at him so energetically that the billionaire wondered if maybe, maybe even if he truly wasn’t in love with her, it didn’t matter.
Maybe she could still be his rainbow, his clown, his winking maniac---
His little mutant –
Maybe she could still be his everything just because she knew life the way he knew death, and that was enough.
“I’m back!” Kharis actually threw her hands up like a cheerleader doing a victory stunt the moment she returned to his side, and the billionaire’s lips compressed.
“You’re doing it again,” she reproached him.
“Was I?”
“Uh huh.”
“I didn’t notice. I guess I was doing it out of habit.”
“That’s okay. Practice makes perfect, so how about we do things again from scratch?” And she proceeded to suit action to words, throwing her hands up once more in the air. “I’m back!”
This time, the billionaire allowed his lips to curve in a smile. “Better?”
Her eyes sparkled. “By a thousand times.” And she patted his back as if consoling him. “Sooner or later, you’ll remember smiles don’t cost a single penny.”
He laughed, and this, too, only came all too naturally with her.
“I didn’t get to ask you earlier, sorry.” She handed him a menu as she spoke. “Do you want anything to eat?”
He took the menu but didn’t bother looking at it, asking, “What would you recommend?”
She flashed him a cheeky grin. “Me.”
The billionaire choked, and she giggled.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist---” Her voice trailed off when she saw the way the billionaire was looking at her. “C-Christien?”
“I’ll have it then.”
It was her turn to choke. “E-excuse me?”
“Come closer so you can hear me.”
“I…umm…”
Christien smirked. “You know you want to, little mutant.”
“I’m not your mutant,” she protested right away.
But when he started to lean closer…so did
she.
His mouth touched her ear, and he saw Kharis grip the edges of the counter.
Good.
He whispered, “I want you, Kharis Stamos.”
“O-oh?” Her voice was weak, her knuckles turning white as her grip tightened.
“Meet you at the back?”
She pulled away with a jerk. “But---” She swallowed hard. “There’s so many---”
“Ten minutes.”
“I can’t---”
“Five minutes then.”
Kharis’ tongue darted out as she wetted her lip, and his eyes glittered. “Five minutes.” But this time, his voice was guttural with need. “And it will be the best five minutes of your life.”
A moment later, and her knees literally buckled, causing her to flail in front of him. “Ah!”
His lips curved.
He had his answer.
Without another word, the billionaire placed his payment on the counter and stepped out of Howdy. But instead of walking to where his sports car was parked, he walked the opposite way until he reached the alley behind the bar.
He continued on until he was in front of the bar’s back exit.
And then he waited.
Barely a minute had passed when the door opened---
She threw herself at him, but he was ready for her. Her arms and legs went around him just as his mouth hungrily latched on her neck. They had been doing this every night, and every time it got harder to stop or even slow it down.
The more he had a taste of her, the more he was able to feel---
His mouth moved farther down, Christien nuzzling her neck, and her fingers drove through his hair as he reached her neckline. She moaned as his mouth reached her breast, and when he started to suck on her shirt-covered nipple, her moan got louder.
He lifted his head, growling, “Keep it down.”
“But I can’t help it---”
“Then you leave me no choice.” He lowered her to his feet, pushed her against the wall, and clamped a hand over her mouth.
Her eyes went wide with shock, but his glittering blue eyes remained hard.
“I’m not going to risk anyone seeing you go wild while I pleasure you.”
She whimpered against his hand.
“You’re mine. Only mine.” And his hand dipped behind her pants, her underwear, his fingers moving low until his fingers had reached her flesh.
His breath escaped in a hiss as he realized how wet she already was. “You’re so fucking wet.”
Another whimper.
“Have you been wet this entire time?”
Her cheeks blossomed pink under the pasty sheen of her foundation, and it was all he could do not to take his hand out and replace it with his cock.
Lowering his head, he whispered into her ear, “You’re a dirty little girl…”
Kharis moaned and buckled against him.
“But I like it.”
And his fingers thrust inside of her, all three of them, and she gasped against his hand.
“I like it very much.”
He began fucking her hard with his fingers, and her hips moved wildly in response. She was practically riding his hand, and he fucking loved it.
It was only moments when he felt her inner muscles start to tighten around his fingers, and he leaned closer, trapping her between his body and the wall. “Come for me, dirty little girl.” He thrust his fingers deeper while his thumb pressed against her clit---
A scream against his hand, forcing him to clamp his hand deeper against her mouth.
She buckled and sobbed silently as she came, her body shaking against his, but still he kept fucking her with his fingers, wanting every moment of his possession indelibly branded on her mind.
He hadn’t been fucking with her when he said everything of her belonged to him.
That was how it should be since it was the same for him.
She owned him, too, owned him the way he could never own her.
Because she didn’t need him to live while he – he didn’t think he could even breathe without her.
Looking down at Kharis, he slowly released his hold over her mouth, and she smiled up at him. It was one of those rare, fragile smiles, and it struck him raw.
“What is it?” he demanded.
“I’m just not used to this,” she admitted shakily. “We just met, Christien and---” A helpless laugh escaped her. “I’ve known Tony for years, and I couldn’t even let him kiss me. But you---”
“Are different.”
Her eyes widened.
Christien cupped her chin. “I’m different.” His voice was implacable, his gaze demanding her heart and soul. “We’re different.” He pushed closer to her, and she whimpered. “And you know this. Deep inside, you know what I’m saying is true.” His fingers slowly trailed down to her chest, and he felt her pulse leap against his fingertips. “Don’t you?”
A nod, but her gaze remained haunted.
“What is it?” he asked tautly.
“I just---” Slowly, she lifted her brown eyes back to his. “Do you love me, Christien?”
His eyes became veiled, but his voice was soft as he heard himself ask, “Would I have such trouble kissing you – if I didn’t?”
The worry disappeared from her gaze, and her smile once again shone the way it was supposed to. “I love you, too.” Her voice was giddy and breathless, honest and trusting.
And just like that, the billionaire thought grimly, she believed his lies.
After ending his call with his manager the next day, Christien checked out of the inn and drove back up to Kharis’ grandfather’s farm. She had told him she’d be at home the entire day, and while he hadn’t planned on meeting her grandfather this soon---
It was only a matter of time, anyway, the billionaire thought.
Walking up the driveway, the first thing he heard was the steady trickle of water. He moved towards the sound and at the back of the house, he found a girl watering a bed of plants.
“Good afternoon.” He had deliberately kept his voice as harmless-sounding as possible, but even so it had the girl spinning around. She looked at him, pale-faced, eyes wide behind her glasses.
So much for not scaring kids, the billionaire thought.
“Apologies.” This time, he tried even harder to sound the least imposing. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m looking for Kharis. She said she’d be home today.” When the girl only stared at him, he added, “I’m her friend, Christien di Luca. I thought I should drop by to let her know I need to leave town.”
The girl simply stared at him.
“Perhaps she mentioned me?”
The girl slowly shook her head.
The billionaire frowned. “If you’re worried about me being a stranger, I guess I could just call Kharis on her phone.”
As he spoke, panic crossed her face.
And then she bolted.
What the---
His puzzled gaze followed the girl as she ran away. There was something here he was missing, and his eyes narrowed. Her shoulders had started to shake, like she was crying. What the hell had he done to warrant such tears? It reminded him of how easy Kharis cried, and all of a sudden---
The billionaire stiffened.
His gaze went back to the girl’s.
It couldn’t be. Could it?
“Kharis?”
And the girl ran faster –
And he knew.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He caught up with her in a flash, and even as she struggled, the billionaire was able to spin her around with one quick, firm yank. A pair of stricken brown eyes met blue ones---
The only lovely thing about her, he had used to think.
The billionaire whitened.
“I’m sorry.” A choking sob came out of her. “I’m so sorry.” Fearful eyes looked up at him, and whatever she saw on his face had her even more terrified, and the tears fell faster. “Please don’t be mad,” she pleaded brokenly.
He didn’
t answer her.
“I didn’t mean to fool you,” Kharis whispered. “The m-makeup was something I came up with so people wouldn’t ask questions about my age. I needed the money to help Gramps---”
He shook his head. “Enough.” There was no point listening to her excuses. None of it would change a thing.
Kharis whitened in front of him. “Christien---”
He cut her off, asking wearily, “How old are you?”
She swallowed hard. “S-sixteen.”
The billionaire blanched. Sixteen? He stared at her, stunned into a rare state of speechlessness.
“C-Christien---”
She reached for him, but he swiftly stepped back. Pain flashed on her face, but he didn’t – couldn’t – allow himself to give a damn.
Sixteen.
He had almost fucked a sixteen-year-old girl.
The billionaire turned away without another word, and as he started walking, he heard her broken sob.
But still he kept going.
“Christien…please.”
His jaw tightened, but still he forced himself to keep moving.
“I thought you loved me---”
He whipped around as her voice broke.
“You’re sixteen, Kharis.” His tone was dull. “And I’m not.”
Chapter 7
At almost three in the morning, the party scene inside Senses, Christien’s flagship club in Miami, still showed no signs of slowing down. It was a considerable feat, especially when one took into account that the no-drugs policy – unlike in other clubs – was strictly enforced by management.
At the VIP section, most of the attention was trained on the private booth mounted on the center dais, solely occupied by a strikingly beautiful couple. The woman was Karolina Martin, the host of a rather famous lifestyle TV show, and Christien di Luca, the French-Greek billionaire who also happened to own the club – as well as dozens of other famous pleasure haunts scattered all over the globe.
“Come on, just one last drink, mon ange.” Karolina looped her arms around the billionaire’s neck to keep him from leaving. When their gazes met, she gave Christien a naughty smile – right before she started rubbing her breasts against his rock-hard chest.
“Unfortunately---” Christien gently disentangled himself from the actress’ hold. “I have an early flight to Connecticut, so I must regretfully decline.”
