ROMANCE: BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: At His Request (Bad Boy Alpha Billionaire Romance) (New Adult Contemporary Alpha Male Romance)

by Carly White

  She pulled her shirt out of her skirt and opened up the collar a little more. It was as good as it was going to get coming straight from work and she looked at Debra, always ready to go out. Fiona wished she was as carefree. The two women had met a few years back when they had lived on the same floor, just down the hall in the dorms. Last year, they had decided to go in together for a house and had been leaving together ever since. They were like night and day though. Debra was dark-haired and partied most every night, while Fiona was more reserved and kept to small gatherings. Their majors were just as different, Debra into production and Fiona studying to be an actuary. But with all their differences, it worked.

  “Do you still have that perfume in here?”

  “Of course.”

  “I got a joint if you want it.”

  Fiona nodded and looked in the dashboard. It was her only vice and since it had gone legal, there was no guilt, much like having a drink. It was what had given the two the opportunity to meet in the first place. Fiona had been smoking in her room and Debra had come knocking. Fast friendship and study sessions with thick blue clouds became the norm.

  She was feeling less uptight, but the bar was still crowded and Fiona was looking for an out after an hour. Debra caught her trying to sneak out. “Where are you going?”

  Fiona shrugged and smiled guiltily. “Home, or to do more research and finish the paper.” Debra shook her head, like it was expected but still disappointing. “What? It’s like twenty percent of my grade Debra.”

  “Fine go, but don’t wait up. I am feeling frisky tonight.”

  She turned to walk away. Fiona knew that meant she would not getting any sleep tonight because Debra was going to bring one of her dance partners back. Deciding that the school library was sounding even better, she headed back that way on foot. It was only a few blocks and it wasn’t long before she was back where she started. The only difference was it was even later and she still had a bit of a buzz.

  Fiona got in with her key, but forgot to lock up when she moved into the interior. She didn’t even have to turn on the lights, so familiar with the set-up. Moving back to the research area, she grabbed the book off the shelf that she had left and sat down on one of the couches in the back. It was too peaceful though, the words too small and her eyes were soon burning.

  Squinting she set the book down, convincing herself that she just needed to rest her eyes for a minute. A minute turned into longer and Fiona fell asleep on the soft couch.

  Chapter 2

  Carl walked into the library early in the morning. It was strange that he didn’t have to use his key to get in. As an alumni and on the fundraising board, he was there to look over some financial paperwork before he started working on his own business. There was a big gala a week away and his company was planning to make a big donation, but Carl was thorough and he wanted to make sure that everything was in order first.

  The room was cool, the overhead fans still on. He made a note, wondering how much could be saved in energy costs if they turned them off overnight. His mind was always looking to quantify things and make them work. The library was a project that his father had insisted on and since he had gone to USC as well, he figured it could have been worse. Carl had some good times there, but it had been ten years since he graduated.

  Like most business majors, he had to spend a lot of time in the library when he was a student. Carl had always been serious and when it came time to go to school and take over the family business, he had hit the ground running and had finished a year early, cramming in as much as he could to just get it over with.

  He smiled as he recognized the same couches in the corners that he had slept on many nights. They were far more comfortable than they looked and there had been many times a janitor woke him up to send him home.

  Stopping, he noticed some blonde hair sticking around the corner of one of the chairs, long and practically touching the ground. He figured that someone else had been laid victim to the comfy chairs and went to wake them up and send them on their way. It was somehow symbolic, taking up the next part of his life, no longer the stressed out student that couldn’t get his grades high enough.

  Carl stopped again when he saw more of the woman lying on the couch. Her face was so serene and beautiful. Her eyes were turned up and she had high, refined cheekbones. She was beautiful and he caught himself wishing that he could see her eyes.

  “Miss?”

  The woman turned towards him, her skirt rising and her cleavage pushing forth from her top. He groaned inwardly and leaned down to shake her. “Miss?”

  She sat up, her blue eyes moving to his. “What?” Her voice was sharp, but he didn’t seem to worry about it. Carl hated to be woken up as well.

  “You’re in the library Miss and it’s six o clock in the morning.”

  That seemed to reach her and she sat up a little groggy, rubbing her eyes as she met his again. Her face changed a little, the man in front of her was no janitor, but a dark-haired man that towered over her. She took in the smart suit and figured he was one of the faculty. “What are you doing here at six in the morning?”

  “I’m here to go over some paperwork for the fundraiser. I got work to do later, so now was the only time.”

  “How’d you get in?”

  “The door was unlocked.” Carl wasn’t sure why she was the one asking all the questions. She looked at the slim gold watch on her wrist and then cursed like she didn’t believe him when he had told her what time it was.

  “I’ve got to go. Thanks for waking me up.”

  Carl was a bit put off, not used to being dismissed in such a way. The woman was beautiful and he wanted to know her name, talk to her for a minute. “Wait, where are you going?”

  She looked back once, blonde hair falling in her face before she pushed it back out of the way. “I’ve got to finish a paper. Thanks again.”

  And just like that, she was gone and Carl was left looking where she had retreated. She was like a ghost, just gone yet leaving an impression on all who seen her. She was a student though, he reminded himself, way too young for him.

  Moving away from the research corner, he moved to the business office off to the side and located what he was looking for. He went through all of the last three years on file and copied some of the more important statements. Everything was looking to be in order, but he still wanted his personal accountant to take a look before he put his money out there. Carl didn’t mind helping out, but he didn’t want to if the investment wasn’t sound. The school was going strong and would be around for a while. His father wanted the family’s last name put on something that would be there forever. Tom Castroy wanted the family name to carry on as some sort of legacy. Carl thought that the money could be spent in a better place, but it was what he wanted, so Carl just wanted to make sure everything was on the up and up.

  He called Judy and left a message to check the fax machine when she got in. Carl was sure that it was fine, but he wanted another opinion, a double check just to make sure. He was leaving the library and he found himself taking the long way back passed the couches that the woman had been sleeping in. He wasn’t sure why, but her tired blue eyes and smile had affected him in some way.

  ***

  Carl was back at work and the gala was the next evening. He was made to meet with a couple of the staff members there that would be running it, to go over what he was to say in acceptance of the library being named after them. It had been expected of course, one of the main reasons his father was giving so much was so that their name would be in large print above the door. When a man gets older, he worries about the legacy that he will leave behind. With rich men it is even worse because they have to fight the urge to give it all away and to deal with the children without an inheritance. Carl had his own fortune though, so Tom was in the process of giving most of his away.

  It was already after five, but he didn’t have a schedule. Carl had to stay till the work was done and it was almost seven by the tim
e he made his way over to the library. It didn’t close till eight, but he knew that he had been expected hours before that. People were more lenient with him Carol usually, so when he moved through the double glass doors, he was not thinking he would run into a pissed off librarian that was sick of waiting for him.

  Chapter 3

  “You’ve got some nerve Mr. Castroy! You were supposed to be here four hours ago!”

  Carl just looked at her for a moment. The woman’s name tag said her name was Fiona, but it was the similarities that threw him off worse. Her hair was in a severe bun and her shirt was buttoned up to her neck, but it occurred to him suddenly that she was the one he had awoken a week ago in that very library.

  “Well you can always go lay down on the couch if you didn’t want to wait anymore. You’re the one I found the other morning sleeping in here, right?”

  She was taken aback for a minute, her eyes looking at him closely. She hadn’t recognized him and she lost her train of thought and why she was mad at the devastatingly handsome man smiling down at her like she was cute when she was mad.

  “Well yes, thanks for that. I didn’t fail my class because of you.”

  “See, now isn’t that worth a wait?”

  She sighed and moved towards the office. “Come on then. Let’s get this over with so we can go about our business. I am sure you have a busy schedule to attend to.

  Carl was sure she was right, but he was more worried about talking to the lovely woman. His mind had gone to her at night and in the middle of the day. The worst time to think of the sleeping beauty was when he was out on a date with one of his girlfriends. She had gotten mad that he wasn’t paying her enough attention. Eventually Evangeline had left without another word and he hadn’t heard from her sense. In a way, it was all Fiona’s fault.

  “Why are you in such a rush? Is there a huge party to go to?”

  “No, I just have things to do. Just because I am not a billionaire like you, doesn’t mean that my time doesn’t mean anything.”

  “I said I was sorry.”

  “No need, really. Let’s just get the paperwork done and then I will have you on your way.”

  He got the feeling that she was angry, but it was more than just him being late. She was mad about something else and for a moment, he questioned if he had dated her before. None of his exes were too fond of him, but Carl was convinced that he would have remembered a face like that. Maybe he dated her mother?

  “After you.”

  She ignored the desire in his eyes and turned around, making her way to the small office. Fiona was no less peeved with him and she was trying to keep her distance. He was handsome, but he felt dangerous to her. He was the kind of man that got what he wanted and by the way he looked at her, she wondered if she was next.

  “Well here it is, though I was told you already got it. The speech is yours to make and then there will be the cutting of the ribbon to start construction.”

  “My father was supposed to do it, but he has fallen ill.”

  “We hope he gets better soon. Tom has been a fixture here since I started working here as a freshman.”

  “You don’t look much older than that, so it must not have been long.”

  It was supposed to be a compliment, she was sure of it, but the way he was looking at her, it didn’t feel that way. “I graduate in April, so about six years now.”

  “Oh really. What are you going for?”

  “Actuary.”

  Carl was surprised by her answer. He too had a penchant for numbers, but he had never met someone that looked like her, crunching numbers all day for a living. She would definitely be a stand out wherever she went.

  “That is quite a career path. I can’t see many like yourself doing it.”

  “Why, because I am a woman?”

  “No, because you are just too feisty for that kind of work. I feel like I’ve offended you and I don’t really know why.”

  “It’s nothing. It’s just men like you expect people to act differently is all. I am not used to kissing rich guy’s asses and if you had been on time, I suppose I may have been nicer.”

  He whistled. “You need to get laid it sounds like.”

  Carl was checking for a reaction and outrage was what he expected and what he got.

  “I am not one of your groupies Sir, so if you don’t mind being a bit more professional.”

  “Fine, I will. But one day you will go to your knees when I command you to.”

  His words shocked her even more, but she didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say, not denial that she wouldn’t ever. All there was in response was a look on her face and a slight cast down to his pants front. Carl didn’t mention it, but it was noted, as was the way her bottom lip quivered with the suggestion.

  They went over the evening and what was expected of him. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of his body and she felt her skin heating up, the silk shirt she wore started to feel stuffy. It wasn’t the man, but the confidence in the ridiculous things that he said that made her nervous. She would never do something like that, would she?

  After the meeting was over, Fiona was finding it hard to stay in the small room with him. She was suffocating, the man sucking the very air out of her. He was slow to leave though, so she started toward the door, trying to let him take the hint. He didn’t, or he was purposefully being obtuse. “Was there anything else that you needed Sir?”

  “Please call me Carl.”

  “Well Carl, if there isn’t anything else, I really need to go.”

  “Where?”

  “I’ve got a date.”

  “It must not be that anticipated if you waited for me.”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice, now did i? You know that since your donating most of the money, I would have to take up a 24 hour vigil if need be. So now, I will have a first date without any time to get changed and dressed properly.”

  Carl moved towards her mid-sentence and removed the chopsticks that held her hair up. The golden strands fell down her shoulders and he smoothed it out with his fingers. Fiona shivered, but she didn’t move away. His dark eyes held her, letting her know his intentions.

  When his hands moved to her shirt, she balked a little, moving back. Carl seen it as progress more than a denial, so he just smiled. “I was just trying to help is all. No one could say no to you like that. You don’t need to dress properly. You are perfect just as you are.”

  She was sure if she should be mad, but she couldn’t muster up the emotion. Fiona wanted him to touch her again, but she knew his type and didn’t want to get sucked into a man like that. He was the type that would leave her drowning in her own need, long after he was done with her.

  “Thanks, but I really must be going.”

  “I could give you a lift if you want.”

  “No need.”

  “Are you going to the gala tomorrow night?”

  “Yeah, kind of have to.”

  Carl moved towards her and moved a strand of hair out of her face. Her heart stalled and the breath in her lungs stilled. His hand moved towards her face and she thought for a moment he was going to kiss her. Her eyes closed as she waited, but then he moved away and she was left embarrassed and tinged red.

  “I’ll see you soon Fiona. As always, a pleasure.”

  Chapter 4

  Fiona found herself nervous getting ready for the fundraiser. She knew that Carl would be there and though she despised men like him, always taking what they want, she had to admit there was an appeal to him. Fiona could still feel the way his hands had touched her gently and then the way she had leaned in waiting for a kiss that never came.

  She was there for work. Fiona had to make a speech and host most of the evening. It would be with a lot of people, rich, powerful people, but there was only one that made her heart race just thinking about him. Fiona pushed the thoughts aside and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was up like it always was and then right before she left, she decided to ke
ep it down.

  Her invitation was for a plus one and since the date had went so badly the night before, Fiona had called on her friend Debra to go with her. Debra would go anywhere there was free boos and hot men, the fact that there were so many wealthy bachelors there probably helped her cause and convinced her to go.

  “Are you ready yet?”

  Fiona looked to her friend standing behind her. “Is that a new dress?”

  “Yeah, you like it?”

  “I actually do. It’s not what you usually wear, is there a reason you are letting the titties out to play?”

  Fiona looked down and readjusted herself. They were out a bit, but not that much. “Does this look desperate?”

  Debra kind of laughed and pulled the dress back down where it was. “I’d wear it to church, so I think you are safe. There is nothing wrong with showing a little skin, but there is something wrong with me not knowing who.”

  “Just this guy that is donating some money for the new library expansion. He came in yesterday to look over some paperwork and I don’t know, there was just something about him.”

  “Was he nice?”

  “No, not at all, that’s the weird part. He was one of those guys that expects you to fawn over him or something.”

  “Well there is something to be said about confidence. Men that are confident are that way for a reason.”

  “There is confident and then there is cocky. This guy is really cocky.”

  “I like him already. Go for it. You are already thinking about it or you wouldn’t be wearing that dress.”

  Fiona knew she was right. She was thinking about it, a lot.

  ***

  The gala was nicer than she thought it would have been. Dealing with rich people could be burdensome, but everyone was nice and seemed to be in a festive spirit. She never understood the need for such a big event to raise money for charity, unconsciously wondering if the money couldn’t be better spent with the charity. But she had to be there and though she was supposed to introduce the biggest donor later, she couldn’t find him in the crowd. Fiona found herself trying to spot him, but it never happened and when she went up on stage to introduce Carl, he materialized from the back of the crowd.