Romance: The Billionaire's Demands (6 page)

Chapter 16

“Hello, Jasmine.  You look lovely tonight.”

His words were like heat racing through my body. Bradley was there to greet me at the door of the limousine as I arrived at his mansion. His voice was stern, but a slight smirk stretched across his face.

“Hello, Bradley,” I replied.

He nodded politely and led me up the stairs and into his mansion. This moment was definitely the stuff fairy tales were made of.

We didn’t speak another word as he led me into a different room in his mansion. I’m glad we weren’t in the same dining room as the other night. I would have been thinking about that all night if we were. This room was smaller and more intimate, with a table in the middle big enough just for the two of us and a tasteful bar to the side of the room. In this room, I felt like I had his undivided attention.

Bradley was wearing an elegant suit that fitted his strong frame perfectly. As I stared in awe of his body, I wondered if he ever wore anything but suits.

As we stood at the bar, he poured two glasses of wine. I’m glad I wore my tallest heels because otherwise I would feel dwarfed by his height. He was standing close enough to me to catch a waft of his rich cologne. 

“I didn’t find you the other night after the guests had left the mansion,” he stated. Apparently he was only vaguely aware that I had angrily left.  Of course, he had much prettier things to look at.  

“I went home with a headache.” I told him only a half-truth.  I didn’t want to face the issues he was trying to bring up.  

“Why would you leave the house?” he pressed.  “You could have slept in your room until the morning.”  

What did he want me to do on that night?

Did it turn him on to have me there watching him and his girls naked?

“Bradley… sir… I really respect you. I am grateful that you gave me such an opportunity to serve you at your dinner party…”  

How do I tell him this without being rude?  

He stared at me, waiting for him to continue.

“For a moment… I was foolish to think that you might have had an interest in me.”

My heart pounded as I said those words.

That was more upfront than I had ever been in my life.

Bradley waited patiently for me to continue.  I took a deep breath. 

“But yesterday, when you brought those women to the house… The things that you did in front of me.” I took my eyes off him and looked down at the ground in embarrassment.  “It really hurt me.  I mean, you didn’t seem to care about my feelings. Did it ever occur to you that I would be uncomfortable with that?”

“Yes, it did,” he replied.  

I was shocked by his bluntness. “But you did it anyway?”

“I’m sorry.  But you don’t really understand…” His voice was trailing off as I interrupted him. 

“There isn’t much to understand, Bradley.  What you did was wrong and I won’t tolerate it.”

Where did that come from?

It was unlike me to be so blunt, but that was the effect Bradley had over me.

“I’m sorry to have offended you with my company.  It wasn’t meant to embarrass you.” He reached his arm across to comfort me, but I was humiliated.  

He stared at me for a little while, then pulled me close and held me.  

The wine almost spilled out of my hand as he held two arms around my back, pressing my curves against his suit.

I was breathless in his presence.

“I am deeply sorry. I didn’t stop to think about how you might feel. It is entirely my fault,” he murmured in my ear as he stroked my hair.  

I felt his warm hands caressing my cheek and I melted like a chocolate chip. 

He owned my heart.

“I like you, Jasmine. I like you a lot. There is a feeling between us that I haven’t felt before.”

My heart was going faster than I could count the beats.

My limbs were weak.

My head was lost.

“But you have to understand something.”

“Yes?” My breath was growing heavy.

“Jasmine.” He pulled away and looked me in the eyes. “I am not a nice man.”

His words were blunt and they snapped me out of my trance.

In his arms, I had never felt safer. I had never felt more vulnerable but protected.

His arms were secure.

But he was right.

He is not a nice man.

That is clear to me.

Then why does my heart have to fall for a man like him?

Damn.

Why can’t I choose who my heart falls for?

I could feel him growing hard beneath his trousers, and I was flattered that he was so attracted to me.

Maybe I could just sleep with him and my heart would be done?

Maybe it wasn’t love – maybe it was lust that I was feeling?

I couldn’t believe that it was.  

This feeling that he had over me was overpowering…

“Can I request something special, Jasmine?” he asked me.

“Yes,” I moaned.  I was in the midst of the passion, of him sweeping me off my feet and giving me everything I had ever wanted.  “Anything you want, Bradley.”  

No sooner had I said it, I regretted the words that had come out. 

“I want you to take all of your clothes off,” he said softly.  

A knot welled up in my throat.  

“Right here at the table?  But…”  

The disappointment was washing over me in waves.  

“Yes.”

I could barely breathe, and I felt like someone had stabbed me right in the chest.  I looked around wondering if this was truly happening.  

Why would he be so crass after trying so hard to apologize?  

“You don’t really get women, do you…” I pulled away from his arms and grabbed my handbag.  

The nerve of this guy was unbelievable!  

I flashed him a scowl.  

“You just think that you can win over women with your money.  Sorry, but you have failed with me.  This disgusts me.  I’m not a puppet and I wasn’t put on this planet to fulfill your sexual desires. All you do is sleep around with women and treat them like a piece of meat. A woman has feelings, emotions, and a heart. You don’t even listen to me or understand where I am coming from.  I don’t think you ever will.”  

I was steaming mad and could no longer hold back my bitter tongue.  With that, I walked away and left him sitting there all alone with his wine.  

I was foolish in thinking that Bradley would ever like me for who I am.  

Chapter 17

Damn.

Damn, damn, damn, damn.

There was not one part of my apartment that I hadn’t searched. I turned the entire place upside down. Cushions were thrown across the room, the couch had been moved for the first time since I moved in, and there was nothing left in my cupboards.

The only thing left to do was cry.

I lost the check.

The check that I had suffered so much for.

The work I performed for that check tore my heart out.

The first of the month came and went, and I wasn’t able to come up with the money to pay my rent.  I was extremely upset about it, but upset doesn’t pay the bills. 

It took only a couple of days before the landlord caught on, and he paid me a visit.  The angry knock at the door was clearly him.

“Jasmine,” he called out to me.  “I know you’re in there… You know your rent is late.  You need to make arrangements with me to pay it.  My tenants can’t live here for free.  I have to eat, too.”  

I kept still and didn’t make a sound, hoping he would go away.  

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for the money to pay it, but I didn’t want to deal with it right now.  

After a short while, he stopped trying to knock down my door with his heavy fists.  I could hear his footsteps move back down the hall towards the stairs, and I assumed that he was leaving.  

I let out the breath I was holding.  

Boy, was I in trouble.  

I started to contemplate calling my father to ask him for the money, but I hated borrowing from Dad.  He would never let me forget that I had asked for his help.  Maybe Jim could lend me the money.  Then I remembered that he had also mentioned he was having trouble paying his rent this month.

Damn.  

I opened the refrigerator, which was bare as usual.  I had two options: baking soda and ketchup.  Neither one looked particularly appetizing.  My mind flashed back to the amazing food that had been on the spread out, and wasted, at Bradley’s mansion.  

If I could have even half the food that was thrown out that night in my refrigerator right now, I wouldn’t feel so broke.  

Well, at least with the cupboards and refrigerator bare, I wouldn’t have that much to move once I got evicted.  I sighed and grabbed a noodle cup from the cupboard, filled it to the line with hot tap water, and then popped it into the microwave.  Just as I was pressing the button to turn on the microwave, I was startled by another knock at the door.  

A knot was forming in my stomach.  

I guessed the landlord wasn’t going to give me much time to find a way to pay my rent.  He knew I was home and he knew that I was avoiding him.

He was already back to yell at me again for not having it ready for him today.  My mind started to swarm with all of the late fees and eviction notices that I would have to deal with.  I dreaded trying to find someone to help me to move all of my belongings again.  

Jim had helped me to move in, but I doubted he would volunteer to lift my heavy futon back down the three flights of stairs.  

I wished I was back at home and Mom and Dad were still paying the bills.  

Being a grown-up just plain sucked sometimes.  

Being on your own meant that you had certain freedom, but I couldn’t take advantage of them because I never had any money!  

I was always stuck in my apartment, bored out of my mind. 

I knew there was no avoiding my punishment and my fate this time.  I might as well just face the music and front up to the landlord.  

I walked up to the door and took a deep breath before opening it.  I had to blink twice when I saw who was really standing on my doorstep.  

But when it sunk in that Bradley Clifford – and not his driver – was actually standing at my door, I slammed the door in his face.

I don’t want to have to deal with that.

Knock, knock.

The knocks were heavy.

I swung the door open. “What?”

I wanted to slam the door in his face again. Preferably, I would slam the door on his face.  

Just as I started to close it, he put his foot in the door to prop it open.  

“Wait,” he said.  

When I tried to object, he put his finger to my lips and said, “Shhhh….”  

This made me even angrier, and I wanted to bite his finger clean off.  

How dare he be so rude to me in my own apartment?  

I should call the cops and have him removed.  Wouldn’t that give him a rude awakening!

It was then that I noticed a crowd of people behind him.  

Each of them was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers.  I recognized Gretta.  Then I saw Brianna and Anne.  My boss was even there.  They were all holding vases full of red and pink roses.  

“What…” I stammered, confused.  “What’s this?”  

As Bradley held open the door, people came in by the droves.  By the time they were finished, my entire apartment was adorned with vases and vases full of roses.  I couldn’t believe my eyes. 

“Jasmine, just hear me out…”

I stared at him and scowled.  

How dare he try to win me over with his money?  

Did he really think this big show would get me to sleep with him?  

I knew he was just a player, and I wasn’t about to let him hurt my feelings again.  

This was absolutely insane.

“Come on, Jasmine.  Please just give the guy a chance to explain…” Brianna grinned.  

She held one of the roses underneath my nose to give me a whiff.  I furrowed my eyebrows.  Damn it, Brianna!

I was terribly confused. 

“Go on…” Anne chimed in.  “I mean, look at all the effort he’s gone through for you.” 

Great.  

He had now turned my friends against me.  

I couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy, using my own friends to try and butter me up.

What in the world was he up to?

“Will this change your mind?” he pleaded.  

He took a bag that his driver was holding and started to take its contents out.  I recognized the packaging from my favorite restaurant.  

“We scoured the city to figure out which place you get your Chinese takeout.  I wanted to show you that I do listen to you.  I hope I picked the right one…”  

The smell of the sweet and sour chicken teased my nostrils. 

“What?”

I was shocked.

He did listen.

“What happened to the landlord?” I tried to divert their attention, but it didn’t work for long. 

“He mentioned that you hadn’t paid your rent…” I was embarrassed when the words came out of Bradley’s mouth.  

Now he knows that I’m broke as a joke.  

“But I took care of the rent for you.  I felt I was sort of obligated after everything that I put you through.”

“But you can’t just…” I was frazzled.  

I knew that this obligated me to do things for Bradley that I wasn’t willing to do.  I couldn’t believe that he would do this to make me indebted to him!

“Now it’s time for you to listen, Jasmine,” he stated.  “I’m very sorry for treating you the way that I did.  But you have to realize where I’m coming from…”  

He turned and shot Gretta a glance.  I watched as she ushered all of the guests out of my apartment and back down the stairs.  Brianna was trying to peek over the woman’s big German shoulders, but then gave up and retreated with the rest of the group.  

I waited patiently for him to continue on with his speech, still confused about my feelings.  

My cell phone started to vibrate on the counter.  

“Throughout my adult life, men have been throwing their daughters at me.  They do it in an effort to get me to marry just to keep old money together,” he explained.  “I know that these women don’t like the real me.  They don’t even try to get to know me.  They are only around for the money, the prestige, and the lifestyle that I can give to them…” 

“Well, I am not one of those women and I can’t compete…” I argued.  

He grabbed my hand in his and squeezed.  “The dinner was a test…  A sort of publicity stunt…”

“What do you mean?”  I was really confused now.  

I couldn’t believe that he would play so many women or put them through a silly test.  

“I needed to show my business partners that I had given each of their daughters a fair shot.  That I had at least considered them before I chose the one who I would ask to marry me…  Unfortunately, they all failed the test.”

“I don’t understand… I…” 

“I was trying to find someone with morals and values.  I need someone who can stand up to me.  Someone who is worthy of standing by my side and being my partner.  Someone who is intelligent and confident, not some girl who’s just eye candy willing to sex me up just to win over my heart.  Do you understand yet?”

I shook my head. “Then why invite me to your disgusting dinner?”

“Because I needed to know that you weren’t into that. I needed to know that you were disgusted by the behavior.”

I shook my head in confusion.

“I want… I need someone who is better than I am.”

I stared at him to see if he was playing me.  

“I need a real woman.”

“You were right about one thing,” I stated.

“What’s that?”

“You aren’t a very nice person.” I made the statement without a hint of a smile.

“Teach me how to be.”

I looked at him, still puzzled.  “I’m not sure I am the right person to do that.”

“I am.”

At that moment, he dropped down to one knee while he still held my hand in his.  I could feel that his hand was getting clammy.  It was the first time that I recognized he wasn’t the jerk that I thought he was.  He was a vulnerable and honest man standing in front of me asking me to love him. 

“When I realized what was truly in your heart, Jasmine, I realized that I had found my girl. The one that I want to spend the rest of my life with.”  He started to dig in his shirt pocket and fished out a box.  “You are so much different from all those other women.  You want to know the real me.  You don’t look at me with dollar signs in your eyes.  You’re not high maintenance and full of snobbery.  You are what my mother was to my father.  She kept him in line, and she stayed by his side until his last days, even when he was broke and penniless.” 

He fumbled with the box in his hand.  

I noticed it was covered in gold foil, and the name on it was the most expensive jewelry store in L.A.  

I couldn’t believe this was really happening.  

It was as if I were in a dream.

I gasped as I saw the ring inside the box.  It was the largest, most intricate diamond-and-gold setting that I had ever seen.  

“Are you really saying what I think you’re saying?”   

He nodded.  I started to open my mouth, searching my heart for an answer.  

Was this really something that I wanted?  

What would my parents think?  

Could I really handle this kind of lifestyle?  

“Say yes, you idiot!” I heard Brianna blurt out, and I realized the crowd of people had been waiting around the corner of the corridor the entire time, watching the events unfold. 

“Really?” I asked.  

He nodded to confirm that it was true. “Will you be my bride?”

“Okay… Yes, uh… I mean… Yes!”  I threw my arms around his neck and he twirled me around.  

I wish I could say that we waited for the wedding before making love, but we didn’t.  

Bradley scooped me up and carried me across the threshold of my apartment.  

He didn’t care that my bed was messy.  

He didn’t care if there were news crews waiting outside to get details of his engagement to a broke chef who had dropped out of law school.  

He didn’t care that we had slammed and locked the apartment door on all of our friends who had helped him plan his proposal.  

The two of us forgot the sweet and sour chicken that was getting cold on the table as we hungrily unbuttoned each other’s clothing.  I love that he brought me flowers and my favorite Chinese takeout. 

His eyes darted up and down my face as he backed up to drink in the scene before he ravished me.  My eyes lowered to his lips, and I wanted to taste him again.    

I wanted to say that I always felt the sexual tension that was there between him and me from the first day.  I thought he was just a common player, when all the while he had his eyes set on me.  I couldn’t believe that I was his chosen one.  And I too chose him now.  I caught him undressing me with his eyes, and then following it through with his fingers.  First, he pulled up my blouse over my head.  He looked down at my black lacy bra in appreciation.  He was hungry, but he wanted to devour me slowly and savor every morsel of my skin.  I knew now that he wants me, and I wanted him in return.