Shades of Step Billionaire

by Harlow, Jenna

  “Vince is very nice, and very cute. Have fun tonight!” she said and gave Claire a quick hug. Olivia kept her head low as she moved toward the exit, trying to be discrete. The entrance was about fifteen feet in front of her, and there were enough people standing around to give her a bit of cover as she snuck out. Unfortunately, once outside, she’d have to cross in front of the bar which was all windows, on her way to the subway station. The best she could do was to keep her face down as she walked and hope Trent didn’t see her. She glanced up at him as she approached the door to leave. He was just stepping up to the dart board. Whew. Relief flooded her and she pushed the door open and stepped into the twilight.

  The streetlights had just come on as she quickly skirted along the sidewalk in front of the building. She walked briskly, hoping to get past the wall of windows quickly. As she neared the corner of the building, she let out a sigh and quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure she hadn’t been followed. The sidewalk behind her was empty, and no one was leaving the bar. Elated, she quickened her pace, anxious to get onto her subway home. She turned her head just as her body suddenly slammed into something large.

  “Oh!” Olivia exclaimed as the shock of impact reverberated through her skull. She shook her head, trying to regain her composure and felt strong hands grab her by the arms and pull her into the alley. She didn’t need to see his face to know who had grabbed her, it was Trent.

  “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” His face was inches from hers. He was pushing her deeper into the alley as he spoke, past crates and boxes and behind a dumpster.

  “Trent, how did you? Where did you come from? She asked, confused as to how he cut her off. Trent smiled broadly.

  “I saw you trying to sneak off. I took a side door through the alley and headed you off,” he said. Then his face darkened. “I told you I wanted to talk to you.” Olivia knew from the look on his face he was confrontational.

  “Trent, I’m sorry. I know you wanted to talk, but I have a terrible headache. We’ll have to catch up some other time,” she said. She tried to pull away, but his grip on her arm tightened.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he growled. Olivia looked into his eyes and was alarmed by the hostility she saw in them.

  “Trent, let go. You’re hurting me,” she said, panic rising in her voice as he pushed her up against the brick wall. She tried to squirm out of his grip but his hands were too strong, she couldn’t get away. Her hip clipped a metal trash can as he shoved her backward, sending it crashing to the ground. Trent didn’t even notice.

  “You don’t get to walk out on me,” he said, red faced and panting hard, “I decide when I’m done with you, and I’m not finished with you, yet,” he said. His hand reached up from behind and fisted her hair. He pulled, yanking her head back .

  “Isn’t this what you like?” he hissed. His eyes looked wild. Olivia had never seen him this angry before. She knew he had been upset about their break up, but now she was truly frightened of him. She started to tremble in fear.

  “Trent, stop,” she said, her voice shaking.

  He jerked her head back. Olivia yelped in pain. Desperate to get away, she tried to knee him but he blocked her, pinning her against the wall with his legs.

  “Feisty, I like that,” he said. Still holding her head back, he leaned in close to her face and glared at her with a menacing scowl. She could smell the beer on his breath and feel the spray of spit fly from his mouth as he spoke.

  “I think you forgot how good it was to be with me. I’m gonna give you a reminder, and I’ll give it to you rough. Isn’t that the way you like it?” he said as he reached up to her blouse.

  “Trent, stop! Get off me!” Olivia yelled. She couldn’t move, she was pinned under his weight. She could feel her heart racing in her chest and pounding in her ears. “Trent please…” she cried. It was no use, though. He wasn’t listening to reason. Something else had taken over. She knew her instincts to stay away from him these last few weeks had been right.

  “You’re gonna love this,” he said as he ripped her shirt open. Olivia screamed as the fabric tore and buttons went flying.

  “Help!” she screamed. She tried to yell as loud as she could, but felt like just a squeak escaped. She attempted to scream, but his hand clamped down on her mouth, stifling the sound. All she could hear was a muffled whimper. He leaned in again, pressing himself against her. She could feel his hard erection pressing through his pants against her abdomen. Oh, God make him stop! She couldn’t believe he was doing this. His breath was hot against her skin as his hand traveled up her torso. Sickened, Olivia squeezed her eyes shut. Just as he reached for her bra, his body was suddenly jerked back.

  “What the fuck!” Trent yelled as he was turned around. Olivia opened her eyes just in time to see Jeremy strike him hard with cross punch to the face. Trent’s head flung back from the blow like a rag doll and he stumbled.

  “Jeremy!” Olivia gasped as she caught sight of him.

  Jeremy ignored her and instead glared at Trent with menacing eyes. Olivia could feel hatred emanating from him. Trent’s head jerked toward Olivia.

  “You fucking know him?” Trent regained his balance and swung wildly at Jeremy who ducked slightly to miss Trent’s swing. Trent again stumbled and then caught himself. “You piece of shit,” he yelled, turning again to face Jeremy.

  “Come on,” Jeremy said calmly. His elbows were held tightly against his ribs and his fists were up in front of his face. Olivia feared for Jeremy. Even though both men were the same height, Trent was burly. He had a lot of weight on Jeremy.

  Jeremy’s eyes were clear and focused. From his stance and demeanor Olivia could tell he had no fear going up against Trent. As she glanced at the two, her fear for Jeremy waned as she realized that while Trent was bigger, he was and slow. He had no agility, and definitely no skill. He was outmatched against Jeremy who was tighter and denser. Olivia could see the muscle definition under his white shirt and noticed how agile he was on his feet. He seemed cool and confident going up against Trent, it was almost as if he was comfortable fighting.

  “Motherfucker,” he seethed and lurched at Jeremy. Trent also lacked composure and was just swinging wildly. Jeremy was composed, he moved with precision. As Trent lunged forward, Jeremy’s arm struck out like a flash, his fist catching Trent square in the jaw with such force it knocked him off his feet. With a thud he landed hard on the pavement. Stunned, Olivia stood staring down at Trent on the grimy pavement. He was out cold. The alley suddenly felt still, quiet. Olivia once again became aware of street noises off in the distance. Still frightened, she turned to face Jeremy, who was also looking down at Trent. As he turned to her, his expression morphed from that of an angry predator to one of concern. She stood shivering against the wall, clutching her shirt tightly against her. He rushed over to her and circled his arms around her, pulling her in close against him. After a brief embrace, he pushed her back to look into her face.

  “Olivia, are you okay?” he asked, his eyes searching her. Looking up at him, a surge of emotion swelled and she collapsed into his embrace.

  Chapter 13

  “Oh, Jeremy!” she whispered, dissolving into tears as she realized what could have happened if he hadn’t come along.

  “It’s okay, you’re okay. He can’t hurt you.” Jeremy circled his arms around her protectively. He shuddered, thinking about what could have happened if he hadn’t come along. “We should call the police,” he said, pulling out his phone. Olivia put her hand on Jeremy’s arm.

  “No, I don’t want to do that. Please, can we just go? I need to get away from here, from him,” she said, nodding her head toward Trent. Jeremy hesitated and glanced down at Trent, who was lying motionless before them. A dark feeling came over him as he realized she was familiar with her aggressor.

  “Wait, did you know him?” he asked.

  “I, uh,” Olivia sighed. She hesitated and seemed embarrassed to continue. “Yes, we dated in college. I bro
ke up with him a few months ago and apparently he hasn’t been taking it well,” she said. Jeremy tensed inside, he was dismayed to learn she had dated someone so violent.

  “Wait, you dated this guy?! He asked, incredulously. Wild images of an abusive relationship swam in his head, causing rage to build up in him. It made him sick to think of Olivia with anyone who would ever harm her. Her turned abruptly and grasped her by the shoulders, peering deeply into her eyes. “Has he ever hurt you before?” Olivia brushed him off with a wave of her hand.

  “No, never. He was always kind of a jerk, but never dangerous. I’ve heard he’s been taking steroids lately. I think that’s why he was so aggressive with me,” she said. Jeremy shook his head. He felt better knowing she had not been in an abusive relationship, but was still concerned about how violent the guy was. Olivia bent over to examine Trent more closely.

  “Oh, good, he’s still breathing,” she said as she stood and turned back to Jeremy. Jeremy jerked his head toward Trent.

  “He’ll be fine, I only punched him,” he said. Jeremy’s voice revealed the disgust he felt toward Trent. He narrowed his eyes at Olivia. “I’m more concerned about you. Olivia, he was assaulting you. If you don’t press charges, he could come after you again, or someone else. Are you sure you don’t want to call the police?” Jeremy asked. It took all of his strength not to kick the shit out of Trent, conscious or not. Olivia turned again to face him.

  “I really just want to get out of here, please?” she whispered, her eyes pleading with him. Jeremy’s breath caught in his throat, torn between calling the police himself and delivering some more punishment to Trent with his shoe. Olivia squeezed his arm, snapping his attention back to her again where it really mattered. Her beautiful eyes were large and frightened. He hated to see her so scared and realized she was right. As much as he wanted to deal with Trent himself, the first thing he had to do was take care of her. Jeremy squeezed her arms reassuringly.

  “Okay. Let’s go,” he said. Jeremy placed his hands firmly on Olivia’s elbows and guided her toward his car which was parked midway down the block. As they approached the vehicle, a uniformed man nodded and bowed as he opened the car door for her.

  “Ma’am,” he said as she approached the open door. Jeremy stood outside the car and spoke to the driver as Olivia slipped into the vehicle.

  “I’ve never been in a chauffeured car before,” she said as Jeremy slid in next to her. Olivia glanced around, taking in the surroundings. Soft dark leather, polished wooden consoles accentuated the plush surroundings. Jeremy’s leg brushed up against hers as he settled in next to her, causing her to jump nervously. Inwardly, he smiled. It was nice to see his touch had such a strong effect on her. She smiled nervously up at him.

  “You know, it’s funny. I spent the week avoiding you, but right now I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. I’m so glad you were there right when I needed you.” She blinked back tears. Jeremy could tell it was hard for her to admit.

  “I’m glad I was there, too,” he said.

  The car took off, and within seconds they were whirling through city streets to an undisclosed destination. In the quiet of the back seat, Olivia looked at Jeremy with a silently assessing expression. He could tell she had a question for him.

  “Jeremy, how did you know I was at that bar?” she asked.

  Jeremy smiled and looked down at his hands. The skin of his knuckles looked red and raw and he rubbed them absentmindedly. “Your friend at the bar answered your phone. She said I should come and join you,” he said. Olivia threw he head back against the seat, laughing.

  “Claire answered it? That’s right; I left my phone on the table when I went to the restroom! I thought she was up to something,” Olivia laughed. Behind Jeremy, the glow of street lights and neon signs whizzed past the window as darkness fell over the city. Olivia sighed, and her demeanor lightened. The levity of the moment seemed to have helped her calm down. She had stopped shaking and appeared to be feeling better. Now that the danger from the bar had passed and things were quieter, Jeremy imagined she would naturally question why he was at the bar. He noticed her expression had darkened.

  “Jeremy, I know you want to talk-” she started, but Jeremy held his hand up to stop her.

  “We can talk later, Olivia. You’ve been through a lot. I don’t want you to worry about anything right now. Just relax, let me take you to dinner.” Genuine care and concern pooled in his warm eyes as he spoke. He wanted her to feel centered again, and regain her sense of safety before tackling their issues. With his eyes trained on her, she sighed and relaxed against the seat. After a moment, she smiled playfully. “You aren’t going to try and get me naked or anything are you?” she asked. Caught off guard by her snarky remark, Jeremy threw his head back and barked in laughter.

  “Oh, I most certainly will try to get you naked,” he smiled. He wasn’t one to shrink from being challenged. “I’m a business man, a good one. I always go for what I want.” Olivia seemed to tense at his words. He wondered if she was up for his challenge. Could she play a cat and mouse game and not get caught? Could she admit to herself she secretly wanted him to catch her? He wondered how long she could run from him before giving in. He noticed she squirmed under his gaze, as if the back seat of the car suddenly felt small and claustrophobic.

  He was amused by her discomfort. Adjusting in his seat, Jeremy casually raked his fingers through his thick dark hair. As he did so, he noticed Olivia’s eyes following his hand. Her lips parted sensually and she had a wistful far-away look in her eye. Jeremy had been with enough women in his life to know when he had a woman’s attention. Her eyes suddenly snapped back to him, as if she suddenly caught herself. Jeremy’s gaze locked on her, he wasn’t about to make things easy for her. She briefly flushed. Gotcha. He decided he was not going to go easy on her. Jeremy tilted his head low to her, his gaze intense.

  “You know my ultimate goal: I want you, but only if you are willing, able and completely submitting to me. I would never force myself on you, or have you do anything you don’t want to do. I’m pushing you because I sense your interest.” His eyes glided over her, as if inspecting her. “I can see it in your face, your eyes, the way your breath caught when I said I wanted you, and the way your pulse has quickened. You want it as much as I do, Olivia, even if you won’t admit it.” Olivia’s mouth dropped open as he spoke. He kept his tone was low and intimate, almost soothing. He could tell he was chipping away at her resistance. It was like he could almost read her mind. He reached into his pocket and held out a handkerchief.

  “Here,” he said.

  “What’s this for?” she asked, a confused expression on her face. Jeremy gave her a cunning smile that seemed to convey he had something on her.

  “You’re sweating,” he grinned. Now he was just toying with her. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the cloth from his with a petulant sigh.

  “You’re impossible,” she said. Jeremy laughed, too, but then let a serious expression settle over his face.

  “Let’s set this discussion aside for now and go for dinner.” It was a statement, not a question. Olivia opened her mouth as if to protest, but then apparently changed her mind. Good. Perhaps she thought to argue, but quit because she knew she would just lose anyway.

  The car slowed to a stop in front of Jeremy’s building. Without speaking, he quickly ushered Olivia through the lobby, down a private hallway to a back elevator. Olivia seemed too fatigued to ask where they were going, and Jeremy was grateful for that. He didn’t want to have to argue with her. He directed her silently, by gently pressing his hand into the small of her back. Feeling her small frame under his hand sent a lightning bolt of electricity to his groin. He loved her curvy figure. She turned to look back at him, as if she had felt the spark when they touched, too. Jeremy hoped that in spite of her attempt to ignore it, she couldn’t fight off the intense attraction they felt toward each other.

  A gush of wind blew over her as the elevator doors opened. Olivi
a gasped as she stepped out into the clear night. They were on the roof. Her hands instinctively shot up to cover her ears from a noise thundering around the corner and then down again to close her ripped blouse. Jeremy took her by the elbows and led her to a platform. Her mouth fell open when she saw it, a helicopter. With a stunned expression, she whipped her head around to look at Jeremy. He smiled and turned to speak to man in a dark jumpsuit carrying a clipboard who had run up him. He motioned for another man to come and escort Olivia.

  “This way ma’am,” he said, taking her arm. Jeremy’s eyes followed as she was led into the waiting helicopter. He watched as the attendant handed Olivia a new shirt. Good. He had his driver call and request a shirt for Olivia to change into, it looked like it was a plain white t-shirt. That was fine, the style didn’t matter. He just didn’t want her to have to wear a torn blouse all night reminding her of her awful experience at the bar.

  He knew she must have a thousand questions, and perhaps would protest getting into the thundering machine. After all, she had agreed to dinner, not an unannounced trip in an aircraft. He smiled, watching her quizzical expression as she climbed into the vehicle. Luckily the attendants had hurried her into her seat before she could register any protests. Jeremy finished giving instructions to his staff and ran, bent over toward the helicopter. His hair blew wildly from the wind of the propellers. In an instant, he hopped in next to her and strapped in as casually as if he was getting into a car.

  As he clipped himself in, the helicopter started to lift off. First, hovering for a moment over the helipad, and then it swayed slowly from side to side as it lifted higher and higher over the roof. The sound of the propellers turning increased as they rose higher into the sky. Olivia looked out the window as they passed over the city below. Lights sparkled like diamonds. The buildings stood out like dark shadows in front of the luminescent sky. She watched, speechless as they flew along the coast and away from the city lights. She seemed calm yet curious. He was glad to see she was not alarmed when she saw they would be traveling by air. “Thank you for the new shirt,” she said. Jeremy nodded in acknowledgment.