The TROUBLE With BILLIONAIRES: Book 1 (7 page)

              “And you enjoyed it.” It wasn’t a question. “There are other things you could enjoy, Madison. Things I could show you.”

              I swallowed my entire glass of wine down whole, forgetting the water. “You mean things you could do to me,” I amended.

              “Yes, there are many things I would like to do to you. But it’s your choice.”

              I still didn’t get it. Rawn could be so present, and so tender, but he could also be forceful. His presence was potent. Everything about him was potent, like an elixir, one I couldn’t help but drink, no matter how much I knew it would one day hurt me. I’d already had a taste. I wanted more. Even when I hated him, my yearning to feel his touch again never went away.

              “You really are a Leo. Creative. Strong. Magnetic. Proud.”

              He was too clever not to know what was coming next. “And?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

              “Arrogant. Overbearing. Tyrannical. Harsh.”

              The waitress approached again with the plate of
pajata
, but he sent it away. “I thought astronomers had no patience for astrology.”

              “I like to keep an open mind.”

“I knew you did.” There was that hunger again. If he could devour me right here, he would. It scared me that I could read his desire so well. But what scared me more was the undertone beneath that desire. There was an affection to his lust, a hope—all hidden behind the sleek confidence he carried, the fearlessness of a lion.

              “So do I have to sign a contract or something?” I asked, avoiding giving him a definitive answer.

              “No,” he stated. “No contract. All I need is your trust.”

              “Then you have it,” I relented, realizing the significance of my words. “I trust you.”

             
I just don’t trust myself.

“Cepheus Scientific does not market to the general public,” Rawn insisted as we drove back to the farmhouse in the Ferrari. “We have a long relationship with many of the top research facilities in the world. They are our priority. They would not be happy to know we sold the most advanced telescope in the world to little Jimmy.”

“Little Jimmy is the only reason any of the bigger institutes survive.”

“It’s noble to think so, but trust me, they’d survive, even without public support.”

I flew my hands into the air, frustrated, just in time for a loose pebble to bullet itself across the side of my palm. “Ouch,” I moaned, rubbing my raw skin. “That felt like being shot in the hand with a BB gun.”

“You okay?” he asked, concerned.

“Yeah.”

He seemed relieved. “Do you know what a BB gun feels like?”

“I have a brother.”

“Any other siblings?”

“None still living.” Unwilling to leave the issue of the telescope alone, I quickly added, “But I do have a lot of cousins, all of whom would love to have a 3D telescope.”

“It’s not up for debate.”

“Then it’s your loss, because Dr. Giordano will not give you the license.”

“Hey,” he said, looking over at me. “I need you to back me up. You’re team Cepheus.”

“And I will. I’m just letting you know how it is so you’re not too disappointed when we walk out of here empty handed.”

“What are you, the Oracle of Delphi?” he teased.

I was serious. “That’s Greek, not Roman. And no, I’m not some oracle. I just know how to read people. That’s why I chose you at the park that day. I knew you were cocky, but I also knew you were genuine. I was right, for the most part. You’re genuine when you want to be.”

He turned sharply up the road leading to the farmhouse. “And you don’t think I’m being genuine now?”

“No, not concerning Dr. Giordano. You want to play on his emotional trauma—his quirks—to win the contract. That’s why you spent all of this morning going over his file. But as you know yourself, Dr. Giordano isn’t some crazy old man. He’s intelligent, more so than either of us. He will not budge on this issue.”

Rawn tightened his grip on the steering wheel, smiling in a way I didn’t like. “And if you’re wrong? If I persuade him to sign without giving in to his demand to have it released on the mass market?”

“Then congratulations. You knew better than me.”

He shook his head. “Not good enough. If you’re wrong, I get to have you—any time of my choosing.”

I folded my arms. “You want me to sell my body out for the sake of a dare?”

“You already said you trusted me.”

I thought about it. “Okay, then what about me? What do I get if you’re wrong, and he refuses to sign?”

“The secret.”

“You were going to show that to me anyway, whatever it is.”

He couldn’t argue. “Then you get to drive the Ferrari back to the city.”

I pursed my lips together. “So I’m betting my body against an opportunity to drive a Ferrari?”

“Hey, you don’t have to agree…”

“I’m in,” I said, mostly because I knew sleeping with Rawn was inevitable, ever since I told him I trusted him at dinner. The pulse I felt in my core while sitting next to him had become almost unbearable. I ached to be touched the way I had before. Enough that I wasn’t sure we’d make it back to the city before I took his cock into my hand. At least with the bet, there was a chance I could drive the Ferrari home.

He looked smug. “See. I know how to persuade people too.”

“You realize you’ve just put your own interest over that of the company?” I prodded.

“With you the prize, it’s worth it.”

As we arrived at the farmhouse, Dr. Giordano was already out front, adjusting the telescope to the night sky. Despite all the added devices to make it 3D, the size of the telescope was manageable, only slightly larger than those owned by most amateur astronomers.

“It’s remarkable,” I praised, joining Dr. Giordano. “May I look?”

“Go ahead,” he allowed, handing me the 3D glasses from his head. “Sorry, they’re my only pair.”

“Thank you.”

Adjusting the glasses to my own head, I peered through the lens…and gasped. The telescope was zoomed out, leaving the stars shapeless except for their bright light, but it was as if I floated among them, lost in a beauty I didn’t fully understand.

Wonderlust
, I thought, thinking of the security guard at Cepheus Scientific.

Clearly, Dr. Giordano had manipulated the laser and mirrors so that they somehow sensed the object in the lens, giving it a 3D effect, but the science of such engineering still baffled me. And in the same way, awed me.

“You’ve created something incredible here,” I said.

Rawn stepped forward. “Incredible enough that we’re willing to offer you a fortune for it. You’ll never have to invent another thing again.”

I cringed. Rawn may be gifted when it came to fixing flaws in product designs and recognizing potential within a product, but he was clueless when it came to working with people like Dr. Giordano—those who existed off the grid.

“I think what Mr. Jackman means is that you’ll have the freedom to work on any invention you want. The money can buy all the materials you need. We recognize how important your inventions are to you.”

Dr. Giordano took back control of the telescope. “Enough to market it to the public?”

“Unfortunately, that’s not an option,” Rawn answered.

“Then signing with you isn’t an option for me. I’ve told you—no matter how big the check is, it isn’t big enough to buy out my beliefs. I will happily die a poor man if it means my work reaches those who appreciate it the most.”

“Let me assure you, we do appreciate it,” Rawn told him.

“Not enough.”

Knowing the battle had been lost well before we even left for Italy, I tried another tactic. “May I?” I asked, reaching for the telescope again.

“If you must.”

Swinging the telescope around to the Northern sky, I searched for a very important constellation. “Come have a look,” I prompted Rawn, holding the 3D glasses out to him.

He did, bending low to look through the lens. I heard him murmur softly in awe as he did.

“The cluster of stars that look like a house with arms—that’s actually the King,” I told him. “Also known as Cepheus, of whom the company we work for is named after. In Greek mythology, Cepheus was the king of Aethiopia. His wife was Queen Cassiopeia, his daughter Princess Andromeda—now all constellations in the night sky. Cassiopeia angered the god Poseidon by claiming her daughter to be fairer than his water nymphs, and so Poseidon sent a sea monster to destroy Aethiopia. The fate of the kingdom seemed hopeless, until an oracle told Cepheus that to save his people he must sacrifice his daughter. And so he did, chaining her to a rock. Just as the sea monster rose from the depths of the ocean to slaughter Andromeda, the hero Perseus arrived and destroyed the creature.” I paused to stress my point. “At times, a king may think he’s doing what’s best for his kingdom, but really he’s just sacrificing something wonderful.”

Dr. Giordano patted me on the back. It was such as simple gesture, but it moved me. I figured he was a man that reserved such gestures for those he considered worthy.

Rawn stood tall, taking everything in. “This really does have personal meaning to you, doesn’t it, Dr. Giordano?”

“My wife is up there—amongst those stars. I want everyone to see her. I won’t break on this. I’m as stubborn as that mule over there,” he said, pointing to the donkey, now curled into an old car engine, asleep.

“When are you due to sign with the Germans?”

“Tomorrow.”

Rawn sighed, looking up into the sky, conflicted. “Don’t,” he finally said. “We’ll market the telescope to the general public. You’ll have your wish. What’s your wife’s name?”

“Alessandra.”

“Then, I introduce you to the Alessa 3D X100. She’s not as beautiful as the original, but I’m sure she’ll do just fine.”

***

              “You know what this means?” I alluded as we headed back to the Ferrari, having said our goodbyes to Dr. Giordano.

              “That I just made a potentially career-ending decision?”

              “No,” I said, practically skipping across the junk-filled yard. “I get to drive!”

              “You cheated,” he accused, throwing me the keys. “You compared me to a king.”

              Happily, I slid into the driver’s seat. The leather was the same as the rest of the vehicle, but it felt different. It felt like power.

              “You do have a license, don’t you?” he asked, buckling his seatbelt.

              “Well, now that you’ve convinced Dr. Giordano to sign with Cepheus Scientific, at least one of us does,” I stated. And then I reversed backward and sped away before Rawn could ask any further questions.

              The hum of the engine was an exhilarating reward. I had never controlled a machine quite like this before. I liked it. Having to take the bus when I returned home seemed too dull to imagine.

              I followed the main road back towards Naples, silent as I concentrated on the darkness around us. The last thing I wanted to do was accidently run over a baby eel. Plus, the silence made the thrill of driving all the better.

              The trouble with sports cars, however, was that they drove fast. All too soon, we approached the city lights of Naples, my adventure in the Ferrari almost over.

              “Continue through the intersection,” Rawn told me.

              I was confused. “I thought our hotel was to the right?”

              “It is. But there’s something I want to show you first.”

              The secret.

              Obeying, I followed his directions as we cruised across the city, my speed tamed now that we were no longer within the abandonment of the countryside. Eventually, he had me park outside a rather regal building made of a dark sandy texture—almost pink in color. Tall palm trees lined the street in front of the building, centering an entrance burrowed between two marble columns.

              “The archaeology museum? It’s closed.”

              “To the public.”

              “We’re the public,” I reminded him.

              “Not tonight. One of our clients happens to be a wealthy benefactor of the museum. I had him pull some strings. He was more than willing. He’s a shipping tycoon. We helped him update his ships with a navigation system that uses satellites to show on a map where pirate ships are hiding and where they are heading. That way his ships can stay far away.”

              The only part of that story I absorbed was pirate ships. “Wait, pirates still exist?”

              “Sadly.”

              “With eye patches?”

              “Sadly not.” He held his hand out. “The keys, Madison.”

              Reluctantly, I parted with the keys as if they were my freedom. “Remind me to tell Santa I want a Ferrari for Christmas.”

              For the second time that day, I took my heels off, not wanting to slide on the stone steps that led into the museum. A man in a curator’s uniform let us in. Taking my hand, Rawn led me down a corridor only partially lit, leaving eerie shadows on many of the artifacts. We walked until we reached a wing guarded by metal bars that reminded me of a cage. Above the entrance was a sign:
Gabinetto Segreto
.

              “The Secret Room,” Rawn translated. “Or the Secret Cabinet. Only adults are allowed past this point.”

             
Only adults
... I was barely an adult. “Is this a real thing or did you set it up to turn me on?” I asked, unsure if I wanted to go in.

              “It’s a real thing,” he proclaimed, leading me through the gate. “Countless visitors enter here every year.”

              I instantly saw why it was reserved for adults. It was a sex room, but not in a boudoir style orgy kind of way. The hardwood floors and whitewashed walls were actually quite plain. But the artifacts… There were clay figures with genitals that stretched out far past their bellies and paintings of men pinching the breasts of women. There was nowhere to look within the wing where there wasn’t some sort of copulation happening, and not always with humans.

              “It’s…erotic,” I said, not wanting to hurt his feelings. He had clearly gone through a lot of trouble to show me the room, but enlarged penises just didn’t do it for me, not unless it was the soft flesh of the man beside me.

              My face must have said it all. “Let me show you the back,” he said, adamant.

He took me to a wall of frescos that were much more seductive than phallic figurines, especially in the dimmer lighting. I studied the frescos, feeling my body respond. There was a romanticism to knowing they had been painted thousands of years ago. The romanticism was only fuelled by the acts depicted within, many of women riding men, or men taking a woman from behind.