The flames of tension simmered between them. “You lost Ellie because she deserves better than you. And you lost your job because you were working for an asshole and you behaved like an asshole.”
“He fired me because of her!”
Eleanor’s patience snapped. “If your life isn’t working out the way you want, then you need to do something about it, Matthew.”
He shot daggers from his eyes. “Well I will… How about I tell everyone what you’re doing here. I’ll tell the world you’re screwing each other and that you’re planning to bring down News Scape.”
Eleanor’s face flashed with worry. “What are you talking about? We’re not planning to do that.”
“I’m not stupid, Eleanor. What the hell else would you be doing typing up a story at this time of night? I don’t know what dirt you’ve found on them, but you’ve obviously got something.” Matthew pulled out his phone. “Maybe Blair will give me back my job if I give him the heads up.”
Matthew started to dial the number, but Joseph had had enough of him now. He strode over and halted, almost nose-to-nose. “Matthew… I should’ve done this months ago.”
He glanced up from the phone. “What?”
“This.”
With all his pent-up fury, Joseph swung back his fist and punched Matthew hard in the face. Matthew stumbled backwards, dropping his phone to the floor with a clatter.
“Now get out and leave us alone,” Joseph hissed.
He started to turn around to check Ellie was okay, but Matthew grabbed him and slugged him hard, sending glass-shard pain into his cheek and flinging him backwards. Shit! What was it Ivan had always taught him? Punch someone to knock them out; fight someone to the ground and make them stay there. Or they’ll get up and punch you right back.
“You can’t get rid of me that easy, Joseph! I’m gonna tell everyone what you’re doing here!”
Joseph tried to stand upright, but Matthew ran at him like a man possessed and punched him again. Joseph felt his nose drip with warm blood, stinging his eyes. That was it. No one punched him twice. He summoned up Ivan’s spirit; fight dirty – fight to win.
With the force of all his frustration behind him, he lashed out and punched Matthew hard on the nose, making him jolt backwards. But Matthew wasn’t going down without a fight. He ran at Joseph again and threw his arms around him, trying to squeeze him in a bear-hug. They twisted and turned together, wrestling on the spot, until Joseph raised his knee and managed to skim Matthew’s balls – hard enough to make him spring away.
But Matthew refused to quit. He ran at Joseph again, shoving him so he stumbled back through the kitchen doors – which left Matthew out there with Ellie. Joseph scrambled to his feet, intending to dart back to the office, but Matthew surged through the doors, pursuing Joseph – meaning at least Ellie was safe.
But then she ran into the kitchen too, looking frantic. “Oh my god, you two – stop this!”
“I intend to,” Joseph growled. He stood firm. “Come on, fucker. Want some?”
Matthew ran at Joseph and swung to punch him again, but Joseph ducked out the way and Matthew thumped the printing press instead, causing the bones in his hand to crunch. He let out a groan of pain.
Joseph grabbed Matthew by the shoulder and spun him to face him, then he punched him again, with all his force. Matthew stumbled towards the sink, so Joseph pushed his shoulders down, bending him backwards over the drainboard. He balled Matthew’s shirt in one fist, then raised his other arm to punch him again, but Matthew kicked him hard in the shin.
“Argh!”
Matthew lurched and tried to head-butt Joseph, but Joseph could see he was tiring, so he shoved him with all his weight, sending him backwards towards the storeroom.
“This way!” Ellie shouted, running to the storeroom and tugging open the huge door.
Joseph pushed Matthew again, forcing him backwards, but Matthew banged up against the doorframe and pressed his weight against it – planning to launch another attack on Joseph. Joseph refused to allow that, so he stepped to the side and shoved Matthew hard, making him stumble through the open doorway. He landed with a thud on the cold tiles inside, but Joseph had also stumbled forward with the force, meaning they were now both in there. Joseph wheeled around fast and dived out of the storeroom, landing on his front on the kitchen tiles. He pushed himself up with his arms, as he heard the storeroom door slam shut, but the bolts didn’t slide into place.
“Help, Joseph!” Ellie shouted.
He scrambled to his feet and saw that she was leaning all her weight on the door, meaning she couldn’t reach the bolts at the top. Matthew was already shoulder-slamming the door from within, and Ellie couldn’t hold him long. Joseph ran over and threw the bolts across, locking Matthew inside.
Joseph’s muscles relaxed with relief and he panted, trying to get his breath back.
Matthew pounded on the wood. “Let me out of here!”
Joseph pulled Eleanor’s trembling body against his. His nose was bleeding, but he was too out of breath to deal with that right now. They both stood and watched Matthew through the reinforced glass as he banged his fists, shouting and swearing with rage. The huge window was strengthened with crisscrossed wire, so there was no way of him breaking it. He was trapped.
“Looks like he won’t be telling anyone our plans,” Eleanor said, breathing heavily.
Matthew let loose a tirade of insults, promising to kill them both.
Eleanor ignored him and grabbed a box of tissues, then gave one to Joseph for his nose. Once the bleeding had stopped, he held her in his arms.
Matthew was still going nuts inside the storeroom. He looked like a man ready to kill. Like a caged wild animal.
Joseph felt like a wild animal too. He was pumped full of testosterone, like a triumphant stag who’d just won the rut. And now it was time to claim his prize. Matthew had treated Ellie dismissively in bed. Now he needed to learn how a real man behaved.
Joseph stepped forward and hugged Ellie from behind, kissing her tenderly on the cheek. “Let me take you in front of him.”
She laughed. “What? Are you serious?”
“It’ll drive him crazy. Come on, after all he’s done to us both.”
Joseph reached around and fondled Eleanor’s tits through her chiffon shirt with his strong hands, caressing them and kissing her on the neck. Eleanor glanced up and saw Matthew watching with fury plastered over his face. But he was unable to look away.
“Do what I say,” Joseph said, pushing her to her knees.
“Yes, Joseph,” she said, maintaining eye contact with Matthew.
She knelt there, feeling excited about Joseph’s plan to infuriate Matthew. She undid her shirt and removed her bra, then she fondled her breasts. Matthew stared with his mouth open – utterly aghast.
“He’s drooling,” Joseph said, standing behind her. “Let’s give him something to really get mad about.”
Eleanor laughed. She listened as Joseph unzipped his trousers, then his hard cock was at the side of her face, rubbing up against her cheek. She turned her head and licked it sluttily, knowing how furious this would be making Matthew. But he should never have cheated on her, should he? They weren’t hurting him. Just getting a little revenge.
Joseph thrust his cock into her mouth and she sucked hungrily. Then he stepped away. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that he’d now dropped to his knees and was crawling towards her. He positioned himself directly behind her and he pulled up her skirt, then he pushed her forward with the weight of his body, so that she was on her hands and knees – with her skirt pushed up around her hips.
Joseph’s hands grasped her hips and he rubbed his firm cock against her panties, then he pulled them down and eased his fingers inside her. She felt dirty, like an animal, and it was absolutely amazing. It was thrilling to be watched by her ex, knowing she was about to be fucked into ecstasy by her current boyfriend.
His fingers filled her up as they slid in and out
of her pussy. She grinned. Joseph disappeared for a moment to deal with the condom, so Eleanor knelt up and fondled her tits again, enjoying putting on the porn show for Matthew – knowing it would be driving him insane. Joseph crawled back like an alpha lion and pushed her forward again to her hands and knees. He reached around to rub her clit as his huge hard-on eased inside her. He pushed her shoulders down so that her chest was touching the ground, making her feel totally dominated. He started to thrust, slowly and tenderly at first, but then hard and fast, grinding his cock into her and sending her into a frenzy of delight.
She glanced up and caught sight of the impotent Matthew, which suddenly triggered an overwhelming orgasm – spiralling delight through her body like a tornado of joy. Joseph’s balls banged against her from behind, claiming her, possessing her, and she loved it. And she loved him. She groaned louder and louder as wave upon wave filled her body and mind with dirty beautiful pleasure. It was more spectacular and magnificent than anything she’d ever experienced before. Perfection and liberation.
She allowed the groans to fill the entire room with her honest overflowing passion. Her eyes scrunched up and she was no longer part of her body. Joseph possessed her, and she knew she’d never love another man as long as she lived. And she knew – from the possessive way he loved her – that they belonged together.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Eleanor sat – fully clothed once more – in front of her laptop at the rickety desk. She was trying to focus on making every word count. This article was to become her calling card. She knew this story was huge, and she vowed that from now on any piece of writing with her name on it would be factual, informative, and perfectly crafted.
She sat back in the wooden chair and grinned. It was exciting and fulfilling to be ‘in flow’ with the words that bounced off her fingertips. Her thoughts drifted to the kitchen, and a pang of guilt lurched in her chest about keeping Matthew prisoner like this, but it wouldn’t do him any harm to spend a few hours in the storeroom. Although it was actually another twenty-four hours until Blair Robertson’s party, when they planned to make the announcement, and they couldn’t risk releasing him until then, in case he blabbed. Ah well, he’d survive. It might do him good to be locked up with nothing but his conscience for a while. Eleanor chuckled as she realised that Matthew had Joseph for company in the kitchen at the moment. That was probably annoying him more than anything else.
She could hear Joseph talking on the phone back there and she wondered what he was up to. But she didn’t have time to think about it. Another hour and she’d finish this story – then they could set up the printing press and run off a couple of thousand copies to give out at the party tomorrow night. A keepsake for all the guests – as well as an advert for Eleanor’s journalistic skills.
She poised her fingers over the keyboard, but the kitchen door squeaked open and Joseph wandered out. His face was battered and bruised, but she was unable to pull her gaze away from him. They smiled into each other’s eyes as he strolled over, then he perched on the edge of her desk, looming like a god from on high.
“How’s it going, hot stuff?” he asked.
She grinned as excitement spiralled through her. “This is what I’ve always dreamed of, Joseph. Getting under the skin of a story like this. Knowing that I’ll be exposing the bad guys, saving the day, and… getting the guy.” She chuckled at this last part.
He smiled tenderly. “I’m glad I’m included in that list of things you’ve always dreamed of.”
She held his hand. “You definitely are.”
“It’s important to follow your dreams, right?” he said.
“Just like you did?”
He shrugged. “I’m working as a musician; it’s what I always wanted.”
“But the music you’re making isn’t what you always wanted.”
“Yeah… I feel like I sold my soul to the highest bidder. But sometimes you’ve got to sell-out if you want success, right? Go into the mainstream… just like you did with the tabloid....”
She stood up and he wrapped his arms around her waist – remaining seated on the edge of the desk. She gazed mischievously into his eyes. “But what if you can sell out, become huge, quit, then start again?”
He grinned. “Are you suggesting I break my contract with Robertson Records?”
“Why not?”
“He’ll sue the fuck out of me.”
“Probably. But he’s likely to have a few lawsuits of his own as from tomorrow night. Once the police seize the list of people who’ve been hacked and bribed by his reporters, he’s going to have a lot of questions to answer.”
“Yeah, and I might put in my own lawsuit against his paper – he was hacking me after all, or at least Gerald Stinger was.”
She raised a pensive eyebrow. “How about starting your own record company? Quinlan Records?”
He laughed. “Ellie, I don’t really know that much about the music industry.”
“You know a lot about music. And you said you were doing business studies at college. And I’m sure your brothers can help you get started. I bet they’d leap at the opportunity to expand their empire. They could probably poach someone from Robertson Records for you. What do you think?”
He pulled her close and kissed her. “I think I love you.”
She stared at him in shock. Did he really just say that? He was smiling resolutely – gazing confidently into her eyes. It obviously wasn’t a slip of the tongue.
Her face broke into a grin. “Do you?”
“It would seem that way. All those insults you’ve thrown at me over the last six months have truly meant a lot.”
“They’ve been fun. And – I never thought I’d say this – but I think I love you too.”
Joseph ran his fingers through her hair. “You’ve gotta work hard in life, but there’s always time to step back and smell the flowers, right?”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
He grinned. “It means, there’s always time for a bit of fun. Can you take a break for an hour?”
She gazed at her laptop. She was so close to finishing and she wanted to continue… but more than that she wanted to spend time with Joseph. “Sure. What for?”
“I’m taking you to a warm summer’s beach.”
“In an hour? In the middle of a November night in New York? And how do you plan to do that?”
“You’ll see. Go get your coat on and I’ll call a cab.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The cab pulled up in the snowdrift outside an old art deco movie theatre that Eleanor had visited as a child, but which had closed down years ago. In its heyday it had been bright and glamorous, with its flashing neon lights and 1920s charm. But now the lights were out and it looked forlorn in the gloom. But the architecture still retained its bold and stylish rectilinear symmetry, which was reminiscent of those carefree days. She smiled nostalgically. Even though it was a shadow of its former self, Eleanor half-expected Fred Astaire to come tap dancing down the granite steps to a number from 42nd Street.
“What are we doing here?” she asked Joseph.
“Come on, I’ll show you.”
They climbed out of the cab into the freezing night, and he put his arm around her as they walked up the steps. He opened the beautiful ornate door, which had captivated her as a child – with its golden décor that covered the glass like expressionistic sunbeams.
“After you,” he said, winking.
She laughed, deciding to play along.
The corridor was warm, and it was like stepping back in time – into her own childhood and into the 1920s. The gold-themed décor and bold embossed wallpaper had been kept clean, and the black-and-white framed photos of movie stars from the interwar period still decked the walls, labelled with names like Fay Wray and Rudolph Valentino.
Joseph held her hand as they made their way across the thick carpet towards the theatre doors, which were sturdy and covered with gold crisscrossed bars. He yanked open one of
the doors, and Eleanor glanced into the auditorium. It was empty, but the stage had been set.
“Go on in,” Joseph said. “It’s all for you.”
She crept inside and was struck with the sound of sweet birdsong and crashing waves emanating from the archaic speakers. She smiled, immediately feeling relaxed by the sounds of nature. He put his arm around her and they walked together down the aisle, towards the old wooden stage. The proscenium arch was as impressive as ever, with its bold marble pillars to each side, its red velvet border, and the deep, wide space beyond. Eleanor noticed – as they walked towards it – that half the stage had been dressed with a shallow pool of water, and the other half had been covered in several inches of sand. The UV lights that surrounded the stage made it warm, and the bright blue backdrop gave it a glow of daytime.
She halted and gazed at Joseph. “It’s a beach!”
He chuckled. “You said you wanted to go to the beach, so I brought the beach to you. Come on.”
He grabbed her hand and they strode up the wooden steps to the stage. Eleanor gazed at the beautiful scene of sea, sand, and sunshine. The UV lights were hot, so she struggled out of her winter coat, and Joseph draped it over a deckchair – several of which had been positioned by the water. She kicked off her shoes – suddenly feeling like a child – and she dipped her fingers into the pool.
“It’s warm.”
He grinned. “It’s the best I could do in the small time I had.”
She stared at him, unable to believe that anyone would do this for her.
“Sit down,” he said. “Take off your stockings. Feel the sand between your toes.”
She laughed, then eased herself into one of the deckchairs and removed her elastic-topped stockings. She watched Joseph as he strolled over to the upright piano on the outskirts of the beach and sat down.
“Allow me to serenade you as you sit in the sunshine, ma’am.”
He sat at the piano and started to play a full-bodied gentle tune. Eleanor sank into the canvas of the deckchair and allowed herself to relish this precious moment. She glowed with warmth inside and out. The music, the birdsong, and the sound of the waves soothed her soul. She relaxed every muscle, and allowed her mind to operate on a lower, calmer frequency, as if she was falling asleep. She sat there for a while, simply enjoying being alive, until he stopped playing.
The Billionaire's Revenge: Billionaire Brothers Billionaire Bachelors (Tycoon Billionaires Book 3) Page 16
