Plush Book 2: A Billionaire Romance (8 page)

I studied his chiseled face, now covered with an even darker layer of scruff, and a flutter of affection pulled on my heart. For some reason, I was possessed to reach out and brush his hair back. The soft touch was enough to stir him and he opened his eyes and stared at me. His face remained calm, like he didn’t have a moment of wondering who I was or what I was doing in his bed.

“Morning,” I said. I offered him a half-smile. From under the covers, I could see his firm arms and chest poking out from under the sheet and I was tempted to lay back and snuggle up to him. Some part of me was dying to know what it would feel like to have him spoon me, and pull me into his body like he needed me.

“I’m going to shower,” I said. I lifted my side of the covers and slid out of bed, needing to put some space between us before I let myself get carried away. I padded into the bathroom and was surprised when the stone floor under my bare feet was warm to the touch.

Heated floors. Very nice.

I went to the shower and stepped inside, turning the water on and rotating to a jet setting, letting the hot water pound away the soreness in my muscles from last night’s activities. I was pretty sure that it was only going to get more pronounced as the day went on, a memento of our passionate night together.

Somehow, I didn’t think I would mind.

As I rinsed off, I kept glancing through the foggy glass to see if Cooper was coming into the bathroom to join me. The shower was definitely big enough for two. My mind started wandering over all the things we could do in such a large shower.

My fantasy was interrupted by a ringing and I recognized a phone and muffled voices. I turned off the water and stood silently, trying to hear what was going on.

Nothing.

Moments later, Cooper’s voice called into the bathroom. “Allison?”

I rubbed a patch free of steam and saw his silhouette in the doorway. “Yes?”

“I’m leaving. I’ll send a car to take you home.”

“Wait. What?” I asked. I frantically pulled at the glass door and stepped out of the shower. I grabbed a towel off the shelf and wrapped it around me as I walked back into the bedroom. Cooper wasn’t there.

“I have to go and I’m sure you have other things you need to do,” Cooper said, reappearing. He stepped out of the closet and was fully dressed in a suit and tie. His face was still scruffy but he looked completely polished. As I stood there, naked and dripping water on his expensive carpet, I began to feel a sense of shame sinking in.

“You didn’t think I was going to keep you locked up here forever?” He smiled but something about it was cold. Calculating. I couldn’t read him anymore and it startled me. After everything that had happened, I thought we were finally getting to a new place, but those dreams shattered as I looked up into his blank stare.

“Not forever, but I guess I didn’t expect…” My voice trailed off. I had started the sentence but had no idea what I was trying to say.

“Your clothes, from the club,” he said, gesturing to a folded pile on the bed. “Goodbye, Allison.”

He turned and left without so much as a look back at me.

I backed up a step and sank down, onto the edge of the bed. My brain was creating and rejecting new ideas and theories faster than I could process everything and I felt dizzy.

What the fuck just happened?

I let myself reel for a few more minutes, and then forced myself up off the bed and back into the bathroom. I finished drying off and then went back to the bedroom and put on the street clothes that I had worn to the club yesterday— a pair of dark-wash jeans, a red tank top, my leather jacket, and my riding boots. I had no idea where he had gotten them. When I had changed to go onstage, I left them in my locker and thinking back, I couldn’t remember them being in the car with us yesterday. And yet, they were right here in front of me. Cleaned and folded.

I shook my head and finished getting dressed.

Back in my boots and jacket, I felt a little more like myself and my previous confusion and…if I was honest…hurt…was quickly replaced with anger and irritation.

All I knew was that I was getting the fuck out of his house and I was never coming back.

I jogged down the stairs and nearly plowed into someone on my way to the front of the house.

“Can I help you?” a man in a suit asked as I stepped back.

“Who are you?” I demanded.

“My name is Eric. I’m Mr. Brighton’s assistant.”

I stared at the man. He was tall and stocky and for a moment, I wondered if he was like Cooper’s bodyguard or security guy. Maybe he hadn’t thought I would leave willingly. I looked around, past the man standing in my path. It was a beautiful house, but it wasn’t not like I was going to move in and force him to have me physically removed from the property.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m just trying to get home. Cooper said there would be a car.”

“Aha,” Eric said. “Well, it’s not here yet. Would you like to wait outside on the porch? The maid is scheduled to be here any minute and she doesn’t like cleaning
around
people.”

He had phrased it like a question, but the insinuation was clear. I was being, ever-so-politely, kicked out.

I turned on the heel of my boot and stormed down the hall, not bothering to look back at the snooty manservant. Out of the expansive front porch, I stared off into the distance at the view, absorbing the tranquil setting that raged against every pent-up emotion inside my chest. I clenched and unclenched my fists, furious with Cooper for treating me like trash, on top of everything he had already done.

“Ugh!” I fumed to myself and flopped onto the cushioned bench that sat facing the long driveway. “What a jackass, douche-bag, mother fucker!”

I crossed my arms around my chest and waited. Hating the fact that I was too damn far away to just stomp off and get myself home. I hated that I had to wait for
him
to send someone to
fetch
me.

My frustration bubbled up again and I launched off the bench and started pacing the length of the porch. My whole body felt twitchy and agitated. I was about to storm off down the driveway when a black car pulled up and stopped in front of the house. A man got out and peered up at me. “Miss Rand?”

I nodded to confirm my identity and started down the stone steps that met the driveway at the bottom. The driver opened the back door for me and I climbed into the car, forcing myself to relax against the seat. I put my head back and stared at the roof of the car.

“Stupid, stupid girl,” I whispered to myself, as tears slide from the corners of my eyes and trailed down my cheeks.

“Where would you like to go?” the driver asked once he was back behind the wheel.

I gave him my address and for the rest of the ride, he didn’t say another word.

The night before, the drive had flown by. Cooper and I were so locked in our arguing that I didn’t pay attention to just how far away we were from the city. On the way back, all alone, it seemed to drag on endlessly. My head was leaned up against the window as the sights from the freeway flashed by.

I did my best to keep my mind blank, but it kept circling back to Cooper, flashes of our hot, sweaty night together mixed with memories of his stony face this morning. Both versions of Cooper swirled together in my mind, making things more confusing and tying my emotions into tighter knots.

Nearly two hours later, we arrived in front of my apartment. I thanked the driver as he let me out and raced upstairs without another glance back. I burst through the front door and was greeted by Sam. At the sight of his little furry face, I burst into tears again. I picked him up, buried my face against him and clung to him as my body trembled with each new wave of tears. I carried him with me into the bedroom and didn’t even bother undressing before collapsing onto my bed.

Overwhelming exhaustion took over my body and before my tears had even dried, I was unable to keep my eyes open.

When I woke up, the sky beyond my windows was still light but a glance at the clock told me it was nearly six o’clock and dusk would be falling soon. I had slept all day without waking. Apparently, the previous night with Cooper had more than emotionally done me in. As I stretched, my anxiety crept in and I started wondering what to do next.

My landlord would be sniffing around for rent any day, and I had nothing to give to him. I had already received a letter that if things didn’t get back on track, I would be evicted. My one dance at the strip club had stacked up nicely, and might be enough to get the landlord off my case for a week or two, but now that Cooper had blackballed me from ever dancing there again, I would have to find a new source of income.

My blood pressure rose as I thought of Cooper and how controlling and meddling he was. Last night, after we had made love, I had lain in his arms and stupidly thought to myself that the reason he had interrupted my performance at the club was because he wanted to keep me and my body all to himself. Being discarded the next morning like a fucking call girl had shot that theory to hell, and I was back to wondering what the hell he was up to.

As I replayed the events, searching my brain for any clue, I had a horrifying epiphany.

My money…

I had no idea where it was.

I scrambled out of bed and frantically patted myself down, thinking maybe Cooper had stashed it in a pocket for me. It wasn’t like he needed it. But all my pockets were empty.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit,” I yelled as I double-checked every pocket on my pants and jacket.

Nothing.

It was gone.

All of it.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I sucked in a deep breath and refused to let myself cry again. Cooper and his antics didn’t deserve even one more tear.

I stripped out of the clothes and changed into something fresh that wasn’t completely coated in Cooper’s scent and then left the apartment, formulating a plan as I went.

I was locking the door behind me when I felt someone watching me. I spun around and jumped back at the sight of my landlord. “Oh, hi, umm, listen…” I started.

He stared at me expectantly.

“I got the letter. I understand. I’m on the way now, actually, to get you some money.”

He crinkled his brow. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

“For rent? Is it too late?” I cringed, waiting for his reply.

“Allison, your rent has been paid up for the next year. I got a call from the bank this morning about a wire into my account. Your rent has been paid up for the next twelve months.”

“What?” I gasped, my mind reeling at his words. “There must have been a mistake. I don’t know anyone that has that kind of money…” My voice trailed away as the realization hit me.

Yes, I do. I know one person who probably has that kind of money hidden in his couch cushions.

“Shit.”

“Is there a problem? I can call the bank.”

I held up a hand to him. “No, no, it’s all right. Thank you for the information.”

He smiled at me and I walked the other direction. My mind had been made up. I knew what I needed to do.

I was forced to take the bus across town to get back to Marco
’s and by the time I arrived, it was dark outside and a line of men were wrapped around the dilapidated building. I didn’t want to go past them, worried that some of them had seen my dance the night before, but I needed my money. I put on my best “fuck off” face and strode across the street and pushed to the front of the line, where the security guy let me through.

“Allie Cat! What the hell are you doing back again?” Marco greeted me as soon as I stepped into the door.

“Marco, where’s my money?”

His face was blank, as if he had no idea what I was talking about. “Allie Cat, I don’t mean to pry or nothin’, but your gentleman last night made it pretty apparent that you’re not supposed to come here anymore.”

“I don’t care what he told you. And by the way, he is
not
my gentleman. Actually, not a gentleman at all, but that’s beside the point for now.”

“Allie Cat, I don’t have your money,” Marco said. “That guy grabbed all your stuff before you got off stage.”

“I know, but the money was on me and I don’t remember what happened to it.”

I considered him, trying to decide if he was telling me the truth. He stared back at me, and I realized he wasn’t lying. He didn’t have it.

Then where was it?

Searching my memory, I remembered that I got off stage, I gathered the money in my hands, and then I saw Cooper. Damn. Everything else kind of went blank after seeing him. The horror, shame, and anger took over my other senses. Including my memory, apparently.

“All right.” For a moment, I thought about asking him if I could come back that night and dance, but I knew it would be too risky. Cooper would probably come haul me out again if I even tried, and I wasn’t willing to go through that humiliation again, being carried over his shoulder like a child pitching a fit in a supermarket.

I took one more look around and then left.

If the cash wasn’t at the club, then there was only one place it could be.

I went around the back of the club and released a huge sigh of relief at the sight of Cherry Bomb. The last time she had been left somewhere overnight, things had gone very badly. My heart sank as I realized that the duct tape-covered seat likely wasn’t going to get fixed for some time.

My rent was paid up, but what about all of my other bills and expenses? Either Cooper hadn’t thought of that, which seemed unlikely, or, he still wanted me to need him to some degree.

I shook back my hair and lowered my helmet onto my head.

All of my musings wiped away from my mind as I revved the engine and screeched out of the tiny alley behind the building. The freedom washed over me as I sped down the street and snaked through the city. This was why I Loved Cherry Bomb. Freedom. Independence. I rode back to my apartment, my drowsiness threatening to overtake me again. I knew it wouldn’t be smart to make such a long trip, but before I closed my eyes, I resolved to myself that first thing the morning, I’d have to go to the one place I had absolutely no interest in going…Cooper’s house.