Devoted To You

by S. S. Richards

  Devoted To You

  A BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE

  S.S. Richards

  Devoted to You

  Copyright © 2019 by S. S. Richards

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual places or events or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

  Book design by Maureen Cutajar

  www.gopublished.com

  Print ISBN: 9781796934014

  To my husband.

  Thanks for always believing in me.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  CHAPTER 1

  Alyssa

  “Wake up, Alyssa, it’s time to eat.”

  Who needs an alarm when you have a grandma like mine?

  “I’m awake,” I shout at the door, still lying in bed with a goddamn hangover. I pull myself off the bed and head to the washroom to wash my face. I take a peek at myself in the dirty mirror; my skin is so pale, and I look tired with bags underneath my eyes.

  Last night was wild. Even though I didn’t drink excessively, I somehow still managed to get myself a hangover. My body has always been weak when it comes to alcohol, two cosmos, and I am already hammered. I head back to the room and lift my phone off the side table.

  How are you feeling today? I send a quick text to Jason to make sure he is still alive after last night, even though I drove him home and made sure he got comfortable in his bed before I headed out. I just never know with that party animal; he could have easily gotten back up and started drinking again. He also let me drive his brand new Beemer that he just bought two weeks ago. If that is not love, then I don’t know what is.

  Jason is my best friend and the only person that’s always been there for me ever since I was in high school, and as weary and weak I am today, I’m joyful that he had fun last night since he always wanted to have a blowout for his twenty-second birthday.

  I put my hair up in a bun and take the stairs down to the kitchen. The smell of freshly-brewed coffee has to be one of the greatest inventions. It is waking me up before the caffeine even enters my body. As soon as I get into the kitchen, I give my grandma a big hug and a kiss on the forehead.

  “Ah! Sweetheart.” Her mouth curves into a smile. “How was it yesterday? Did you have fun?”

  “So much fun, Grandma, you should have seen Jason,” I say while grabbing a mug and pouring myself some coffee. “He was dancing on top of every single table at the club, I laughed so hard and took so many videos of him, Grandma.”

  She chuckles. “I can only imagine.”

  “Are you making pancakes?”

  “Your favorite.”

  “Oh my god, Grandma, aren’t you the best?”

  “So I’ve been told.” She gives me a half-smile. “Mrs. Charles will be coming to visit me today.”

  I head to the living room and make myself comfortable. I lift the remote control off the table and start browsing.

  “Oh yeah? More gossip about the neighborhood?” I shout across the living room, but she doesn’t say anything back.

  Ever since I quit my last job, I have been spending plenty of time with her and Mrs. Charles, our neighbor. Even though all they do is gossip, they somehow always manage to entertain me. I started learning everything about the neighbors through Mrs. Charles, and when she is not delivering news to my grandmother about what car did that neighbor buy, and what fight did the other ones get into, she is crying to us about how much she misses her two kids who moved to Australia and rarely come to visit her. My heart aches for her; she is lonely, and having us around helps ease her sorrow.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket. I shove my hand in it and pull my phone up. One missed call and one voicemail. My heart stutters as I stare at the caller ID, a message from D.E. Adams Inc. Of course, my phone had to be silent when I am expecting the most important call that I have been waiting for the past three days.

  “This message is for Ms. Alyssa Thomson, I just wanted to let you know that we would like to offer you the position of Personal Assistant for Mr. Liam Adams here at D.E. Adams Inc. I sent you an email with your contract details and start date. If you are still interested in the position, please sign the contract and send it back to me by email no later than tomorrow, Friday. Looking forward to hearing from you, good day.”

  I replay the message at least three times while happiness flows through me. I run to my grandma and hug her as tight as I can. “I got the job, Grandma,” I shout while the excitement races through my body. I’m finally going to be employed! I can’t believe it.

  I pick up the phone and dial Jason’s number. The phone rings three times before he picks up.

  “I got the job, Jason, I am the happiest girl on the planet right now!”

  “Oh my god, Alyssa, I knew it! Congratulations! Are we going to celebrate this or what?”

  “Yes, of course we are,” I assure him. “Do you wanna do it tonight?”

  “Tonight is perfect!” His voice softens. “We are going to go to La Voz bar.”

  “I don’t think I can afford it, but fuck it! Let’s do it!”

  “Cool, see ya later, I will pick you up at 8 p.m.”

  I hang up the phone and open my laptop instantly so I can read through the contract, sign it, and return it to the HR department. I make sure the email I wrote is free of mistakes and I hit the send button. It has been a very tough period for me and for Grandma ever since I quit my last job. As much as I needed the job and the money, the decision of quitting came long after I couldn’t stand my boss anymore, Mrs. Davidson. No matter what I did, she was never satisfied. The kind of people who always seem angry, miserable, and continuously look for conflict? Yeah...she was that kind.

  Every single employee hated her guts, and I was the only one who tried to understand all the struggles she endured going through a tough divorce. Every time she yelled at me for not doing something the way she wanted it to be done, I despised her and I thought to myself that her shoddy character and displeasing personality are the main causes of her husband’s cheating scandal.

  But then a couple minutes later, pity and tenderness welled up in me and I would apologize to her for absolutely no reason. I always pondered what it meant to be in her position. After nearly twenty-five years of marriage, her husband left her for another woman, twenty years younger than her age.

  Being cheated on has always been my biggest dismay, not that I experienced it myself or that my outlook on love and future relationships got shattered because of a failed one, but because when I fall in love I tend to do it in a complete and foolish way that I would hand my soul and body to the person on a golden plate. My overprotective and highly artless personality are beyond anybody’s understanding. Hence, for my own sanity and protection, I’ve never had a boyfriend. I used to be so proud of myself for being a virgin, but now that I am twenty-two, I gotta admit that I am very shamefaced about it.

  I have had plenty of guys who would want to be with me, many of them were wasted in college parties but I was never interested. I keep having hopes that one
day I will meet the right guy who wouldn’t think of me as a loser prude.

  I spend the rest of my afternoon helping my grandma clean and organize the house before Mrs. Charles comes over so they can start another episode of bingo and gossip over tea, and as soon as the clock struck 7 p.m., I started getting ready for Jason to pick me up. I go through my whole closet looking for the sexiest dress I can wear; the choice is between a blue, tight, denim dress or a green slip dress. Hesitant between the two, I decide to text Jason since his fashion skills are unparalleled compared to mine.

  Blue denim dress or green slip dress?

  He replies instantly: Ew denim? Obviously go for the green one!

  A laugh escapes my mouth as I read his text while picturing the clear-cut extreme disgust expression he must have had while replying to mine. I put on the green dress and decide to wear my hair down. I usually wear it up because sweat starts dripping down my neck once it gets hotter, and it is also exhausting to take care of long hair in general. If it wasn’t for my grandmother always banning me from cutting it since she loves it so much, I would have gotten rid of it a while ago. But tonight, I decided to embrace it. I am celebrating and letting loose. I put some mascara on and wear my bright red lipstick. As much as I love wearing bright colored lipsticks, they tend to be the source of so much attention, and unlike plenty of other girls, I just happen to detest it. I go downstairs and wear my black heeled sandals.

  “You look beautiful, darling,” says my grandma with sparkly eyes.

  “Thank you, Grammy. I get it from you,” I reply while giving her a warm hug.

  Jason starts honking boomingly in the neighborhood. Thank god only the poor live on this side of the city and that most neighbors don’t tend to complain since they are busy managing how to pay their bills, Jason’s honking is the least of their worries. I wave goodbye to my grandma as soon as I get into Jason’s car, and we drive off, blasting music the whole ride and singing along like there is no tomorrow. Every time I party with Jason, we both go bonkers.

  We get to the parking lot which is two blocks away from where La Voz is. The fanciest bar where only the billionaires and the millionaires of the city bunch up. Lucky for us, Jason happens to be friends with the manager so they let us in without asking for the VIP card.

  As soon as we get in, my eyes widen with how alluring the place is. The walls are painted in dark red, and pop music is dominating the atmosphere. Rounded, dark tables in each corner with men dressed in expensive suits, some are smoking their cigars and drinking their stress away while hitting on every single naked server that walks past them. We head to the table where some of Jason’s friends are already seated.

  “So you are Alyssa!” says one of them while shaking my hand. “I am Noah. Jason and I met about a week ago at a party,” he adds.

  “Nice to meet you,” I reply with a welcoming smile.

  “And I am Mason. We met yesterday at Jason’s birthday party.”

  “Yes, I remember you.” I smile.

  A young, blonde lady comes to our table to serve us. She ends up bringing plenty of shots ordered by Jason, three shots each. We all drink them, one after the other, no remorse in my drinking game as I had promised myself, tonight is my night.

  By the time I order my seventh shot, my head starts feeling light, and my body shivers. I glance away at the bar and my eyes land on a tall man, his eyes locked on me. He doesn’t flinch nor does he look away, which proves that he has been glaring at me for a while now.

  I squint my eyes, trying to get a better view of his face but to no avail. I am too fucked up to get the blurry vision cleared out of my sight.

  Noah leans toward me. “He has been staring at you for a while now, let me tell you that.”

  “I don’t know who he is.” Heat begins coursing through my veins at how tall and collected he looks from afar.

  “Truth or dare, Alyssa?” I draw my attention to Jason and give him a look. This man is way drunker than I am that he doesn't realize how raucous his voice sounds. The whole bar turns in our direction.

  “Dare,” I yell back.

  “Go and flirt with the suit by the bar that’s been looking at you ever since we stepped into this place.”

  My eyes widen.

  I can’t believe that all three of them, including Jason, noticed the suit staring at me, and that I was the last one to heed it.

  Too drunk to wrap my thoughts around my head, I eventually end up winding my way through the fiery bodies all the way to the suit standing at the bar. I’m intoxicated by the amount of alcohol that is making itself cozy through my body. Heat curls down my spine as I stand inches away from him. He is almost a head taller than me, my eye level is looking straight at his perfectly formed lips. He is raven-haired, gray-eyed, and dressed in an expensive-looking, navy suit. One glance is all it took in order for me to get blindsided by lust. My eyes wander up his arm as he takes another sip of his glass. He places the glass on top of the counter and his lips open in a beautiful smile that reveals flawless, shiny, white teeth.

  “Hi.” He holds out his hand to shake mine.

  “Hi,” I say as I slide my fingers in his warm, big hand.

  “How are you?”

  I am flustered and nervous. My hand is trembling as I tuck my hair behind my ear.

  “I am very good, really tipsy though.”

  “You mean wasted?” His mouth curves into a bigger smile.

  “If you say so. What is it that you’re drinking?” I lean closer toward him, and I start smelling his cologne. It smells heavenly.

  “This is scotch. Do you want a glass?”

  “I don’t think I can afford it.” I brush my palms together. “My friends dared me to come and talk to you, so I am sorry if I bothered you. I’m gonna go back now.” I swirl around, feeling like a goddamn fool when his warm hand grabs my right arm.

  “One scotch for the lady,” he tells the bartender, who nods and starts pouring the drink instantly.

  “You don’t have to, I…”

  “So what are you and your friends celebrating tonight?” he cuts me off.

  “How did you know we are celebrating?” My eyes narrow as I grab the drink from the bartender. “Thank you” I smile at the beautiful man who made me the drink. What is it with this place full of gorgeous creatures?

  “I never saw you guys here before, especially you, so you must be celebrating something.”

  “You are absolutely right. We are celebrating me getting a new job.” I smile and glance away at the table where Jason and all the others are. They are all laughing and dancing at the music without paying attention to me.

  “Congratulations.” He places his empty glass on top of the counter and motions to the bartender who nods and starts pouring him another drink. I can tell he is a regular. “So where are you going to be working, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “A personal assistant at D.E. Adams Inc,” I answer firmly.

  He tilts his head and narrows his eyes. “For who exactly?” he asks, eagerly.

  “For Liam Adams.” I pause. “I never really met him, even my interview was with two very nice ladies from their Human Resources department.”

  I watch his throat move as he swallows hard. His expression switches from smiley and flirty to intense and serious. He finishes the rest of his drink in one sip and places the empty cup back on the counter. My heart sinks as I watch him glance away, looking deeply absorbed in his own thoughts.

  “Do you know Mr. Adams?” I ask anxiously.

  He turns his attention to me. “Yes I do, he’s a boring guy to work with and a little bit of an asshole, so good luck.” He smirks, and my knees weaken, almost making me forget that he had just thrown a bomb to my face by saying that my future boss is an asshole. Oh god! Not another Mrs. Davidson.

  “Really?” My eyes widen.

  “Yup.” He glances at his watch.

  I suddenly realize that I have been talking to this random, gorgeous man without even knowing his n
ame or who he is. I place my drink on the counter and decide to ask the question that I must have asked in the beginning of our conversation, only if he wasn’t too striking to make me forget my own words.

  “What is your name, by the way? And what do you do? How do you know Mr. Adams?”

  “Mr. Adams, I like that,” he repeats after me, almost mocking me. “My name is David, business man, and I know Mr. Adams through work.” He pulls out his wallet and leaves a few folded bills on the counter for the bartender. “Now I gotta go, it was nice meeting you, Alyssa, stay safe.” I watch him as he storms out of the bar and disappears into the night, leaving me breathless and confused while my body throbs and aches for him. I head back to the table where my friends are, the conversation with David keeps replaying persistently in my head. He was definitely the hottest stranger I have ever had an encounter with, even if it was probably the shortest conversation I ever had with anybody, and even if I smelled like alcohol and cheap shampoo, and he smelled of privilege and bad decisions, the kind of man I would give my precious virginity to in a matter of seconds.

  I head home in a cab since Jason is way too wasted to drive me home. And as I lay in my bed, I can’t help but remember the last few words that emerged out of his pink lips, the sentence where he mentioned my name. Because as drunk and disorderly as I was, I remember every single word that came out of my mouth, and my name was definitely not one of them. Maybe he overheard it? I decide to remain reasonable and give the man the benefit of the doubt. Whatever it was that David knew about me wasn’t relevant anyway. He is a stranger that I met at a fancy bar and that I am never going to see him again, it’s not like my lifestyle enabled me to come across sexy and rich men on a daily basis. And at that thought, I close my eyes and drift off to sleep while the fatigue roams through my body.

  CHAPTER 2

  Alyssa

  I spend the rest of the weekend thinking about David, his smile, his hair, his warm hands; everything about him was faultless. And as I get ready for my first day at D.E. Adams Inc, my grandmother brings a warm cup of coffee to my room and some homemade raisins cookies. It’s like a tradition, every time I had an exam or started a new job, she would always make her famous raisins cookies and forces me to eat them. She says they would make me look smarter and likeable, an old tradition she inherited from her own mother who was known for being the kindest most alluring person in the neighborhood. Everyone loved her and enjoyed her company.