by J. L. Beck
Seduced by The Billionaire
Sold to The Billionaire #2
J.L. Beck
Copyright © 2017 by J.L. Beck
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Meet J.L. Beck
J.L. Beck is a stay at home to two little minions and happily married to her high school sweet heart. When she's not writing steamy hot as sin books, you can find her with a glass of wine, and book of choice in hand. She believes all love stories should have a happy ever after, but knows that real life sometimes occurs so for her readers if she can give her books a HEA then she's happy.
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Chapter One
Raven
Sweat covered my body as I shot up in my bed. It had been a week since I last seen Fox’s rugged but handsome face. Though he appeared in my dreams every night bringing me to my knees with pleasure, he also warned me threatening to break me for betraying him.
Tonight was no different than any of those other nights, and as I tried to get my erratic heartbeat under control from the most recent dream. I knew there would be no point in trying to go back to bed. It was a loss cause for the last four nights and I was positive tonight wouldn’t be any different.
I sighed missing his touch with each passing day but knowing that I was weaker with him than without. He made me crave things that I couldn’t have, not when I was trying to nurse my mother back to health. She needed me more than Fox did.
Or at least that’s what I tried to convince myself.
I scurried from my bedroom and out into the kitchen, thinking maybe a midnight snack could ease my temptations for Fox. I had just opened the fridge when I heard my mother sigh loudly, the disapproval of my midnight eating all but dripping from her mouth.
“You should be sleeping child. You’ve got classes early tomorrow morning.” She scolded as I turned around grabbing a handful of grapes from the fridge. I really wanted Fox but I guess I would have to settle for grapes. I popped a few in my mouth knowing that too would get me scolded.
“I can’t sleep Mom, and when I can’t sleep, I eat.” I shrugged chomping down on the grapes as the sweet but slightly sour taste of them exploded in my mouth. I hadn’t told my mom the entire truth about how I got the money to cover her medication or the home health nurse that would be here tomorrow.
She knew as little as needed and if I had it my way she would never find out the entire story.
“I think we all do that sweetheart.” The angry mask that she always seemed to be wearing slipped from her face. Her hair was brittle, and graying in places but her eyes… her eyes remained bright and cheerful. The portals to another world as she always likes to say.
I smiled at her feeling the freedoms of our new, found a life for the very first time. We wouldn’t have to worry about medical bills, or groceries, or choosing between her pain meds or a bill that needed to be paid.
All because of him…
I shook off the thought reminding myself that thinking about him didn’t change that fact that we couldn’t be together. We were cut from two different pieces of fabric. It didn’t matter what way you tried to match us up together the pieces would never look good together.
“What are you thinking about?” I could hear the interest in my mother’s voice. Little did she know she wouldn’t want to hear about all the things that I had been doing over the last month?
“How I have to get up in six hours and how I have yet to go to sleep.” I leaned against the kitchen counter, staring off past my mother who was sitting at the tiny dining room table. We hadn’t sat at the thing as a family since dad died nearly two years ago.
Since that day it had been a struggle to even breathe. The pain from his death, and then the diagnose of my mother’s cancer just settled onto my shoulders like bricks, pushing me down until I felt like I couldn’t even take a breath without worrying that the world would crumble around me.
“I know that money didn’t come from anywhere good sweetheart and I know that whatever it is that’s bothering you isn’t going to go away until you face it head on.” Her words only made the hole that had formed in my chest wider. I felt like hell for leaving Fox, and even worse for doing so without an explanation but I did what I had to do because I knew if I didn’t leave then I never would.
As for not giving him an explanation, there was nothing I could write down that would make him understand my betrayal to him.
“I can’t face it head on,” I mumbled under my breath not really wanting to have this conversation with my ale mother. Instead, I moved over to the cabinet and got a glass for some water.
“Then it’s not worth racking your brain over Raven.” The light that shined through my mother made me the strong person I was today. It wrapped me in warmth and encouraged me to push on even when I felt I couldn’t. She was trying to give me that same feeling again, trying to push me onward even when I wanted to retreat backward.
“I think your right, Momma. It isn’t worth racking my brain over.” I agreed giving her a soft smile all well knowing that was the biggest lie I had ever spoken out loud. Fox would always be worth racking my brain over. He would always be worth the pain, and the heartache.
He just wasn’t worth my mother’s life, my life, or my future. I had goals, plans; things I wanted to do and staying with Fox, while they stopped me from doing them all.
“Unless it’s someone you love that is... If it’s someone you love you got to look at the whole picture and not just the side that you want to see… The side you’re basing your opinion off of.” I blinked bringing the glass to my lips and gulping down the cold water. I didn’t want to talk about this anymore. Not now and not ever again.
“It’s no one mom and even if it was that ship has sailed. I’m going to bed. I have to be up super early and I know for a fact you have a doctors appointment tomorrow so you best be getting to bed soon too.” I scolded her back, hoping I had averted the conversation for now.
I would tell her someday about the man that I fell in love with. The man that wasn’t good for me, and the one I let go even though I knew I would never feel what I felt for him with any other man.
“I love you, Raven. I really do, and I hope that you can tell me what it is that happened over this last month once you’re ready.” I ground my teeth together feeling the tears burn at the back of my eyes. I wouldn’t cry. I couldn’t. Crying was weak and it did nothing but cause self-pity.
“I love you to mom, n
ow goodnight.” I sat the glass in the sink, and placed a kiss on my mother’s warm cheek before walking back to my bedroom, and crawling into my sprawling queen size bed.
Everything seemed bigger now that Fox wasn’t around: this bed, the space around me, and the deep, gaping hole in my chest. I would never be the same because of him and I knew that… I guess I just never expected him to leave such an imprint on my soul.
As I snuggled in under the covers, burying myself deeper into the blankets I wondered what it was that he was doing right now. It wasn’t like Fox to too around or even mourn the loss of someone he loved so I highly doubted he was giving much thought to me… still, a part of me, the part that bleeds for him hoped he was thinking about me.
Mourning me.
I blinked away the tears that fell from my eyes and slid down my creamy white cheeks. The tears staining them with sadness. I would never be whole without Fox and that was something I was just going to have to live with.
Chapter Two
Fox
Who knew losing someone that you loved could feel like being kicked in the balls? I hadn’t ever felt this much pain, or sorrow in my life not even when I lost the one other woman I loved more than life itself… my mom.
“Stop moping and start drinking. If she wanted you she wouldn’t have left in the first place.” Seth chimed in giving me his two cents even though I didn’t ask for it. That was the strange thing about Seth, he had no emotional connection to anything, not even me. He was cold, cold as ice and I couldn’t see him knowing what love was ever.
“I’m not moping asshole. You know how I felt about her and now that she’s gone I feel like I’ve lost a fucking piece of my identity.” I sighed, watching the amber liquid swirl around in my crystal glass. I couldn’t wrap my head around her leaving. I knew deep down, deep in the pits of my stomach that she loved me, so her leaving, while it didn’t seem right.
“Oh for fuck’s sakes Fox you get a little virgin pussy and suddenly you feel like you’ve lost a chunk of who you’re…” I could feel my blood pressure rising, the glass in my hand on the verge of shattering as I squeezed it tighter.
“I’ll tell you what chunk you’ve lost…” Seth grinned from ear to ear clearly uncaring of the rage that simmered just below the surface of my skin. “Your fucking manhood. Now get over it. I liked Raven too but if she wanted to stay she would’ve. Her mom needs her more than you ever will anyway...” Seth finished, slamming back the rest of his drink like we were binge drinking instead of casually drinking. I relaxed my grip on the glass letting what my brother had said sink into my thick skin.
I knew Raven’s mother needed her more than I did but it didn’t make it right. It didn’t make it easier to let go of someone that you felt a deep connection to, a connection that was deeper than just sex. I could fuck Raven every day all day long, that didn’t matter to me. What did was this piece of shit organ in my chest that throbbed for her. It pumped blood for her. Yeah, it was for the best, and the right thing to do but it would never be something that I was okay with.
Yeah, Raven deserved the knight, and shining armor, and a man that could sweep her off her feet. Not one that had a slue of women on his back door, and an equally dark past. I could live with knowing that I would never be the perfect man for her, but that would always be easier than living without her.
“Get the fuck out of your head brother. That’s where self-doubt and anger live. If you want to move on, then do something. We can go to the strip-club, or maybe get into some trouble elsewhere…” Seth raised an eyebrow up at me the look of mischevious that gleamed in his eyes was almost terrifying, yet it warmed me to the core. Seth got me, and he understood my need for bad, dark, things.
“No strippers. I do believe that you need to live a little virgin, though…” I grinned. “So let’s pay Tony a visit and see what kind of virgin’s he has up for auction tonight.” Going back to the club would be hard, but it would also give me a chance to do some snooping. Raven might have pushed me out of her life and walked away from me, but that didn’t mean I had done the same to her.
I could still watch her, protect her, and make her weak for me. Hell, I could still claim her pussy if need be just to show her how much I still controlled her body. She would never say no to me or deny me what was mine.
“I do not need a fucking virgin Fox. I need a pussy that can take a pounding while I slap the fuck out of her ass. I need an experienced woman who won’t want me to cuddle her when I get done fucking her brains out. A woman that knows where I stand on relationships…”
“You mean where you don’t stand since you’ve never had a relationship with a woman longer than the time it take’s you to nut inside her?” I countered, loving the uneasiness that rolled off my brother every time I brought up him finding someone to be with.
“Touché’ brother touché,” Seth smirked knowing I was right as he poured himself another glass of bourbon. If we didn’t stop drinking we would never make it over to the club in time for the auction, and that was if we could even get in.
“Alright, put that drink down were getting out of here.” I shoved from the leather couch and crossed the room before the fucker could even bring the glass to his lips. He turned on his heels and rolled his eyes taking a swig from the glass and then putting it down on the bar.
Shoving his hands into his pockets he looked at me like I was that annoying brother always asking to be included in something. Our features were almost identical, striking dark brown eyes, tan skin, and devilishly handsome features. We looked like twins if you could take the wrinkles that were starting to form under Seth’s eyes out of the equation.
“Let’s go before I change my fucking my mind.” He rolled his eyes attempting to act annoyed. In reality, I didn’t want to show my face in that club any more than he did but if there was a chance I could see Raven or even a chance that I could get some information on her than I would go.
I headed in the direction of the door my hand landing on the heavy brass knob. I stopped for a second, my thoughts running rampant. Seth knew how much I cared about Raven and there was even a part of me that knew he too cared about her so as much as I hated to admit it I was sure he was struggling with losing her as well and like always he was holding it together because he was the big brother who always had to do damage control.
“Thank you…” The words were quiet and one’s I hardly ever spoke out loud. I didn’t say please or thank you. I didn’t have too. But I did today. Because Seth had sacrificed a lot for me even if he refused to admit it.
“Shut up pansy and stop with the mushy ass shit. Just because Raven is gone doesn’t mean we need to be going soft. We still have a company to overthrow and a dad that deserves to be dead.” The hate that saturated Seth’s words didn’t surprise me. His hate for our father ran deeper and colder than the Atlantic Ocean.
“Then we better get going so that we can get back to normal festivities then?” I teased knowing just how anal my brother was about keeping to a schedule. He flipped me the bird right as I stepped out of the parlor and into the hall. Heading in the direction of the garage. It was strange how I was able to let the pain of losing Raven go for a few seconds and enjoy some laughter with my brother. Maybe I could handle this, maybe the pain was bearable.
“Get in fucker!” My brother’s smooth voice met my ears as he came up behind me just as I was about to climb into the passenger seat of the blacked out Range Rover. Damn, was he was quick.
***
Seth pulled us into a parking spot of the sketchy club. It looked like a strip club but everyone knew exactly what kind of game they operated inside. I felt dirty coming here and that said a lot being who I was and all the things that I had done. A flashback of the moment Raven and I met hit me in the gut making my entire body teeter on the edge of my seat.
“It’s a fucking underground sex ring Fox. Don’t look at any different than that or you’ll start feeling bad about all the dirty shit you’ve done in your life.”
Seth smirked killing the engine. I didn’t want to be here, not now, not ever again. This was a mistake.
I licked my lips, “This was a mistake.” My belly churned, acid burning a path up my throat. Even if she was here what would I say to her? Would I drag her back to the mansion with me and force her to let go of her mother? I knew I could be selfish but could I be when it came to Raven?
“Get out.” The sound of Seth’s door opening forced me from my thoughts. My hands shook as I grabbed the door handle to open the door. I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration. I needed to snap out of this. She wasn’t coming back, she was gone, and nothing could bring her back to me. It was time to face the pain and let it do what it had always done: destroy.
When I opened my eyes again I felt different, like maybe I had my edge back. I got out of the Range Rover and walked up to Seth, his face a mask that was unreadable even to me.
“You got your shit together?” Seth questioned, his eyes not even on me but instead on his iPhone. He had been on the thing a lot lately, which was completely unlike him.
“Of course asshole, the better question is do you?” I shot back heading through the black double doors ahead. The club had security or at least it did the night that I showed up. Things were good with Tony before my brother got involved. Now I was sure everything had gone to shit. I slipped through the doors with nothing more than a squeak of the door and past the plush black currents that protected the bar, and stage from any people that may have wandered inside by accident.
Smoke filtered into my nostrils. The place didn’t smell of sex like it had the night I bought Raven which made me wonder if there was an auction even taking place here tonight.
“You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve coming in here Fox.” Tony’s deep voice penetrated through my mind. I whirled around to see where he was but was stopped immediately his bodyguards grasping me by the arms. I ground my teeth together, trying to shrug off the muscled dudes hold.
