The Mogul (Necessary Lies Book 2) (3 page)

N
olan Weston
both terrified and titillated me. It was that combination of fear and complete desire that made sex with him something that I was sure no one else on this planet could ever have possibly experienced.

As soon as we were in the royal suite at the Four Seasons, his hands were on me. The bulky men in suits were stationed outside of our door, but he had me pushed against it on the other side as his mouth traveled down my neck and to the low V of my blouse.

“Fuck, I love your body,” he said, taking me in with his eyes. He ran his hands beneath me, taking handfuls of my ass like he owned it, then moving his fingertips up my sides as he kissed my neck. His hands met gently at my throat, cradling my chin for a moment and staring into my eyes before he pulled my breasts out of the cups of my bra. “I’m going to fuck you right now, Camilla. And though I was slow with you last night, there’s no way I can hold back this time.” He lifted me up, his hands under my ass as I wrapped my legs around him. “The question is, where? On the bed? On the floor? Against the window so the world can watch you writhe and scream for me?”

I kissed him, long and deep. “I don’t care where. All of the above. Just don’t let go of me. Ever.”

* * *

T
he size of him
. The feel. As he fucked me on the California king bed I could see us from the large full-length mirror that hung on the wall next to the bed. My body was all curves and smooth lines. I couldn’t help but admire the woman I had become as I watched the man of my filthiest dreams pound me from behind. His large hands were on my hips as he thrusted in and out of me. I looked flushed and heated; a lusty look in my eyes I couldn’t recognize. My hair was tousled, strewn wildly on the bed around my face. It was like looking at a stranger. I had never been more aroused.

Is this why people taped themselves having sex? I guess I understood it now.

I looked so young and he looked so much older, something that turned me on even more. It made this feel so forbidden, being the ingénue under his skilled hands. I cried out as I came for him, my wetness gushing from me, lubricating the place where he continued his assault on my sex.

“I can feel you coming,” he growled. “Only I can do that to your body. Say it, Camilla.”

“Only you can make me come, Mr. Weston,” I pleaded. “I need more. Please.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, flipping me onto my back, continuing his thrusting. “You’re getting fucked until you beg me to stop.”

“So I guess you’ll be fucking me forever,” I said, my fingers digging into his shoulders. “Because I never want this to stop.”

I mounted him an hour later, still needing him. He hadn’t come yet and I wanted his seed inside of me so badly. I had never been taken by a man with such absolute control, such orgasmic discipline. I knew I felt good to him, he told me as much, but somehow he could just fuck me and fuck me and never allow himself to release. I wanted to be marked by him. In every way.

The look on his face as I rode him made me feel so satisfied in my own skills as his lover. It was a look of primal craving, but also intense love. His hands held my hips as I rolled them against him, his girth hitting me in the right places as I called out to him, letting him know the pleasure he was giving me.

“I’m going to come inside you,” he said. “Do you want that?”

“Yes!” I cried out. “More than anything.”

He yelled out as he released and I could feel it inside of me. Warm and pulsing. I laid down on him, my ear against his chest. The sound of his heart pounding made me smile.

I did that
, I thought.
I made his heart race. I made him come
.
I took the control from him. Nothing he could do could stop his body from responding to what mine commanded his to do.

* * *

I
showered
after a brief nap in his arms, invigorated by our lovemaking and still eager to see Emerson Titan.

Nolan joined me and we kissed, our bodies slippery against each other.

“I love you,” he said, running his hands up and down my wet, naked body.

He said it with such conviction.

“I love you more than anything, Nolan,” I said.

He stared into my eyes for a long moment. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I would have given anything to know.

“I’m going to dry off and get dressed,” he said, giving me one last kiss on the mouth. “I hate to leave you when you look this sexy, but we should meet Emerson soon.”

I nodded. “Yes. I’m ready to see him.”

As he closed the glass shower door behind him, I wondered if he felt like this after each time we made love. Because at that moment I felt like there was nothing I wouldn’t have done for him.

All he’d ever have to do was ask. The power I gave him over me was not something I ever imagined I’d freely give to anyone. But that was how it was with Nolan.

I was his, no matter what.

E
merson Titan was not
the stereotypical billionaire mogul. He was a personality as much as anything else.

People
magazine loved to run stories on him a couple of times a year. He graced the cover of
Forbes
several times every decade.
He rubbed elbows with Hollywood’s elite, even more so than Wall Street’s. Of course, he was also a partial owner of one of the largest movie studios in Los Angeles, among his other investments.

But he was someone who used that sort of influence for good. There were so many rumors about the pure, altruistic deeds of Emerson Titan. I had never heard anything negative about the man. He was America’s favorite rich guy. The people who worked for him were fiercely loyal because he treated them so well.

And so when I met him, I was slightly star struck.

In a conference room somewhere on the fourth floor of the Four Seasons, Emerson Titan sat at the end of a large, oval-shaped table that had enough seats for 20 people. He sat alone, flanked by more men in suits to match the ones who had walked with us from our room to here.

As we entered the room and he noticed our presence, his face lit up.

“Nolan Weston!” he said, a laugh at the edge of his deep voice. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has,” Nolan said walking toward him, a hand extended.

“No handshakes, my boy. This isn’t a business meeting,” Emerson dismissed his hand and hugged him, like he would a son. It was very obvious Nolan and Emerson shared a close friendship.

Emerson’s eyes met mine as he pulled away from Nolan. “And this is Camilla. Richard’s girl.” When he said my father’s name his tone of voice changed. “I was so devastated to hear about his passing, Camilla. My condolences, child. Aren’t you a beautiful girl? You look so much like your mother.”

I was surprised. “You knew my mother?”

“Oh, yes,” he said, glancing at Nolan. “She was friends with my late wife.” He said nothing else.

“Well, she’s dead too,” I said, and suddenly realized I’d turned this light moment into something heavier. I was a girl with two dead parents and for some reason I’d decided to remind a stranger of this fact.

Except one of them isn’t dead
, I reminded myself.
But he doesn’t know that. I don’t think.

Emerson walked over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. He wasn’t as tall as Nolan. He was perhaps six-feet. But his presence was big and the way he looked at me made me want to cry into his shoulders.

“I know,” Emerson said. “I’m so sorry. You have been through so much.”

I nodded, blinking back tears.

Nolan was next to me now, his hand grabbing my own.

“Thanks for meeting with us, Emerson,” Nolan said. “We need to talk about something, but it has to be in a safe place with no one listening in.” Nolan looked at the men surrounding us. “No offense, guys.”

As usual, the men in suits gave no expression or acknowledgment.

“That serious?” Emerson asked, looking at Nolan. “You know, I usually don’t have this kind of security detail, but with what’s been happening with Atlas and with the people at Elixir…”

“I know,” Nolan stopped him. “It’s a scary time. How is Atlas?”

“Not great,” Emerson sighed. “Somehow his location was compromised. He and Piper have gone dark again. And she’s almost due. You heard about Odin, didn’t you?”

Nolan nodded his head. Mine was spinning. I had no idea who they were talking about, it felt like they were speaking in code.

“This can’t keep going on,” Nolan said. “We have to stop it.”

“Trust me, no one wants an end to this more than I do,” Emerson said. “Okay. I’ll clear the room. I’ll have my men wait outside.”

The five bodyguards that had surrounded Emerson as he sat at the table, and the two men who escorted us to the conference room, marched rigidly out the door.

The last one to leave spoke to Emerson. “We’ll be right outside, sir. And the room is clean. We checked it before you entered.”

“Thanks, Nigel,” Emerson said.

And now we were alone with one of the most powerful men in the world.

And I still didn’t know why.

“
W
ho is Atlas
?” I asked as we sat down.

“He’s my son,” Emerson said. “My eldest.”

“Why is he in hiding?” I asked.

Nolan cleared his throat. “Camilla, that’s really classified information, and not something you need to concern yourself with.”

“No,” Emerson said, holding his hand up. “It’s fine. Though Nolan is right, the only reason I shouldn’t tell you is because it puts you in danger to have that knowledge. Something I wouldn’t do. Not to Richard’s daughter.”

“You know my father,” I said, realizing I wasn’t speaking in the proper tense. “I mean… You
knew
him.”

Emerson nodded. “Oh, yes. Your father was one of my most trusted advisors. I have been with his firm since its inception. When your grandfather still ran it.”

My grandfather
. Dad’s dad. I’d never met him.

“It’s amazing the things I learn about him,” I muttered. “You knew him a hell of a lot better than I ever did.”

Emerson looked at me, sadness marking his eyes. “He was a private man. He had to be in his line of work. I know he adored you. Richard thought you hung the moon.”

A lump formed in my throat.

Nolan spoke. “We’re here to talk about Richard. And to tell Camilla how you’re connected to him. She should know, Emerson.”

Emerson looked at Nolan, his expression hesitant. “Why is that important now, Nolan? Richard has passed. And she’s in danger just by being his daughter. I won’t burden her with things that could get her killed. You should know better.”

Nolan shook his head. “But we need your help. No one else can provide us with what you can.”

“What are you talking about?” Emerson said, glancing over at me.

“Richard isn’t dead,” Nolan said. “And Camilla needs to be with him. No one else knows he’s alive except the people in this room. And I want it to stay that way.”

Emerson’s face went pale. It was clear to me that he really hadn’t known.

“Richard is alive?” Emerson asked, clearly puzzled. “But… he had a stroke. His body…”

“It’s complicated, but I was able to make arrangements with the kind of people who are very good at making things look how you want them to look,” Nolan said. “Richard knew if he just pretended to be lost at sea, they’d never have believed it. They would have gone after Camilla to try to get him out of hiding. There had to be no doubt he was dead.” Nolan rested his arms on the table. “And clearly, it worked. You had no suspicions.”

“No reservations at all,” Emerson said. “I don’t know whether to be relieved or to be frightened. Where is he?”

“I think some things are best left unsaid,” Nolan replied. “For both our sakes.”

Emerson nodded. “Yes. Very good then. How can I help?”

“Well,” Nolan said, sitting back in the cushy conference room chair and stretching his arms. “We need to get them off our tail. So to speak. If I’m going to get Camilla to her father, I’m going to need your resources. I can’t use the firm’s.”

“I see,” Emerson replied. “I’m guessing they’ve been compromised? Any idea who?”

Nolan shook his head. “It could be all of them for all I know. I have my suspicions. Either way; I can’t use any of the firm’s resources. Not their planes, not any of their ground transportation. Not even my cell.”

“Well, this situation certainly is dire, then,” Emerson said. “It’s bad, as bad as I’ve seen it, and I’ve been around for a while. Why, do you think, Nolan?”

“Well, I think it’s related to your last deal,” Nolan replied. “Richard had his qualms about how it would be received by some of the other clients. We represent a lot of people who would lose out on a lot of money if certain projects backed by Titan money should somehow go through.”

I interrupted, “Can you please fill me in on what the hell you’re talking about?”

Emerson spoke, “I was… am… funding research for a ‘miracle drug’. The drug could conceivably reverse diabetes. The same medicine, or family of medicines, could also profoundly impact things like malaria. The research is promising. It’s shown immune-boosting properties that could help with a whole host of diseases and conditions. Help people cure themselves, so to speak.”

My eyes widened. “Oh my God. That’s amazing. Why would that be such a scandalous thing? Wouldn’t that be… good?”

“Believe it or not,” Emerson said, looking out past me toward something only he could see. “The right things- the good things- are not always the things that people with a lot of power want. Especially if it means they would lose money.”

“But it would save lives,” I said, still not understanding.

“Yes, countless lives,” Emerson agreed. “It would change so many things. But it would also make it so that the pharmaceutical companies’ stocks would plummet. A few very wealthy and powerful people would lose a lot of money.”

“Well who the hell cares about that?” I said. “Okay, so someone is worth two billion dollars instead of four. I mean are there seriously people that fucking greedy?”

Nolan and Emerson exchanged looks. “She really has been sheltered,” Emerson said. For some reason this really pissed me off.

“If sheltered means I haven’t been exposed to greedy dickheads who would rather people die in order to make a profit every quarter, then yes. I guess I am ‘sheltered’. Or what the rest of the world might refer to as ethical.” I glared at both of them. “This whole thing makes me sick.”

To my surprise Emerson started to laugh, a big belly laugh that seemed to come from somewhere deep within. “Camilla Hunt! You’re my kind of girl. You are most definitely your father’s daughter alright. Yes, you’re right. There are some evil men in this world who don’t give a damn about anything but themselves. And that’s why it’s important people like me, you, your father, and Nolan exist. We decide to change the world anyway.” Emerson smiled. “Fuck ‘em.”

“Well, what does this have to do with my father?” I asked, looking over at Nolan, who was now staring at me intensely.

“Well, I’m not the only client with the firm,” Emerson explained. “Some of the very people who would profit the most from cures never being found to certain ailments and diseases are also people who are members of his firm. On the board of directors. Long-time clients. So there was a conflict of interest. A lot of the other clients felt like your father was betraying them by supporting my lobbying for this research. It was… messy.”

I sat back in my chair, dumbfounded.

“But I still don’t understand why he’d have to go into hiding,” I said. “I mean…
You’re
not in hiding.”

“Well, not to sound arrogant,” Emerson started. “But me going into hiding would be much more difficult. I am a very visible man. There aren’t very many people who don’t know who I am. If I suddenly died under strange circumstances, the press would have a field day. I’d never be able to get away with it.” Emerson frowned. “But even I don’t completely understand why Richard did it. This is the first time I’m hearing this and even I’m confused, Camilla. I wish I had more answers for you.”

I nodded. “Yes, I get that. I guess I just feel like I’m missing something.”

Nolan interrupted, “Emerson, she’ll need a plane if she’s going to see Richard. And she can’t use anything connected to the firm. I’m getting her a burner phone as soon as we leave here. Can you arrange a flight for her that would be off the books?”

Emerson nodded. “Of course, that part is easy. And I have a closet full of burner phones in my office. Let me send one of my people to grab one.”

“That would be great,” Nolan said, standing up. “I can’t thank you enough for helping us out.”

“I’d do anything for Richard,” Emerson said. “I’m so glad he’s still with us. I hope one day soon I can see him again… And thank him for the service he gave me over the years.” Emerson looked at me. “You have a good man for a father, Camilla. One of the best men I have ever known.”

Part of me wanted to cry; because he might as well have been talking about a stranger. All of these people knew my own father better than I did. They were all so loyal to him. They revered him.

And I hardly knew him.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Nolan replied. “Emerson, I’m guessing you need to go.”

“Yes, I need to keep moving for now,” Emerson said. “I have a lot on my plate with Atlas and Odin. As always.”

“Let me know if there is anything I can do to help,” Nolan said. “I owe you so much.”

“You and the firm have done a lot for me,” Emerson said, patting Nolan on the shoulder. “It’s hard to part ways. But without Richard, there is no firm. Not for me. I hope you understand.”

“Completely,” Nolan said. “We’ll head to the airport in a couple hours then?”

Emerson nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements and text you. In code of course. I’ll make sure the pilot has a new cell for Camilla. Do you need one?”

“I’ve taken care of that,” Nolan said, looking over at me. “Just want to take care of her now.”

Emerson looked at me. “Camilla, it was good to finally meet you. Wish it was under better circumstances. Maybe another time. Send my best to Richard, will you?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

We all walked toward the conference room door. As soon as it was open we were surrounded by the men in suits again.

“Goodbye,” Emerson Titan said as four men ensconced him.

And suddenly, he was gone. And we were alone.