BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE BOXED SET
Labyrinths of Passion
7 Impassioned and Fetching Romantic Stories
ALPHA BILLIONAIRE
John's After-Party
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 – The Party
Chapter 2 – The Surprise
Chapter 3 – The Fear
Chapter 4 – The Trip
© Copyright 2015 by Zenobia Cannon
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Warning disclaimer: This eBook contains some explicit sex scene and adult language. This eBook is for sale to adults only. Please ensure it cannot be accessed by under aged readers.
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Introduction
John Ashton is suave, rich, handsome and completely enamored with Cindy.
When Cindy is invited to a birthday party by her best friend, Lillian, she doesn't expect to meet anyone like John. The man has more money than he can spend, more charm than she's used to and his blue eyes are enough to get her into all kinds of trouble.
It's love at first sight, but Cindy is hesitant to pursue anything with him. A one night foray brings up complications for both of them, but John is determined to prove his affections for her. Afraid to fall in love, focused on her career, Cindy pushes him away time and time again.
Between the lavish gifts, expensive trips and grand meals, Cindy has to figure out if there's something more to John. The way he gazes at her, the way he touches her is enough to drive her wild. Their time spent together in the bedroom is just as good as their time spent outside of it. However, Cindy is trapped between living in the pain of her past or moving forward into the unknown of the future.
Will the handsome billionaire give up on her? Or will she realize that taking a chance on love is worth the risks?
Chapter 1 – The Party
Cindy's eyes went wide as they drove through the tall, black gates. There were cars parked everywhere, the music spilling out of some large speakers behind the mansion filled the night air. Cindy's best friend, Lillian, had invited her to the party. It was some after party birthday bash for a good friend, she'd said. Cindy hadn't expected this.
Once they pulled up, a man in a red vest jogged to the car. He opened the door for Lillian, taking her hand to help her slide out of the car in her tight, blue dress. Once she was out, he handed her a ticket before jogging to Cindy's side of the car. Cindy's slender hand slipped into his as she was helped out of the car, her eyes locked on the vast mansion and sprawling land that lay ahead of her. She wore a black, mini dress with spaghetti straps and tall, black heels. Her platinum blonde hair had been pulled on top of her head, a few strands spilling down that lay in gentle wisps against her collarbone and neck.
Lillian walked over to her, linked their arms before they started walking to the lit up mansion. Their shoes dug into the gravel, making them giggle as they tried to stay upright and not go toppling over. As they got closer, Cindy had to raise her voice above the volume of the music.
“How do you know this guy again?” Cindy asked.
Lillian laughed. “We grew up together, same boarding school. I actually hadn't heard from him until a year ago. Found out he was living large out here. If he's still as cute as I remember, maybe I can snag him.”
Cindy grinned. Lillian had no shame. She was always the get what she wanted type. Cindy on the other hand was ambitious in her career, but her love life had been devoid of human contact for over two years. She liked to fantasize about what it would be like having a boyfriend, dating, holding hands, but in her mind it was a distant reality.
They stepped into the house, the clicking of their heels on the hardwood floors muffled by the music playing throughout the house. There were people everywhere dressed in swanky clothes, holding martini glasses or doing shots. The men had taken off suit jackets, rolled up the sleeves of their white, button down shirts, loosened their ties. The women all wore small numbers that hugged their curves, their heels tall and their jewelry sparkling in the lights of the room.
Cindy felt that she was standing there, mouth hanging open. She tried not to look like a tourist as Lillian led her through the throngs of people. As they walked, people stopped to kiss Lillian's cheek or introduce her to other people. Cindy tried to remember to use her words, but she was impressed with Lillian's ability to blend right in with everyone there. She knew that Lillian came from money, but she had no idea how much until she saw her effortlessly mingling with the people around her. It was clear that she was used to a life of luxury.
They finally slipped from the house to the back yard. There was a wide pool filled with people, a hot tub off to the side. A DJ worked his magic as people danced, laughed and threw back shots of clear and amber colored liquid. Cindy felt more at home with the rowdiness of them than in the house.
She followed Lillian over to a table where several people sat laughing loudly. Out here, the white shirts had either come off or were left open showing tanned, muscled skin underneath the fabric. When they were close, a man stood up, a big grin on his face. Cindy temporarily forgot how to breathe.
The man in front of her was a dream. He had deep, blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief. Sparkling white teeth peeked behind thin lips as he smiled at them. He was one of the only men still dressed, the white shirt covering his chest did little to hide the fact that underneath was an impressive physique. He had short black hair that made Cindy want to run her fingers through it. As she'd spent her time assessing his looks, she realized that both he and Lillian were staring at her. She shook her head.
“I'm sorry, I didn't hear over the music,” she said quickly.
“I was just saying that this is John Ashton, my old friend from school. This is Cindy, we work together at Azure.”
“The fashion magazine,” John said with a smile “I know about it.”
John re
ached out, taking Cindy's hand into his. She shook it, but he lingered, gazing at her. The woman felt a warm blush sweep up her body, color her cheeks. She couldn't seem to put away the grin that had appeared on her pink lips. Finally, he released her hand as he turned to Lillian as she spoke.
“Did you like the present I sent over today?” She was asking.
“The cigars. They were wonderful. I was actually going to enjoy one tonight. Would you ladies like to join me?”
John pulled out chairs for both of them before he sat down with them at the table. All of the men at the table were handsome, exuded confidence and ease. Cindy found that she could only look at John. His gaze slipped to her regularly, his deep blue eyes connecting with her wide green ones at every turn. The woman could feel her heart quicken, her pulse pounding away in her throat. Why did he keep looking at her like that?
Cindy couldn't stop blushing. She ran a hand over her neck, tried to think about anything other than his steady gaze. He was asking them about the magazine, that much Cindy could understand, but she kept getting distracted by his eyes. Lillian had clearly noticed the looks he was giving Cindy because she kept grinning. Cindy flicked her knee underneath the table making Lillian laugh.
“I have to visit the powder room,” Cindy said as she stood.
“I'll show you the way,” Josh said pushing his chair back slowly.
As he walked over to her, he took her arm gently to lead her through the crowd. Not that it was hard. The moment his long, slow stride approached anyone, they moved out of his way. He had a way of commanding the room without saying a word. Cindy liked that.
Once she was safely inside of the powder room, she took a deep, steadying breath. She looked up into the mirror, ran a hand over her hair, fixed her dangling earrings. She felt small compared to the people outside with their glistening jewels and expensive clothes. Cindy had come from a humble background, a small town in Georgia where her parents still lived. She was used to some of the glitz, thanks to working at Azure, but nothing like this.
Cindy reached into her black clutch, pulled out a tube of pink lipstick before she swiped it over her lips. She took her time, composing herself before she was satisfied with her appearance. She wanted to look perfect when she sat back down with them at the table. When she left out of the room, John stood across from the door, arms folded across his chest, eyes surveying the party goers. Cindy jumped. She hadn't expected him to wait for her.
“I could have found my way back,” she said as she stepped closer to him.
“It's a big house. Besides, if I let anything happen to you, Lillian would never forgive me.”
They stood together for a moment, soft smiles on their lips. Cindy could feel nervousness traveling up her spine. She watched as John pushed himself off of the wall, walked closer to her. Her heart sped up in her chest.
“Let me take you to dinner sometime,” he said.
“You barely know me,” Cindy said quietly.
“I could get to know you.”
Cindy blushed deeply. “Maybe.”
John grinned, before he hooked his hand beneath her arm to lead her through the throngs of people once more. The feel of his warm, smooth skin on hers was enough to make her want to lean against his frame, inhale the exotic aroma of the cologne that he wore. They met back up with the others at the table, but it was clear that Lillian had lost interest in John. Instead, she was flirting with a blond haired man who couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her.
Cindy was offered a drink that she sipped slowly. She had no idea what was in it, but it was sweet. Still, no matter how delicious she thought it was, she didn't want to drink too much. She had a habit of embarrassing herself when she did and that was the last thing she wanted to do in front of John.
“You know, Cindy's never seen how wonderful your house looks,” Lillian was saying despite Cindy shooting her daggers, “why don't you show her around?”
John chuckled. “That sounds like an excellent idea. Shall we?”
The man held a hand out to her. Slowly, she slipped her slender fingers into his hand before he helped her out of the chair. Cindy threw a glance over her shoulder as they walked away. Lillian was wiggling her fingers at her, a big grin on her face. She was going to have some choice words for the woman later.
John led her through the house. There was a set of spiral stairs that he took her to before they traveled up together. On the second floor, the music was a little more distant. Cindy had to admit that she quite enjoyed that fact. The pounding of the music had started to give her a headache.
“It's a lot more quiet up here,” he said as he took her down the hall. “I don't think I could have taken that music for very much longer.”
Cindy laughed. “Didn't you hire the music?”
“My friends did. They thought I needed a proper birthday, one with lots of loud music and skin. I think that was their exact words,” he said as he shook his head.
“You're not really into that?” She said as he opened a door before flipping on the lights.
“It's not really my thing, no. Still, if your friends are happy, you're generally happy. Right?”
“I can't disagree,” she said with a grin as they stepped into the room.
The woman's eyes finally slipped from his face to survey the room they were in. It almost looked like a normal office, the traditional wooden desk, new computer and portraits on the wall, but it was so much more than that. The room was immense, on every wall there was a bookshelf covered in books from floor to ceiling. Cindy's mouth fell open as she took the room in.
“This is beautiful,” she said softly.
“I had a feeling that you'd appreciate it.”
Cindy's fingers ran over the spines of books both great and small. Some of them were brand new, some of them the binding was falling apart. The smell of the paper filled the room giving Cindy a warm, comfortable feeling. He stepped up beside her as she peered at a row of old journals.
“They're from my family. I've kept every one, but I haven't read them yet.”
Cindy glanced at him. “Why not? I think they would be fascinating.”
“They would, but I feel like I'd be prying into their personal business. I can't bring myself to crack them open just yet.”
Cindy watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was peering forward, eyes on the shelves ahead. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips. He turned to her making her glance away embarrassed. She realized that she'd been staring at him.
“Do you want to see more?”
Cindy nodded. “Yes, please.”
As they left out of the library, Cindy threw one more lingering glance at his collection. It was impressive. They moved throughout the hallway slowly, her eyes falling on the pictures that lined the walls. Every piece of art seemed more expensive than the last and so did every room. In all, John showed her a theater, a music room filled with antique and modern instruments, a game room and bedroom after bedroom all lavishly decorated and furnished. Cindy found herself wishing she lived in a house like his.
They walked into the last bedroom, it was the biggest of all. A large bed sat in the middle of the room, raised high above the floor. She guessed that would be necessary to accommodate his tall frame. Even in her tall heels, he towered well above her. Plush carpet muffled the sound of her heels. Here too there was a large desk, computer and an immense closet filled with clothes and shoes. Even the bathroom was luxurious with its cream colored tiles and a deep, circular tub that had jets.
“You have a beautiful home,” Cindy said as they wandered back out to his bedroom.
“Thank you. I'll have to show you the rest sometime. Preferably when there aren't so many people downstairs. Would you like another drink?”
Cindy nodded. He walked over to a cabinet, opened the door to reveal row after row of chilled bottles and glasses. He made her another of the sweet drinks before pressing it into her hand. It took a moment for him to withdraw his hand from hers. W
hen he did, Cindy drank quickly trying to clear her throat.
“I meant to ask you,” she said after her voice started working again, “how old did you turn today?”
“I just turned thirty,” he said with a grin. “Am I too old for you?”
Cindy blushed. “I'm twenty-six and I don't think you're too old to be my friend,” she said with a laugh.
“Ah, I see. Friends,” he said as he stepped closer. “Are you sure that's what you want?”
Cindy swallowed hard. She had to admit, he was sexy. The power he exuded without having to try was intoxicating. Her heart began to speed up once more as she sipped at her drink, avoiding his gaze. He stepped closer to her, before he leaned in. His lips slid beside her ear as he whispered.
“You didn't answer my question.”
Cindy thought that if it were possible to melt, at that moment she would have done so. His breath tickled the shell of her ear making her shiver. She couldn't believe someone who had barely even touched her could have this kind of affect on her.
John pulled back, the smirk on his face saying that he didn't even need to hear the answer. He already knew. She swallowed thickly, tried to regain her composure as he gazed at her.
“I never agreed to anything. Besides, I don't do hook ups.”
John chuckled as he walked over to refill his glass. “I never said that you did. I'm simply asking for the chance to take you out to dinner sometime. Get to know you more,” he said as he walked back over to her.
Cindy felt her stomach flutter, the nervous feeling concentrating there. She tried to deny it to herself, but the more she looked into his eyes, the more she felt her knees grow weak. The woman polished off her drink before placing it on a wooden coaster on his desk.
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE BOXED SET: Labyrinths of Passion (7 Impassioned and Fetching Romantic Stories) (New Adult Billionaire Romance, Billionaire Romance, New Adult Short Stories) Page 1
