The Scandalous Billionaires Collection (64 page)

This man would take her body ceaselessly but
she knew that would never be enough; he wanted her secrets as well.
He wanted her to reveal to him things that she had kept in darkness
for years, things she had spoken about to nobody else. She clung to
him now, wishing that she could reveal all. If she couldn't tell
him everything about herself, well then at least she could give
herself to him as fully as possible in every other way.

Her legs clamped tightly around his back and
her heels and calves squeezed sharply into his powerful ass,
forcing him to even more intense thrusting and desire. His locked
in passion fueled her own lust ever more and she couldn't get
enough; as full of him as she was, knowing that she could draw
still more from him filled her with excitement and she squeezed
harder, pushing her heels harder to his ass and she felt him
instantly go deeper, become more powerful, grow more dominating
with every thrust until at last they cried out together into the
night as though in anguish.

The final high moment of their orgasm seemed
to last an eternity before their exhausted bodies collapsed to the
bed, tangled together and bathed in moonlight. Then they lay as
one, drifting in dreams more magical even than the beauty of the
night that surrounded them.

********************

Over breakfast next morning Bella was still
enveloped in the unreality of the night before. She hadn't showered
yet and the smell of her lover still lingered on her skin. It could
wait a while longer before she would wash that night away.

She couldn't help but watch every tiny
movement of the man who sat in front of her. Her man. Could she say
that yet? They had spoken so little that she really didn't know yet
what any of this meant. The one time she had tried to speak he had
put his finger to her lips leaving it all to inference, feeling,
mystery. All she knew was that their lovemaking the night before
had had a quality of intimacy and tenderness that set it apart from
the wildness of other times they had been together. If she felt
like she was in heaven, still she needed to hear something,
anything from Harrison that would confirm to her that all of this
was really happening, that it meant something and that it wasn't
just some elaborate game concocted by an infinitely wealthy man to
take a resistant girl to his bed.

Her lover's jaw moved silently as he ate
fresh fruit and sipped strong coffee.

"Where are we going today?" she said.
Harrison stopped eating and put his coffee cup down.

"Bella, the last four days have been…
indescribable. I've been to all these places before but never like
this, never with someone I've cared about as much as you. I never
thought that sharing them with another person could be anything
like this."

Bella's heart was getting ready to burst.
This was it, he was confirming it. He must feel the same way too.
But what 'way' was that? Their relationship was as screwed up as
any could be. She would have to come clean and hope that he could
so something to save Stacy. Surely he would have a way, with his
security teams, his private detectives and the incredible resources
of the Demovic family. Steve was just a small time con-man and
sadist; surely he would cut and run if Harrison came down hard on
him.

"I'm headed back to New York." Harrison said.
"And although I can't force you, I'd like very much for you to come
back with me."

Even though she had known it was coming all
along, still the reality of the moment gave her a black and
sickening feeling inside. The thought of having to face the friends
she had run out on was no more bearable today than it had been a
week ago. She stared down at her breakfast, her appetite instantly
gone.

"What happens if I don’t come back with you?"
She said.

He stared at her for a long time, his eyes
betraying nothing but his silence speaking volumes. It was an
option he wasn't entertaining. He had no answer because there was
no answer.

"As I said, I can't force you to come with
me, but I can guarantee you that if you tell me the truth about
what's happening to you then things will get better, no matter what
the truth is."

He was so sure, so confident.

Her heart raced at the thought of it; maybe
he could help her and maybe this was it. All she had to do was tell
him the truth. She would have to go with him and she couldn’t
continue to lie. It was finally time for the truth.

"But before you make your decision," he
continued, "I want you to meet with someone first."

"It's okay. I've already made my
decision."

"I want you to meet this person anyway. As
soon as you’re done with breakfast get dressed and we'll get this
over with. My words may not carry much weight with you but I'm sure
things will be different with her."

This didn't sound good to Bella at all.

"I'm finished eating." She said. "I'll be
ready in ten minutes."

Harrison looked surprised. He had expected
more questions, more resistance. Maybe she really was coming around
after all. Maybe the trip and the natural beauty and being taken
away from the world of her problems was having the right effect on
her. In reality he had never expected things to go this far. His
intention originally been to just break her down, make love to her
and then move on; but now he was in deep, really deep.

When she was dressed and ready they sat
together in the main living area and waited. There was a soft knock
on the door. Harrison stood up and giving her a nod, retreated out
to the terrace to leave her alone with whoever the foreboding
mystery person was.

She approached the door slowly, looked
through the spy-hole and saw the back of a familiar dirty blonde
head of hair. A woman turned to face the door and Bella jumped back
in shock.

There was another soft knock and she
approached the door again, opening it this time with shaking
hands.

"Oh my God Bella," Stacy said, "is that
really you sweetie?" There were dark bruises on her face and she
threw her arms Bella, then clung to her, weeping. The smell of
stale liquor and cigarettes was overpowering, nauseating, but still
it was a relief to see that Stacy was at least still alive if not
unhurt.

Bella slowly prized the woman away and then
led her to the living area where they sat down. Stacy continued to
hold both of Bella's hands in her own.

"It's so good to see you honey. I knew you
wouldn't let me down. You didn't let your ma down and I knew you
wouldn't leave me to rot either. You're one of the good one's
kid."

Bella didn't like being reminded about how
she had defended her mother.

"Not many children would do time for their
parents baby, it's that heart of gold you got Bella. You're one in
a million."

Bella couldn’t listen to any more of this. It
was time to finish this part of her life once and for all. She had
to tell the full truth to Harrison and to everyone in her life that
she really cared about. It was the only way to make a clean break.
Hiding from the past was never, ever going to work.

"Where's Steve?" She asked. Stacy looked
terrified at the mention of his name. She looked over her shoulder
and then began to tear up. She put her hand to her face, indicating
her swollen cheek and black eye. It was getting harder for Bella to
hold back. The memories of her mother were too intense, the
bruising, the abuse. She had taken revenge on her mother's behalf
and then ended up in a place where she was never meant to be. On
her conviction she had vowed never to take that route again, but
looking at the battered woman in front of her, that vow might be
easier spoken than adhered to. She wanted to find Steve and kill
him for what he had done to her old friend.

"We have to get out of here Stacy." She
whispered.

"No! Bella, no. We can't do that. He'll find
us, he'll kill me. He'll kill you too, believe me. We can't do
it."

"You don’t know who Harrison is, he'll take
care of it, he's a powerful man and he likes me."

"Steve will figure out a way if he wants to,
I don't care who Harrison is or how rich he is, Steve will get to
me."

"Harrison will give us protection."

"I've got family, all over the country. Steve
will find them. Can your boyfriend protect all of them too?"

It was true. Bella had no family left but
Stacy did. She had gone to prison for love of her own family, so
how could she ignore the people who were important in Stacy's
life?

"We'll get him arrested," she said, "for
blackmail, assault, extortion--"

"He's got connections on the outside, even if
he's locked up he'll still get to us. We've got to do what he says,
it's the only way."

Bella had no answers. She held Stacey's hands
and looked at her desperately.

It was either Steve's way or…

"There is one other possibility Stacy." A
chill went through her at the thought. It was a possibility she had
accepted once before, to save her mother from that bastard of a
boyfriend, Bella's father.

Stacy shook her head, reading her friend's
thoughts.

"I can't let you do it Bella. You're a sweet
girl and you've done enough time for other people already. I won’t
let you do it. I'll die first."

Tears filled both the women's eyes. In a
world of bad people they were alone, helpless and had only each
other to rely on.

"Please." Stacy said. "Please just go with
him. Give Steve what he wants. Sooner or later the guy will end up
behind bars for something and then all this will be over. Please
baby, there's no other way."

The pain in Bella's heart was intense. To be
here again, at the mercy of an evil abusive man and this time even
more helpless than the last.

She nodded her head.

"Harrison." She called out, wiping tears from
her eyes. She heard his footsteps cross the living room and watched
as Stacy looked up, clearly in awe now that she was in the presence
of this rich and powerful man who she was attempting to defraud.
She quickly turned her head down, remembering the condition of her
face, not wanting to arouse suspicion. She fumbled to find a pair
of over sized sun-glasses and then half-raised her head briefly to
give Harrison a short, nervous smile.

"I'm Harrison Demovic." He said, extending
his hand, forcing Stacy to stand up and lift her face again. "You
must be Stacy."

"Please to meet you." she mumbled before
sitting down quickly again.

"I really appreciate you coming out here to
meet with Bella." He said.

"Least I could do." she mumbled again.

"I've made up my mind." Bella said.

"There's one more person I want you to speak
to."

Bella froze. Please don’t let it be Steve.
She wasn't sure how she would even react if she had to face that
evil man again--she might just lose it.

"I don’t need to speak to anyone else." She
said insistently.

"You need to speak to this person. Stay put.
Stacy and I will be right outside."

Stacy looked even more nervous than
before.

"I really oughta be going." She said.

"We just flew you all the way out here,"
Harrison said coldly, "and you'll be flying back with us tonight.
Whatever it is you need to do Stacy, it can wait."

Bella was surprised at his abruptness towards
her injured friend.

Just the Demovic way.
She figured.

Before he left with Stacy, Harrison put his
hand to Bella's shoulder and then whispered into her ear.

"Don’t be afraid. She only wants to
help."

She.

At least it wasn't Steve. Bella breathed a
sigh of relief.

The next knock on the door was more forceful
and when Bella opened it and saw Suzy it was impossible not to lose
herself in tears. The women embraced and held each other for a long
time and then sat down together in the living area.

Before Bella could speak Suzy shushed
her.

"Not a word Bella, not a word. Before you say
anything else you need to understand that no apologies are
necessary. The past is the past, done with and over. I'm just so,
so relieved to see you safe and well."

Anything that Bella could have tried to say
was gone now amid choked and emotional sobs. She felt intensely
unworthy of these good friends and especially of this incredible
man, Harrison Demovic.

How could she ever have taken him for a
selfish, arrogant, spoiled billionaire?

Suzy continued.

"You don't have to say a word Bella, just nod
your head. Okay?"

Bella put her hand to her mouth to maintain
control of her shaking breath and nodded her understanding.

"Did Harrison have something to do with you
running away?" Suzy said, holding her friend's gaze with
determination, willing her to tell the truth.

Bella looked over her shoulder and saw Stacy
and Harrison standing together. They looked like they were engaged
in a tense exchange. Stacy glanced over at her and Bella was
shocked by the look of anger. She darted her gaze back to Suzy and
shook her head in answer to her question.

"Thank God." Suzy was relieved. It had played
on her conscience that her introduction of Suzy to Harrison had
been the cause of all this. Whatever the problem was, at least that
wouldn't be on her conscience.

"He's been wonderful." Bella managed to say.
"Really amazing."

"I'm glad to hear it. So do you want to tell
me what's going on?"

"I can't. Suzy, really, I'm sorry, but I
can't."

"Bella, this is me; Suzy. Your best friend.
If you have a problem, just tell me. We can work it out, I promise
you, whatever it is."

Bella shook her head again. If only it were
that simple.

"At least tell me that you're coming back to
New York. At least do that for me."