Billionaire's Secret: The Complete Series

by Simone Sowood

  I tried to push past him but he sidestepped in front of me again.

  “Get the fuck out of my way before I start screaming.”

  He moved out of my way and I hustled past him.

  He called something out as I went. I thought he said something like, “He lies even more than your last boyfriend.” But he couldn’t have. I couldn’t have heard him right.

  * * *

  Jay came in that night around ten. He didn’t look like his normal cool self. Almost disheveled. Although no one else would spot that, I could tell.

  I hooked my arms behind his shoulders and hugged him, drinking in his scent. He patted my back and brushed passed me.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” he said, depositing his bag on the dining chair. My heart sped up.

  He took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. I laid my hands on his chest, fussing with him. He clasped my hands in his and kissed my fingers while holding my gaze.

  “Everything is good.”

  Jay pushed my hands out from between us and pulled me tight to him. He smelled my hair and I warmed, knowing my very presence could calm him.

  I tilted my head to him, begging for his lips. He cupped my chin and kissed me. A rough, forceful kiss that left me gasping.

  He pushed me back, into the dividing counter between my kitchen and living areas. Before I knew what was happening, he’d spun me around and bent me over the counter.

  “I need to fuck you, now.” His voice was low, like a growl. His normally controlled self gone.

  My heart pounded in my chest and at the same time my pussy screamed alive with lust.

  He grabbed my work skirt and pulled it up over my ass, tearing the seam in the process. Oh well, what was the big deal about a Chanel skirt? I wiggled, but he gripped my ass, holding me still while he yanked my panties between my thighs.

  My pussy waited, exposed. I couldn’t do anything but moan, anticipating him entering me.

  Jay dropped down and his tongue lapped at my pussy, a hand on each of my ass cheeks. His tongue probed me, finding my clit and flicking it. It had happened so fast I was caught off-guard and left panting as the sensations shuddered up my spine.

  His grip on my ass was so firm, I was sure I’d have strangely shaped welts in the morning but I didn’t care.

  I was sure I could actually feel my pulse on my cheek, reverberating off the counter.

  He released his grip on one of my ass cheeks and swatted it, the noise echoed around the room. I flinched at the touch but it electrified my pussy. My dripping wet pussy that was desperate for him to put his cock in it.

  He smacked my ass again, causing me to moan. I wanted to beg, to plead for him to fuck me but I didn’t have the breath.

  While he continued to flutter his tongue over my clit, his fingers fumbled with my lips. I didn’t know how much more I could take, but waited eagerly for his fingers to find my entrance.

  Instead, he slipped his thumb into me. He bent his thumb and pushed it against… I didn’t know what against. Something I never knew I had. Something mythical. Something that made me buckle at the knees.

  My entire body lost sense of where it was or who I was as orgasmic waves washed over me.

  I melted, his other hand on my ass the only thing keeping me from falling to the floor. I moaned a breathless sound of sheer gratification.

  Jay took his thumb away and stood, holding me against the counter with his body. The bulge of his cock dug against me through his suit pants.

  He manipulated his belt and button, giving me enough time to breathe some air into my lungs.

  Without pause, he pushed his cock deep into me and began pounding me into the counter. My legs were still too weak, too much like jelly, to offer any support or resistance. I was all his.

  Jay grunted as he rammed into me, his hands on my back holding me down. My pussy screamed again, taking a ridiculous amount of pleasure in his manhandling of me. It clamped down on his cock, the slickness of its walls the only thing allowing it to move under the vice grip.

  He thrust in deep, with more power than before. A slight grunt escaped his mouth and he doubled himself over me. Our breaths regulated until we breathed in unison.

  “I’ve had enough of this shit. Run away with me, beautiful.” His voice was firm. Serious.

  I wasn’t sure how to react.

  He pulled away and walked to the washroom. I scrambled to pull myself together as best I could on my weakened legs. I examined the damage done to the Chanel skirt he had given me. One article of clothing that cost more than all other skirts I’d ever purchased combined.

  I staggered to the sofa and he reappeared, looking his normal in-control self.

  He pulled out his laptop out of his bag and sat beside me on the sofa. He opened it and looked at spreadsheets. I sat there looking at him, wondering if he was ever going to say anything. But he was lost in thought and didn’t acknowledge me.

  I curled my legs underneath me and leaned against his arm.

  “Well that’s the kitchen ticked off the list,” I said.

  “Huh?”

  “The kitchen. That’s ticked off.”

  A half smile formed on his face. “We’ll have to move out soon, we’re going to run out of new spots.” He turned his attention back to his screen.

  * * *

  My phone beeped with a text from Sam.

  Jenny said you crazy lady :D

  Pot, kettle Sam.

  Whatevs

  It was already Thursday evening. This week was both dragging and flying past. Other than Monday, Jay hadn’t been home much before midnight. I longed to have him there in the evenings. To tell him all about how messed up the reporting at my new company is and what a big job it will be to fix it all.

  At the same time, there was so much work to do the days flew by and there were never enough hours to finish what I needed to get done.

  YOU ARE COMING OUT TOMORROW

  Yes, Sam, I planned to. I wouldn’t be staying late and dancing or anything, but I needed to talk to them. Jenny had better have been thinking over my problems all week and I needed her take on the situation. I don’t know what Jenny told her, but it must have made her realize I needed them.

  DUH

  Although I hadn’t told Jay yet I was going. I couldn’t, I hadn’t seen him all week since he got home after I went to bed and left before I got up in the morning.

  I crawled into bed alone not long after eleven. The key rattled in the lock about fifteen minutes later. I sat up and turned the bedside lamp on, eager to see Jay.

  “Hey, you’re still up.”

  “You’re not quite as late today.”

  He shrugged. “I’m closing a deal tomorrow. It’s been a busy week.”

  He took off his jacket and laid it over the bedroom chair. There seemed to be a lot of suit jackets laid around my condo these days. I should have kept all those vases, so he’d have more things to lay them on.

  “I won’t be late tomorrow. I’ll be home before you.”

  As much as I wanted to see him, I didn’t want to be the one keeping us out of each other’s arms and guilt weighed down on me.

  “I’m meeting Jenny and Sam after work tomorrow.”

  His eyes flickered then fixed on mine. “I don’t want you walking anywhere on your own. You call me to come get you.”

  “I will.”

  “You said that last week. Maybe I should come out with you?”

  My eyes widened. I couldn’t talk about him if he was sitting right there. Sam and Jenny would take his side and they’d all gang up on me.

  “No need. I’ll phone you, I promise.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I mean it, beautiful, you have to call me. No excuses.”

  I tried to smile to reassure him, though my mind was trying to understand why he wanted to walk me home so badly.

  He got into bed and put his arm around me. Within minutes he was asleep, but it took me over an hour to drift of
f.

  Chapter 13

  “There she is!” Jenny called out as I walked into the bar. I waved and walked to them.

  “Don’t you come over here without drinks!” Sam shouted.

  I gave her the finger and kept walking to them.

  “You’re going to be pretty thirsty ‘cause there’s no drink here for you!” Sam yelled.

  “Fine!” I changed my course and went up to the bar. I got a bottle of Pinot Grigio and plunked the bottle down on the table, along with the one wine glass I’d taken.

  “Whoa, whoa. Where are our glasses?” Jenny asked.

  “Right in front of you.”

  “This is an empty beer glass,” Sam said, pointing at it with both her hands.

  “Yep,” I said, pouring the wine into the glass.

  “Oh come on, beer suds are foaming at the contact with the wine,” Sam groaned.

  Jenny snatched her beer glass off the table and bee-lined for the bar. I sat in the seat beside her and poured wine into my glass, filling it fuller than any bartender would have.

  Once Jenny returned with a clean wine glass I asked, “So, what do I do?”

  “You move in with him!” Sam said.

  I looked to Jenny, searching her eyes. Sam hadn’t known me when I lived with Matt. She didn’t understand how he had destroyed me. How he’d leeched off me and sucked a huge portion of my inheritance away. My parents would be so ashamed of me. I could never forgive myself for being so stupid. And I certainly could never leech off someone else.

  “I think you need to take the risk,” Jenny said. She took my hand in hers.

  “But how would I contribute?”

  “I somehow don’t think he cares,” Sam said, rolling her eyes.

  “I care.”

  “Sweetie, when are you going to learn that in real life it’s not possible to have everything work out nice and fifty-fifty? So what if you can’t contribute an equal amount for the house?” Jenny said.

  “He said I could pay for the maintenance on his indoor swimming pool.”

  “Who cares if you can’t meaningfully contribute to the household? The only thing that cares about it is your ego,” Jenny said.

  “Yeah, stop being such an egomaniac,” Sam said cackling.

  “Why don’t you rent out your condo to keep it going? Cover the mortgage. Then you’d always have it as an asset to throw into his asset pool,” Jenny said.

  “He doesn’t have an asset pool, he has an asset ocean,” I said.

  “But if it makes you feel better, then do it. If it justifies your ability to have a functioning relationship with him, then do it. You’ve got nothing to lose,” Jenny said.

  I took a long drink of my wine and let the liquid swirl around in my mouth. It seemed like a no-brainer as far as they were concerned. I’d relied on no one but myself since my parents died. I had to then. But now it was so deeply ingrained in me I could never uncoil myself from the need. There was only one person in life I could ever be indebted to, myself, and I hated myself for it.

  “Okay, so now you’re moving in with him, what’s this big job he offered you?” Sam asked.

  Man, I’d been so focused all week on the question of moving in with him I’d forgotten about the job thing.

  “Nothing concrete, he said he thought my talents were wasted in reporting.” Just saying it out loud made me proud.

  “I’d be all over it. Take the job offer tomorrow,” Jenny said.

  “Or is this another of your silly hang-ups?” Sam said.

  “It’s another of her hang-ups.”

  “Why doesn’t she get that using contacts to get a job is normal? It’s just networking.”

  “I don’t know. I never would have got into marketing without help from my dad’s friend.”

  “Why are you two talking about me like I’m not here?”

  “Because you’re not going to take any notice of what we say anyway, we might as well,” Sam said, mock glaring at me.

  I shook my head. They were so understanding… not.

  After just the one bottle of wine, I was keen to get home and see Jay. More than keen. I hadn’t seen much of him all week and I missed our chats. Plus I worried about how stressed he’d seemed on Monday and wanted to make sure he wasn’t still stressed.

  “It’s been great but I have to get home to my man,” I said, standing up.

  “Sure, go running to him when he’s at your house,” Sam said.

  “You know, it would help if he didn’t live out in the burbs,” I said laughing.

  * * *

  I’d walked a couple of blocks before I remembered my promise to Jay. I didn’t understand why he was so insistent on walking me home. And I’d walked around the streets late at night so many times over so many years on my own that I never thought twice about it.

  “Abbie,” Calvin said, appearing out of the shadows.

  I jumped at my name, and my heart pounded. There was no way to get around him.

  “Why do you keep coming up to me?” I said through my heavy breathing.

  “No reason.” His voice was bitter, taunting.

  “Then leave me alone.” I swept my eyes around the street, pleading for someone to help me, but the area was devoid of people. My body trembled at the realization.

  “You need to be careful about James.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Here, take this.” He held out a small manila envelope. I looked at the envelope, my brow furrowed but my mind blanked.

  “Take it!” Calvin shoved it at me and my reflexes took hold of it. Calvin snickered and walked away.

  I stood motionless, my heart pounding as I tried to comprehend what had just happened.

  Some part of my brain kicked my ass into gear, and I crammed the envelope into my Burberry jacket pocket and half jogged home.

  * * *

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Jay said the second I opened my condo door. I’d never heard him sound so angry before. Normally he didn’t exhibit emotions. But this was raw. Serious.

  “I’m sorry, I forgot.” He walked over to me, his eyes boring into my core.

  “That’s not good enough. You can’t forget.” My heartbeat, still rapid from Calvin, crashed against my ribcage.

  I pursed my lips and bit them together with my teeth, trying to stop my chin from quivering. I was so on edge that my emotions struggled to grasp what was happening.

  I’d left the bar, eager to rush home to his embrace a mere fifteen minutes ago. And now I stood here a wreck.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  Jay smoothed my hair over the top of my head and pulled me into him.

  “It’s fine. I worry about you. I need to know you are safe. I will start coming out with you, so you don’t forget again.”

  He led me to the sofa and flicked an old movie on, Bullitt. I’d always liked Steve McQueen, even though the man holding me on the sofa was hotter.

  * * *

  We spent the weekend at his house, not doing much other than eating, watching movies and having sex. And going for a couple of swims in his basement. Naked swims.

  Sunday night we went back to my little condo. The difference in the two places became more glaring each time I went between them. What must he think about staying at my teeny tiny home?

  But he stayed here. He insisted.

  * * *

  Ugh. Every time I went into my new job, I found something else that was screwed up about the place. It was a dysfunctional company, to say the least.

  At least I liked my boss, Laurie. And I was getting to grips with my staff, though I wasn’t yet in a position to guide them because I was still trying to figure out how all the reporting at the company fit together.

  Chapter 14

  On Wednesday, I entered the office and took off my Burberry jacket. As I laid it over my arm, the manila envelope fell out of my pocket.

  I’d forgotten all about it after the reaction Jay greeted me at the door with
. I picked it up off the floor and hung up my coat.

  Should I open it? Or toss it? I wasn’t sure. I sat at my desk and uncrumpled it. There was nothing remarkable about it. No writing on it, no label. Just a little envelope. When I smoothed it flat with my hands, I could feel the outline of a piece of paper inside.

  What was Calvin up to? Why did he keep coming up to me? It’s fricking Chicago, a big city — I shouldn’t ‘accidentally’ bump into him in. Let alone at night.

  On second thought, I didn’t even care. I chucked the envelope into the trash can.

  I pulled my chair to my desk and resumed my mission of making sense of the reports. But I was having trouble focusing. I pulled the envelope out of the trash and put it in my purse.

  At lunch I sat at my desk eating a sandwich, looking through yet more messed-up reports. Every second seemed to reveal more issues in this company’s reporting.

  What were all these people doing before I got here? I mean, it wasn’t that hard to pull out important information from company reports, but they’d managed to screw it up on an epic scale. I laughed to myself, even Calvin could have done a better job.

  Calvin. The thought reminded me of the envelope. Fuck it.

  I took the envelope out of my purse and before I’d had the chance to second guess myself, I ripped it open.

  A piece of paper was folded and folded some more. I unfolded it, my heart getting faster with each motion. I unfolded the last fold, finally revealing the message. It was a printout of a news article from a website.

  Force McAllister completes stealth takeover of CQ Francis

  I read the headline over and over but never managed to read the actual article. The air was knocked out of me. My stomach churned. Even my face hurt.

  I took my phone out.

  You fucking asshole

  Why did I trust him again? I crammed my phone back in my bag, picked my things up and left work, my half-eaten sandwich still on my desk. My phone bleeped but I ignored it.