Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance

by Michelle Love

  Then he took me to a barstool close to where he’d be working and I felt happy. So damn happy that I really was attractive enough for that man to remember me and be so possessive of me from the get go. Then my happiness turned into aggravation.

  What was I doing? Was I really about to let myself become another man’s possession? Why in the world did every man I met suddenly want me for themselves? And was that a really such a bad thing?”

  I was about to be twenty-five. The age when a lot of women get into serious relationships. Those kind of relationships that move into marriage and family. I was of the age to become someone’s everything. And the guy behind the bar was giving me all the right signals that he’d very much like that.

  He placed a very nice looking drink in front of me before he took a single order and leaned over and gave me a quick kiss before he got busy taking care of the other people. Some woman leaned in to say, “He must really love you. How long have you two been together?”

  “We aren’t,” I told her.

  She fanned herself and said, “Well, get ready for some action tonight. That man has a definite hard on for just you.”

  I looked back to find Clark pouring and shaking drinks and the moment I looked back, he caught me looking and gave me a smile. “Having fun?”

  I nodded and sipped my drink that tasted like a strawberry vanilla milkshake. It was yummy and creamy and nothing like a drink Lucas would’ve ordered for me. Then I turned to look out at the people dancing on the dancefloor and thought I saw, Lucas.

  Why can’t I get him out of my mind?

  Chapter 2

  Lucas

  I hadn’t seen Sloan in a week. I desperately wanted to explain what she had seen. I wanted to explain that the photos in her hands were before I even met her. I wanted to make it right. Even if she didn’t come back to me, I needed her to at least not hate me.

  Randi just coldly informed me that Sloan was working on her thesis some place private. I tried to get Torrence to search for her, but he’d told me to let it go.

  I nearly fired him over it.

  The week had felt like months in hell.

  And now it was over. It was probably for the best. I could focus on work.

  I could fuck whomever I wanted.

  As I signaled to the bartender that I wanted another drink, a tight body in a slinky red dress squeezed herself next to me. “Hi,” she said in a sultry voice.

  Deliberately, I cocked my head as my eyes roamed down her body. Nice perky tits. A full round ass. Cock-sucking cherry-red lipstick. Lustful eyes that told me everything I wanted to know.

  She’d let me take her home and do whatever I wanted.

  “Hi,” I muttered.

  “Buy a girl a drink?”

  “Do you really need a drink?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise before she laughed. “No one has ever asked me that before. You look like the kind of man I could spend a little time with completely sober.”

  “I’m not a happy man right now,” I said softly.

  “I don’t need you to be happy. I just need you to be hard.”

  It wasn’t enough to make me stir, but it was enough to grab my attention. The next glass of whiskey appeared in front of me, and I knocked it back while she watched. I didn’t say anything as I sat it on the counter.

  “So what do you say? Take a girl some place more private?”

  What did I say to that?

  The best way to get over one woman was with another. I had done nothing wrong to Sloan. There was no reason I couldn’t enjoy the sexy and willing woman in front of me.

  Signaling to the bartender, I pointed to my empty glass and held up two fingers.

  “Does that mean you’re going to buy me a drink after all?” she said as she put a hand on my chest.

  “Nothing wrong with buying a gorgeous woman a drink,” I muttered.

  Nothing wrong with that at all.

  Only, something inside me told it was wrong. Something in my head told me to get up and walk away from the vixen. But then the drinks came and I took mine and took a drink and looked her over again. I could’ve used a good roll in the sheets. God knows I missed sex. But the sex I missed was with Sloan and that wasn’t going to happen again.

  I wasn’t even sure if she showed back up and told me she was sorry for not trusting me and not giving me a chance to explain things to her, it would be enough for me to take her back. To tell her we could go back to our agreement and continue as if she never went off the deep end.

  “My name is, Veronica,” the woman said. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a clip and she let it out of the clip, making it fall around her narrow shoulders. “And you are Lucas Montgomery.”

  “I am,” I said as I looked into her light blue eyes that were almost gray and found no depth to them at all. So I said something to see if she had any. “How’d you like to get fucked by the Lucas Montgomery?” I took another drink and watched her eyes light up.

  Her hand moved over my shoulder and she leaned in. “I’d do anything for you. And I do mean anything.”

  Her breath was warm on my face and the smell of the liquor was unappealing. The way her hand moved over my thigh and up to touch my cock, which wasn’t at all enthused with her, made my skin kind of crawl. But she was a warm body that had the parts necessary to please me for a little while so what the hell.

  Then my mind slipped in a word that came out of my mouth without me realizing it, “Why?”

  She blinked and pulled her head back and looked at me with a confused expression. “What do you mean?”

  I shook my head to rid myself of the depth Sloan had brought into my life. Sloan would never say anything so stupid and simple before really knowing a man.

  But I needed to stop comparing women to Sloan or I’d never want to fuck another one again. So I ran my hand along her jaw and whispered, “I want to take you in my car first and if you please me, then I’ll take you to my place. But I have to warn you, I’m not a happy man at this time and I feel the need to take out some aggressions. You don’t mind a spanking, do you?”

  Her face came close to mine and her lips brushed mine as she spoke, “Not from you, I don’t. Tie me up and do with me what you want, Mr. Montgomery. I am yours for the taking.”

  As hard as she was trying and as much as she was willing to give to me, it wasn’t enough. “Let me think on it, Veronica.”

  She sat back and took a drink from the short glass and when she did I could see down out of the second story to the dancefloor on the ground floor. And there was a woman dancing with some man and making movements that caught my eye.

  The way she was all up on him had me hot in a flash. I stood up and walked out to look at them over the balcony. Her dress was tight and red. Her hair was black but it was obviously a wig, a cheap one at that. I looked all the way down to her shoes and they were black and shiny.

  There was something about the woman, the way she moved, and the way her curves filled that dress out. Then they moved around a little and I saw her face.

  “Sloan!”

  She had a ton of makeup on and that damn wig to cover her wild red hair, but it was her. That alabaster skin and those emerald eyes told me as much. When you threw in the way she was moving her body, I had no doubt.

  Suddenly the man was saying something to her and he led her off the dancefloor. I watched every step they took and when they got to the bar he pulled her in and kissed her.

  I stopped breathing, stopped thinking, and had to stop myself from hauling ass down to get her. I watched her hands move up and hold his shoulders as they obviously kissed using tongues and my insides turned to acid.

  How could she?

  Then they stopped kissing and he held up their hands and said something that had the people around them cheering and I watched him pick her up and set her down on a barstool then he went behind it and she was smiling like she was the happiest girl in the world.

  My heart was barely beating. She was tru
ly done with me. She must’ve moved on to that guy soon after that day she threw the pictures on the floor and left me.

  I guess the looks I had been seeing in her eyes were all lies. I thought I saw more there as we spent our evenings and nights together. I thought I saw caring and even a little love in her big green eyes. But it couldn’t have been if she moved on so damn quickly.

  Fuck! It’s only been a week!

  Soft hands moved over my arms as I’d rolled up my sleeves. A soft voice whispered to me, “I’m ready to go when you are.”

  Veronica was right behind me. All ready for me. So I placed my drink on the little table next to the railing and turned back to her. “After a dance.”

  Nearly dragging her down the stairs, I made my way to the dancefloor and made sure I got close enough so I could easily drift us close enough for Sloan to see me from her perch on the barstool her new lover had placed her on.

  I caught them kissing again as he placed some drink in front of her and fury nearly consumed me. How could she move on so quickly?

  I knew we had this agreement to just have sex and keep it light but damn it! She wouldn’t even give me a chance to explain that Iris was being a slut like always and I was throwing her out. I wasn’t even going to get any information out of her. And I desperately needed that information.

  During the last week, not one bit of information had come up to get us any closer to finding out who the hell was out to ruin me. And I sure could’ve used Sloan at my side. I needed her like I had never needed anyone. And she just left!

  I danced us over and when we got close enough, I moved in and took Veronica by the waist and pulled her into me as I ground on her and kept heading toward Sloan who was chatting it up with some woman.

  When the woman stepped back in line to order a drink, I saw Sloan’s eyes roam over the dancing crowd and made sure I was turned toward her. I was not far from her at all and stared right at her as her eyes moved over me then right back to me.

  Her mouth fell open and she looked shocked. Then she was up and hauling ass. I took Veronica’s hand and pulled her along with me as I easily caught up to Sloan and grabbed her by the shoulder.

  As she spun around, I threw my arm around the little blonde and found myself saying, “What’s up?”

  “Fuck you, Lucas!” she shouted as she eyed the woman under my arm. “I see you’ve found yourself another fuck buddy, congratulations!”

  Then something came out of Veronica’s mouth that might have really fucked things up. “Yes, he has, he eats pussy like no man I’ve ever met. Shame you left him. But good for me. I sit on his fat cock six or seven times a day. He tells me I’m a thousand times better than you, bitch!”

  Sloan’s eyes went huge then she reached out and slapped the shit out of me. I was stunned long enough for her to get lost in the crowd and escape from me. I looked at the girl under my arm and pulled it off of her quickly. “Are you insane?”

  She grabbed my hand. “Let her go. I want you, Lucas. She clearly doesn’t. Come on, let’s go to your car like you promised.”

  I couldn’t find Sloan at all then I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, mister, excuse me please,” the fucking guy she was dancing with said as he moved past me, obviously trying to get to Sloan.

  He sure did have his eyes on her and that made me furious. So I went after him with Veronica hanging onto me, trying desperately to hold me back as she screeched something about not needing the bitch.

  But all I could think about is how much I did need her. All I could see was red when I kept picturing her kissing that man who was merely steps ahead of me. The something slammed into the side of my head and I was down.

  Chapter 3

  Sloan

  My heart was pounding as I went as fast as I could in the sky high heels to get the hell away from Lucas and that slut with the tight-ass dress and fake tits. Just as I reached the door, I heard a man calling my name and it wasn’t Lucas’ deep voice. I turned back and caught a glimpse of Clark coming after me and looked at the bouncer who was between me and the exit.

  “Can you tell him that I’m really sorry but I have to get the fuck out of here?” I asked the very large man who was looking at me with a frown.

  He stepped aside and said, “I’ll tell him.”

  As I stepped out the door, I reached down and took my heels off and ran straight for my car. It was parked behind several others so I was pretty sure Lucas wouldn’t see it from the door. If he went so far as to actually search the parking lot, he’d find me, but I highly doubted he’d be doing that now that he had that tramp to suck his cock.

  I slipped behind the steering wheel and laid the seat back to make sure no one could see me. If I turned the car on and tried to speed away, he might chase me and then I’d be trapped for sure and have to talk to him.

  The night was a little on the hot and humid side so I cracked both the driver’s and passenger’s windows as I waited for the right time to leave.

  As I was hunched down, waiting, a voice drifted through the parking lot, it was quiet and feminine and I recognized it but couldn’t quite put my finger on who it was.

  “She should be coming out with him any minute, her text said she had him in her clutches,” the female voice said.

  I heard a smacking sound that kind of sounded like a messy kiss then I heard a man say, “He’s about to meet the end of his rule as Washington’s wealthiest man. It’s time for our benefactor to get the justice she requires.”

  “Lucas sure fucked up when he hurt that lady,” the woman said.

  My ears perked up and I found myself listening even harder when I heard his name. Who had he hurt and was that the person who was out to ruin him?

  The man made a deep chuckle and with that little laugh I recognized him, “Drew Torrence, the head of his security team!” I whispered.

  My windows were tinted in the back more so than in the front so I slipped between the seats and made my way to the back so I could try to see where they were and try to get a picture with my cell phone if possible. Now I knew why Torrence wanted to do things himself and leave the cops out of everything!

  As I looked around, I finally found the car where the voices were coming from. It wasn’t the car Torrence usually drove. It was a small, blue car with darkly tinted windows. But the windows were all about a third of the way down and I could clearly see the man in the driver’s seat.

  Torrence moved a little to reposition himself as he said, “Lila Sheffield was definitely not a woman he should’ve loved and left. She’s dead-set on making him pay for not finding her more to his satisfaction.”

  The woman leaned forward and I saw her too. It was his secretary, Cecelia. I nearly shouted when I saw her. Lucas trusted that woman with everything. How could she do this to him?

  And who was Lila Sheffield?

  Taking my phone out of my little purse, I Googled her name and immediately found out who she was. A very wealthy woman in her own right as she was the owner of several large companies in the New York area.

  She looked a lot like that Iris bitch and as I read through things more, I found a little bit of interesting information. Iris was the other woman’s cousin it seemed. So now the sudden appearance of the other woman made perfect sense. Iris was part of this thing too!

  It seemed there were quite a few people who wanted to bring Lucas Montgomery down and I mean all the way down. So far down that he had to lose me too.

  Now that I knew a jaded woman was the key to the whole thing, it all made perfect sense. And that slut who was hanging onto him was part of this thing too and I needed to let Lucas know that.

  It occurred to me the pictures that were sent to me were sent by Torrance or Cecelia and I was sure they were from back when Iris and Lucas were a thing. And I didn’t give him a chance to talk at all!

  I shook it off and realized I was wrong. Lucas needed my help and I had to do something. I eased back into the front seat and turned the car on, staying very low in the seat s
o no one would really see me as I pulled out.

  I was pretty sure Danny O’Brien, Lucas’ driver, would be in one of his many cars parked in the back of the club, waiting for Lucas. I also knew there might be a chance Lucas had that tramp in the car with him doing something I might hate but I had to get to him no matter what.

  And I planned on spraying my pepper spray right in that bitch’s face when I saw her again. I had quite a few people on my shit-list and was trying to come up with a plan to bring them all down before they managed to do that to Lucas.

  Easing my car around back, I saw Danny leaning against a black car I had never seen before but I knew it was him so I parked behind the car and got out of mine. Danny looked at me with a smile. “Hey, stranger.”

  “Danny, is Lucas in the car?” I asked. “Please tell me the truth. I know he might be with a woman but I’ve found out something very important and he needs to know this.”

  Danny took a few steps and opened the back door. “It’s empty. He’s still inside.”

  I pointed at the door at the back of the club and asked, “Is that how he usually comes out?” Danny nodded and I made my way to the door. Then something made me turn back and I asked, “Would you come with me?”

  “I can’t leave the car,” he said. “But come here, real quick and let me in on what it is you want to tell him. Maybe I can be of some help.”

  Being unsure if Danny was involved or not, I decided I couldn’t chance it. I shook my head and made my way inside the door and found myself in very dim lighting. It was a hallway then there was a set of stairs. So I took them.

  The thumps of the hard beats from the music made the walls along the stairwell shake. I looked down at my bare feet and realized I had left my shoes off then decided I didn’t care, I had to get to him.

  When I saw Lucas the first time he’d been on the second floor and I knew chances were he’d be there again. So when I got to the door at the top of the stairs, I got ready to open it and see him with his hands all over another woman and steadied my temper to handle that. Lucas was clearly drunk and I should have treated him so differently before. Lucas doesn’t get drunk. For all I know, that bitch drugged him.