by Alice Ward
“Didn’t you get enough last night?” I teased. After the honors banquet, Asher and I had returned to our room for a marathon love making session. I was surprised that he was ready to go again with so little recovery time. I wasn’t sure I could do the same.
“I could never get enough of you, Lauren,” he replied, his voice a raspy growl. I appreciated his enthusiasm, but all I really wanted to do was pop a few Advil and sit in a hot bath to relieve some of the soreness between my legs.
Before I could speak, Asher dipped his head between my legs, disappearing beneath the sheet and blankets. I felt his hot breath against my thigh just before his tongue hit my clit. He licked me with long, firm strokes, and I instinctively ran my fingers through his curls. I let out one loud moan and he pulled away from me, returning his lips to my chest.
“I know you need to rest,” he whispered. “We don’t have to make love. I just want to make you feel good, baby. You know, it’s not every day a man gets to wake up with the most promising new graphics artist in the world.”
I laughed and kissed the top of his head. “I don’t know if I’d go that far. But you have no idea how much your faith and encouragement mean to me.”
Asher crawled up the mattress and settled in beside me before pulling me into his arms. He put a single finger beneath my chin and turned my face to his.
“I think I probably have a pretty good idea,” he pointed out. “The only equal to my faith in you is yours in me. And I think together, we’re going to be damn near unstoppable. That comment about you being the most promising artist… those words weren’t mine. The art world in general seems to be in agreement.”
He took his tablet from the bedside table and pulled up half a dozen arts pages from some of the biggest newspapers in the world. I couldn’t believe my eyes as he moved from window to window. The headlines were all worded a bit differently, but they all shared the same basic message — everyone thought I was fantastic. Words like innovative, revolutionary, and genius jumped from the screen.
“This is insane,” I insisted. “I’m dreaming. I’ve been dreaming since the day we met. I’ll wake up soon and realize that none of this is real.”
Asher took my hand and put it on his bare chest, just above his heart.
“Does this feel real?”
I nodded and returned my head to his shoulder. “I can’t believe how much my life has changed since the night we met at the gallery. I expected that opening to be the beginning of Deacon’s new life. But I never thought it would change mine. I don’t know how I’ll ever give you everything you’ve given me.”
“You already have,” he insisted. “And you’re giving me too much credit. All I’ve done is love you, baby. The recognition you’re getting now, you earned all on your own. And it’s not just the art critics who are talking about you. Dozens of gaming magazines have emailed asking for interviews. I’m being called a visionary for turning you loose with a computer. If anything, I’ll be the one thanking you for my success soon.”
“Let’s make a deal. From now on, we’ll refer to all success as our success,” I suggested.
“That sounds like a good plan to me,” he agreed.
Asher rolled onto his side and traced circles against my shoulder with his tongue. He ran a trail up to my ear and gently nibbled my earlobe.
“I know you’re sore,” he whispered. “And I don’t need any attention. But I would very much like to make you come before we get out of this bed.”
“Just go slow,” I warned, exhaling the words in a blissful sigh.
Asher spent the next fifteen minutes lightly running his hands over every inch of my body until my skin felt alive with passion. He massaged my feet and calves, left sore by the towering heels I’d worn to the banquet. Finally, he gently parted my legs and lowered his head.
Asher’s tongue worked slowly, circling my entrance, pushing inside, and then circling again. He held my hips in his hands as I rocked back and forth against his face, climbing to release. As his hot, wet tongue soothed my sore body, the soft orgasm that washed over me was the perfect ending to one of the best mornings of my life. I laid on the bed in quiet ecstasy and heard Asher’s phone vibrate on the nightstand. He looked down at the screen and smiled.
“It’s Brian. He’s probably calling to tell me that your game has broken presale records… Hey, Brian.”
I watched Asher’s face transition from elated to devastated and felt knots tie in my stomach.
I haven’t seen that look on his face since the morning Rachel showed up at the house with that God forsaken envelope. What the hell could possibly have happened now?
Asher jumped up from the bed and started dressing, the phone still pressed to his ear.
“How much? And when did you realize it?” He turned the phone away from his lips and mouthed for me to get dressed. He stuffed his feet into tennis shoes and started throwing our things into suitcases with no rhyme or reason.
“And you’re sure this happened from inside? There’s no way our firewalls were breached and we just don’t know it?”
I had no idea what Brian was saying on the other end, but I knew it had to be bad. Brian was the CFO of the company, which meant something was wrong with Asher’s accounts.
“Okay… okay… keep doing what you’re doing. Lauren and I will be on the first flight back to the states. I want regular updates as you learn things. I want all of the information in hand the moment we land. Yes, I’ll text you with our flight times. No, don’t call the police until I get there.”
Asher ended the call and tossed the phone into his carry-on bag. “We have to leave, Lauren. God damn it, we have to get home right now.”
I pulled my hair into a ponytail and threw the last of my things into a bag. I knew my makeup from the night before was probably smeared all over my face, but I didn’t take the time to check my reflection. I’d never seen Asher move with such sharp determination and I knew we were going home to trouble.
“What’s going on, Ash?” I pressed.
He threw his carryon over his shoulder and took a suitcase in each hand.
“The company’s payroll account has been raided. Yesterday, we had close to twenty million dollars in the bank. Today, it has a zero balance.”
“What?” I gasped, following him out of the suite. “But how could that even happen?”
“I have no idea,” he snapped, racing for the elevator. “Which is why we have to go.”
“I’m so sorry, Asher,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper.
He sighed and turned to me with sad eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bitten your head off like that. I’m just so fucking tired of dealing with catastrophes. Brian said that our systems haven’t been compromised. Which means someone who works for me, someone I’ve trusted, has made off with a small fortune.”
I hardly thought twenty million dollars was a small fortune, but I didn’t press the issue. Instead, I silently followed Asher into the elevator and put a comforting hand on his arm.
“This has to be some sort of a mistake,” I insisted. “I bet we’ll land to a slew of apologies and news that Brian found the money.”
“I hope so,” he replied as his phone rang again. He dropped a suitcase and pulled the phone from his pocket.
“It’s Merritt this time,” he announced with a puzzled frown.
I’m surprised she even has his cell number. What could she possibly want that she couldn’t have called Rachel about? Or me, for that matter. Asher rarely deals with any of the art details directly.
“Hello?” he answered, his voice clipped and impatient.
“What? You haven’t seen her since when? Damn it, I need to talk to her too. Have someone drive over to her condo… you’re kidding me. Okay… yes, for now, just handle the layout the old way. No, Lauren and I are on our way home now. She’ll walk you through the new protocols tomorrow. Yes, I’m worried too. I need to get off here, Merritt, and make some more calls. Thanks for letting me know. You did
the right thing.”
He ended the call and tossed his phone against the elevator door. Thanks to the enormous rubber case, it bounced off and landed face up on the floor.
“Asher…?” I hesitated, half terrified to hear what else had happened back home.
He sighed and leaned against the elevator door.
“Rachel left work early yesterday morning. She told Merritt she had a doctor’s appointment and she’d be back after lunch. No one’s seen her since,” he explained.
The news didn’t shock me quite the same way it shocked him, but I did my best to pretend.
“She’s probably not feeling well, that’s all,” I assured him. “She didn’t call to tell you because she didn’t want to interfere with our trip.”
Asher shook his head. “Merritt went to her condo. The front door was unlocked and Rachel was nowhere to be found. Her car is missing, along with most of her clothes.”
So Rachel went missing on the same day twenty million dollars disappeared from the company account. I wonder if there’s a sane person on this planet who’d bet against them being connected.
THE END
Continue on to read Part 3...
UNRAVELING THE BILLIONAIRE
PART 3
CHAPTER 1
“Ash…?” I gripped Asher’s forearm and stared up at him with hopeful eyes. He scowled down at the screen of his phone and shook his head. My heart sank as our jet slowed to a stop at the gate. The seatbelt lights flickered off and a bell chimed through the cabin. The captain said goodbye over the speaker system and our fellow passengers started moving around us. But Asher remained fixed to his seat.
“No news at all?” I pressed, reaching for my phone. I powered it up while Asher blew out a long breath.
“Nothing good,” he corrected me. “Brian’s been on the phone with the bank all day. The money was moved through a series of offshore accounts. It disappeared somewhere in the Caribbean.”
I bit my lip, startled when my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down and read Kennedy’s message to Asher.
“Kennedy’s waiting with one of the Montgomery jets. She’s in hangar 4A. There’s an escort waiting for us at the gate.”
“Perfect,” Asher said, finally rising to his feet. His jaw was set, his eyes blank. During the flight from London, he’d cycled back and forth between anxious and numb. I preferred his nervous fidgeting to his cold, blank stares. The latter reminded me of the sad little boy I’d seen in the fake yearbook pictures. I couldn’t imagine the pain he must be going through after learning his most trusted friend had disappeared with part of his fortune.
Asher stepped into the aisle and waited for me to follow. He put a hand on the small of my back and led me into the terminal. As promised, an airline employee was waiting with a small, battery powered golf cart and in less than five minutes, we were boarding Kennedy’s jet.
“Kennedy, I can’t thank you enough for meeting us,” Asher said as we stepped into the cabin. My best friend stood from a soft leather couch and greeted us with hugs.
“I was more than happy to. I’m so sorry you’re going through this, Asher. And so sorry that it ruined your celebration,” she added, throwing a sympathetic glance to me. It was hard to believe that less than twenty-four hours ago, I was being celebrated by the heads of my industry.
“There will be plenty of time to celebrate later,” Asher insisted, immediately settling into an empty chair. He buckled his seatbelt and fiddled with his phone.
“How long before we’re back in the air?” he asked without looking up.
“We’ll be taxiing any second now,” Kennedy promised. She put an arm around me and led me to the sofa. We settled in together and she pulled out a pen and legal pad.
“Asher, I’ve been in contact with everyone back in San Francisco. Parker is at your office and Detective Austin has put an APB out on Rachel.”
“I said I didn’t want the police involved yet,” Asher growled as the jet lurched forward. He grabbed the arm of his chair while I shifted nervously beside Kennedy. She remained completely unfazed by his attitude.
“Yes, I know. I have news, Asher. We all felt it would be best if you hear it in person. Brian had your tech department go through your system with a fine tooth comb. The money was moved with Rachel’s passcode, and the request originated from her work computer. Everything was put into motion yesterday about half an hour before Merritt saw Rachel for the last time.”
“That doesn’t mean Rachel’s behind this,” he insisted defiantly. “I had a bad feeling after Tonya was arrested. It all seemed too easy of a fix. The real blackmailer is still out there. He’s the one behind this and he’s using Rachel to get to me. She wouldn’t steal my money and disappear, not on her own.”
For the love of God, Asher. How bad does this have to get before you’ll acknowledge the truth?
“This is Captain Harris speaking,” a deep male voice called over the speaker system. “We’ve been cleared for takeoff. We should land in California in roughly four hours. Enjoy the flight.”
Kennedy took advantage of the pilot’s interruption and took control of the conversation. She pushed her shoulders back, held her head high, and flat out told Asher how things had to proceed.
“Asher, I appreciate that this is hard for you. But as your attorney, I am obligated to advocate for your best interests. I know you wanted to clear Rachel’s name before you reported the theft. But that’s just not how this works. The longer we tried to hide this, the more suspicious you would look yourself, especially to your insurance company. I know you’re a wealthy man, but I can’t imagine you can afford not to file a claim on this.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” he confessed with a scowl. “But this is still horseshit, Kennedy. I left clear instructions that no decisions were to be made until I landed in the states. You blatantly ignored that.”
“I did,” she agreed. “And if you want to fire me, be my guest. If not, I’ll explain what’s likely to happen from here.”
I studied Asher’s face, waiting for him to respond. His eyes were cold and calculating and I felt like I was looking at a stranger. I’d never seen him so withdrawn and I realized he really was furious at Kennedy. But I knew the last thing he wanted to do was expose his past to a new lawyer. As I suspected, he finally relaxed his shoulders and allowed Kennedy to continue. I braced myself, knowing that Asher’s mood would likely get much worse before it got better.
“The police have put all sorts of traces on Rachel,” Kennedy explained. “They’re watching her bank accounts, cell phone records, and so on. But as we all know, Rachel has plenty of experience with disappearing. The fact that we can’t find a trace of her anywhere leads me to believe that she’s working under her own free will. If someone else is behind this, it’s someone who has as much experience staying under the radar as you two do. Can you think of anyone who fits that bill?”
A guilty look crossed Asher’s face and he looked to the plush cream carpet. “There’s one person who comes to mind,” he confessed. “His name is Mike Irwin. He and Rachel were involved with the same woman a few years ago. I think her name was Bethany. Anyway, they had a unique arrangement and I’ve never been one to judge. But I remember being surprised by how taken Rachel was with Mike. He’s ex Special Forces, has plenty of experience with covert missions. Rachel suggested if we ever needed to disappear again, he’s the one we should call.”
“Did Rachel tell Mike about your past? And why the hell is this the first I’m hearing about him?” Kennedy pressed, her eyebrows peaked and her cheeks flushed with frustration.
“To my knowledge, Rachel has never told anyone who we really are. I hadn’t thought of Mike in years. Your question about people with experience staying under the radar brought him to mind.”
“We’ll have him tracked down the moment we land,” Kennedy insisted. “We’ll approach it by telling him Rachel may be in danger. We don’t have to give him the full truth.”
“I
doubt it will lead anywhere, but do what you have to,” Asher agreed, his voice resigned.
“I’m glad you said that,” Kennedy countered. “Because I’ll have to do a lot of digging into Rachel’s past. I know the two of you lost contact while you were at MIT. Do you have any idea what she was up to all those years?”
“I know she worked her way through community college somewhere in New England. Her degree says Northeastern Vermont University, but she confessed that it’s a forgery. She did assure me that she graduated and based on what she’s been able to do for the company, I believe her. She studied art and business somewhere. But what does any of that have to do with what’s happening now?”
“I’m not sure,” Kennedy replied. “Those lost years could be completely irrelevant, or they could hold the key to everything. We won’t know until we learn the truth. To that end, I’ll be flying to Vermont as soon as possible. There’s a camp there that Rachel’s parents sent her to as a child. I have a hunch she’s been back at least once since she changed her name. She may even be there now.”
Asher’s face flushed red and his nostrils flared. “You started investigating her long before today, didn’t you?” he demanded, his voice bellowing through the cabin. He looked from me to Kennedy and back again, his face hollowed with betrayal.
“How long has this been going on? And why the hell would you track down her family? Those people turned their backs on Rachel. I don’t care what you think she’s done; she doesn’t deserve to have them dragged back into her life.”
“No one has contacted Rachel’s family,” Kennedy assured him. “Give me some credit, Asher. I’m fairly adept at gathering information without breaking client privilege. And until this morning, Rachel was my client. I had a gut feeling that she was up to something, and I chose to follow it. But I never betrayed her confidence and her family is completely in the dark about her identity. And all of this was my call. Lauren wasn’t involved.”
I felt a wave of appreciation, followed by a wave of guilt. I’d asked Kennedy to investigate Rachel, knowing Asher would be furious if he found out. I was thankful Kennedy was willing to take the brunt of his fury.
