"And you want a guarantee of some kind, that I'll do this 'favor' for you, right?"
"That's right. I want a personal guarantee that you will be a guest in my home, for one night only and with no other conditions attached."
It sounded too good to be true.
"And in return for this I can walk out of here with Clayton Hargrave's hard drive and personal address book in my possession?"
"That part was a joke of course, and I presume you have no interest in Clay's property other than to locate your friend. So can we agree on you walking out of here without a jail term in return for a simple guarantee that you will come to my home and be an overnight guest?"
"What's the guarantee?"
Ruben smiled and despite herself a thrill shivered its way through Suzy's body. He sure did have one hell of a smile. She had never thought of herself as a seductress before, or of her company as a prize worth bargaining for, but the man in front of her was making her feel as though she was the most desired woman in the universe and it was wildly exciting.
But she needed to know for sure that Katy was really okay before she agreed to anything.
"I'll make this very easy for you Ms. Falstaff, because I want this to be a choice you make of your own free will."
"Is staying over at you place such a very big deal?"
"It doesn't have to be."
She dropped her eyes and then raised them to his again and found what she was looking for. Clearly something about her was turning him on. What had she read about his friend Clayton Hargrave? He was obsessed with nerdy women. Even though he could take his pick of any number of waiting females it was the geeky ones with brains that he always chose in the end, even if he didn’t stay with them for long. Could Mayweather be the same and if he was, could she use it to her advantage?
"So what's the guarantee Mr. Mayweather." She asked slowly. "I'm waiting."
"Very simple and, I hope, not unreasonable. You can leave here right now, your laptop stays with me until after you've been a guest at my home."
If he had asked her to get down on her knees and satisfy him on the deck then and there it might have been an easier sacrifice to make. The machine was her lifeline. Without it she was reduced to Googling for information or worse again, making phone calls and visits to actual people.
Not to mention that the laptop was packed with sensitive and highly incriminating information about her professional activities.
"How long will you keep it for?" She asked.
"Just until the night is over."
One night. Just one night. Even with the best technology available it still shouldn't be enough time to break her encryption codes and if necessary she could erase the contents remotely. Everything on it was meticulously backed up to a highly secure cloud and on her server at home.
She could do it. Outsmart this arrogant man and play him at his own game.
"What happens if I turn your offer down Mr. Mayweather?"
"You can still go, but I will turn evidence over to the authorities and let them deal with you as they see fit. If you haven't broken any laws then you will have nothing to worry about."
He knew damn well what a crock that was. The police and the FBI would have a field day with her, not to mention half of her loyal clients.
"Is this how you usually get girls to stay overnight at your place?" She glanced at him again, fully playing up the effect it seemed to have on him, daring him to respond, and silently chipping away at his control over the situation.
Men, all the same. She thought. Even this guy with all his power and all it takes is a little bat or two of the eyelashes.
If he wanted her in his home then that was her leverage. She might not be some streetwise private dick but she was sure she could get up to speed on street smarts pretty quick if she needed to. Mayweather might think he had her under control but the adorable smug bastard was in for a surprise. The only person she knew personally with a higher IQ than her was Nadia Komerov. It might only be book smarts but it still had to count for something, right?
"I can understand your reticence Ms. Falstaff. You don't really know me yet, however, to make you feel more at ease I'm ready to provide additional evidence that Katy Maldon really is with my associate Clayton Hargrave. If you're patient and obedient then once the ongoing situation that your friend has brought upon the Hargrave family is resolved, I will see to it that you are re-united with her, wherever that happens to be and assuming of course, Katy's permission."
The word obedient stuck out like a sore thumb and sent a frisson of unwanted excitement through Suzy's body. She was so definitely not into any kind of weird kinky stuff and she was beginning to read loud and clear what was going on here.
Or was she?
There was no precedent in her life for anything like this.
"Show me that Katy's okay and then I'll spend the night with you." She said. She knew Katy would do anything for her if the situation was reversed. This had to be the single craziest thing she had ever decided to do in her whole life; it felt like standing on the edge of Niagara Falls waiting to dive in.
Ruben watched her, unconvinced.
"You're still unsure." He said. "But I can see clearly a that part of you wants to do this." He paused. "And that's the part I'm most interested in."
"I'm sure." She said. "Now let me speak to Katy."
Ruben nodded, took his phone from his pocket, stood up and came to her side of the table. She didn't want to feel so thrilled by his proximity as he sat down next to her but she couldn't help it. If he could prove that Katy was in safe hands then in theory the deal was sealed and he could take her away to his home to do whatever he had in mind with her.
She tried not to think about the possible romantic or even sexual connotations.
One thing at a time Suzy, one thing at a time. Make sure Nadia is safe first, then think about this crazy deal.
Ruben held up the phone in front of her.
"I'm dialing the main number of Hargrave Robotics. From their main website. Do you see that?"
Suzy nodded. He was very close to her, the delicate hint of his subtle, expensive cologne, making him seem all the more real, almost intimate. They were alone together on this beautiful deck with the breathtaking view of the bay far below them.
This would be a dream situation, almost a paradise, if not for the hint of blackmail. Or was the blackmail making this a more exciting place than paradise ever could be?
He tapped the screen and waited, putting his finger to his lips as he did so to indicate that she should stay quiet. She nodded her head obediently and his mouth opened slightly as he tilted his head back to look down at her.
"God how I'd love to--" The line picked up and interrupted his train of thought.
"Hargrave Robotics, how may I divert your call please?"
"Clayton Hargrave's Personal Assistant please. The ext is 021. This is Ruben Mayweather."
The voice hesitated a moment.
"Of course Mr. Mayweather. I can give you Mr. Hargrave's personal line if you prefer? Have you lost his number?"
"That would be great. Can you put me directly through to him?"
"Of course sir." The female voice at the other end of the line was overly helpful and made Suzy feely oddly jealous. She might be alone with Ruben now, but no doubt his world was filled with attractive females constantly seeking his attention. She would just be one of many women in his world while he was suddenly taking up a whole lot of exclusive real estate in her entire universe.
"I'm still confused--"
"Shush." He put his long index finger to her open lips and again she felt the thrill of physical contact with him.
The touch was light, sensitive, controlled.
"Clayton Hargrave, who's this?" A strong voice came through the phone.
"It's Ruben. How's the situation developing?"
"Why are you coming through Hargrave Robotics? Why didn’t you just call me direct?"
"Stop wasting time Clay, I need an updat
e if I'm going to resolve this situation of yours."
"We're on our way back to New York City. We'll be there in under an hour. No new calls so no change yet. Where are you?"
"I'm on my way. I'll meet you at the penthouse. How is Nadia doing?"
Suzy's mouth dropped open but Ruben put his finger to her lips again. Nobody but nobody knew Katy's real name.
"She's exhausted but she's doing okay. She's sleeping right now."
"Let me see her."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean take your phone, go to her and then hold the camera in front of her. I like to know the people I'm working with."
There was a pause.
"Lucky you're good at what you do Rube, because sometimes your weird shit freaks even me out."
"Just do it."
Ruben held the phone up for Suzy to see and sure enough, there was her friend, lying across a beautiful bed, shattered and exhausted. She went to grab the phone but Ruben snatched it away before Clayton could see he had anyone with him.
"Thanks Clay. I can see why you went through all that trouble to rescue her. She's a sleeping beauty alright. Is she going to be one of your collection when you get her through all of this? Or I should say, when I get her through all of this?"
"Nadia is more than just another one for the collection Rube. When I take care of these assholes I think I this one might be a keeper."
Ruben smiled.
"Sure. Like I've never heard that before. I'll see you in an hour. And Clay? Don’t do anything stupid. This is a security issue, not robotics or surveillance. Leave this one to me."
He ended the call and placed the phone down on the table.
"Are you ready now?"
Suzy knew the routine by now. She looked down steadily to her knees then raised her eyes slowly back up to his. When their eyes met she held his gaze for a moment and then looked back down to her knees again.
"I'm ready." She said.
"Good girl." Ruben said. "I think this is going to be a night to remember. For both of us."
*******************
Now that he had secured the mystery girl's acceptance of his offer Ruben felt completely relaxed. If it had been game set and match before, his opponent had now conceded defeat and was walking off the court with him and straight back into his bedroom.
He would deal with Nadia's situation first and have something very, very special to look forward to on his return. A little waiting and anticipation could only add to the intensity of the experience and in fact, he couldn't quite remember looking forward to anything as much as this in years.
There was no precedence for it.
Like his friend Clayton, he had a thing for smart women. The higher the IQ the better, but they had to be beautiful as well; each and every one a truly rare find.
It was one of the reasons he was rarely photographed in the presence of a single woman. His standards were very specific and very high. Intelligent women were always more complicated, more difficult to break down but exponentially more interesting to slowly unwrap and reveal. Time spent with bimbos and airheads was just time wasted as far as he was concerned.
But this one was worth waiting for.
"So let's get going." She said. "Get this over with."
She was trying to sound like it would be an ordeal for her, but he didn't buy it. He could feel the adrenaline rush going through her every bit as intensely as he felt his own. She was anxious to get this started, but she would have to wait.
"It doesn’t quite work like that Ms. Falstaff. My apologies for any miscommunication, but have some business I need to attend to first. You can either wait for me at my home or I can arrange to have you taken care of at a location of your choice, wherever that may be."
Suzy was nonplussed. She had half expected him to take her right then and there on the deck.
"How long is this going to take?" She asked.
"You committed to spending a night at my home but we haven't agreed on a date yet. I'll need you to be available for the next few days at least until I wrap things up with Clayton and Nadia's situation.
"Okay, I can wait. Take me to wherever Nadia is. I want to be where she is."
"Unfortunately, that's not an option. Nadia, for the moment, is in a world of trouble and the best thing you can do right now is stay far away from her."
"Then the deal is off."
"The deal is on Ms. Falstaff. We have already discussed terms and the consequences of breaking those terms. We also discussed obedience."
That's right you pervert. We'll see how that works out for you. Her thoughts were rebellious but it only made her more excited. This world of his was too weird, too unfamiliar. She would have to figure out how to adapt and turn it to her advantage.
"I'll make it more interesting for you." She said.
Ruben smiled. This was exactly what he loved about the smart ones, they always made it more interesting.
"If you take me with you to New York, I'll do more than stay overnight with you."
"You've got my attention. Keep talking."
"I will commit to doing exactly one additional thing for you, over and above being physically present in your home for one night. One 'personal favor' if you will."
He smiled again. She sure as hell was playing with fire.
"Are you really sure you want to take that risk?" He said.
"Take me to New York, let me see Nadia and I'll take that risk. One request. One thing only and I'll do it. No excuses, no BS."
"A kiss." He said without hesitation.
"Excuse me?" She faltered, disarmed by the simplicity. "You'll do it just to… to kiss me?"
"That's it. One kiss. I will ask you for a single kiss at a particular time and place. But I can't let you meet Nadia. Not until we're sure she's safe. I won’t risk anything happening to you, however, you can come with me and be ready to meet with her when her situation has been handled. Is that a deal?"
He extended his hand and waited.
There was something extremely flattering about the request, but also something disquieting.
"Deal." She said, and put out her hand. His fingers closed around hers and she marveled at how he could make her feel so sensual with such a simple touch. He drew her hand up towards his lips but then stopped just short and smiled.
"Close one." He said. "But I don’t want to waste that kiss." He let her hand go. "Come on, we have to hurry." He reached over and picked up her green chocolate smoothie. "Drink this first." He said. "We can’t let it go to waste."
It seemed a little odd but it looked so good she put her qualms aside and began to swallow it down while he watched and it was so, so good. The addition of the dates and vanilla just made it perfect. She would remember it for the next time she made one at home.
"It's really good." She said, putting the near empty glass back down. "You should have had them fix one for you too."
"Just a little taste will be enough for me."
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking or I would have offered you."
"That's okay. There's enough." He picked up the glass and put his lips to where hers had been a second ago then slipped his tongue inside and took the smallest lick. The action was completely natural, done without a trace of self-consciousness and it cleaved through Suzy as she sat and watched. She could imagine the tip of that tongue, exploring her, tasting her, one tiny lick at a time.
"It's quite excellent Ms. Falstaff. Really excellent, now come on, let's get going. We have a plane to catch."
He stood up and drew her along with him, holding her hand. She felt like a little rag doll compared to him. She might be smarter than him but physically he was more than her match. Maybe it was the ocean view, maybe it was just the jetlag but whatever it was, she had feeling that she might just follow this man anywhere he wanted to go.
They descended the steps together and she saw her rental car parked next to a line of high end vehicles in the lot. He led her to a large black SUV, opened the back doo
r and helped her in, guiding her with one large hand pressed gently, tantalizing to the small of her back. There was a man and woman in front, both obviously part of his security team.
"Where are we taking her Mr. Mayweather?" The woman in the passenger seat asked with obvious deference to her boss.
"To the airstrip. Stay with her Candy." The woman looked anything but sweet and the name seemed absurd. "Fly with her to New York. Take her to the Mandarin Oriental, the usual suite. Stay with her until you hear from me."
"What about my car? My things?" Suzy said.
"Don’t worry. We'll return the car for you and anything inside will be waiting for you at my place. If you need anything in the meantime, just tell Candy."
The woman fixed her with a steely glare that dared her to ask for anything.
"My overnight bag is in the back. I can just go grab it."
She went to leave the vehicle but he stopped her. Gently but firmly.
"I'll get it." He said. "You stay here."
She watched him walk across the small lot towards her rental car while Candy observed her and the driver looked straight ahead.
"Don’t even think about it." Candy murmured.
"Don’t even think about what?" Suzy was confused, but Candy looked very serious.
"You don’t have a chance in hell sweetheart." Candy said. The driver continued looking straight ahead.
Ruben was returning with her small travel bag in his strong arms. He stepped up close to the vehicle, filling the doorway with his large, muscular frame.
"Is there anything else you need from your car?" He said.
She shook her head. "That's it. Thank you Mr. Mayweather."
Candy rolled her eyes, just barely, but it didn't escape Ruben.
"She's in your hands until further notice Candy. See to it that her needs are fully taken care of to the smallest detail. If Ms. Falstaff has any complaints I will hold you personally responsible. Suzy, if you need anything, anything at all, Candy will take care of it. Wait for me in New York. Be ready to make good on our agreement as soon as I've taken care of your friend's situation.
"Mr. Mayweather. When should we expect to see you in New York?" Candy asked.
"I'll be in touch." He said, and closed the car door. The driver started the engine and put the car in gear. Suzy felt dazed, dislocated from reality. It was only as the car pulled out that she fully grasped she would be travelling alone to New York and it felt like the most terrible disappointment a girl could have.
His Secret Request: Billionaire Secrets - Book Three Page 4
