Wicked: Billionaire Rules (Alpha Billionaire New Adult Romance) (9 page)

A
s I was falling asleep
, I heard Leo outside my door. He knocked several times, trying to say he was sorry. I didn’t want to listen. Pressing my eyes tightly closed, I tried to sleep.

Early the next morning, I showered and got ready to go. I had a taxi waiting for me before I even left my room. On my way down the stairs, Leo was there looking apologetic.

Too little too late.

“What’s wrong, Kira? Is this about the club?”

“What is wrong with you, you pervert. How dare you put me in the middle of an orgy without my permission?”

“I thought you would enjoy it,” he admitted.

“Well, you obviously don’t know me very well,” I said, brushing past him and charging down the stairs.

“Let me make it up to you. I miscalculated. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re right about that,” I screamed as I opened the front door and slammed it behind me.

Outside on the sidewalk, I climbed into the taxi and made it to the airport. I didn’t even stop to think until I was on the plane. Sitting there, gripping my coat to my chest, I began to cry.

The plane taxied out to the runway, and as we took off, the butterflies in my stomach only made me cry harder.

A stewardess came to comfort me and offer me something to drink as soon as the plane leveled out. I asked for a glass of water and tried to calm down so that I wouldn’t upset everyone around me. Totally embarrassed, I hid my head in my hands and made myself relax.

Whatever didn’t kill you made you stronger, right? What a stupid saying. It wasn’t at all comforting, but it was right. I knew I was strong enough to overcome this. I’d be fine. Everything would be all right. I’d be able to pay my rent and tuition and I never had to see Leo Cole or go to one of his freaky bilLeonaire sex clubs ever again.

That thought comforted me more than anything else possibly could. I leaned back in my chair and settled in for the flight, imagining what I would do with my money.

I landed in New York twelve hours later. It was only midday in New York when I arrived. I took a taxi home and found my apartment had heat and lights again.

Still wired from the flight, I went about getting some bills paid and getting my homework finished for class the next day. I’d only missed a few days of class, and I hoped my professors would be forgiving. Thankfully, I hadn’t missed any papers or exams.

As dusk settled over Brooklyn, the full force of my fatigue hit me. I staggered to my bedroom and fell instantly to sleep.

My alarm went off early the next morning, and I forced myself out of bed. Luckily, there was still coffee in the apartment. The milk was bad so I had to have my coffee with the crappy creamer that Addison always bought. After a quick shower, I threw on some school clothes and light makeup.

I left for school with my backpack slung over my back and took the bus to NYU and attended my classes, making my excuses to my professors. Most of them let me make up the work and didn’t take off points for my absences. I’d been an excellent student all year so they didn’t have a reason to reprimand me.

After school, I went to a cafe near the campus for some tea and to catch up on homework. I had a midterm paper coming up that I hadn’t even started, and two midterm exams. And… math. Ouch.

As I was studying, I got a text message. Expecting it to be from Addison, I quickly answered it. But it wasn’t her, it was Leo.

I
need to see you
.

No.
I typed back.

Let me make it up to you. I know I can. You know I can.

I said no Leo. This is over.

We’ll see.

M
y mouth fell
open in exasperation at his presumptuousness. How dare he question me? If I said it was over, it was over. I didn’t want to see him again. But part of me knew I was lying to myself. The idea of never feeling his hands on my body or experiencing the sense that he wanted to take care of me, body and soul, left me cold.

I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I missed him and I did want to see him again. Angry at myself, I tossed my phone back in my backpack.
Damn it.

After I went home I searched the internet for decent jobs and sent a resume into a local independent film production company for a paid internship. I didn’t think anything would come of it, but I was feeling pretty good about myself. The money in the bank made me a hell of a lot less desperate, and the absence of desperation really did wonders for my self esteem.

A
few days later
, I heard back from the production company asking for an interview. I was so totally stunned, I had no idea what to think. This was not my luck. No way was this happening. I jumped up and down in my bedroom after I got off the phone and heard my downstairs neighbor hit the floor with a broom handle.

I covered my mouth and screamed. I didn’t have the job yet, but this was the best thing to happen to me in months, years, maybe ever. Just to have the interview.

Well, maybe it wasn’t the best thing to happen to me. My mind wandered to Leo as I remembered him handing me the Rothschild orchid. I growled at myself for thinking of him at a time like this.

He wouldn’t stop texting me and asking to meet. It was only every few days, but he kept texting. Maybe he thought if he wasn’t too intrusive but kept perusing me, I’d give in.

The last text had told me how much he cared about me and how he never wanted to hurt me. He’d explained that the orgy was just about showing me a new experience. He wanted to broaden my horizons and give me a taste of decadence. Well, the dinner in the French restaurant had been quite enough for me. Thank you. I didn’t need live sex shows or orgies to feel alive.

It made me wonder why Leo needed that kind of thing in his life. Suddenly, I felt bad for him. Part of me wanted to run to him and heal all his wounds. I knew there were damaged parts of me that wanted things that my conscious brain thought were wrong.

Maybe it was the same for Leo. If he had just kept it between us, it would have all been fine. We could have healed each other. But he just took it a step too far. Plus, there was still the question of Celeste.

I
had
my interview right after a midterm exam in Algebra. I was so high and nervous about the interview that I aced the math test.

I took a cab downtown to the production company’s offices. They were in a small building in lower Manhattan, across the street from a small park and next door to a coffee shop. It was a pleasant little street, and I could already imagine myself working there.

I walked inside the front office and found a pretty young red headed secretary in business casual clothing sitting behind a small desk. She directed me to sit down and wait for the producer to be ready for me.

I looked around the simple office at the black and white framed photos of New York landscapes. The walls were in a simple pale brown and the floor was hardwood.

“Mr. Montague will see you now,” she said.

I stood and walked to the door she’d indicated. I knocked and waited for an answer from inside. “Come,” said a deep voice from within.

I opened the door and walked into a slightly messy office with book shelves stacked with papers, books, and CD cases. There were even a few VHS tapes and film reels laying around.

Mr. Montague was a man in his early fifties with graying hair, swept back into a low ponytail. He wore khaki pants and a blue polo shirt. He rose and held out his hand for me to shake. I took it, giving him my best professional smile. He gripped my hand firmly and told me to have a seat.

“So, Ms. Glass. I’m David Montague, the head producer at Gotcha Films. I assume you’ve done your research and know what we do here?”

“You make short independent films, mostly about family life, told in a comic tone.”

“And does this interest you, Ms. Glass?”

“Yes, of course. I watched your entire catalog over the last few weeks. I’d actually seen a few that a friend of mine in my film classes had shown me already. The one about the two brothers is hilarious.”

“Good. It’s always good when a prospective hire knows what the hell we do.”

We continued to talk about the company, films in general and my degree at NYU. He told me I was young for the job but showed promise. He’d liked the cover letter I’d written, and that was why he’d scheduled the interview with me.

As the interview wrapped up, he told me he’d let me know by the end of the week. I shook his hand again, just happy that I’d been considered for the job. I said goodbye to the secretary and hurried home to finish studying for my next midterm.

A
fter I’d finished
my last midterm and turned in my paper, I decided to go out with a few kids from my film classes to celebrate making it through. On the way to the rock show we planned to see, my phone rang. The number came up as David Montague.

I shushed everyone as I ducked into an alcove and answered the phone.

“Ms. Glass, this is David Montague from Gotcha Films, is this a good time?”

“Yes of course.” My heart beat so fast and loud in my ears, I was afraid he could hear it.

“Well, Ms. Glass, after careful consideration, we’ve decided to give you the job. You can start on Monday. Welcome aboard.”

“This means so much to me. Thank you.”

“We like your passion Ms. Glass. See you Monday.”

I was so giddy I thought I must be screaming, but it wasn’t until I rejoined my friends on the street that I actually screamed.

“I got the job!” I screamed, jumping up and down on the street.

“Oh my god, that’s so fantastic,” said Emma, a girl from my class. “When do you start?”

“Monday, the twenty-eighth of November.” Suddenly, my mind reeled. What was that date supposed to be? I knew it meant something. Then I realized it. I was late.

T
he entire time
at the club, I couldn’t focus on having a good time. I felt like I was being a major downer. I checked my phone calendar, and sure enough, I was four days late.

Maybe it was all the stress of midterms and everything with Leo. I thought back and realized that it had been just about two weeks ago that I’d slept with Leo at the club.

Fuck and double fuck.
He’d never used protection. Not once. That must have been what happened to Celeste. All this time, I’d been playing along like a tool. Clive had warned me about him, but I hadn’t taken it seriously.

The lure of the money and the intensity of the sex had warped my mind.
Damn it!
Just when everything was starting to go right for me for the first time in my life, this had to fall on my plate.

The rock music pounded in my brain and I had to bow out, telling my friends I felt sick. It wasn’t a lie. I felt like I might throw up, just thinking I could be… pregnant.

I hopped on a bus and made it back to Brooklyn and stopped in a twenty-four hour drugstore before I went home. I took the stupid stick up to my bathroom and peed.

Waiting for that line was the longest three minutes of my life. I closed my eyes and prayed to whoever would listen for it to be negative.

When I opened my eyes again, I was disappointed. Two lines clearly indicated that I was knocked up.

“Fuck!” I screamed. My downstairs neighbor hit the floor with his broom handle. I smacked the floor with the side of my fist and hurt my hand. “Damn it,” I cried, holding my hand to myself as tears flowed down my cheeks.

What was I going to do now? I couldn’t have a baby. I couldn’t. Angry as hell and out of my mind, I stood from the bathroom floor and dug through my backpack for my phone.

I grabbed it and started bashing in a text message.

I
’m
pregnant you mother fucker. I hate you. Now you can do to me what you did to Celeste.

We need to talk. I’ll be there in an hour.
He texted back.

I
was too
upset to tell him not to come. Part of me wanted him to come. I felt so utterly alone. He had a lot of explaining to do, and I needed someone to scream at. I curled up on my couch and waited for him to arrive, crying hot tears that stung my face.

An hour later, he knocked at the door, and I got up to let him in. Standing with the door open, he entered my tiny apartment, looking completely out of place.

His perfectly manicured hair and high end wool coat contrasted with the mismatched furniture and out of date home entertainment system in my living room. I closed the door, passing him without a word and slumped down on the couch.

I’d left him standing in the middle of the room without offering him a seat. He looked around, tall and imperious above me. I looked away out the window as he crossed the room to sit beside me.

“What happened?” he asked in a soft tone.

“I was late and then took a test. That’s what happened.”

He took my hand that I had wrapped tightly around my knees. I tried to resist but gave in. The warmth of his skin and the smell of his body made me turn into putty. I felt so alone.

I gave him a cold stare as he brought my knuckles to his lips. “What happened to Celeste?” I snapped. “Do you have another child out there? Are you some kind of deadbeat dad? What did you do to that poor girl?”

Leo sighed and his face dropped in a way I’d never seen before. He sat back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling before dropping his gaze to me again. “Celeste… had, issues,” he started.

“What kind of issues?”

“Listen, Kira. My relationship with Celeste was never like this. It wasn’t the way it is between you and me. She was a party girl, and we had a good time now and then. I’m not even sure the baby was mine.”

“Oh my god, that is so typical!” I yanked my hand away and began to stand up. But he caught my wrist and pulled me back down.

“Kira, please let me explain.” He heaved a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead. “When Celeste told me that she was pregnant, I offered to help her with the baby, even though I wasn’t sure it was mine. I told her I’d pay all her expenses until the child was eighteen. But Celeste insisted we get married. Now, if I’d loved her, if it had ever been like that, I would have married her in a heartbeat. But I didn’t love her. You can understand that right?”

“I guess. Did she love you?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure. Before the pregnancy it had never been about that.”

“Why did you threaten to lock her up?” I blurted out. “I found the letters.”

He gave me a pained look. “She was insistent that we marry. I told her I wouldn’t marry her. I offered her all the financial help she could need, but that wasn’t enough for her. She told me she’d kill herself if I didn’t marry her, so I told her to stop threatening suicide or I’d have her institutionalized.”

“Oh. God. How terrible. Leo. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“I understand, Kira. I’m disappointed that you were snooping through my things, but that can’t be helped now.”

“I found a picture of you two in the greenhouse. She was pregnant. What was I supposed to think? You never told me about her.”

“No, I didn’t. I didn’t want to subject you to this. Kira, the way I feel about you is so different. I wanted to protect you from her memory.”

“What happened to her?”

“She continued to threaten suicide, but I was too late to save them.”

“What do you mean?” My head was beginning to hurt. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

“She killed herself and the baby with her. When the ambulance arrived at her apartment, she was already gone. She’d taken poison. There was no way to save the baby.”

A tear slid down my face. How could anyone do that? I fell into his chest and began to sob uncontrollably. I wasn’t sure if it was the hormones or that I somehow related to Celeste, while feeling just terrible for Leo.

“Shhh, sweetheart. Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay.” He patted my back as he soothed me.

“What’s going to happen to us?” I wailed. “I can’t raise a baby on my own. Things just started to get better for me.”

“Kira, this isn’t how I wanted to do this but…” He reached into a pocket of his coat and pulled out a small black box.

My eyes widened in shock. I knew what it was and couldn’t bring myself to reach out for it. He looked down at me and wiped the damp hair away from my face before he opened the box. Inside was the most massive diamond I’d ever seen in my life. It almost seemed like a cartoon or some kind of costume jewelry kids wore for dress up.

He took my shaking hand and slipped the ring on my finger. It fit. I don’t know how he knew my size, but there it was, sitting on my finger.

I couldn’t stop staring at it and shaking all over. It occurred to me that Leo didn’t even know for sure if I was telling the truth about the baby. That just made the tears come even faster. I covered my mouth as sobs mingled with laughter.

I gripped the lapels of his coat and planted a sloppy wet kiss on his mouth before I slid up on his lap, straddling him.

His body grew hard under me as he ran his hands up under my shirt, caressing my bare skin. I came up for air a few moments later and beamed at him.

“Is that a yes?” he asked coolly.