Romance: The Billionaires Collection (Watched By A Billionaire, Stranded With A Billionaire, Caught By A Billionaire, Billionaire Stepbrother) (33 page)

She takes another sip of wine, her expression turning
giddy with excitement as if we're two schoolgirls discussing the
latest juicy gossip from class.

“
His name's Stephen Black, and he's filthy rich.”

I'm not surprised by the fact that my mom's initial
instinct when describing the guy is by telling me he's loaded. Money
has always been the primary motivator in her life, although she's
never really earned a penny herself.

“
OK...and what about him, you know, his character, his
personality. How about we start with this – what does he look
like?”

My condescending tone isn't lost on her, but she seems
too excited to reprimand me right now. Sometimes I think that I'm the
parent in this relationship, not her.

“
He's quite tall, dark hair. Well, it was dark, now
it's mainly gray, especially at the sides. But in a good way. He
still looks very young.”

“
And how old is he?”

“
Mid 50's...but he looks younger. Very attractive
Abby, here's a photo.”

She pulls up her cell and loads a picture of them
together. He does look very handsome, to be fair to her, which is no
real surprise given that she's a prize beauty herself. What strikes
me most, however, is the background. It looks like a tropical beach.

“
Where the hell was this taken? Have you been on
vacation with him already?”

She nods feverishly. “He took me to Hawaii on a long
weekend a few weeks ago. So beautiful there, Abby, do you remember?”

I do remember. We used to go there as a family all the
time, until my dad lost all his money...

“
So it's obviously going well with him then, if he's
taking you away already. How come you haven't mentioned him before.”

“
Because I didn't want to jinx it. I really like this
one, I think he's a real keeper.”

Sure you like him...or is it his money you like?

“
Well, I'm happy for you mom, I really am.”

“
Thanks Abs, maybe things are starting to look up for
the both of us!”

Her words, for a reason I can't explain, brings the
thought of Vince's superdick back into my mind.

Man he could wield that thing like a Jedi with a
lightsaber.

“
Oh, so now that you know, how do you feel about
meeting him?”

I have to quickly turn my mind away from the sex from
last night and bring it back down to earth.

“
Um...sure, yeah, of course.”

“
Well great, because he's invited us both over to his
place for dinner tonight. Are you free?”

My inclination is to think of some excuse, but the look
on my mom's face, nodding quietly with hope, forces me to agree.
Frankly, meeting the guy who's fucking my mother isn't hugely
appealing.

“
Great, I can't wait!”

I literally have never seen my mother this excited.

“
Why don't we finish up here, have a nice lunch, and
then go back home to my house and get ready together? How does that
sound?”

“
Er, what about my clothes? They're all at my flat.”

“
Don't worry about that. Mine will fit you. I've got
some lovely new ones that will look beautiful on you.”

Probably bought by the new beau, no doubt...

It doesn't take much more wrangling for me to agree,
before we set to more regular gossip and begin working our way more
quickly through the remaining bottle of wine.

And every time a little more rose passes my lips, I find
my mind drifting back a few hours to the form of Vince, pumping,
grinding, and fucking me into oblivion.

Chapter Four

Back at my mom's house, which isn't the house I grew up
in but a much smaller place she was forced to buy after the divorce,
I set about finding something suitable to wear. In actual fact, it's
really my mom making the decisions here, dressing me up like a doll
until she finds something that satisfies both of us.

“
Happy?” she asks.

“
Happy,” I respond, looking at the flowery dress in
the mirror and thinking I look like summer and spring all rolled into
one.

My mom looks even more stunning than she did at lunch
when she emerges wearing yet another new dress. And I quickly realize
that when she described the guy as 'filthy rich' she can't have been
lying.

Some of these designs look like they'd cost in the
thousands. The thought makes me feel suddenly awkward wearing a dress
of such value.

At 7 PM there's a knock at the door.

“
Expecting company?” I ask my mom as she puts the
finishing touches to her make up.

She looks at me, smiles, and tells me to go answer it
with a wink and a twinkle in her eye.

When I descend the short staircase and open the front
door, I'm greeted with the youthful face of what looks to be a
chauffeur.

“
You must be Miss Grace.”

“
Um...yes, Abby.”

“
Good evening Abby. I'm here to escort you to Mr
Black's home for dinner.”

I glance over his shoulder, and see a luxury Bentley
sedan parked on the street at the front of the yard.

“
You're
here to drive us there?”

“
Yes, Miss. I'll be waiting in the car for you and
your mother.”

He twists on the soles of his feet and paces back toward
the car before stepping behind the wheel.

“
Err Mom,
how
rich is this guy!” I shout
upstairs.

Her laughter echoes down into the hall. “You'll
see...”

A few moments later, she emerges, looking glamorous and
classy, at the top of the stairs.

We go out toward the car as the driver quickly jumps out
and opens the door to the back. Inside it's lush, the interior all
cream leather and incredibly comfortable.

“
There's champagne in the fridge ladies, if you want
it.”

The voice comes from a small speaker, the driver unseen
through the blacked out dividing window just behind him.

“
Mr Black said to enjoy yourself, but not overindulge.
His words, not mine, I can assure you ladies. I'd never make such an
assumption.”

My mother laughs, pops the bottle open and we start as
if we're going to go completely against the rules. Within about 20
minutes we're already onto our second glass.

“
Enjoy it honey,” my mom whispers to me with a
furtive glance to the front. “Isn't it like prom!”

She took the thought right out of my head. This is just
like prom; getting dressed up, relaxing in a chauffeured car,
drinking champagne as the world whips by outside. And suddenly I'm
feeling almost as giddy as my mother is, wondering just what
surprises lie in store for me next.

The journey takes over an hour, our route taking us from
the South shore of Long Island up all the way to the Hamptons in the
east, through wooded areas and past some magnificent houses.

When we reach our destination, however, I realize I've
seen nothing yet. Even at first glance the sight of the towering
mansion, just a silhouette against the setting sun, sets my eyes
opening wide and my jaw hanging a little loose.

We stop at a gate manned by a security guard who waves
us through, the gate opening slowly as if unveiling the magnificent
estate beyond. The driveway leads straight toward it, with perfectly
manicured gardens either side, filled with lush flower formations,
trees, bushes and various other shrubs.

In between are various statues of what look like Greek
Gods and Goddesses. Fountains also dot the landscape, with one
particularly grand one right ahead of us shooting water 20 feet into
the air.

We drive round it and continue toward the front, the
mansion looming ever larger and seeming almost impossibly grand for a
regular man. Unless you're a King, Sultan, or Emperor, you simply
have no right to occupy somewhere so palatial.

“
Have you been here before, mom?” I ask, transfixed,
eyes bulging at the sight.

“
Once or twice. Quite something isn't it?”

We park outside on a large area of graveled ground, and
the driver opens the doors to let us out. Across the gardens I see
people working, tending the lawns, nurturing the plants, cleaning the
fountains.

We climb a series of steps up to the mansion door,
pillars framing the large entrance. Within it stands a man,
impeccably dressed in a black suit, who makes me think of Alfred,
Batman's butler.

“
Good evening ladies. Welcome to the Black estate. Ms
Grace, how are you?”

He bows his head reverently at my mother.

“
Very well thank you, Nigel. I'd like you to meet my
daughter, Abby.”

He turns to me and takes my hand, shaking it gently. “A
pleasure.”

I hardly know how to react or where to look. This is all
just too much. And he's only the damn butler.

“
Please, Mr Black is waiting for you in the rear
gardens.”

Rear gardens? Aren't there enough already at the
front?!

We pass through the arched doorway and into a grand
hall decorated as lavishly as the outside would suggest. It's
sophisticated, not gaudy, and my eyes are immediately drawn to the
art on the walls, many of which I'm sure are the originals from
famous artists I've studied.

We pass straight
through, my eyes drifting to the various adjoining rooms linking off
from the main hallway, with a wide staircase going straight up the
middle like the mansion in
Scarface
.

Everywhere the walls are white, with marble floors, and
beautiful sculptures and carvings written into the corners of the
ceiling. Eventually, we come to the back, and out through a narrow
corridor that seemingly leads outside once more.

Light shines beyond, and we emerge into the warm glow of
the fading sun, now just dipping down below the tops of the treeline.

There, ahead of us, stands a man, holding a glass of
champagne. His hair is the color of silver, his body wrapped in a
gray suit with a white shirt beneath and no tie. Around him lie long
lawns that stretch far into the distance toward an area of woodland
right at the back. To the left I can just about make out the
shimmering surface of a lake, boats moored up against a short jetty.

“
Sue, darling.” Stephen Black marches gracefully
forward and takes my mother's hand, kissing it as he gazes into her
eyes.

Then he turns to me and smiles.

“
This must be Abby. I've heard so much about you my
dear.”

He takes my hand like he did my mother's, kissing it
too. I put everything I have into not giggling like a schoolgirl.

I've never met anyone with such a presence. An aura
seems to surround him, giving him a strange sort of glow. I feel like
I'm standing with a celebrity of some kind, star-struck and feeling
awkward and nervous.

“
Please, ladies, take these.”

He turns to the side and lifts two glasses of champagne
from a glass garden table.

“
Now Abby, how do you like my home? Would you like to
take a tour?”

I glance at my mom, who's almost beaming, her eyes
nodding.

“
Um...sure, I'd love one.”

“
Well great. Let me take you around.”

He takes my mother's arm and begins leading us around
the estate, pointing out the major features. We pass gardens,
orchards, and wonderful, magical patches of woodland filled with
birds and wildlife. He shows us the lake, the various outbuildings,
the numerous tennis courts and swimming pools and other facilities.

He does it all without an air of arrogance or conceit,
characteristics that are too base and immature for such a man, but
with great enthusiasm and honestly. He believes, rightly, that I
truly want to see his lands, and delivers the tour with a smile on
his face and the tone of a friendly teacher.

As we go, I realize that he's trying to impress me, not
with his wealth and obvious power, but with his personality.

In short, he wants me to like him, and all that shows me
is that he truly does love my mother.

I see that in the things he does. The way he holds her
hand, the way he kisses her gently on the forehead. How he's always
attentive, and always chivalrous.

In fact, I look at him wishing that I could meet such a
man, and I feel a pang of guilt at the thought that I'd assumed my
mother was only with hism for his money. In reality, Stephen Black's
true wealth it in his personality, his character, his charm and
obvious allure.

It takes only 30 minutes with him for me to realize that
my mother's found the ideal partner for her. And now my feigned
happiness for her had solidified and become real.

Chapter Five

It takes an hour to tour the sprawling grounds and the
inside of the mansion, and yet I still only catch a glimpse of what
the estate has to offer.