Forced to Forget_Blackmailing the Billionaire Series

by Tasha Fawkes

  Marta smiles wide when she sees me approaching. “Jane, dear, I’m so glad to see you.”

  As if we didn’t see each other yesterday. Still, I return her smile and keep my thoughts to myself as she leads me to the Big Man. It's not her fault Anthony and I fell apart.

  Mr. James is standing when I walk inside, and the smile tells me immediately that something's up. He’s trying to schmooze me. Unfortunately for him, with the one exception of his much more charismatic son, I'm not so easily charmed.

  “Please, have a seat.”

  That entire politician persona is as strong as it was when we first met. I sit down in one of the chairs across from his desk, and he takes his seat. He folds his hands in front of him and his smile fades, replaced by a very serious expression. But it's still a false one, like he's trying to convince me that whatever he’s going to say, he needs me to think that it’s genuine.

  “It’s come to my attention that you were very poorly used by my son.”

  I blink rapidly, trying to process that sentence. What’s he talking about? He can’t mean that he knows about Anthony and me, can he? “Excuse me?” I whisper.

  “I understand that all the ideas presented to Chambersmith, Inc. were yours, not my son’s.”

  I have a moment of relief when I realize that he's talking about business, but that quickly becomes confusion. How the hell can he possibly know that? Anthony wouldn’t tell him, would he? No, he’s a lot of things, but stupid’s not one of them. I knew just as well as he did that we couldn’t blab about our collaboration.

  Not when he was so happy that his dad was proud of him.

  Mr. James doesn’t wait for me to reply. “You’ve shown a great deal of intelligence and savvy, Jane. The sort of qualities we want here at James Enterprises. When I found out you were the genius behind the campaign, I knew I had to have you as a full-time employee.”

  My eyes widen. It’s just what Anthony promised when we first started working together, but this is coming from the CEO. I should be excited, but all I feel is a deep sense of dread that something else is coming.

  “However,” he adds, like it’s an afterthought rather than a calculated move, “we would ask that you sign over all of your ideas retroactively. Just to keep everything on the up-and-up. You understand.”

  I finally notice the sheaf of papers sitting just to his right. A contract. And probably some sort of NDA. My head is spinning. Things are happening too fast.

  I need to say something, and besides, curiosity is killing me. “What about Anthony?”

  His expression slips just a bit, but he quickly recovers. “Anthony? What about him?”

  His voice is stiff now, like my question caught him off guard.

  I'm not going to back down, though. “I…I mean, where is he? What happened to him? You said you want me to sign over my ideas, but you didn’t say anything about his. They were his ideas, too.”

  He scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. “He no longer works here. You don’t have to worry about him.”

  What the hell does that mean?

  “But—”

  “You’re very noble, trying to stand up for him the way you are. I can only imagine the way he sweet-talked his way into stealing those great ideas and letting him pass them off as his own.” Cue mournful head shake. “He always does this, you know. Coasting by without doing any actual work. I’m sure he made you believe your ideas were his, too. It’s shameful, really. I wish I knew where I went wrong with him.”

  My cheeks flush, and I hope he takes it as me being embarrassed rather than angry, because the way he's talking about Anthony is pissing me off. Okay, so maybe Anthony isn't everything I thought, but he doesn't deserve his father to talk about him that way.

  I can’t let it go.

  “You know, sir, with all due respect, that work was just as much your son’s as it was mine. The finished product, I mean. He took my ideas and made them better. He worked hard, probably harder than he ever has. We were a great team. I just thought you should know that.” I can’t believe I'm actually contradicting him, but it's not right for him to think so poorly of his own son.

  He pauses for a second, and I wonder if he’s taking me seriously.

  No such luck.

  “As I said, you don’t have to worry about him anymore. Here.” He slides the contract across the table as my heart sinks. It’s like talking to a wall.

  I turn my attention to what he’s handed me. Not only is he offering me a salary with more zeroes than I’ve ever seen together at once, but he wants to pay me for my Chambersmith ideas. I know he’s only covering his ass—I’m no idiot—but the thought that my ideas would pull down such a generous fee is gratifying. No, more than that. A dream come true.

  So why don’t I feel happy? The man is handing me everything I ever wanted. Real money. The chance to live in an apartment big enough for more than two people to be in at once. A life full of choices and opportunity.

  Isn’t that what I’ve always wanted?

  “Well, Jane?” The bright smile is frozen on his face. “What do you say? Are you ready to start the rest of your life?” He holds a pen out to me.

  Am I ready?

  Good question.

  Chapter 29

  Jane

  Just when I think life can’t surprise me any further, there’s somebody waiting for me when I get home.

  “What is this?” I linger by the stairs, wary at the sight of Anthony James sitting outside my apartment door. Anthony and several suitcases.

  Okay, that's...curious.

  He gets up, brushing off the seat of his jeans. Even in jeans he’s delectable. I remind myself of how he broke my heart, and how much I hate him for it, before the sight of him melts my resolve like a dish of ice cream left out in the sun. His smile is genuine, but there's a little vulnerability in his eyes.

  “This is me taking a stand for what I want, for once.”

  Well, that makes no sense. I wait for more, but that’s as eloquent as he feels like being at the moment, apparently.

  “Huh? And those are for...what? You think you’re going to move in with me or something? Isn’t that a bit of a step down for you? I don’t even think all those suitcases could fit inside my place.”

  He laughs, and it's a real, honest sound. “Why don’t you come a little closer, and I’ll tell you why I’m really here? I don’t feel like shouting down the hall for all your neighbors to hear.”

  Yes, but if I’m much closer to him, I won’t be able to resist his charm. Damn him for always putting me in this position. Just once, I’d like to feel like I have the upper hand. I take one slow step after another until we’re standing face-to-face, but on opposite sides of the hallway. I lean against the wall across from my door. That's as close as I trust myself to be to him.

  “Okay. So? What’s this all about?”

  Instead of replying, he holds out one hand. But as I look down, I realize he's not trying to hold my hand. He's holding something out to me. Plane tickets. “I bought these for you and me.”

  I'm beginning to think that today is going to be all about blindsiding me.

  “Excuse me?”

  His voice is eager, hopeful. “I cashed in the last of my savings and bought these. They’re open-ended. We can go anywhere you want. I don’t care. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy anywhere.”

  I bite down on my lip and try to process what he’s telling me. I feel like I'm on overload. “You think I’ll forget everything that’s happened just because you throw a plane ticket at me? You think I can just drop my life and run off with you?”

  To my surprise, he doesn’t crack under my questions. He doesn't blow off what I'm feeling or saying. He doesn't tell me that it's too much. Instead, he says the last thing I expect.

  “You’re right. It’s a lot to ask. But this is a gesture, more than anything else. Even if you don’t want to go anywhere, that’s fine. I’ll stick around here. I’ll give up everything—not that there’s al
l that much to give up anymore. Nothing I care about anyway.” He gives me a soft sort of smile, his eyes glowing. “You showed me that I had nothing before I met you. You’re everything, and I meant it when I said I love you. That hasn’t changed. I’ll get a job, support you, whatever you want. As long as you’re with me.”

  Less than an hour ago, someone offered me what I thought was everything. Now I see the truth, though. This is everything I’ve ever wanted. Not a job or money or a new apartment, but a man who loves me. A man who is willing to put his pride aside. To put aside everything else. For me.

  It’s all so clear now.

  He’s so hopeful as he waits for me to respond. His eyes radiate love and hope. He wants me. Us. He’s willing to throw away everything to be with me. He's choosing me even though he knows it's going to be hard.

  After a long, silent moment, I finally give him a response. “You don’t have to do any of that—supporting me, I mean.”

  The light leaves his eyes, and his shoulders slump. “You’re saying no?”

  I shake my head. “I’m saying I don’t need the money. Your father offered me a job.”

  He takes it surprisingly well. “I should’ve known. Well, congratulations. You deserve it.”

  “I didn’t take it.”

  The light reappears. “You didn’t?”

  I shake my head with a smile. “Not after what he said about you. I could never work for him, knowing the kind of person he is. Let him work with your cousin and be around a suck-up all day long. They deserve each other.”

  His laugh is music to my ears. “I can’t believe it! Somebody finally said no to my old man. He’s probably still trying to process it.”

  I can’t help but laugh with him. “Yeah, he did seem a little taken aback. I did say yes to one thing, though. The offer to pay me for the Chambersmith ideas in exchange for an NDA about my part in it.” I take a dramatic pause as my smile widens. I can hardly believe it, but my name's right there on the check. “A quarter of a million dollars, in fact.”

  He beams, and all I see is pride on his face. Not a trace of jealousy or resentment. “You deserve it. I’m so happy for you.”

  When he opens his arms to me, I walk into them. I don't even have to think about it.

  “I’m so sorry for everything,” he whispers in my ear as I sink into his embrace. “You were right. I should have been honest with you. And I've always ran when things get hard, but not anymore.”

  “I'm sorry, too,” I say. “We both should’ve been honest. Let's promise to do better from here on out.”

  “You deserve better than me, Jane, but I swear I’ll do everything in my power to earn your trust back.”

  I pull away to look up into his eyes. “I believe you. And I trust you.”

  “I meant it when I said I love you. I love you so much, Jane.” He runs his fingertips over my cheek, then along my jawline until he reaches my chin. His touch is soft and electric and everything.

  He’s everything.

  “I love you, too.” There are tears in my eyes when he pulls me closer for the deepest, sweetest kiss of my life.

  The first of what I hope will be many.

  Chapter 30

  Jane

  “Yes, we would love the opportunity to work with you. We’re flattered you’re willing to give us a chance. I’m sure you’ll find out first-hand that we deliver on our promises,” Anthony says, giving me a silent high-five as he continues to close our latest account.

  I turn back to my laptop with a smile. It looks like we’re about to add another name to our growing client list.

  In moments like this one, with the man I love sitting behind me and the entire world stretching out in front of me outside the window, I’m almost sure I must be dreaming. It doesn't seem possible that this is my life.

  I can’t help but stare out the window above my desk over and over throughout the day. In fact, some of my best ideas crop up when I’m gazing at the wide, vast fields just beyond the little house that’s been our home for the last eight months.

  Not just our home, either. Our office. The headquarters of the advertising world’s newest sensation—at least, that’s how we see it. Who needs a big, fancy office in the middle of Manhattan? It’s a virtual world nowadays. Besides, we can visit our clients in the city. We’re less than an hour away. Of course, those miles make all the difference in the world. I belong here, and once Anthony got used to it, he decided he did, too. His reaction the first time he caught an opossum going through our garbage still makes me giggle whenever I think about it, even though I do my best not to let him see. He could take a bourbon bottle to the head, but the sight of a little animal made him turn white as a ghost. I was fairly sure he might pass out.

  The city never suited me. Sure, it was fun living there for a little while, but it didn’t take long for me to understand that I loved the idea of it much more than the reality. I’m a country girl at heart—always will be. Anthony finally acknowledged that most of his trouble came from being in the city. He decided it would do him good to live more simply. Besides, he did say he would follow me wherever I wanted to go. Once I had the money, the man, and the opportunity to make a change, it was a no-brainer.

  Now, I love waking up in the morning and enjoying a cup of coffee on the front porch while the sun rises. There’s nothing like that beautiful peace before the world has woken up. I didn’t understand quite how much I missed it before I got back to it. And now I'm here on my own terms, not anyone else's. We chose a new place rather than going back to PA, so we both are starting new. Neither of us are defined by who our parents were or are. We are ourselves, and only who we want to be.

  And I love it. Nothing beats the joy of sitting back-to-back in our office, listening to him doing business. He knows his stuff. Once he no longer had to put up with his father, he discovered how truly good he is at advertising. He always jokes he must’ve learned by osmosis or something, but I know he’s only downplaying his talent and intelligence. Nobody ever gave him credit for that before. Now he can shine out of his dad’s shadow.

  “That sounds fantastic. We’ll have a rough outline to you by the end of the week.” I swivel around in my chair in time to see the satisfied smile on his face, and my heart soars.

  “So?” I ask.

  “So, it looks like yet another of James Enterprises’ top clients is looking for new, more modern representation.” He leans back, grinning from ear to ear. “Nobody would believe it if we told them these people are coming to us, not the other way around.”

  “Especially your father.”

  “Especially him.” He shrugs. “He’s afraid of change. He won’t even let his employees work remotely.”

  Meanwhile, we’ve just hired our first employee, a girl who lives halfway across the country. She’ll be managing our calendars along with other administrative tasks. It’ll free us up to do more of the creative work, which we both prefer. If we keep growing at the pace we’ve set—we already have six clients, three of whom were James Enterprises clients who jumped ship when they heard what we cooked up for Chambersmith—we’ll need to start building a creative team. We both wish we could’ve kept that account, but I already signed the campaign over. Maybe somewhere down the line, when they’re looking for a change, they'll come back to us.

  “A new client,” Anthony says. “I think this calls for a celebration.”

  My pulse picks up speed, and I feel warm all over. “Oh? What do you have in mind?”

  “I think you know what I have in mind.” His wicked grin is just about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. When he stands and comes to me, all I can see is him.

  He cups my face as he takes my lips, his tongue tangling with mine as it plunges into my mouth. I grab the waist of his jeans, and he bites down on my bottom lip, urging me onward. He's half-hard as I wrap my fingers around him, and I begin to stroke him. His hands go to my shirt, pulling at the neck of my tank top until both of my breasts are exposed.

 
He pinches and tugs at my nipples until I moan into his mouth. He lifts me out of the chair, and I break the kiss to rid me of my pants. He curses when he sees that I'm not wearing panties. I like to do that once or twice a week, just to keep things interesting. Sort of like how he likes to take me in all sorts of different locations.

  In the field under the stars.

  Every single room in our house, including the pantry.

  At the nearest town's drive-in.

  Today, it's in my office chair.

  He grabs my waist and lifts me, turning us both before sitting down. I rest on my knees, straddling his lap. His mouth latches on to my breasts as I sink down onto his hard shaft. We did away with condoms six months back, but I still marvel at the feel of skin against skin.

  We move together faster, knowing this will be only the first of several times we'll come together over the next few hours. I bury my fingers in his hair, holding his head to my chest. He's rough with my nipples, but all it does is make me slam down on him hard enough to make stars spark in front of my eyes.

  His hips jerk under me, and I yank his head back so that our eyes meet as we come together. I feel him pulse inside me, filling me, and I smile at the knowledge that someday, in the near future, I'll put aside my birth control and this act of love will be the beginning of the family that the two of us have always wanted.

  He's looking at me with those dark, smoldering eyes of his, and I know we're just getting started.

  Later, in bed together and considerably sweatier than we were in our little home office, I lift my head from his chest to ask, “Will it always be this way?”

  I know he knows what I’m asking. Will we always be this happy? Will I always feel a rush of bliss when he kisses me? Or when our eyes meet from across the dining room table, or when he does something as simple as taking my hand while we’re out for a walk? Will we always work so well together? Will we always work hard to make our dreams real?