Coerced (Billionaire romance): Blackmailed by the Billionaire (Buchanan Romance Book 1) (14 page)

They both came quickly and Elizabeth rolled to the bed to snuggle against him.

He cuddled her because having her against him like this was almost as good as being inside her but there were too many questions pounding at his brain, demanding answers he wasn’t ready to give.

If he admitted that he had feelings for Elizabeth, what then? How did that fit into their current framework?

It didn’t. The whole point of purchasing Elizabeth was for the sole reason of being able to fuck her when he pleased.

He wanted to tie her up and slap her ass, watching as her flesh jiggled with each resounding hit, listen to her breathy cries as he pleasured her with dildos and vibrators while forcing her to watch as others fucked.

But something told him, she wouldn’t mind. She trusted him to be her protector in every situation, even if he put her in it. She’d gotten off on watching others and in turn, her excitement had fueled his. They’d been only with each other and yet…the sex had been electric.

So different from anything he’d ever experienced. Was this…
love
?

Was it possible? Did fate truly have that much of a screwed sense of humor?

He only had to ask his cousins for that answer.

I don’t want to love her!

But even as he fought against the idea quickly latching onto his consciousness with steel-tipped claws, he warmed to it as well.

He wanted every kind of sex with her — dirty, tender, fast, slow and everything in between — and what kind of man was he that he required such a vast palette of options to find pleasure?

Actually, since being with Elizabeth, he wasn’t driven to fuck anyone but her.

The embarrassing incident with Gemini had pretty much driven that realization home.

Ahh, fuck. Gemini.

The whore who’d meant nothing to him and yet his actions had hurt Elizabeth so deeply.

Apologize.

Bare your fucking soul.

He didn’t know where the voice in his head came from or why.

In fact, the advice went against everything he believed in and yet, he desperately wanted the courage to do exactly that.

Sutton pulled Elizabeth closer, realizing she was fast asleep. He sighed, partly with relief, partly with disappointment.

Maybe tomorrow would come with more clarity — because right now, he just felt out of his depth and drowning.

And that was fucking frightening as hell.

Bookmark: 20

-20-

Elizabeth persuaded Sutton to remain in Spain for one more day, which they spent shopping and eating to their hearts’ content.

By the time they returned to the states, she was exhausted to the bone and couldn’t wait to crawl into her own bed.

Er, well, her bed with Sutton, that is.

They ate a quick bite, showered, and after an even hastier wham-bam quickie (which was still pretty satisfying) they fell into bed and were asleep within minutes.

The following morning she was surprised to see Sutton still in bed with her.

She’d half expected him to be gone to work, not because he was a relentless workaholic, but because he wanted to avoid all the questions that’d popped up while in Spain.

But he further surprised her by sharing, “Rising Dawn needs you to sign final paperwork for the adjusted contract for your sister. You have an appointment at ten this morning.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, rubbing at her eyes as she became fully awake.

She cast a quick look at Sutton and decided to throw something out there, knowing full well he would probably bolt.

“Would you mind going with me?”

“Why?” He seemed startled by her request. “Are you sure?”

She nodded and drew a breath. “I’d like you and Gretchen to meet.”

Sutton seemed to understand the gravity of her request. She would never expose Gretchen to someone she didn’t trust.

Elizabeth was telling him without saying the words that she trusted him with the single most important person in her life.

Sutton shook his head, troubled. “That’s not a good idea. I think it’s best to keep lines drawn. Lately, things have been a little blurred and that’s just not good business.”

Elizabeth felt the rejection like a physical slap but she didn’t let on that he’d hurt her.

“Fine.”

She wrapped a robe around her and walked past him to the bathroom. She wasn’t going to reward him with sweetness when he’d just hit her in the face with a dead fish.

To his credit, he didn’t push the issue. For that she was grateful. She didn’t want him to see her tears.

***

Sutton was angry.

Not at Elizabeth — well, maybe a little bit at Elizabeth — but mostly at himself.

Why had she asked him to accompany her to Rising Dawn? What purpose would that serve? He had no interest in knowing her extended family.

The only reason he’d been able to persuade Elizabeth to take the deal was because of her love for her sister and the shame of it was beginning to weigh on his shoulders.

And it shouldn’t.

He had no reason to suffer an ounce of shame.

He was a businessman — he’d seen an opportunity and he’d capitalized on it.

End of story.

And yet, there was a growing part of him that hated how he’d coerced Elizabeth into his bed. He couldn’t help but think of how happy his cousins seemed with their women and a part of him wanted that, too, even if he couldn’t actually admit it out loud.

Why was he so broken inside that he couldn’t just accept that he wanted Elizabeth in a deeper way than a piece of paper could define?

Because women weren’t trustworthy. Women existed to break men.

Hadn’t his own mother abandoned her children for her own gain? Completely wrote off her three kids for the promise of something better? No matter how he’d cried? How he’d begged her to stay?

Fuck women.

The insidious voice slithered in his mind, planting little seeds of hateful bitterness and he realized he would never be free to find true happiness until he crushed that little voice under his booted heel.

Elizabeth was opening herself to him, in spite of everything he’d done to her.

How was it possible that he deserved such a good woman?

He’d done nothing but hurt her from day one.

One trip to Spain wasn’t going to make up for the deep cuts he’d inflicted out of shame and guilt.

And now she was asking for him to accompany her to Rising Dawn, to further dig the knife in until he was well and truly skewered.

A knife he would gladly take for her, he realized.

Fuck it all!

He was falling in love with the damn woman.

How’d that happen?

He’d been so careful, so precise in his methods.

It’d been about the sex. It’d all been so clear in his mind.

But he hadn’t accounted for the way Elizabeth would make him feel, the way her breathy moans electrified his soul in ways that he couldn’t even fathom were possible.

Ah, shit.

He wasn’t fit to lick her toes much less love her. Not after everything he’d done.

The fact was, he wasn’t a good match for Elizabeth and never would be. She deserved someone who could love her without reservation, without the baggage of a fucked up past.

Someone who didn’t fantasize about all the depraved things he wanted to do to her in the still of the night.

He closed his eyes, willing the pain of his decision to go away.

He wasn’t so cruel that he’d drag Elizabeth through this fucked up parody of a relationship any longer. Not now. He’d do the honorable thing and release her from the contract.

Sutton released the pent up breath locked in his chest as he suffered the debilitating pain of losing Elizabeth.

So this was what doing the right thing felt like?

Yeah, this fucking sucked.

At this point, being the good guy left much to be desired.

Bookmark: 21

-21-

Elizabeth walked into Rising Dawn and the intake coordinator, Nancy, greeted her with a customarily warm smile.

Nancy was one of the main reasons Elizabeth’s family had been comfortable with Rising Dawn.

“So happy to see you again, dear,” Nancy said, shaking Elizabeth’s hand. “We were overjoyed to hear that Gretchen will remain with us. Come into my office and we’ll discuss the new contract.”

Elizabeth followed Nancy into the nicely appointed office, which was purposefully decorated to put people at ease due to the circumstances that often led people into her office.

Nancy pulled a file and pushed it toward Elizabeth with an engaging smile. “I thought before we sign official documents — that’s always so dry — I would share some of the amazing art your sister has been creating.”

Surprised, Elizabeth opened the file and immediately smiled with instant tears as she thumbed through the drawings.

Gretchen was non-verbal but her art was incredibly expressive and it alternately filled Elizabeth with joy and broke her heart at the same time.

“They’re beautiful,” Elizabeth exclaimed softly, wiping at her eyes. “She’s amazing. How long has she been painting?”

“We recently brought on a new art instructor and Gretchen has really taken to her. I think it’s because she reminds her of you. In fact,” Nancy sorted through the pile to find one piece in particular “when I saw this one, I knew she was trying to communicate something important.”

Elizabeth stared at the painting, tears flowing freely. It was a painting of a woman, holding a sketchpad, looking out a window, her expression lost in the creations of her own mind.

Elizabeth looked to Nancy. “It’s me.”

Nancy nodded. “That’s what I thought, too. You may think that because she’s nonverbal that she doesn’t notice things but Gretchen is quite observant about the world around her. She just expresses things differently. Like her sister, she has gravitated toward art.”

“That makes me so happy,” Elizabeth said, accepting a tissue from Nancy and dabbing her eyes. “For so long I’ve worried that I’m never doing the right thing and that I’m failing her in some way. My parents always seemed to understand Gretchen better than me.”

“She loves you,” Nancy assured Elizabeth. “Would you like to have a few of these?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Thank you so much.”

Nancy smiled. “All right then. Now, onto the dry details.”

They spent the next hour going over the financials, which were easy considering Sutton had already paid the bill for the year.

Elizabeth had enough money to pay for the next five years without breaking a sweat, thanks to Sutton’s first allotment.

Finished, Elizabeth went to find Gretchen.

Clutching the paperwork to her breast, Elizabeth found her sister with a sketchpad, doodling.

“Hi, Gretch.” Elizabeth wanted to hug her but Gretchen didn’t like physical contact and reacted adversely so Elizabeth contented herself with just sitting near her. “I saw your art. It’s beautiful. You’re so talented.”

Gretchen’s gaze flicked to Elizabeth and there was a flash of something that Elizabeth recognized as warmth and she smiled with joy.

Before Rising Dawn, Gretchen had been almost unmanageable. Now, she was creating art and almost smiling.

No matter what the cost, Elizabeth realized she’d made the right decision. She’d do it again.

Removing her own sketchpad from her bag, she settled into the chair and began sketching alongside Gretchen.

For the longest time, the fact that Gretchen was nonverbal was a stumbling block but sketching alongside her sister, Elizabeth realized words had never been necessary.

That realization was a gift Sutton would never know he’d given her.

***

Sutton
watched from a discreet vantage point Elizabeth and Gretchen together, two sisters, sketching together without exchanging a single word and he was struck by the bond between them.

A bond he’d never known with his own siblings.

He saw the tenderness in Elizabeth’s gaze, the absolute joy and acceptance, and he realized Elizabeth was the kind of woman he’d never known — selfless.

She’d given herself in exchange for her sister, who could not care for herself, and she’d done it in spite of being afraid, in spite of his demands, and in spite of the moral boundaries he’d required her to cross.

Because Elizabeth was that kind of person.

He’d treated her as he treated all women — disposable — but that’d been his biggest folly.

Elizabeth was anything but disposable.

She was…everything to him.

Sutton swallowed the lump in his throat as a formerly unknown emotion swamped him, threatening to capsize his soul in its wake.

He loved her.

Somehow, somewhere…he’d fallen in love with Elizabeth Downing.

The realization was almost too overwhelming; it threw everything he’d ever known or believed into a tailspin.

Love was a chemical reaction in the brain — if so, he was already addicted.

Love fades so don’t waste your time — every moment with Elizabeth would be worth it.

Love is for people who have to settle — love is for the lucky few who can recognize it.

His cousins had it — they cherished it.

Sutton finally understood that look in Vince’s eyes when Vince saw his wife, Emma — complete and utter adoration.

If Sutton had a mirror right now, he’d see the same expression on his own face.

He fucking adored Elizabeth and everything she was.

And he had from the very beginning.

He’d just been too blind to see what his heart had already known.

But could Elizabeth love him?

He’d done so much damage, created so much pain.

One way to find out
, he realized and quietly left Rising Dawn before Elizabeth saw him.

He had work to do.

***

Elizabeth
was puzzled by Sutton’s cryptic text message.

However, seeing as his last mysterious message had put her on a private jet to Spain, she wasn’t averse to finding out what the man had up his sleeve this time.

Dressed in her favorite Chantal dress, she took a little extra time with her make up and when the car pulled up to shuttle her to wherever Sutton had arranged, she felt beautiful and confident — two things she never thought would ever be in her wheelhouse.

The car pulled up to Swank and her cheeks flared with the memory of what they’d done in the restroom of this fancy restaurant.

The old Elizabeth would’ve been mortified to show her face, the new Elizabeth just smiled at the exciting memory.

She was directed to the bar where her favorite drink awaited her but Sutton was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning with mild confusion, she accepted the drink and took a fortifying sip.

Suddenly, strong hands encircled her waist and she smiled above the rim of her glass.

“I thought I was being stood up,” she teased and he growled in her ear.

“Never.”

She turned and her smile faltered as her breath hitched.

The man was far too handsome for his own good.

He took her breath away and put her at a disadvantage every time.

But then, Elizabeth was pretty sure he knew that, too.

The cheeky bastard.

“Come.” He offered his arm and she accepted it with a happy smile, delighted by this newly chivalrous version of Sutton.

She sank into the chair with Sutton’s help and he took his place opposite her at the intimate table.

It was then she noticed the sheaf of paper.

“What’s this?” she asked, confused.

Sutton held her gaze for a long moment, then answered, “Your dissolution papers. I’m releasing you.”

A shockwave traveled through her as hurt and confusion replaced her happy feelings. “W-what?”

“I need you to sign here,” he pointed out with a pen “and here. Afterward, I will have the rest of the money wired to your account. Following that…you are no longer…my property.”

She should be happy. This should be news that made her sing with joy.

But instead, a lump of something awful was lodged in her belly.

Tears blinded her but she accepted the pen and quickly scrawled her name in the appropriate places.

“So is this your goodbye dinner?” she asked stiffly, no longer feeling pretty or confident. She’d just been dumped. He chuckled and her gaze flew to his, wounded. “Why are you laughing?”

“The irony, I suppose.”

“Yeah, I guess there’s that,” she admitted glumly.

“I would’ve thought you would be happy to be free of me,” he said.

“Me too.”

“But you’re not?”

She wiped at her eyes. “No,” she murmured, her heart aching.

“And why is that?”

He was going to make her spell it out for him? That was just cruel. A spurt of spirit returned as she answered hotly,

“Because I did the stupidest thing imaginable and fell in love with you!”

Was that relief in his expression? She didn’t have time to question.

“Good.”

The sudden shine in his eyes took her aback. Was Sutton…struggling with something? He pulled a ring case and put it on the table.

“Open it.”

All she could do was stare. What was happening? She reached for the ring box and opened it with shaking fingers.

The biggest fucking diamond she’d ever seen winked at her, nearly blinding with its brilliance and all she could do was stare.

“What is this? I don’t understand…”

Now it was Sutton’s turn to be nervous.

“I’ve done things all wrong with you from the start. I bullied you into an arrangement that I thought I wanted until I realized I didn’t want a puppet, I wanted you. But then, I was lost, trying to make sense of the messages I was getting from my heart when they didn’t mesh with what was in my head. The thing is, Elizabeth, until you, I had no reason to trust women. All my life women have burned me, starting with my own mother, who abandoned all of her children for a better deal. I learned at a young age not to trust. I didn’t realize until I’d already fucked things up that you were cut from a different cloth than the rest of the women I’ve known. You deserved better than I gave you and I’m so sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you. You were right, I took the coward’s way out, pushing you away because I was struggling with what my heart was telling me. I…was an unbelievable asshole when I…”

Pain lanced through her at his admission. She shook her head.

“No details,” she managed to whisper, swallowing hard. God, she couldn’t fucking breathe at the very thought of Sutton being with someone else.

Sutton understood and solemnly promised, “Never again.”

Elizabeth was dumbfounded by his confession.

She was dangerously close to melting in a puddle of her own tears. She’d never seen Sutton so bare, so vulnerable — and it made her fall all the harder.

Sutton was prostrating himself before her, seeking her forgiveness?

Should she admit that she’d already forgiven him, even before this moment? She couldn’t manage the words, her throat had closed.

Her gaze returned to the ring. What was he saying?

“I don’t understand,” she repeated, shaking her head, trying to put things in order in her mind but everything was in beautiful chaos.

He helped remove the ring and gently slid it on her finger.

“You are no longer my property but I would be honored if…” he drew a deep breath “you would be my wife.”

Elizabeth might’ve fainted — or at the very least blacked out.

***

Sutton
couldn’t stand the wait.

He was shaking all over, scared out of his mind that she was going to say no, tell him to fuck off, or just get up and walk out, leaving him with his dick in his hand.

But she did neither.

In fact, she simply cried while nodding her head and he took that as a resounding yes.

“I will be your wife,” Elizabeth finally answered, her voice choked with tears and he couldn’t wait another moment to touch her.

Reaching across the small table, he pulled her to him, sealing his mouth to hers, loving the feel of her, the taste of her lips.

He wanted a lifetime of this.

It’d taken long enough but he finally realized that something worth having wasn’t taken by force but coaxed and treasured.

He’d never again treat Elizabeth as anything less than what she truly was — his everything.

And he wanted to start their lives together immediately.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make up for every tear I’ve ever made you cry,” he said in earnest and that made her cry harder, which wasn’t a good start. He chuckled and wiped her face gently. “Are these happy tears?”