by Anna Mara
The way he had looked at her just now—so sweet and sincere—it was all she could do to stop herself from wrapping her arms around him and comforting him. She knew how much his sobriety meant to him and the hell he'd been through to achieve it—and the hell he was still going through because he blamed himself for Jake's accident.
In that moment, she'd had an overwhelming urge to tell him she would help him anyway she could—that she'd be there for him—that she'd protect him—that she'd love him.
But he didn't love her.
And the bastard was blackmailing her again.
And she wouldn't give her love to a bastard. She had too much self-respect for that and too much self-preservation.
And she still owed something to that young girl she'd been all those years ago.
Christina had needed a few minutes to get away from him and from everyone, in order to regain her composure. That's why she'd escaped so quickly after that kiss.
"Christina?"
As she was walking through the foyer, Christina heard a woman's voice calling out to her. Spinning around, she saw Stephie standing there, gorgeous and model-perfect as ever.
"What are you doing here?" Christina was cautious.
She'd had a taste of this viper's venom at the restaurant that day.
Stephie sneered, "I'm here to give you an update… Mrs. Havenwood."
A chill coursed through Christina's heart. "Did Bill invite you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
Stephie maliciously grinned and ignored her question. "He may be sleeping with you now but he's still sleeping with me. You're just a passing diversion for him. He's always had a voracious sexual appetite and I let him indulge. I know how to please my man."
That's interesting, Christina thought. Where did this bitch get the idea that she and Bill were sleeping together? Had Bill told her, and if so, why?
Christina smiled back, "He may be your man but he'll be my husband. Stay away from him or else I'll bring every Havenwood resource I can get my hands on… including his father… down on your head."
Christina had no idea what 'Havenwood resources' she could get her hands on but judging from the way the bitch had flinched just now, the threat seemed to be a good one. Stephie believed it.
"It's not me you should be threatening. It's your husband-to-be because if he still wants me, he can have me. In fact, he wants me to join the two of you on your honeymoon."
"What?" Christina spluttered.
Stephie gave Christina the 'I-have-a-secret' smile. "He's taking you to the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean for two weeks for your honeymoon… for appearance's sake. And he's invited me along too because it's me he really wants. He's bought the tickets and everything. I'm to fly down one day before the two of you and meet him there."
"You bitch!" Christina was livid—at her—at him—and she believed every word.
"So you see, Mrs. Havenwood, you may be fucking him but you're not satisfying him. That's why he's still coming to me."
"Get out!"
"Another thing? Bill's told me he's marrying you for his father's sake but he's got plans to divorce you in a couple of years when the heat's off. And then he's marrying me. He said so. So enjoy your tenure as Mrs. Havenwood because it's not going to last."
Christina gave the other woman a lethal glare. "I said—get out!" she spat.
Stephie sneered. "Congratulations on your engagement. It was a lovely party." Confident, she turned and glided out the front door.
Christina remained rooted to the spot—shocked, stunned and fuming. Had the big bitch been telling her the truth? Did Bill have plans to divorce her after a couple of years? That should have made her happy. After all, it gave her a release date on her prison sentence but in fact, it made Christina angry—very, very angry; especially since she'd just admitted to herself that she loved him.
And were Stephie and Bill still sleeping together?
Probably, Christina thought—but was he really planning on taking that witch on their honeymoon? Bill hadn't said anything to Christina about a trip but if she eventually had to marry the creep and they did go on one—she'd be damned if that bastard was going to take his slut mistress along with his new wife on their honeymoon! Christina was not into threesomes—in any way, shape or form! She wasn't even interested in a twosome because she had no intentions of sleeping with him anyway. It was just the principle of the thing!
That bitch was not coming on her honeymoon. End of story!
Christina quickly ascended the majestic staircase—on the way to his bedroom.
Chapter 47
The slut had said something about tickets.
Christina snuck into Bill's bedroom. She needed to find those tickets if she was going to confront him. If she didn't have tangible proof to throw in his face, he would deny everything just as he'd been doing all along.
Where they here—or at the office? She'd look here first and worry about the office later. She moved to his dresser where papers were strewn on top—but they were only company reports.
She glanced around the room. Maybe they were in his bedside tables? Like a cat, she quietly moved to the first one, to the left of his bed. She opened the drawer and spotted them right away. There were three airline tickets resting on top of one of his smut magazines.
Snatching them up, Christina opened the first one. It had his name on it—and sure enough, it was for a flight to the Caymans leaving the day after their supposed wedding date and coming back two weeks later.
Her heart started to pound.
She flipped the second ticket open. It was for the same flight and dates; and the name on it was 'Christina Havenwood'. Her pounding heart skipped a beat. She'd never seen her name coupled with his before in print. She stared at it—not quite believing what she was seeing.
Then, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared at the third ticket. Like a jealous wife, she opened it. Inside, the name on it was Stephanie Hartwell—and all three tickets had been charged to Bill Havenwood's credit card.
Christina saw red. So—the bitch had been telling the truth! That louse was going to take that viper along on her honeymoon. How could he? How bloody could he? Okay—maybe their marriage wasn't a real one—and maybe their honeymoon was for show—but it was still a honeymoon, damn it! Oh, he was such a snake—a rattlesnake! What a perfect couple he and Stephie made—the rattlesnake and the viper!
Christina may have finally admitted to herself that she loved him, but she wasn't going to let him take her for a fool—and she certainly wasn't going to put up with this type of nonsense—not on her honeymoon! She was going to get him tomorrow and get him good. She was going to teach him a lesson, one he wouldn't forget for a long time.
She was so angry that not once did she rationally step back and think that maybe finding the tickets had been too easy? And maybe her meeting with Stephie had been too convenient? And maybe this was all a setup?
No—none of these thoughts even dared cross her jealous, furious mind.
* * *
It was Sunday morning, the day after the engagement party and Christina was already on her way to Jenny's apartment, needing to talk things over with her friend. She had quietly slipped out early while the rest of the house was still asleep. It had been a late night and the last of their guests, including her parents and Bill's mom, had all left at 3 a.m.
Now sitting at Jenny's kitchen table, Christina had just finished telling her friend all about the party—about the high society luminaries that had shown up—about how her parents and Bill's mom had unexpectedly appeared—and about how the evening had been a huge success.
"I wish you could have been there, Jenny," Christina said.
"I know Chrissy but he could have recognized me and we couldn't take that chance," Jenny sighed. "So tell me the best part. How did he look in his tuxedo?"
Christina smiled, "Amazing, fabulous and hot. But that's not the best part. I had a little chat with his girlfriend."
Shock
ed, Jenny gasped. "You mean Stephie was there?"
Christina nodded. "Bill invited her. She said so."
Jenny was doubtful. "Chrissy, are you sure? To the same party where his father's at?"
Christina nodded, "Yes, and she told me he's taking me on a Caribbean honeymoon and she's coming too."
Jenny gasped even louder, "No way!"
"He's already booked everything. I found airline tickets for all three of us in his bedroom last night."
Christina reached into her purse and threw them down on the table. Jenny quickly grabbed them and flipped them open.
"What did he say when you asked him?"
"I haven't asked him yet… but I will, tonight."
Christina's eyes glinted dangerously and Jenny caught the look. "Chrissy, what are you up to?"
"I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson like he hasn't learnt in any school that's he's ever flunked out of."
"Chrissy… don't."
"I need to go shopping this afternoon to get a few supplies and then I'm putting my plan into action tonight."
Jenny looked backed at the tickets, "What if Stephie's lying?"
"Lying? No way. The proof is in your hands."
"Anybody can get tickets made up, Chrissy."
"What about his credit card? All three were charged to it."
"You told me Bill and Stephie dated for over two years. It's very possible she could know his card number and maybe she did all this to come between you two."
Christina calmly sipped her tea and raised her nose in the air. "I don't think so. She knows too many details about mine and that swine's business arrangement, details that only he could have told her. Sure, she may be telling me things in order to break us up. She believes he and I are sleeping together anyway."
"Really?"
"She told me so last night. And she's probably confronting me because she's jealous but what she doesn't know is she's actually doing me a favor. She's telling me where things really stand between him and I. And information gives me power."
"Does he still want you?"
"Yes, but he doesn't love me."
"Chrissy, are you sure?"
"Jenny, those tickets prove it."
"Do you love him?"
Christina paused. Her answer was slow in coming. "Yes… but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up my self-respect for a few crumbs of affection from him. There are women in this world who'll do anything for love, including giving up their power to a man but I'm not one of them."
Jenny laughed, "I know you're not but you're playing with fire."
"But he's going to get burned, not me," Christina confidently remarked.
Jenny didn't believe her but she knew her friend had to make her own mistakes. "Before I forget," she continued, "I called Robert and he's going to check out that 1625 Shelley Ave warehouse."
"Great. He's the best reporter Streetwise has and he'll find something."
Jenny giggled. "So what's your plan for tonight? How are you going to get him?"
"Well… it's like this…" and for the next half hour Christina told her friend what she planned to do to Bill Havenwood to make him pay for wanting to bring his mistress along on their honeymoon.
When Christina was finished, Jenny burst out laughing, "Oh Chrissy, that's so diabolical."
Christina's eyes glinted with pride, "Isn't it?"
Chapter 48
Bill hadn't seen Christina all day. He'd gotten up early that morning wanting to have breakfast with her but he was surprised when he'd passed her open bedroom door and saw Tilly already making the bed. He'd asked her where Christina was and he'd been told that she'd already left the house.
That had spurred his curiosity. Where the hell had she gone at that hour of the morning? Probably into the city to see her boyfriend, that's where! Jealousy coursed through Bill. He was in love with her and he didn't want any other man touching her but she was a free, independent woman whom he had no claims over—not yet anyway.
Bill had then gone out in the afternoon and met up with Jake at a very discreet restaurant. He had an envelope of Havenwood money to give to his friend for the GME cause.
Bill was funding the organization with his and his dad's money. Sometimes he'd give them straight cash and sometimes he'd funnel funds through several bank accounts he'd set up in the Caymans, a favorite haunt of his that he'd taken Stephie to several times when they'd been dating. He'd created a clever layer of dummy corporations through the Caribbean and Switzerland that prevented anyone from tracing the source of that money back to him. No one knew that GME was his baby and being financed by the blood money his father made on his shaky business deals. In Bill's mind, some of that blood money was now being washed clean because it was being used to do good.
Jake had been in good spirits today and had wanted to know everything about the engagement party. Bill had wanted his best friend to be there but Jake had refused. New York high-falutin' society, as he called it, wasn't his scene. Besides, all the guys at GME were preparing to throw Bill a bachelor party the likes of which he'd never seen even at the height of his wildest, partying days. Bill had laughed. That was going to be some outrageous party, he'd said.
Bill had then told Jake to call a GME meeting that week at the Shelley Ave warehouse—usual time of midnight—in order to discuss his father's counter-attack moves which were already being planned at Fido Foods. Acting as liaison between Bill and the boys, Jake agreed. Bill wasn't the only who was secretive about his involvement with the environmental group. Jake was too. Since Bill and he had been best friends since high school, and William knew Jake as Bill's friend, Jake was very careful about being seen with GME.
On the drive home, all Bill could think about was—her.
Had she been with her scumbag boyfriend today? Is that why she'd left the house so early? To see him? To be with him? To sleep with him?
And how could he get her to like him—Bill—and not that sleaze? Could she ever love him? She had helped him out last night with the champagne toast incident, so maybe…? All these thoughts raced through his brain as he pulled into the Havenwood drive.
As soon as he stepped through the front doors, Eudora came up to him. "Master Bill, Miss Christina said she needs to see you. She's in her room, I believe," she said in her Irish lilt.
Bill smiled at the elderly maid. "Thank you, Eudora." He loved her very much. She was like the grandmother he'd never had.
Quickly climbing the curving staircase, Bill reached Christina's bedroom door in seconds and knocked.
The door opened—and there she stood—wearing a partially opened black silk robe that revealed a black lace bra, panties and stay-up stockings.
"Hi there," she saucily smiled at him.
Bill's eyes practically popped out of their sockets as fierce desire shot through him at the sight of her dressed like that.
"Holy shit!" he inadvertently exclaimed. Then regaining his composure, he amended, "I mean… hi."
He was practically speechless and was, suddenly, having problems breathing. But, for one spilt second, he wondered what she was up to? Why had she answered the door like that? His eyes feasted again on her almost naked body—and the thought vanished.
Christina opened the door wider, "Come in," she temptingly invited.
Bill didn't need to be asked twice. He quickly entered her bedroom and she shut the door behind him.
He turned to her then, his eyes glued to her hot, luscious body being exposed by the open robe. He couldn't help himself as his gaze roamed over every juicy curve of hers from her breasts, down to her womanly stomach and hips; and right down to her fire engine-red polished toes peaking through the black stockings. His eyes traveled back up her body and came to rest on her eyes.
She gave him another sexy smile, "Do you like what you see?"
"Ye… Yes," the one word came out in a gasp. All the blood had instantly drained from his brain and was now pooling in his privates. One look at her was all it took to make him
hard.
"Good," she announced before walking to her dresser.
As she moved away from him, her black kitten-heeled slippers caused her hips to sway in an erotic rhythm and his eyes were riveted.
She reached for her perfume bottle and spritzed some on. Bill could smell the alluring fragrance from where he still stood near the door. Damn, that smell was hot! He was so hard right now that he felt he would burst at any second, like an inexperienced school boy. He began to shuffle nervously from foot to foot.
Christina watched him through the dresser mirror and smiled to herself. She could almost see his forehead getting damp with sweat. Oh yeah, she thought to herself, everything was going according to plan, all right.
She turned to him then and as she did, her robe parted. His eyes grew bigger as he continued to gawk at her and he didn't know what to do. Was she inviting him to make a move or what?
"Eu…Eudora… said… you wanted to see me?" Was that really his voice that had just squeaked out those words? He cleared his throat.
She slowly walked back to him. "I couldn't sleep last night. I kept thinking about what you said."
As she reached him, he looked down at her—then quickly stuffed both hands in his pockets, otherwise, they would have touched her soft breasts of their own volition—and he still didn't know what was going on.
"I…I… said… a lot of things," he stammered.
Where was the cool, suave, confident Bill Havenwood who'd had a legion of women over the years? The one who was in control at all times, who'd experienced every kind of sexual position with every blond, brunette, redhead he'd ever wanted—and had so effortlessly gotten? What had happened to that guy? Because the one standing here was unsure of himself—and about to burst in his pants.
Suddenly, Christina ran a finger softly down his cheek. "Are you really that good at farming?" she whispered.
He gave her a lop-sided smile at that, "Darling, I can give you a ride on my tractor like you'll never forget." He paused before whispering, "Interested?"
