by Jessica Wood
“I’ve been talking with the police and they expect I’ll receive a ransom demand very soon. I’ve already decided to pay any amount they want for my little girl with no delay or hesitation. Unfortunately, I don’t have any cash and all my money is tied up in assets and my stock in the Adams Corporation.”
Ben nodded with understanding, but Gemma wondered what the point was of all this rambling. Clint continued, saying “I don’t want to have to tell the kidnappers that when they make their demands or they might think I’m stalling or unwilling to pay. I want to be able to give them their damn money and get Lori back. So I’ve decided to liquidate my assets now so I’m ready.”
“Are you certain you want to do that?” Ben asked cautiously.
Clint nodded his head adamantly. “Yes. I’ve thought about it long and hard and selling my stock in the Adams Corporation will be the easiest and fastest way to get a large amount of cash right away. Only, I don’t want to put them up for sale on the Exchange and risk letting them be purchased by just anyone.”
“What do you mean? Why not?” Ben frowned with confusion.
This time Gemma knew just what he was talking about, she said “Someone has been buying up large amounts of stock in the Adams Corporation. If this person were able to buy Clint’s stock they would undoubtedly have gained a controlling interest in the company and could effectively destroy it if they wanted to by breaking it up and selling it in bits.”
Clint looked at Ben with pleading eyes and said “I was hoping you might be willing to buy my stock shares. Gemma tells us what a good man you are. She says you’re an investment financier and smart with money. We all talked it over, and there’s no one better we’d like to offer these stock shares to.”
Gemma’s hands flew up to cover her open mouth. She couldn’t believe Clint was willing to sell his lifelong investment that he had in the company he’d worked for these past twenty years. She felt touched and awed that he thought well enough of Ben to offer his shares to him, and that it was because of her opinion that they regarded Ben so highly. In that moment, she no longer felt like the young kid being allowed to play in her Daddy’s office, but a full grown woman whose opinions were respected and carried weight.
She looked at Ben through tearful eyes, and saw that he was welling with emotion too. Ben cleared his throat and shook Clint’s hand firmly. “It would be my honor to assist you in this way.”
Harry and Sara practically cheered with joy and everyone in the room took turns shaking hands, hugging, and slapping each other on the back.
“We can take care of it all first thing in the morning.” Clint said to Ben. They spent the rest of the afternoon visiting and talking about Lori. Clint said wistfully, “I should have taken her to see the world. She was always telling me how much she wanted to travel and see all the great sights around Europe, the Orient, Australia, and South America. I should have taken her.”
“You’ll get to.” Gemma assured him with confidence. “Lori is still alive. I can feel it in my soul. She and I were as close as sisters; if she were gone I would know it. You’ll have her back soon.”
Shortly after that, everyone said goodbye and Gemma watched sadly through the window as they drove away.
“Are you alright?” Ben asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind in a loving embrace.
“I will be.” She told him and craned her head so he could kiss her neck. Ben carried her up the stairs to his bedroom suite and laid her gently down on the massive king-sized bed where she sunk deeply into the fluffy down comforter.
“I’m going to make you forget all your worries.” Ben said to her in a husky voice.
“How?” Gemma challenged him.
“With these.” Ben reached into a drawer and pulled out a handful of silk scarves and a vibrator. Eagerly they both stripped naked, then Gemma lay in the center of the bed and allowed Ben to use several of the scarves to tie her wrists to the headboard, so she was spread wide like the letter Y. Next he tied the remaining scarf around her eyes like a blindfold, submerging her into darkness. Gemma was surprised at how arousing it was to be helpless in such a vulnerable state. It freed her from the burdens of being in control and permitted her to simply lay back and accept whatever pleasures he gave her.
Suddenly she heard a light buzzing sound and knew that Ben had activated the vibrator. She gasped with surprise as he held the tip of it to her left nipple. It felt amazingly good. When he held it to her right, she was more prepared for the sensation, but still surprised for the blindfold kept her from knowing exactly when or where he would touch her next. It was wildly erotic and far more sensual than she ever would have dreamed.
Ben took his time, kissing and fondling her prone body while she writhed and squirmed with delight beneath his touch. When he suddenly applied the vibrator to the sensitive folds of her pussy, she gasped and moaned with the intensity of her pleasure. He used the vibrator to bring her just to the brink of orgasm, and then suddenly and cruelly he turned it off.
“Time for you to cool off.” He crooned and Gemma felt the stinging pain of ice-cubes being applied to her nipples. She moaned with pleasure and arched her back, straining for more. Then, without warning, he turned the vibrator on again and applied it to her quivering cunt. Again he brought her just to the brink of orgasm and then shut it off again. It was exquisite torture to be teetering on the brink of climax and then denied the ecstasy of achieving it. As Ben continued the game, Gemma found herself whimpering and begging for the sweet release of orgasm. When Ben released her from the bindings of the scarves she pounced on him like a wild animal, mounted his raging erection, and fucked him with uncontrollable passion, clutching at his chest as she thrust hard atop of him and screamed out his name. It was the fiercest, most powerful orgasm she’d ever experienced and she seemed to be caught in its throes for an eternity. When at last she collapsed on top of him, in a sweaty exhausted heap of pure bliss, she thought she’d never been happier in her life.
“I love you so much.” She whispered to him as she drifted off to sleep.
“I love you too.” Ben kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair, but sleep did not come for him. His mind was filled with secrets, guilt, and a lifetime of planning so close to fruition it both thrilled and terrified him. Now that he was finally about to make his goals complete, he wasn’t sure he could go through with it. As Gemma snored softly, he pushed her gently aside to escape her embrace. That was what he was going to have to do if he were to complete his plan; he had to push his love for Gemma aside and stay strong.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Gemma awoke the next morning and stretched out her arms, searching for Ben, but all she found was empty mattress. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand to see what time it was and saw the note and rosebud Ben had left for her. Smiling to herself, she held the fragrant flower to her nose and inhaled deeply. Then she unfolded the little piece of paper from his personal stationary and read it. I’ve gone to the Adams Corporation to purchase the stock shares. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Don’t worry, I’m sure Lori will be back soon too.”
The reminder of Lori made tears spring to Gemma’s eyes. She regretted refusing to take her phone call Friday night. If only she had known when Lori called to wish her a fun trip that it would be the last time she could talk to her. Gemma paused. How did Lori know she was going on a trip?
Ben hadn’t said she called to gossip and he told her they were going out of town. He said she called to wish them fun on their trip that weekend, but there was no way she could have known about it.
Gemma played with the paper in her hands, trying to make sense of it. She stared at the picture that adorned all of Ben’s private stationary. It was a circle of flames with a majestic bird in the center. A phoenix, rising from the flames.
Gemma dropped the paper and the rose and leapt from the bed. Dressed only in her bathrobe, she ran to Ben’s office, only to find it locked. He was always adamant about keeping his office priv
ate and forbid anyone to be there when he wasn’t in it. Pulling a bobby-pin from her long hair, Gemma picked the lock using an old trick her Dad had taught her when she used to love reading detective novels.
Once inside Ben’s office, she began to search all his drawer and files, not even sure what she was looking for. Suddenly his phone rang and she jumped with a stifled scream.
“Hello?” she answered, with her heart pounding in her chest.
“Gemma! Hi! You won’t believe how beautiful it is here!” Gemma burst into tears at the familiar sound of Lori’s bubbly voice.
“Where are you?” Gemma cried out.
“Ben’s private island bungalow. Didn’t he tell you he sent me here as a thank you gift for solving the mystery of the private investigator?”
Gemma listened as Lori told her everything. “Then Ben’s called me Sunday afternoon. He said I had done more than my duty and I deserved a vacation. He said he would take care of the DMV on Monday and that his private jet would be waiting for me Sunday night to whisk me away and be a guest on a weeklong vacation. Thank you so much!”
“So back up a minute.” Gemma’s head was spinning and she thought she might be sick. “The man who hired the private investigator told him he was a phoenix, rising from the ashes to get revenge on the man who cheated with his wife?”
“That’s right.”
“And you haven’t been kidnapped, forcing your father to sell his stock shares for ransom?”
“Definitely not. What are you talking about?”
“I don’t have time to explain. It’s Ben! He thinks’ my father had an affair with his mother twenty years ago, when he was split up from my mom. He’s been plotting ever since to get revenge against my dad; trying to force him into bankruptcy, seducing me, and now he’s about to gain controlling stock in our company. I have to stop him!”
Gemma knew that Lori probably didn’t understand a word she said, but she also knew she was right. She tried to call her father’s cell phone but it was turned off; so was everyone else’s! Desperate to do something, she ran from the office into her bedroom where she threw on some clothes, then sprinted down the stairs to the garage. She found the keys to Ben’s black Ferrari and drove at reckless speeds to the Adams Corporation.
“Stop!” she shouted out, to the surprised stares of Clint and her parents. Ben looked up at her with a smile of victory and she knew that it was already too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Ben Liamworth turned off his alarm clock long before it was scheduled to ring and got out of bed. He’d been tossing and turning for most of the night, unable to ignore the conflict in his thoughts. Finally, he just gave up trying to sleep and got dressed.
He put on a dark gray tailored suit, Italian leather shoes, and a blue tie that complimented his blue-gray eyes perfectly. He left his dark wavy hair unsettled to match his mood, and gave his face a quick shave. As he quietly left the bedroom, he paused to look at the beautiful woman sleeping in his bed. Gemma Adams was breathing deeply, the delicate features of her face were at peace and her chestnut hair lay in a long braid across her ample breasts.
He grabbed a piece of stationary from his dresser and scribbled a quick handwritten for her and placed on her nightstand along with a single rosebud from a nearby vase. The note simply read, I’ve gone the Adams Corporation to purchase the stock shares. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Don’t worry, I’m sure Lori will be back soon too.
Gemma’s green eyes started to flutter and Ben quickly took his leave before she woke up and he was enticed to stay and make love to her. He never would have thought he could love someone as much as he had grown to love her these last few months. It had changed everything he ever thought he knew. As Ben walked down the grand staircase and passed the giant portrait of his mother, he wondered how things had gotten so complicated.
When Ben had been a boy growing up in this mansion, life had been simple. He attended the best private schools the city had to offer, was active in sports, and had a solid group of friends. It was an idyllic childhood and he spent his free time playing in the vast and open garden behind the mansion, or up in his room with the endless amount of toys his mother bought him. When he wanted or needed anything, he had a host of servants that would tend to his every need; but he rarely had to call on them. His loving parents were always there for him and he could count on them for anything.
When he got dressed in the morning, the clothes he put on had been carefully purchased by his mother, Brooke Liamworth, during one of her many shopping sprees. Often times she would take him along and they would have the best time together, buying anything and everything he wanted, touring museums, and eating ice-cream in the park. Somehow, Brooke always managed to find a new piece of jewelry or a new dress at one of the exclusive boutiques they went to.
“How do I look?” Brooke would ask her son as she displayed her purchase with a flaring turn.
“Gorgeous!” Ben would say enthusiastically and it was true. Brooke Liamworth was as radiant as the sun. She had that rare quality that made people stop and take notice. It was the same It Factor that had attracted him to Gemma, but he quickly found out the two women were very different from each other.
Brooke craved attention. Whenever he would compliment her on one of her new outfits she would beam from the praise. One time, when he was about eight or nine, Ben remembered her saying, “Going out and buying new things always makes me feel better when I’m down.”
“Why were you feeling down, Mom?” Ben remembered asking her, even though he was more interested in his new handheld video game at the time.
“I’m not. It’s just that sometimes life gets rather boring sitting alone at home in that big lonely house and I need something to make me feel like a woman again. Before I married your father I lived quite an exciting life, traveling the world and working as a model. I had all the best clothes, stayed in luxury hotels, and had the richest boyfriends. Whenever I got bored they’d take me away to some exotic city in a private jet and we’d spend the night dancing. It was a completely different life than the one I have now.”
“Do you miss it?” Ben had asked, unconsciously picking up on her subtle body language.
“No, of course not. Now I have you and your father. What more could I want?” Brooke said resolutely, but her eyes had kept blinking and she blamed it on the breeze.
As a naïve child, Ben thought nothing of it. After all, theirs was a perfect existence. Every morning they ate breakfast together as a family with his father, Walter Liamworth, reading stories from the newspaper aloud while they all chatted and laughed together. When Ben came home from school in the afternoons, his mother would be home waiting for him and if he had a sporting event she was always in the audience cheering him on. Dinner in the evenings was the happiest time of all, and Ben would tell his parents all about the exciting events of the day and they would both listen attentively. When it was time for bed, Brooke would tuck him in herself and wish him sweet dreams.
The portrait by the grand staircase captured her at the height of those times. Her platinum blond hair hung in thick waves to her bare shoulders. Her blue eyes shimmered like sapphires in a lineless face, forever frozen in time when she was young and happy. Her voluptuous figure looked elegant and graceful in a shimmering satin gown and the smile on her lips was the one that Ben remembered from his childhood.
Ben left the portrait and headed into the garage. His driver had the Rolls ready to go and opened the door for him. Usually Ben bypassed such formalities and actually preferred to drive himself, but this morning he had a lot on his mind and wanted to be free from having to pay attention to the road so he could think.
His mind kept drifting back to his childhood and the way everything had changed. It happened subtly, so young Ben didn’t even realize his whole life’s happiness was in danger. If he had, he might have been able to do something to stop it. Instead, he just blithely carried on with childish innocence and let it happen.
“Where’s Dad?” he remembered asking his mother at the dinner table when he was about nine years old.
“He’s working late tonight, again.” Brooke had said. Her tone was casual enough that Ben just nodded and carried on with his stories of school. In retrospect he should have noticed the loneliness in her eyes and the dissatisfaction in her tone, but he didn’t.
After that, Brooke’s days away from the house grew more frequent and the times she took Ben with her were further and further apart. When he did get to go, he was surprised when she would meet friends for lunch. Strange men he had never seen before who called him Buddy and rustled his hair.
“I don’t like him. His laugh is fake and he won’t stop grinning.” Ben remembered complaining about one man in particular.
“Shhhh! He’s Mommy’s special friend and I won’t have you being rude to him.” Brooke had said, so Ben took off running into the play structure at the park where he could have fun. When they got home his mother said “Now remember, you father doesn’t like it when I spend too much money shopping so there’s no need to tell him about going out today or meeting my new friend.”
Ben was about to ask why when she handed him a brand new video game cartridge. It was the one he’d been wanting and he ran up to his room with it immediately, excited to blast bad guys. After that, things kept changing more, but not in the direction he wanted.
“Where’s Mom?” Ben had been completely thrown off guard when his Dad picked him up from practice one day instead of his mother.
“She had to meet a friend.” Walter had said in a strange tone that Ben didn’t recognize. He had assumed his Dad was annoyed about missing work in the middle of the afternoon, but now he knew better.
