King of New York (9 page)

****

Inside her apartment
Chad Perry is all that Sierra can think of. She had left London not knowing
exactly what she needed. All she knew was that she craved a new start and
wanted to get away from Sebastian. Then she found herself in New York in the
presence of a handsome stranger called Chad Perry. Ever since then he had
carved a placed in her heart and it’s driving her crazy. She finds herself
being unable to control her emotions for him and wanting to run away from the
way she feels. She had left the car park on that fateful night with a heavy
heart not knowing what to feel or think or how to harbour such intense
feelings.

Is it
Chad she is trying to run away from even though she longs to run to him, she
thinks to herself? She denies it emphatically, yet thoughts of him pop into her
mind when she didn’t want them to, and it drives her insane as he invades her
dreams and the feelings in her heart.

She
tries in vain to remove Chad’s image from her memory. Instead of dwelling on
him she tries to focus on her outfit for the next event that Uncle Danny has invited
her to. She rummages through her walk-in wardrobe looking for an outfit to
wear. There are endless choices for her to choose from. Lost for choice, she
sits on the luxurious cream carpet and contemplates her options.

Will
it be something from the new fashion season or will she just settle for something
old, classic and vintage. If only she had that many choices when it comes to a
man, her life would be much easier, she thinks to herself.

Sierra’s
mind is engulfed in Chad’s world, longing for him makes her feel inadequate.
She feels lost and she needs him to find her, not only her body but her heart.
Her longing is unequivocal and shameful. Never in her life did she think a blue-eyed,
dark-blonde haired male would capture her heart the way Chad Perry has. She has
fallen in love and he doesn’t even know it because they have only met once.

Plagued
by thoughts of love, she thinks about the time her blond ex broke the most
precious vessel her body held. He molested her heart and her body. Tears roll
their way down her perfectly structured cheeks and her heart breaks yet again
at the thought of that heartbreak. Feeling numb, she goes to the kitchen and
pours herself a glass of cognac on the rocks.

All
she needs at this moment is to escape the reality she is in, the reality that a
part of her heart is with a stranger, and she has nothing of his apart from his
name, which is Chad Perry.

Feeling
frustrated, she goes to sleep in the hope that the following day will be better
than today.

CHAPTER 7

The phone rings.

It’s
Chad on the other end of Sierra’s phone. Her heart skips a beat of happiness as
she smiles to herself.

“Oh
Chad, I had forgotten about you.”

Chad
laughs. “That is another of your beautiful lies, Miss Malcolm. I must admit
that I’m beginning to like the way you lie.”

She
smiles to herself as his deep and soothing voice captures her heart. She is
beyond ecstatic to hear from him.

“Get
ready for eight. I will send a chauffeured vehicle to pick you up for dinner
and some drinks.”

Sierra
is not the type to let a man make all the arrangements, but the command in
Chad’s voice weakens her senses. He lacks a regard for what she wants, and for
some strange reason she likes that about him. His cockiness attracts her, so
she says yes to his demand.

“Oh,
and wear something classy, but also sexy. I’ll be in my usual attire, which I
know you like as you wouldn’t have stalked me that day had you not found me and
my clothing attractive.”

She
bursts out laughing at his cockiness before saying goodbye. She skips merrily
in her apartment, unable to contain the joy she feels. She rushes to her walk-in
wardrobe and rummages through her clothes and heels. Nothing is suitable enough
for her date with Chad, so she hurriedly drives to Fifth Avenue to look for the
perfect outfit before the boutiques close.

****

Chad sits calmly in his
palatial apartment staring at the magnificent view through his panoramic
windows. His heart races at his thoughts of Sierra. He wishes he hadn’t phoned
her, but he couldn’t contain the longing he feels for her. He finds it ironic
that he doesn’t want the pretty young Sierra for her body like he does the
rest. He actually likes her. However, no matter how much he likes her, he still
regrets calling her.

He doesn’t
want to put her life in danger. He cares for her. Her innocence, even in the
way she lied, was something he cherishes about her. She’s unlike other women of
his city who are street smart and only go for millionaires or billionaires like
him, even if they know men like him will never love them. Sierra seems
different. She doesn’t know anything about him, nor does she seem to want him
for his money or his status. He’s never met such a woman in his life. Even
though the women fell in love with him for free, he knew that they still wanted
his money. But he feels different about Sierra.

Still,
he fears for her safety in his company. He knows the wolves that he deals with
will smell her like fresh blood. They will see that he likes her and they might
target her to get to him, something that may cause him to carry out drastic
measures that may be irreparable.

Is
she worth the risk, he thinks to himself?

It’s
a risk he doesn’t want to take, but his heart will not allow him to leave her
alone. There’s something special about her. None of his business partners cared
about all the other women he had because they know he isn’t a man that puts
women before his money, but with Sierra he feels he may be proven otherwise.

Slowly,
he smokes a Cuban cigar. His stylist brings him an array of designer suits, all
of them black.

Half-heartedly,
he dresses and sends one of his cars to pick up his dinner date.

He
drives himself in his Mercedes because he doesn’t want people to see him courting
the British socialite, especially those that he does business with, that always
happen to see him whenever he is being driven in and around New York

The
restaurant is exquisitely designed and attracts those from high society. The
live band plays soft romantic music while Chad sips his drink. Anxiously, he
waits for Sierra to arrive. He’s impatient and the time appears to move slower
than usual.

His
thoughts spiral out of control as he fears she may have been kidnapped by those
that loathe him. Angry at himself for thinking that he’s put her in a
compromising situation, he slams the table, knocking all its contents onto the
shiny laminated floor. The waiter quietly goes to clean up the mess as all eyes
in the restaurant turn towards him.

“What
the fuck are you bastards looking at? Stop fucking looking at me!” he bellows
and they see that Chad Perry is a bad boy for real. Those in the restaurant
swiftly find other things and people to look at as they heed the words of this
angry white male.

Chad
suddenly becomes consumed with paranoia as he fears for her safety, but as soon
as he picks up his cell to call her, she walks through the restaurant door, a
vision of stunning beauty.

Chad
sees the restaurant manager mutter a word of thanks to the sky as he sees
Sierra enter the premises.

Chad
has never been to this particular restaurant with a woman so he knows that he’ll
behave himself this particular night, especially while he is with Sierra.

The
well-dressed and dashing thirty-year-old walks up to his date and places a soft
kiss on her rosy cheeks. His hard and ruthless exterior fades as he kisses her
cheek and she does likewise. Mesmerised by her beauty, class and sex appeal, he
becomes lost for words. He does, however, manage to utter a few words of praise
with regards to her appearance.

“You
look magnificent. I must admit I was expecting beautiful, but this is beyond my
expectations. Please, sit.” He pulls out her chair and ushers her to get
comfortable.

“You
look extremely handsome and well put together yourself, Mr Perry.”

He
smiles ruggedly at her compliments.

The
waiter brings the drinks menu again as Chad had disposed of the first one
before Sierra had arrived. He orders a bottle of rosé champagne as she
requests, even though he hates the sweetness of the drink. All he cares about is
pleasing Sierra and she seems to like the rosé-coloured alcohol, so he pretends
to like it.

Paranoia
grips Chad once more as he faintly sees a pair of green eyes staring at him
ever so carefully from across the room. He tries to stay focused on Sierra as she
engages him in conversations about his life and what he does.

“How
old are you Chad, and what do you do for a living. I know you are a very
wealthy man, but I would like to know how you amassed all this wealth.”

He
carefully thinks over his response before answering.

“I am
thirty years old and I make money by any means necessary. I own numerous
companies here in New York and across the States with my business partners. Is
there anything else that you would like to know?”

She
shakes her head and replies: “I like you, Chad. I like everything about you,
and you were right, I was following you that night. That is not my usual
approach but there is something about you that enticed me and maybe I did not
want to let you go without speaking with you.”

Chad takes her
hands in his and gently kisses the back of them. Her smile lights up the room. “I
like you too, Sierra. I like everything about you, but I do not think I am the
right man for you to like.”

She
looks at him as if he had just spoken in a foreign language. He looks back at
her sensing that his words only make her want him more.

“I’m
serious, Sierra. I think this should be the last time we see each other. My
lifestyle is not one you would want to be involved in. Yes I have money but I
cannot provide what you truly want from me. You’re far too young, with immense
potential, to be involved with someone like me. I am not good for you, and deep
down I think you know it too, but because you’re young you think I’ll be exciting
for you.”

Chad
senses that Sierra is outraged by his words. He also sees the need and lust in
her eyes for him as he continues to try to deflect her desire.

“I do
not care about what you do or how dangerous and bad you are, Chad. In fact I
like the fact that there’s something dark and mysterious about you. You might
think you’re not good enough for me but I think you are exactly what I need. I
want you! And I don’t care what you say, I will still want you. I am twenty-two
and well-equipped to take care of myself. I am not afraid of what lies outside,
in your world. All I care for is you. Can you not see that?”

He
has to admire her persistence and the way she shows bravery when danger is
imminent. His gaze tries to look into her mind but he fails miserably. She
maintains her composure as he searches for doubts in her mind. He finds none as
her brown eyes seductively stare at him.

“Call
me crazy because I think it’s wrong to like a crazy woman, but I really like
you. I admire your boldness and the way you’re trying to seduce me. Have you
always liked bad men or am I your first?” He softly touches her arm with his
fingers as his eyes burn with desire.

He
takes a sip of the drink she requested as he waits for her answer.

“I’ve
never liked bad men before. My family are too aristocratic for that, but I
liked a bad boy once and it was my greatest mistake.”

Chad
chooses not to pry into her personal life as he senses the sensitivity of the
topic. He changes the conversation and orders their food. As the evening comes
to a close, he informs her that he will be calling one of his drivers to take
her home. He senses that she does not want to go home by herself and neither
does he.

“You
can come to mine for some coffee but I can’t guarantee that I will be any fun.
Nor do I particularly like coffee. But you are more than welcome to accompany
me home.”

She
quickly replies yes.

Her
happiness brings life to his persona. The outside world always assumes his life
is perfect and happy, but he knows the demons he goes to bed with each night.
Money without happiness counts for nothing and he knows more than anyone the
truth in such a statement. His thoughts are mellow during the ride home as
Sierra cuddles next to him. He gently brushes his fingers through her soft
locks, and he hears as she moans softly from his touch.

He
takes her to his penthouse on Fifth Avenue.

“This
is one of my homes. Welcome!”

Sierra
seems wowed by how splendid the place is. He tells her to take a look around.
He keeps his dirty deeds outside his home, so he has no fears that Sierra will
find any illicit things in his abode. She gushes with amazement as she explores
his huge and expensive apartment.

“I
find it hard to believe that someone as busy as you are has time to design such
a place. Your home is stunning. I have never seen anything like it. Is that a
painting by Van Gogh?”

He
nods his head as if he could care less who the painting is by. Chad likes the
finer things in life, and by being in his home one would most certainly
acknowledge such a fact.

“Would
you like some coffee?”

She answers
with a yes and he makes the hot beverage for her while he drinks an energy
drink mixed with vodka. He takes her drink to the table next to her and puts on
a romantic film for her.

****

Before the movie starts, he falls asleep.
It is not until halfway through the movie when she finally takes her eyes away
from the plasma screen that she realises Chad is asleep. She is so consumed in
the movie she does not hear him snoring. Carefully she wakes him up and turns
off the film.