Shattered: A Billionaire Romance Series (Contemporary Romance Novels)

by Love, Michelle

  “I’m a graduate student. Friday nights don’t exist and Saturdays are for research,” she muttered as she straightened. Turning to face me, she pulled her unruly hair back and pulled it through a band. “We’re both in agreement. If I go with you, you’ll leave me alone?”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “A simple yes or no would be fine,” she snapped.

  “Yes. If, after tonight, you want me to withdraw my protection, I’ll honor your wishes. But if you get kidnapped, I won’t be paying the ransom.”

  “Fine. I’d hate to be in your debt anyway.” She glared at me and waved her hands to shoo me out of the doorway.

  “Why don’t you like me?” I asked as I watched her lock the door.

  “You nearly got me kidnapped. You’re stalking me. You’re incredibly inappropriate, and you actually tried to pick out my outfit for tonight. I’ve had all of one conversation with you. Just because you are rich doesn’t mean you get to control my life. Are you going to tell me now where we’re going?”

  There weren’t many people who spoke freely to me. Strangers certainly didn’t speak to me that way. Women didn’t speak to me that way. “Just dinner.”

  “Dinner? That’s not vague at all.” She tucked the keys in her purse and turned to face me. The moon bathed her in light. She looked ethereal. Far too pure for someone like me.

  But I wasn’t about to let that get in my way. I was certain that by the end of the evening, I’ll finally have tasted her. And if things really went well, I might taste more than just her mouth.

  Her apartment was quaint and small but well maintained. I put my hand on the small of her back to lead her to the car where Danny waited. Her muscles tightened under my touch, but she didn’t turn away. I was tempted to slip her shirt up and touch her bare skin, but I knew that she would push me away.

  As instructed, Danny didn’t say anything when he opened the door. She thanked him politely and slid into the furthest corner of the luxury car. Amused, I kept the distance that she seemed to need.

  She nervously chatted during the short ride into the city. Our destination, Wu tong Shen, was named for the five Chinese deities that represented lust and carnal desire. They were known for their power to possess and ravish beautiful women.

  Despite its name and reputation, Wu tong Shen had a reservation list that lasted months. Their food was excellent, and the entertainment enticing. The restaurant catered to all different tastes. The more restrained could enjoy a normal restaurant on the first floor. The more daring could enjoy the erotic entertainment on the second floor, and those that had a standing invitation like myself could book a private third floor.

  “Wu tong Shen?” she asked in alarm. “I know the food is good, but I’ve heard what they do on the second floor.”

  “We won’t be dining on the second floor, my little wallflower.”

  Her eyes flickered at the nickname, but she didn’t comment on it. We walked in, and she glanced suspiciously around the restaurant. It looked very much like an expensive five-star restaurant. White table cloths, flickering candles, silver trays, and a serving staff dressed in formal wear. Sloan was far too underdressed, and she knew it the moment we walked in.

  “Mr. Montgomery,” the hostess said warmly. “It’s always a pleasure to see you.”

  She was fresh and young, but she wasn’t allowed above the first floor. The owners were very strict about the rules, and it’s what kept the place running smoothly. When it first opened, the press eagerly came in search of scandal, but they left disappointed. It went above and beyond the legal requirements of a strip club. Tips were encouraged, but the cover fee to get upstairs was more than enough to keep the local ruffians at bay.

  We could have taken the stairs to the third floor, but the hostess walked us to the elevator instead. Sloan dragged her feet, and I pushed her gently. “You said we weren’t going to the second floor,” she said nervously when the doors closed.

  “We’re not.” I smiled when she bit her lip uncertainly. She was so innocent. I wanted so badly to dirty her just a little.

  The door opened up to a hallway. The third floor was sectioned off into four closed rooms. Only four reservations could enjoy the third floor at a time, but they were allowed to stay as long as they wanted. I ushered her down the hall to the last door on the left. When I knocked, the door opened to reveal a small dining area.

  Dark leather booths lined the walls, and a small table stood in the middle of it. Like the tables downstairs, it was covered in a white cloth but I had specifically requested the candle be removed.

  “You have your own private dining room here?” she asked in confusion as she glanced around.

  “Not me specifically. The four rooms can be rented for prescreened individuals for a fee.”

  “Why do they have to be prescreened?”

  “These rooms are private for a reason,” I said vaguely. She glanced at the gentleman who had opened the door, and he smiled indulgently and held out his arm. I allowed him to escort her to the table and pull out her chair. She seemed delighted in the experience.

  “I have to say, this is not what I expected.”

  I took my own seat, and the gentleman turned to me. “Who will you be requesting, this evening?”

  “Sandra will be fine. Thank you.”

  He looked surprised but merely nodded and quietly left the room.

  “You have your own waitress?” she asked as she opened the menu. “That’s awfully fancy.”

  It was time to chip away at her innocence just a little. “Each of the women and men who work up here are designed to satisfy individual satisfaction. If you want your waitress to serve you naked, it’s allowed. If you want to eat your meal off her body, it’s allowed. And if you want to watch her engage in certain activities during your meal, it’s allowed.”

  Her jaw dropped. “That’s illegal,” she whispered.

  “The one thing you are not allowed to do is fuck the waitresses or ask them to pleasure you. You’re welcome to ask them to join you when they get off work, but it’s not allowed here in the restaurant. Nothing illegal happens here.”

  She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. I could tell she was embarrassed to ask, but she finally let curiosity win. “What sort of activities could you request?”

  “The staff are very close. If they’re so inclined, they can pleasure themselves or each other while you watch.”

  The blood drained from her face, and her eyes widened. “I guess I knew that kind of thing was popular, but I didn’t think there were places designed for it.”

  “I believe it’s required for the staff on the third floor to enjoy being watched. They get off on it,” I said quietly.

  “How many times have you watched?” She looked almost horrified after asking and quickly shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  I smiled indulgently. “I am quite fond of the food here, and I like the privacy the third floor provides. I have never requested anything special here, but if you’re curious, I’d be happy to change that.”

  “No,” she said quickly. “I don’t think I’d like that. Why would you even bring me to a place like this?”

  From the way she was gripping her menu, I knew she probably might like it a little too much. Did she get off on watching other people? Or did she like the idea of someone watching her? “I told you. I like the food and privacy. I’m fond of the filet’s here, but if you like seafood, the stuffed flounder is divine.”

  “We’re just here to eat and talk?”

  “Does that disappoint you?” I asked her quietly.

  “Of course not.”

  We both knew she was lying.

  Chapter Seven

  Sloan

  My body ached to be touched. Had he taken me to a normal restaurant, I would have still been turned on by him, but the thought of what might be happening on the other side of the wall nearly pushed me over the edge. Just because it wasn’t prostitution didn’t mean this wa
sn’t a sex club.

  Expensive, but a sex club none-the-less.

  Sandra, the waitress he’d requested, did not serve us naked. She wore an incredibly slinky dress, and if she bent over, I knew that we’d get an excellent view of an area that’s supposed to remain private. She was attractive, her voice was sultry, and she couldn’t keep her eyes off Lucas.

  I couldn’t even believe how jealous it made me.

  Downing the glass of red wine in front of me, I tried to enjoy the food. It really was delicious, but it paled in comparison to the other hunger that grew inside me. I was never the kind of girl who had fantasies about strangers or sex in public, but that wasn’t stopping the film of torrid fantasies that continued to play in my mind.

  “You’re supposed to be convincing me why I need your protection,” I reminded him. It was something to distract me.

  He swirled his glass of whiskey around and cocked his head. “I watched the video feed from the surveillance cameras. You put up quite a fight, but there was only one thing that worked in your favor. You were in a parking lot of a crowded club. Because you didn’t come easily, they were afraid that you’d attracted too much attention to them. You stay late at the campus library. What if they had caught you in the deserted parking lot at midnight? What if they had attacked outside your apartment when everyone was asleep? You defended yourself, but they could have overpowered you.”

  The thought had occurred to me, but I didn’t want to think about it. “That doesn’t explain why I need your protection. By now they probably know that we’re not in a relationship, and they’ve moved on. It would be ridiculous to try again.”

  “Would it?” he asked quietly. “Even if we weren’t acquaintances before, we certainly are now. I have no family in the area. I have no close friends that are easily accessible, and I don’t date. If they decided to try again, targeting you is the only real choice. They’ve pushed you into my life, and I can no longer call you a stranger. It would be no small thing for them to request a million dollars for you. That’s pocket change to me. I’d shell it out without a second thought.”

  A million dollars was pocket change to him? I almost asked how much he was worth and decided that I really didn’t want to know the answer. “All of that assumes that they’ll even try again. They’ve already failed, and they know that the police are investigating and that I’m being watched.”

  “But if you decide that you don’t want my protection, you won’t be watched anymore. My head of security did his research. They weren’t there by chance. That same van has been tailing me for days. It’s quite possible that they were going to try and take me hostage and demand that my company pay for my return, but you became a much easier target. You still are an easier target. They’ve put in an awful lot of effort to give up after one failed attempt. The police don’t have their names or identities. They choose another vehicle, and they´ll try again.”

  Shuddering, I pushed my plate away. I had suddenly lost my appetite. As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. It didn’t make sense that they saw me and hatched a kidnapping scheme. Of course they’d planned something. It was too much to be a coincidence.

  Sandra came in and cleared our plates. “Will there be anything else that you’d like to enjoy?’ she asked seductively. I couldn’t help but glare at her. I know I wasn’t gorgeous, but I wasn’t invisible.

  “Sloan?” he asked in a low voice. “Would you care for dessert?”

  He probably didn’t mean a piece of chocolate cake. Reddening, I shook my head, and he smiled at Sandra. “Some privacy then. Thank you for your services.”

  Was it my imagination or was she snarling at me with her eyes? I tried to return the look, but she only rolled her eyes and stalked out of the room. “I think she was disappointed,” I said dryly. Pushing my chair back, I folded the napkin and placed it on the table.

  Lucas stood as well. “Going somewhere?”

  “The meal is over,” I said, confused. “I figured we were done.”

  “We’re not. I think that the only reason I am where I am now is because I’m a careful man. I’m not willing to take any chances.” He moved slowly around the table, and I was torn between the urge to flee and stand my ground. “I have the means to protect you. You should take advantage.”

  He closed the distance between us. As I leaned against the table, his hands settled on my hips, and I couldn’t help but place my hands on his chest. I couldn’t explain the pull I felt towards him, but it seemed that I was powerless to stop it. “Is that the only thing I should be taking advantage of?” I asked breathlessly.

  Chuckling, he slipped his hands under my top and skimmed the pads of fingers across my skin. His hands were strangely rough, and they awoke every nerve in my body. Desire coiled low in my belly, and I arched my back.

  “Do you know what I was thinking when I saw you for the first time at Club 9?” he whispered in my ear. My head rolled to the side, as his fingers caressed my belly. A single finger skimmed under the waistband of my jeans, and I moaned.

  Fuck. Anyone who looked up right now would think that I was ready to take him right on the table. Maybe I was.

  “I wanted to know what you would sound like when I touched you. I wanted to know where all your sensitive spots were. I wanted to know how you would react to my touch. I wanted to slide my hand under that dress and see just how wet you were.”

  I tried desperately to find my grip on reality. “You didn’t even know who I was.” His body was warm and hard beneath my touch. I wanted to be as brave as he was. I wanted to lift his shirt and press my lips to his chest.

  “Knowing who you are doesn’t change the way my cock reacts to you,” he said harshly as he pulled me from the table. I’d barely had time to react before he sat in a chair and pulled me across his lap. As I straddled him, I couldn’t help but buck my pussy against him. We were both fully clothed, but I was desperate for any kind of relief.

  “Tell me what you like, Sloan. I’ll take you anyway you want tonight. I’ll fuck you senseless right across this table. No one will bother us.” He fisted my hair and yanked my head back so he could graze teeth down my neck.

  He hadn’t even kissed me, but I already belonged to him. Every bone in my body screamed for his touch, but in the middle of the sexual haze that surrounded us, a single moment of clarity had me arching away from his body. I wasn’t some toy for him to amuse himself with.

  “And when I no longer need your protection? What happens to me then?”

  He frowned, but he didn’t stop touching me. Sliding the hem of my shirt up even higher, he grazed his thumb over my bra. My nipples immediately puckered. “What do you mean?” he asked quietly.

  “You know damn well what I’m asking. You use your money and charm to seduce women, but how long does it last? One night. One week? Maybe a month if they’re lucky?”

  “Tell me that you don’t want me,” he commanded as he dug his fingers into my sides. “Tell me that you’re not curious about us?”

  “I want you. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone. So much so that it doesn’t even make sense to me, but I’m not going to be just a tally for you.” I yanked his hands away and slid off his lap. The more space I put between us, the more I could think clearly.

  “I see,” he said quietly. “You want romantic dinners and expensive gifts. You want to show me off to your friends and hold hands in public.”

  “I want to be treated with respect,” I said as I closed my fingers into a fist. “I’m not a whore. I’m not going to fuck you because I’m grateful that you want to protect me. I’m not a goddamn damsel in distress!”

  He didn’t say anything, but his eyes hardened as they swept over me. “I’ll get my security to assign you two men to keep an eye on you. I promise more discretion than the last men showed,” he finally said.

  I guess I had my answer. I was good for quick ride but nothing more. “Thank you. I appreciate that. If you don’t mind, I’m ready to go home now.”

/>   He nodded and stood, and I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Had he pushed, even a little, I knew that I would have melted in his arms.

  And I wouldn’t have even cared if I regretted in later.

  Chapter Eight

  Lucas

  By the time Monday morning rolled around, I was feeling rough. Sloan stayed in my head all weekend. I wasn’t even mildly interested in inviting another woman to warm my bed. At least she’d agreed to the protection detail.

  Gripping my coffee like a lifeline, I exited the elevator and walked in on Torrence staring at an unsuspecting Cecilia. She was bent over the desk, fumbling through her papers, and he had a clear view of her cleavage. “Is this really how my week is going to start?” I grumbled as I pushed past him.

  “You’re late,” he snapped in return as he followed me to the office. Startled, Cecilia looked up sharply and immediately blushed. “Good morning Mr. Montgomery. Good morning Mr. Torrence.”

  “I thought I told you to call me Drew,” he said with an easy smile.

  “Torrence,” I said in a warning voice. He gave her one last smile before following me into my office. “You should really just ask her out and put me out of my misery,” I grumbled as I dropped my briefcase to the floor.

  “Who pissed in your cheerios this morning?” he asked with narrow eyes. “I emailed you a detailed background check on Sloan Whitlow. Nothing raised any red flags. I hired two men outside the agency to follow her. They’re ex-military, so they should stay out of sight. I also swept all the conference rooms.”

  I froze and stared at him. I’d only asked him to check one room. If he checked them all, then he found something. “I want signal jammers installed everywhere on this floor. Hell, maybe even the whole damn building. This week.”

  Torrence shrugged and tossed the little gadget on my desk. “The bug itself is pretty cheap, and it doesn’t have much range. I’d say someone would have had to be within two floors of the room to hear anything.”