Anything But Mine (16 page)

“When we do the seating chart, are you okay if we seat him at your table? I know you don’t want to sit with Chris, and Drew mentioned that he would rather not sit with him, either.”

“That’s fine, Cath, it’s great. It will give us a chance to catch up, and Vince a chance to get to know him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I think it will be fine.” Despite trying to maintain an outward appearance of calm, Jen’s heart was pounding, and her brain was running on overdrive.
Hopefully Vince will manage to keep his jealous streak in check for the night,
she thought.

Jen signed for the bill, and she and Catherine exited the restaurant, finding Pablo waiting for them in the double-
parked
limousine. She turned to Catherine and, before entering the back seat of the limo, said, “Even if you think Vince is possessive of me, you have to admit it’s nice to have a car and driver waiting, instead of trying to hail two cabs.”

After dropping Catherine at the bridal salon on the west side, Jen asked, “Pablo, can you take me back home, please?” After traveling cross-
town
for a few blocks, Pablo turned left onto Madison Avenue and drove uptown. “Why are we going uptown? Brooklyn is in the other direction,”

“I’m taking you home,” he replied.

“I meant my home, not Vince’s home, Pablo,” she said.

“Miss LaBella, you know that Mr. Moscolo doesn’t want you to go to your old apartment unaccompanied. Your home is with Mr. Moscolo now.”

“I just want to pick up some of my spring clothes, Pablo. It will only take little while, and we can be back here before dinner.”

Pablo looked in the rear view mirror as he spoke. “If I brought you to Brooklyn, I’d probably lose my job.”

“Why? Did Vince instruct you not to bring me to Brooklyn?”

“Yes. He told me that he would fire me if I didn’t follow his instructions, and I can’t afford to lose my job. Mr. Moscolo is a very generous man, and I like working for him,” Pablo replied, looking in the rear view mirror at Jen. “He pays me a good salary with benefits, and he also pays for my daughter’s college tuition.” When Jen was silent, Pablo repeated what he said earlier, “Your home is with Mr. Moscolo now.”

Jen sat back and digested this new information.
Catherine just mentioned over lunch that she thought Vince was “pretty controlling” of me,
she thought
.
I didn’t know that Vince prohibited Pablo from taking me to my apartment. And I had no idea that he paid Pablo’s daughter’s college tuition. There are so many things I don’t know about him.
Jen stared out the window as the limousine traveled up Madison Avenue.
I guess he’s right, my home really is with Vince now,
she thought
. I’ve been going along day by day, not realizing that I’ve simply assimilated into life with him.
“It’s okay, Pablo, don’t worry,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I won’t put your job in jeopardy. You can just bring me back to Vince’s apartment instead.”

That evening, over dinner, Jen confronted Vince, who did not deny that he had instructed Pablo not to take her to her Brooklyn Heights apartment. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Jennifer. I told Pablo never to take you there because I’m concerned about your safety,” he said.

“Vince, I need to be able to go home and get some spring clothing.”
I need some alone time too,
she thought. “I also have to get it ready for Catherine’s bachelorette night,” she said, bracing herself for Vince’s reaction.

“What are you talking about?” Vince’s voice suddenly took on a stern tone, as he put his fork down and crossed his arms across his chest.

“As a bridesmaid, I have to organize a bachelorette night. I had lunch with Catherine today, and instead of a big night out or a weekend trip, she thought it would be fun to have a low-
key
night, maybe just a dinner out and then a sleep over at my apartment with a few friends.”

“And you want to do it at
your
apartment?” Vince asked, incredulously. “Why not do it here, where there is much more room?”

Jen was prepared for his question, having thought out in advance Vince’s possible reactions to her plan. Instead of fighting him on the issue, she smiled sweetly, and replied, “Aww, thank you for offering, Vince. That is really sweet, but I couldn’t impose on you. I’m sure that the last thing you want is a group of women here gossiping, staying up all night laughing, watching romantic movies and drinking champagne.”

Vince unfolded his arms and seemed to relax a little, so Jen continued, “I thought you might not be comfortable with my staying overnight in Brooklyn, but if I’m with a group of friends, and if we have a bodyguard sweep the apartment first and then stand outside it all night long, you would know I’m safe.”

She reached out and rubbed his thigh. “We girls can have a fun night, and we won’t have to worry about disturbing you.” She watched Vince’s face, as the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
I think I’m on the right track,
she thought, as she continued to stroke his thigh, noticing a growing bulge in his crotch. “So, what do you think?”

What I think is that I want to take you right here, right now on the kitchen table
. “I think you came up with a good plan, Jennifer. Let me know the date of the party so I can arrange for an overnight bodyguard for you.”

“Aww…thank you, Vince! You’re the best, and I know it will mean a lot to Catherine.” She leaned over and kissed him before standing up to clear their plates. After placing the dishes in the dishwasher, she returned to the table and, standing behind Vince, began to rub his neck and shoulders, helping him relax even further. “Do you want dessert? I think there’s some Jell-
O
and whipped cream in the fridge.”

Vince reached around and grabbed Jen by the waist, pulling her onto his lap and in towards him for a lingering kiss that grew more and more passionate. Leaning back from Jen, he looked deep into her eyes, and, with a devilish grin, he replied, “I don’t know about the Jell-
O
, but I definitely can think of a way to put the whipped cream to good use.”

Jen chuckled as she stood up and walked towards the refrigerator, where she retrieved the can of whipped cream. She removed the plastic top, shook the can and squirted some directly in her mouth. “Mmm…” she said, licking her lips.

Vince was at her side in a flash, and scooped her up into his arms. He carried her into the master suite, kicking the door closed behind him before depositing Jen on the bed. He stepped out of his shoes before joining her on the bed, kneeling above Jen while straddling her waist. He peeled off his tie and unbuttoned his dress shirt, throwing both on the floor beside the bed, while Jen reached up, releasing his belt before unbuttoning the button and lowering the zipper on his pants.

Jennifer slipped her hands inside the waistband of his boxer briefs, pushing them and his pants down from his waist towards his knees. “Lay down,” she said, and when he complied, Jen sat up, removed his pants, underwear and socks, and tossed them on the floor.

Jen stood up and removed her simple cream-
colored
knit shift dress, revealing a matching ivory satin bra and panty set. She leaned down to kiss Vince, as he deftly opened the clasp of her bra, releasing her breasts.

He pushed Jen onto her back and removed her underpants, before holding her down with one hand, and reaching for the can of whipped cream with his other hand. He shook the can, before covering each of her breasts in circles of fluffy, sweet whipped cream.

“Ooh, that’s cold,” she squealed, squirming as the whipped cream came into contact with her skin.

“Let me warm you up, then,” Vince said, as he lowered his mouth and began to lick and nibble the whipped cream from each of her breasts.

Jennifer moaned loudly as she writhed with pleasure. “Shhh…” he said, as he sucked on one of her nipples. “Do you want Mary to hear you?”

“I’m not worried about Mary,” Jen replied, her voice husky with desire. “I told her to take a couple of hours off, and gave her some money to go out to dinner and a movie.”

Vince momentarily stopped nibbling at her and, with a wolfish grin, said “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”

“Right down to asking her to pick up some Jell-
O
and whipped cream for tonight’s dessert,” Jen said with a sly smile. “She said you didn’t like whipped cream out of a can, but I told her I thought you might change your mind.”

He laughed, and said, “It’s now my favorite dessert.”

Vince took his time as he finished devouring the cream covering Jen’s breasts, before he leaned in and pressed his body against hers.

Jen protested, as he pushed her legs apart and tried to enter her. “What about my dessert?” Extricating herself from him, she rolled him onto his back while grabbing the can of whipped cream. She shook the can and sprayed the whipped cream up and down his erection, and methodically licked him clean as he moaned and called out her name. “Yummy,” she said, before she took him completely into her mouth, and brought him to an explosive climax.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“H
old my calls, please, Marianne,” Vince said to his assistant the following week, before closing and locking his office door.

He sat down and opened the locked drawer in his desk, before removing the top from a white box simply labeled “Jennifer” in black magic marker. He pulled out the small laptop computer that he kept stored there, along with the file folders containing reports, photographs and other information he had amassed on his girlfriend.

Vince checked e-
mail
on the laptop twice a day while at his office, and usually checked it again at night on a similarly hidden laptop in his home office. When he logged into the e-
mail
account that he only used for correspondence related to Jennifer, he saw that he had a new message from Collette Sullivan.

He opened it, and was pleased to read that Collette had made progress in advancing her relationship with Drew, and that they had already become a steady item. He continued reading, and learned that Collette would be accompanying Drew to New York for the wedding of two of his college friends in early May.

“Jesus Christ,’ Vince swore, disturbed to learn that Drew would be attending Catherine and Luke’s wedding.
Just when I’ve succeeded in pushing them, and keeping them, apart, Jennifer will be spending time with him again.

Vince re-
read
the e-
mail
, and sat back in his desk chair. He stared out his office window and across the river towards Brooklyn, contemplating the situation, when it occurred to him that maybe he could use Drew and Collette’s trip to the east coast to his advantage.
If Jennifer sees them dancing, holding hands, and kissing at the wedding, she will realize he has moved on with his life. Likewise, if Drew sees Jennifer is happy and in love with me, then hopefully he will abandon any thoughts of moving back to the east coast. This could work.
He turned his attention back to the laptop and replied to Collette’s e-
mail
with his instructions to keep up the good work, and to pick out a sexy dress to wear to the wedding.

He then dug into the box, and removed the folder containing some of the previous week’s photos sent to him by Brad Wesley, the private investigator he had assigned to follow Jennifer at all times when she was in New York. As usual, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Jennifer’s routine: she went running in Central Park, trailed by Alex, her bodyguard; she entered and exited his apartment building; she went to locations for photo shoots, and met with her agent, Mike; and she shopped and had lunch with her mother or with her friend Catherine. Even though her routine did not vary much, Vince derived great pleasure knowing what she did every waking moment, and he continued to crave the control he exerted over her.
I know I could look at these photos on my laptop any time,
he thought.
But it is much more pleasurable to hold the physical copies of the photos. It’s like I’m actually holding Jennifer’s life in my hands.

Vince placed the recent photos back in their file, and pulled out another file from an earlier date containing the photos of Jennifer tied up and unconscious on her bed, with her pants pushed down around her hips. As he looked at the photos he took on the day of her attack, his pulse began to quicken and he felt himself get hard, his erection straining against his suit pants.
My ultimate triumph,
he thought.
This was the moment that changed everything, that let me take control over her life and make her mine.
He stood up and took the photograph with him into his private bathroom, where he lowered his pants, took his erection into his hands, and began stroking himself until he shuddered as he brought himself to a satisfying and swift release.

After washing his hands and re-
arranging
his clothing, Vince returned to his desk and placed the files and the laptop back into the box, before securing them in his locked desk drawer. As he did so, a thought crossed his mind, and he wondered if he could convince Jennifer to let him act out his fantasy.
She’ll never let me re-
enact
her attack
, he realized,
but maybe she might let me tie her up for a little while.

He smiled, thinking about how much more sexually adventurous Jennifer had become during the course of their relationship. He let his thoughts wander back to the night a week earlier when she initiated what he’d always remember as the “whipped cream night”, finding it difficult to reconcile the Jennifer of that night with what she had told him about her sexual history, revealing that he was only the third man she had ever slept with.
The first time we made love, she was so shy and unsure of herself,
he thought.
I love that she was so sexually inexperienced. She was practically a virgin, but has proven herself to be a quick learner.

Throughout the day of Catherine’s bachelorette party, Vince’s thoughts continued to wander towards Jennifer. He was distracted by the knowledge that she would not be coming home to him that night, and would instead be spending the night in her Brooklyn Heights apartment with Catherine and some other friends.

Even though I’ll have a bodyguard stationed outside her apartment, I don’t like the idea of her voluntarily spending a night away from me,
he thought, as he pondered where his relationship with Jennifer was heading.
I need to lock it down, and make her mine forever,
he thought, but wondered if it was too soon, after only a few, albeit intense, months together, to talk about marriage.
I’ll have to talk to Seth about it tonight.

Vince strolled into The Old Homestead, a steakhouse in the meatpacking district, a little after 7:00, greeting the host before making his way to a table in the dining room where his closest friend, Seth Jacobs, was already seated. Since their college days at the University of Pennsylvania, Vince had come to depend on Seth for his sound advice, legal and otherwise, and retained him as his personal counsel once Seth graduated from Yale Law School. “Sorry I’m late, buddy,” he said, shaking Seth’s hand. “I got stuck in traffic on the West Side Highway.”

“It happens,” Seth replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Good to see you. We haven’t had the chance to get together much lately.”

“I’ve been a little preoccupied. Let’s order, and I’ll fill you in.”

Over steaks and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, Vince confided, “I’m very seriously thinking of asking Jennifer to marry me. She’s the one, the only one, for me.”

After nearly choking on a piece of bread, Seth blurted out, “What?”

“She’s the one,” Vince repeated. “I want to marry her, and have a family with her.”

“You’re serious?”

“Very serious, Seth. Your thoughts on the subject, please,” Vince said, as he took a sip of wine and sat back in his chair.

“She’s young, much younger than the women you usually date. And you’ve only been together a little while. Aren’t you rushing things a bit? You’ve never had a relationship last more than six months.”

“We’ve been together about four months now,” Vince said. “And, don’t forget, I was with Daphne for eight months.”

“Well, you’re going to need a pre-
nuptial
agreement. We’re going to have to compile a detailed list of all your assets and liabilities, and disclose it to her before we begin negotiations,” Seth said, switching from friend mode to lawyer mode.

Seth watched as Vince shook his head and crossed his arms tightly across his chest. “Look, I’m just trying to protect you in the event of a divorce. Even though Jen probably makes millions of dollars as a model, based on the little bit I know about her, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to your net worth in the billions of dollars. A pre-
nuptial
agreement is the only way to safeguard your business and your personal fortune.”

“I understand that I have to have a pre-
nup
, but I don’t like making plans for a divorce. Jennifer is the only woman for me. I will never let her go.”

“Okay, but I guess I don’t get it, Vince. You’ve dated some of the most beautiful women in the world, and yet you never once mentioned to me that you were thinking of getting married. What makes this one, Jen, so special?”

“You’re right, Seth. I’ve dated other beautiful women, but Jennifer is so much more than just a beautiful woman.”

“How so?”

“Jennifer is different. Remember that day last summer, at the polo match where I first saw her?” Vince watched as Seth nodded his head, before continuing, “Daphne called her ‘miss goody two shoes’ and said she was boring. What Daphne didn’t realize was that she put the nails in her own coffin by describing Jennifer that way. I’ve been looking for a good girl, a nice girl, my whole life. I want someone who loves me for me, and not for my wallet. From the time I started working on Wall Street, women have thrown themselves at me, and first dates have always ended up in bed because that’s what they thought I wanted. But all that told me was that they were desperate for my money and not for me, because they barely knew me after one date.”

Seth again nodded his head. “And Jennifer?”

Vince sighed, and smiled. “We dated for a month before we slept together.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“No kidding. It nearly killed me, but trust me, she was worth waiting for. So shy, so sweet, so innocent…she was just perfect,” he said with a sigh, remembering the first time they made love.

“The shy and innocent thing is a novelty for you, Vince. Don’t you think you’ll get tired of that after a while?”

“She’s a quick learner,” Vince said with a chuckle. He took another sip of wine, before continuing, “Look, I understand your concerns, Seth, but Jennifer is different. She doesn’t think the world revolves around her, and she doesn’t expect me to buy her affections, unlike all the other women I’ve dated in recent years. Do you know that she has never once asked me to fly her someplace on my jet? It just wouldn’t occur to her to ask me that. And she has her own place in the Hamptons, so she’s not going to ask me to rent her a place for the summer, like Daphne and the others did. She’s never once asked me for jewelry, or clothing, or for anything, in fact. It’s funny—
the
fact that she never asks me for anything just makes me want to give her everything.”

Vince paused again, noting Seth’s raised eyebrows. “Even though Jennifer is so young and innocent, at the same time she is independent, and very smart. Did you know she’s a college graduate? Not many models are. She studied art history at LaSalle in Philadelphia, before finishing her last two classes here in New York. She’s a good businesswoman, too—
she’
s made some nice real estate investments so far, and has her eye on another possible deal.” He took a deep breath, sighed, and said, “She gives me everything I need, everything I crave, and I’ve never been more attracted to a woman in my life.”

Seth’s instinct to cross examine Vince kicked in. “I thought you mentioned that you gave her a car and driver, and a bodyguard. She didn’t ask for those?”

“No, she didn’t. In fact, she resisted them at first. I assigned them to her after she was attacked. I couldn’t bear it if anything else happened to her. That’s why I had her move into my apartment—
so
she would be safe.”

“And she agreed to this?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it sounds like you have her under your, or your staff’s, constant watch,” Seth replied, sitting back in his chair. “I just hope it doesn’t get out of control this time, Vince,” he said, alluding to their college days at Penn when Seth had to talk more than a few girls out of reporting Vince to campus security because he became obsessed with any girl he went out with, and stalked each of them after only a couple of dates.

Vince’s eyes narrowed into dark slits. “That was years ago, Seth,” he growled. “Everything is under control this time. Jennifer agreed to move in with me right after she was attacked because I could provide her with the best security and keep her safe. Even her parents insisted she stay with me.” Noting Seth’s surprised look, he continued, “She has her freedom, and she’s even having a girls’ night tonight—
a
bachelorette party for one of her friends—
and
I’m not following her around.”

Seth challenged Vince, “But one of your employees is following her tonight, right? Does she know about it?”

“Yes, actually, she is the one who suggested it, knowing it would make me feel better about her safety.”