“So basically, what you are saying to me is that someone forged a payment from the DOD and then wired the money to themselves?” Dad asked.
“Either forged a check or entered a ghost payment into the system. I personally went to the DOD today to follow up with our rep there and was told the contract hasn’t even been awarded yet. She said they are planning to use us, but that no awards had been given out yet.”
“You’re shitting me,” Dad said as he began to pace the room.
“I wish I were. You should have seen the look on my face when I was standing in the office finding out that we didn’t even have the contract.”
“This is bigger than we think, Son. I want you to get all the way to the bottom of this. You are the head, but you have to be able to trust the people you put in charge.”
“I will get to the bottom of it. I have to figure who would do this and how?”
“It has to be someone in high-level management. No director could have pulled this off. This is one of our vice presidents or board members. Get Tom in here now,” Dad said on a deep sigh.
“One step ahead of you,” I said to my father who had gotten up and was pacing the floor. “Tom and I have a meeting set for two p.m. I wanted my ducks in a straight row before I approached him.”
Tom Franks had been our Vice President of Finance for seventeen years. As much as I liked Tom, this was an egregious error he should have caught before my father did. Ultimately, financial matters fell on his shoulders.
“That’s in an hour. I’m going to my office and I’ll be back then. I want to be right in here with you when you meet with him.”
“Dad, I know he is an old friend of yours, but make no mistake about it...” I gave my father a stern look. “If I find out that he’s fudging the numbers, or even worse, flat out stealing, I’m firing him and pressing charges today.”
My father looked disappointed that things had come to this. “Do what you have to do, Son.” He walked out of the door and I went back to studying the files.
“My God, Tom,” I said, wondering if he had been doing his job at all.
I sat at my desk mulling over tons of files. Thirty minutes later, one of my accountants was able to pinpoint the owner of the account the money was deposited in. My eyes doubled in size when she showed me who the culprit was.
“Dad!” I buzzed my father. “You better get in here, quick.”
CHAPTER TEN
Montie
How Deep Is Your Love?
Destiny’s tights hugged every one of her curves the right way, when she walked into the kitchen. I was at the sink taking a swig of water. I paused mid gulp to admire her fitted tee shirt and the way her hair was pulled back in a ponytail exposing her neck. She had applied just the right amount of makeup to cover the remaining bruise on her face and to complement her beauty.
Damn, my ex is bad.
She was one gorgeous woman. Jacob had to be some type of stupid if he thought I was going to let him get off easy. He had his chance and, thanks to him messing up, I had my chance too. I’d never been the type of man that didn’t seize a window of opportunity.
“Are you going somewhere?” I asked, slightly tilting my head to the side to admire her curvaceous body as she kneeled down to tie her shoes.
“Yeah, since the doctor hasn’t cleared me to run yet, I’m going for a walk,” Destiny said. The curve of her lips as she spoke was salacious.
“I could go with you.” I turned to rinse my glass and put it in the rack. “That’s if you want me to, of course.”
“I want to go by myself. I haven’t been alone for two weeks with you and Mama breathing down my neck.”
“I’ve just been trying to look out for you, Destiny,” I said, taking the opportunity to walk toward her. “I wouldn’t know how to function if something happened to you, again.”
She smiled appreciatively. “Thanks for that, Montie, and for all that you are doing. I’m finally getting my strength back, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if it wasn’t for you.” She touched where her face had been bruised. “Thank God I feel better than I look,” she said, referring to the bruise that remained from the attack.
“Oh baby, you are as beautiful today as you were when I met you,” I assured her. I took her hand into mine and squeezed it. “These scars will heal. I’m just glad my kids didn’t lose their mother,” I said, reaching for her other hand. “And that I didn’t lose you.”
There was a long moment where we stood hand in hand, ruminating what could have been an alternate outcome. “The thought of not being here for my kids cuts so deep, Montie. Those two are my world,” she said sincerely.
“They are our world that we created out of love. To think someone almost robbed them of a relationship with one of the most beautiful and caring women I know drives me crazy.” I squeezed her hands tighter. “Please don’t put yourself in a position like that again.”
“I didn’t think I was putting myself in this position. There was no way I could have predicted Justine would go off the deep end like that,” Destiny said, walking away from me. “I’m about to go walk.”
“I’m coming with you,” I said, thinking about the dangers of her being alone.
She swung back around and glared at me. “You are not coming with me! I need some space.”
“Fine,” I said, reluctantly throwing my hands in the air. I let her go alone, but sat on the porch watching her walk away, where I planned to be until she returned.
Ms. Clara brought the kids outside to join me as I sat on the porch. We played some in the yard while waiting for Destiny to return. Ms. Clara sat down in the rocking chair on the porch. She was doing a crossword puzzle when I sat down beside her.
“Montie,” she said, looking up from her book. “I don’t know what has gotten into my child. She used to tell me everything, until now. What’s this foolishness about her being engaged?”
“That’s what she told me when she was in the hospital. She said they got engaged the night she got attacked.” I wringed my hands together. “This whole relationship has been a shock to me.”
Ms. Clara slammed the book down into her lap. “Well, what are you going to do about it?”
“I can only do what she allows. It’s not like I haven’t told her how I feel about her. One day she was vowing to never date again, and the next day she was in love with Jacob.” It was hard to verbalize that Destiny was in love with another man. I felt as if my lungs would close upon saying it. “I should have stepped up sooner,” I admitted.
“Yes, you should have. Truth be told, you should have never let her go, Montie.” Ms. Clara seemed to be thinking, then she added, “Well, that’s neither here nor there now. What matters now is what you do next.” Fine lines that showed her age stretched across her forehead. “What are you going to do to get your wife back?”
“I have shown and proved that work no longer comes before her,” I reasoned.
“That’s all good and well, but you’re working against a stronger power now, Montie. That girl is gone. Gone, do you hear me? Gone! I can see it in her eyes when I talk to her about Jacob. He still has her under his spell. You’re going to have to step your game all the way up if you intend to play on his field.”
“I really do love her,” I admitted sheepishly.
“You don’t need to be telling me that. She needs to know it, and she needs to know it in a major way. Her fire needs to be lit and it needs to be lit very soon, if you get my drift,” Ms. Clara said, raising her eyebrow. “You can do it. You did it before, you can do it now.”
Ms. Clara seemed to have a lot of faith in me, but getting next to Destiny was easier said than done. “I’ve tried everything. I just don’t know what else to do to get through to her. The last thing I want to do is to push her completely away,” I said.
“Like I said, you know what to do. If I have to spell it out to you, then you probably should just bow out gracefully and cut your losses,” Ms. Clara said shaking her head.
I looked at Ms. Clara as she rattled off advice about how to win the affection of her daughter. I’d stopped listening to her words and just observed how serious she was about it. I smiled. Her advice was spot on. I knew exactly what would remind Destiny why I was the man for her. I had to remind her how deep our love went.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Destiny
Too Many Sweet Memories
“Thank you so much for dinner, Montie! Also, thanks for not tripping out earlier when I wanted to walk alone. It gave me some much needed time to clear my head. I feel one hundred percent better.”
“I’m just glad you made it back safely. I was worried sick every minute you were gone. I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you,” Montie said with a glint in his eyes. Not only had he cooked a gourmet dinner, there was a permeating fire burning in his dark brown eyes when he looked at me. I had to look away so I wouldn’t get caught by the flames.
“You don’t have to worry about me like that. I’m going to be fine,” I said, taking a sip from my wine glass. “But I really appreciate all that you are doing for me and the kids,” I said, settling back into the cushioned sofa. I took another sip from my wine glass before setting it aside.
Montie settled his tall frame beside me, still holding that penetrating stare. "You don't have to thank me for doing what I am supposed to do. Those are my children in there asleep in their beds. I am their father and I need no thanks for doing my duty. Even if our divorce papers say differently, you are still my wife in here," he said pointing towards his heart.
My heart rate accelerated from Montie's declaration. I didn't know how to respond and luckily I didn't have to as he began speaking again.
"Baby, you've been through a lot. All I want to do is to take care of you," he said taking my legs and pulling them into his lap.
My feet were already bare, so he took one foot into his hands and began massaging it. I was so buzzed from the wine and the relaxed ambiance that I didn’t dare resist. My head instantly fell back into the cushion. I had forgotten how good it felt to have my feet massaged by Montie. Our eyes met and I could see that he was remembering our past as well.
This can't be happening, I thought to myself...whatever this was.
“I wonder what happened to Mama. She said she was going home to get some clothes and would be right back,” I said. I could’ve definitely used Mama’s distraction as Montie’s warm hands continued to stroke my feet. Of all nights for Mama to jump ship, that night was not the one.
“She called and said she was going to stay at home tonight,” Montie said as he began to massage my calves.
"I really need to wash those dishes in the sink," I said lifting my legs from his lap and rising to my feet.
"Let me handle the cleanup. Go and get you some rest."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"I am positive," he said with an unreadable look in his eyes. He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me in the direction towards my room. “Go get ready for bed. You need some rest. I’ll let myself out,” he said, respecting our agreement that he would start spending the night at his own house and coming back to check on me during the day.
I walked down the hallway and peeped in on the kids before walking further down the hallway and entering my bedroom. I rubbed my right temple to try to calm the slight throbbing that was building in my head. I went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. I grabbed my prescription and removed one white pain pill from the bottle before turning on the faucet and filling a glass with water to swallow my meds. I wasn’t in a lot of pain, but my doctor told me to always take my meds before the pain got unbearable.
Maybe a hot shower will help relax me, I thought, walking over to the walk-in shower and adjusting the water temperature to my liking. I discarded my clothes and stepped beneath the reviving spray of the shower. I lathered my body from head to toe before rinsing myself clean. My head felt so much better when I stepped from the shower. I wrapped myself in a fluffy cotton towel, stepped back into my bedroom, and walked over to the bed. I dropped the towel to my feet and reached for my nightgown lying on the bed. The bedroom door suddenly opened and Montie stepped into the room, taking in my nakedness.
I gasped and clutched the flimsy gown to my chest. "Montie, have you ever heard of knocking before entering a room?"
"I’m sorry," he said not sounding sorry at all as he came in and closed the door behind him.
"What do you think you are doing? Get out," I said, starting to feel a slight buzz from the pain pill.
"I’m doing something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time," he said walking towards me with intent in his eyes. His gaze was so intense. “My God, I can’t believe I almost lost you.”
“You need to get out of my room,” I said, as chill bumps popped out over my skin. Looking at the lust seething from Montie's eyes caused my body to react in ways that made me uncomfortable. I clutched the gown tighter against my breasts. My traitorous nipples hardened and pointed with pride towards him. The look on his face told me that he understood my body’s betrayal.
He stopped in front of me, towering over me. "That’s not what you want.”
“Yes I do,” I said, not sounding convincing, at all.
“Let me see all of you, baby. It's been so damn long...too long."
My legs felt like pudding all of a sudden. My head began to spin. I reached for the front of Montie's open-neck shirt to steady myself, which caused me to lose the grip on my gown. Damn, I’d taken my medicine after drinking a glass of wine, and it wasn't mixing very well. I’d forgotten about the wine when my head started hurting earlier.
Montie's cologne filled my nostrils and caused an involuntary stir between my thighs; his nostrils flared as he took in my naked body. "Damn Destiny, you are even more beautiful than I remember," he said as his hand trailed down my cheek. I stood there as if I was in a heated trance. His other hand came up to my face in slow motion to cup my face. "I need to kiss you, sweetheart. It's been too long," he said with his head moving closer to my own. My lips parted as if they had a will of their own.
Jacob, I thought silently just before Montie's lips claimed mine. I willed any other thoughts of Jacob to the furthest recesses of my mind. He wasn't thinking of me, so why should I waste precious energy thinking of him, I thought painfully to myself.
Montie's tongue wasted no time finding entrance into my mouth. My tongue met his and tasted the lingering wine. He pulled me closer as my breast pressed against the wide expanse of his chest. My moan was captured and met with a moan from his lips. His hands encircled my waist and pulled me closer. His big hands slid further down to grip a handful of my ass. He massaged and squeezed my ass. I spread my legs as he pulled me even closer to feel his hardened length against my saturated center.
“I need you so much baby. Can I have you?” he mumbled against my lips.
I didn't speak but I nodded my head giving him approval. I was too far gone to resist him. Too much had happened with Jacob. Too many sweet memories of my marriage with Montie were running through my mind. I was wrapped up in the lusty desire of being owned at that very moment.
Montie stepped back from me to remove his clothing. My weak knees landed me on the soft bed. If the bed hadn't caught me then surely the floor would have.
I slid back onto the bed and watched how quickly he disrobed. Every muscle in his toned body was just as I remembered, as he slowly crawled onto the bed and landed on top of me. He supported his weight with his arms as his head dipped and swooped my lips into a passionate kiss. His dick laid heavy against my belly. My hips began to grind with their own volition. Our kiss deepened before he reluctantly pulled away. His heated gaze met mine.
"I want to taste you, Destiny. I want to see if you are as sweet as I remember," he said, wasting no time in sliding down my body to kiss me intimately between my soaking thighs. The first swipe of his rough tongue caused my ass to wriggle off the bed. "You're not go
ing anywhere," he mumbled against my warm skin, causing pleasure-filled shockwaves to shoot through my whole body.
He dived back in eating me out like a starving man. His tongue swirled and dipped into me as my thighs gripped his head tightly. I pushed my cream filled pussy against his mouth, releasing my orgasm with a pleasure-filled cry. He continued to drink from me until I became too sensitive.
“No more,” I pleaded with him as I released the grip my thighs had on him.
He took one more swipe with his tongue and then crawled up my body. "You still taste like I remembered," he said, licking away residue from his lips. He kissed me so I could taste my own juices to prove his point.
I moaned against his lips as he entered me with great care. He fed me his length inch by inch until he was snugly inside of me.
"Damn, baby," he grunted against my lips. "I missed this good pussy like hell," he grunted before slowly thrusting his full length inside me.
My hips began to move and meet his thrusts as he rocked my core. I moaned salaciously against his lips, as our hips picked up speed and rocked against each other causing more pleasure with each heated thrust.
Our moans filled the air like the sex smells that permeated the room with our lust. My legs wrapped around his trim waist and held on, as he pummeled into me over and over. My nails raked into his slick back as an orgasm racked my body once again. My walls tightened around his dick and convulsed.
Montie threw his head back and hissed between his teeth as he splashed my walls with his hot seed. The feel of his seed sent me over the edge once again as I cried out into the night. Montie rolled off me but pulled me close to his sweat-slicked body. He reached for the sheet and pulled it over us as I fell into an exhausted sleep.
Breathless 2: In Love With An Alpha Billionaire Page 5
