The Billionaire (8 page)

"Let me know when your classes end. We need to
make plans, can't have you sitting around here all summer now can we?"

"Really, where would we go?" Her eyes lit up
and she bounced in my lap making me laugh and groan at the same time.

I've been fighting a hard on ever since she climbed
into my lap. I don't want to scare her half to death but neither did I want
there to be any uneasiness between us. She’s going to learn about my body’s
reaction to hers sooner or later. There’s no way to keep it hidden for the next
three months.

I stole a kiss to distract her from my rod poking into
her thigh, soft gentle kisses no tongue as yet,
I
didn't want to push my luck.

Although I'd promised myself not to make complete love
to her until she was older, I knew it was unrealistic to think that I could lie
next to her every night and not touch her. I knew there was going to be a lot
of touching for the next three months.

That night she slept on my chest, her legs snuggled
between mine, and me, the guy who couldn't stand cuddling slept like a fucking
baby with her sweet weight on top of me.

The next morning we were more relaxed with each other.
I let her browbeat me into eating breakfast, at least if was just fresh fruit
with muesli and fresh squeezed orange juice.

She seemed more in her element here, puttering around
my kitchen in her school uniform, the little band around her head making her
look even younger. I almost felt like a perv, especially when I trapped her
between my body and the island and ate at her cherry flavored lips.

"I can't wait to make love to you."

I felt her whole frame shiver at my whispered words,
good, maybe I'll keep her primed between now and her birthday. By the time I
actually get inside her she would be stoked for it.

"Gideon, don't say stuff like that." She was
red as a cherry, her face hot to the touch when I kissed her cheek but she had
a little shy smile as she tried to hide from me.

I needed to get her off to school. I still hadn't
listened to the tapes yet and I wanted to get that done today, then there was a
lot to do to prepare for our future.

Chapter 10

I took her to school on my way to work, and didn’t
that sound fucking insane? I’m the twenty-six year old head of a Fortune Five
Hundred company and my girlfriend is a twelfth grader, for fuck’s sake. What if
I hadn’t seen her that day? Or the wind hadn’t been blowing in just that way
that made her play in her hair the way she had that caught my eye? I shudder to
think what might’ve become of my beautiful girl then. No matter what I’ll never
regret having her in my life.

Sanders had been right though, there were some who
would scoff at the disparity in our relationship, and some could kiss my ass. I
answer to no one, which meant no one had any say in what the fuck I do with my
life. The only people who mattered were my family and I had no doubt they’d
love my girl. Mom especially would want to mother here, which was fine by me
she could use all the love and attention she could stand. But first they’d have
to stand in line because it was going to be a while before I felt like sharing
my treasure with anyone else.

“Do you get out early again today baby?” We’d pulled
up to the school and some of the kids were checking out the limo but couldn’t
see beyond the tinted glass. I’d decided against asking her about friends at
school because I was pretty sure she had none but…”Does anyone here bother you
Blossom?”

“No I pretty much always just kept to myself. I think
some of them
thinks
I’m weird but no one has ever been
mean or anything. And no I’m not getting our early. Will you still be able to
come get me? I can find my way back I think, it doesn’t seem that far.”

“Don’t be silly of course I’ll cone get you.” I kissed
her cute little nose as the driver came around to let her out.

“I don’t want to take you away from anything if you’re
busy…”

“Hey, I’ll never be too busy for you ever okay.” That
got me a smile and a quick kiss, which only left me wanting.

“I’ll see you later sweetheart have a good day.” She
climbed out after assuring me she would and I watched her walk into the
building. As soon as she was out of sight and the car was pulling out into
traffic my mind went to what laid ahead. All the planning and moving things
around to make sure she had a smooth transition. The first order of business
would be to clear my schedule for her upcoming vacation. Maybe tonight after
dinner I’d have her pick out a place that she’d like to visit. Or maybe we’d
take the yacht out onto the Mediterranean for the whole summer, whatever she
wanted.

“ Good morning Sandy hold all my calls until farther
notice and I’m out to anyone but family or the school.” I’d already let those
who needed to know that she was to be put through to me no matter what if for
some reason she couldn’t get me on her phone. I’d bought her a new one and
programmed all my numbers into it but I wasn’t taking any chances. Until I’d
dealt with her father once and for all everyone was on high fucking alert. “Yes
sir.”

I went into my office and set up the tape recorder
schooling myself for whatever fuckery I was about to walk into. Nothing
could’ve prepared me for the shit that was about to unfold.

I sat in stone cold silence as I listened to Cliff
Sanders and Keith Starks discuss how they were going to get Ashley back. As
they argued the merits of going up against me, compared to the money they stood
to lose from the sale of a human being, I felt my gorge rise. To hear him speak
of her as though she were nothing made the blood in my veins boil. I wanted his
blood in my throat in that moment, had he been standing before me he would be
dead.

After I'd thrown up what little contents I had in my
stomach I started planning.

I made copies of the tapes, I couldn't stomach any
more for now that was enough for me for today. Especially after hearing him go
after her when he found the things I had bought her. The things he'd said to
her, the names he'd called her, no man should ever speak to his child like that
and especially not one who didn't deserve it.

I couldn't think about that right now though, I had
things to do. I had to combat whatever play they were going to make.

I called up my pilot and had him fuel up the jet, then
made some last minute phone calls canceling some very important and highly
lucrative meetings for the next few days. Too bad, they could wait or they
could go elsewhere, this was more important, she was more important.

I checked my watch as I placed the recordings in my
safe, another hour before she had lunch.

I went to the house to pick up a few things and
debated calling my mom but decided to put that off for now. She'd understand I
had no doubt.

When I pulled up to the school she we just coming out
the door. Since I'd warned her not to go to her tree alone she was headed to a
bench closer to the school.

I got out and walked to the edge of the little grassy
area where she sat surrounded by her peers, though she sat off to the side by
herself.

I watched her for a while as she took her lunch out
and put her headphones in her ears.

With my hands stuffed in my pockets I made my way
towards her.

She saw me coming or sensed me and looked up with a
smile as she rose from her seat.

"Hello Blossom."

"Hi, what're you doing here?" She made as if
to hug me but then remembered where we were as we felt the curious eyes on us.

"I need you to get your things, did you have
tests today?"

"Yeah but we're done, why what's wrong?" She
started wringing her hands fear already palpable in her eyes.

"Is it my dad, is he coming to get me?" She
looked around like a hunted animal and I wanted to howl. I bit down on my anger
and focused on her and what I had to do.

"No sweetheart, no one's going to take you away
from me, I just need you to come with me okay."

"You promise?" She bit her lip. How could I
not touch her? I didn't want to scandalize the student body so I settled for
caressing her cheek.

"I promise, now go get your stuff and do what you
need to do in order to leave, do you need me to go to the office?"

"No that's okay, I can do it I'll be back before
you know it."

She skipped away, once more reminding me just how
young she was. I hope I was doing the right thing if not I would be screwing up
both our lives.

She was back in less than fifteen minutes, taking my
elbow as we headed back to the car. At least she didn’t look so scared anymore.

"So where're we going?"

"I'll explain everything as soon as we're in the
air."

"In the air, we're flying somewhere?"

She got so excited she grabbed my arm. I knew she'd
never flown anywhere before, today was going to be a lot of firsts for my
little Blossom.

I kept the conversation light as we travelled to the
airfield, which was easy because Blossom jabbered the whole way with
excitement. The strength of my feelings for her were very evident to me in that
moment as she took me out of my brewing inner rage with her innocent joy in
something that I so often took for granted.

It's just one of the ways that she gets to me. That
first day seeing her across the way, all I saw was her beauty of form. I had no
idea she would turn out to be this magnificent creature that would wrap herself
around my heart and pull me into her sweetness.

We boarded the plane and she still had not stopped.
She asked a million questions, but not about where we were going. That’s
another thing, if I told her I would explain something later she pretty much
took my word for it and waited without badgering me to death. That was a
condition most adults couldn't even master. I was sure it had something to do
with her upbringing but I saw it as strength.

 
So her
questions had nothing to do with what you’d expect of a female, especially one
so young on her first flying adventure, instead my Blossom wanted to know
everything about the plane. How it worked, could she see the controls? She was
like a kid in a candy store. Her excitement almost made me forget why we were
here in the first place.

"Would you like to take flying lessons little
one?"

Her eyes and mouth opened wide as she nodded her head
not quite able to speak it appeared. So adorably cute I couldn’t resist kissing
her lips closed, just a soft brush from mine to hers. “So you shall have them
I’ll teach you myself.” I couldn’t wait to show her the world out there, open
up all the wonders that she’d been missing.

She jabbered away at me a mile a minute until I had to
recall everything I’d ever learned about flying, I think I still had some old
manuals at home I’ll have to remember to dig them out for her. Was I ever this
excited about anything as a teen? I’m sure there were tines I was, but usually
I took most things in stride. I guess that comes from living a life of
privilege, you just expected everything to
be
as you
wanted it. With her I suppose I’ll be seeing the world in a whole new light.

“You didn’t get to finish lunch baby how about
something to eat?” She was practically vibrating with excitement and it was all
I could do not to laugh. She put her hand over her tummy shaking her head. “I’m
not hungry Gideon.” Too much excitement I guess, all the same she had to have
something she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, which had been fruit and cereal.
“Just have a little snack for me okay?” She consented to an apple and I guess I
had to be satisfied with that.

She put her head on my shoulder and took my hand in
hers. I smelt her hair and her soft scent tickled my nose. I think she fell
asleep within minutes of laying her head there. So innocent, so trusting, and
just like that the anger was back.

I put my arms around her as we flew off into the sky,
vowing to myself that I would rid her of every threat to her happiness, no one
would ever again be allowed to harm her not in anyway. I had already set things
in motion to protect her, what I was about to do will be the first major step
in putting myself between her and danger. But there was still much to be done
and time was of the essence. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to safeguard
her.

What was the use of me having all this power if I
wasn't going to use it? Especially to protect my own, which she now was, now
and forever if I had my way. I sat there holding her while she slept my mind
forming and discarding ideas, there was no longer any doubt in my mind that the
asshole had to be destroyed. I’d thought to spare him because of what it might
do to her but he was more of a danger to her than anything else. I couldn’t let
that stand. She made waking sounds and stretched in my arms.

"Ashley, do you remember when I asked you to marry
me?"

She nodded her head against my chest and squeezed me
without moving.

"Well, it looks like we're going to be doing it a
lot sooner than I thought."

"Really?" She squealed and picked her head
up, asking a thousand questions at once until some of the light faded from her
face.

"Your mom didn't want to do it?" Shit, I
should've known she would think something like that. I didn't want to tell her
the truth about why we were racing across the sky to get hitched in a quickie
ceremony. But I wouldn't have her thinking that her new mother in law hated her
either.

"Baby, it's not that, it's just…I gave it some
thought and in order for us to get your father's name removed as your guardian
and take away all his power over you, this is the best thing to do. I just
don't want to wait any longer. If you want to have a ceremony and celebration
later then that's what we'll do, but I want us to be married as soon as
possible." There that sounded feasible, though why the fuck I was
protecting that asshole I don’t know. You’re not protecting him you’re
protecting her heart the truth would destroy her.

"I don't need a ceremony Gideon remember, that
was for your mom and your friends. I don't have anyone to invite so..."
She shrugged her shoulders, having no idea that she'd just gutted me with her
innocent acceptance of her fate up to this point. She'd also just sealed Cliff
Sanders and Keith Stark's fate they were both fucked.

I sent her to the restroom to change into the dress
I'd bought her for the occasion. It was just a simple ivory colored silk sheath
with matching
flats,
my baby does not like heels. Her
only Jewelry was her new ear studs, and later the rock I had picked out for her
finger. I hope she liked it I’d not had the time I would’ve liked to choose and
since it was going to be gracing her finger for the next sixty or seventy years
I needed it to be spectacular. The jeweler had assured me that it was the best
of its kind.

When she came out of the room, hair brushed and
flowing down her back, holding the little nosegay of flowers I'd had the
presence of mind to grab, she looked simply stunning.

"Gorgeous." She blushed, smiled at me, and
hid behind her hair.

"Come sit with me, we're almost there."

We landed and headed for the waiting limo, which took
us to the prearranged destination. For something that had been thrown together
last minute things were going rather smoothly. That’s what having money and
power can do, it removes obstacles, and makes shit happen.

The ceremony was short and to the point, but it got
the job done. We walked out of there as husband and wife. Ashley never stopped
smiling the whole time and her grip on my arm was very comforting. She was
happy, that seems to be my only goal these days, making her happy and that
smile alone was worth everything I’d had to do to get us here.

"We'll go have dinner and spend the night here,
tomorrow we'll be back home, but when school lets out for the summer we'll go
on our honeymoon okay?"

She just nodded as she gazed at her ring for the
one-hundredth time. I'm glad I'd gone for the three carat round surrounded by
smaller circular stones and the matching wedding band. My own ring was a plain
platinum band that said all I needed it to say. I was taken.

She was back to jabbering away about everything which
made me feel like a youngster again, she found such delight in everything it
was impossible not to be sucked in to her pleasure.

Dinner was a simple affair. She was too excited to eat
so we had tropical salads with grilled pineapple and strawberries tossed in
romaine with pineapple vinaigrette, topped with blackened
Mahi
Mahi
. She was tired after that so it was back to the
hotel for the night and then off again in the morning. My wife needed to go
back to school. Fuck me.