The Billionaire's Bride (Complete Collection) (14 page)

“Where are you taking me?”

“Don't worry. Please, just get in the back. It'll all be explained.”

I fought again, my energy sapped, they pushed me inside. My ass hit the floor, two jumped inside with me, and then the van's engine rumbled. I lurched forward for the door but it slammed closed.

My fists pounded against it as we raced away.

“Where are you taking me?” I screamed at them.

I screamed so many times that the men next to me eventually broke their silence.

“To Lucas Moore.”

No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t avoid that name.

T
ia was mine again
. The circumstances weren’t what I’d hoped for. They were the complete opposite, probably taking me back another step, when I felt like we were already over the cliff.  Rage over the whole incident a few months ago had been bottled up. I thought it had left me, but when I learned that Tia had almost been kidnapped, I went fucking mad. But it was still good to have her back.

I lifted my office phone. I threw open the blinds. The stark moon cast its glow on the beach below, an enchanting scene, but it didn't help curb my mood.  I quickly dialed my father's private number, a number only used for emergencies.

He picked it up in a huff.

“What's the problem?”

I hadn't talked to him ever since that day I told him to leave my property. We talked through business emails now.

“If you had anything to do with this, family or not, I'll kill you.”

Threatening murder hadn't been what I'd planned. I hadn't planned anything, really. I picked up the phone without thinking, only with blind rage. I was surprised that I hadn't said anything worse.

“What's going on?”

He sounded sincere. I let myself fall back in my leather seat as I overlooked the ocean, dark as black ink spreading as far as the eye could see.

“Tell me…” I growled. “Did you have something to do with what happened to Tia?”

“Should've known it'd be about that girl.” My father didn't pause for long, noticing the growling coming over the other end. “Leave me out of it. I’m not involved.”

“Sorry to have woken you up. Go back to bed now,” I told him. He grumbled, but I was too livid to keep talking. He always put me in a sour mood anyway.

“Is she okay?” he asked before I hung up the phone.

“She will be. She's with me now,” I told him. “Goodbye, Dad.”

I hung up the phone. Tia would arrive in twenty minutes. They said she was unharmed, thank God. I headed downstairs to wait. Sitting on a barstool in my kitchen, I stared out the windows into the driveway. Tia couldn't arrive soon enough.

Who had done this to her? Who would try to hurt her?

She might not like being back with me, but I would force her to stay with me until I was sure she was safe. Having her back was a tempting opportunity, one which I couldn’t deal with, and with my patience wearing thin, I took off for my workout room.

I stripped down to only my pants, but they restricted too much. I took them off as well. In my boxers, I pummeled the punching dummy with blow after blow. I kept pounding away at it, hoping that it would help distract me.

After ten minutes of hard work, sweating profusely, I hurried to the kitchen again and checked the road.

Another suspect entered my mind. Endorphins from working out had most likely knocked the idea loose. Could it have been one of the girls? Spurned by my dismissal, trying to get revenge?

There was only one other person I could think of.

Jayne.

She would have the money and the contacts to make something like this happen. If it was Jayne, Tia was in some serious danger. I was suddenly glad for my overprotectiveness. Keeping the security detail on her had seemed a little mad for a while, especially since she wouldn't return my texts for two months. I had begun to think it was a way for me to keep her in my life...

But it had saved her tonight.

My father had seemed genuinely concerned. That was another surprise. This night was turning into something far more complicated than I could've imagined. I was supposed to sign off on company logos. A simple and fun task.

Now I wanted to go beat up my play dummy again, because someone had tried to kidnap the girl I was crazy for.

I looked down at my beating chest. My muscles were tense, like I was ready to charge into battle. I'd only be running right into Tia...scaring the hell out of her. After all of this time between us, and what happened since our last meeting, I imagined she would be standoffish.

Maybe some clothes were in order.

I headed back upstairs to my bedroom. Looking in my closet, I picked the first thing I spotted— a black knitted long sleeved shirt. Then I put on gray boot cut jeans. I slipped on a thick leather belt, and then headed downstairs to await Tia's arrival. She couldn’t arrive soon enough.

“Please, let me go?”

“No, how many times do we have to repeat that?’”

“Until you let me go.”

“You’re not making this easy,” the man in the back of the dark van said to me. “We need to return you to Lucas Moore, so that he can ensure that you’re safe.”

Knees against my chest, I huddled against the side of the van as it careened through the city. We were moving fast and I wasn't even sure why. Were we still in danger? Those men had scared away the other attackers. Unless there were more.

I had no idea. I had no idea what was going on. I knew just one thing...that I would be seeing Lucas again, which I wasn't prepared for.

Distance between us hadn't made it easier. The whole ride, I complained, hoping that they would give in and let me go. Twenty minutes later in the stuffy van, we arrived at Lucas’s mansion. The cool autumn air rushed to greet me as I stepped out.

I thought about running, but they surrounded me.

“Watch her,” the driver said. He had a pair of black aviators tied around his neck. He looked like he was a pro wrestler. The others glared at me, their stares telling me that at any sign of movement, they would make it difficult for me.

“Fine, I'm not going anywhere,” I said. I harrumphed, flung my hands against my thighs, and sat on the back of the van.

Soon enough, Lucas would join us. Probably looking so hot I would lose my mind. That was how it always went.

It was easy to avoid his texts. Just don't look at my phone. But now I would be forced to hear his words. That smooth, persuasive tone could get me to do anything. So stubborn. So stubborn, and sexy, fighting for me, protecting me. I thought I understood that word, sexy, before I met Lucas. No, he’d restructured all ideas about what a man could be.

A few months ago, I would've been panting at the idea of seeing Lucas. Now I thought about making a break for the fence.

I could've laughed at the image of myself trying to climb over that thing, but it seemed far too realistic. My dress would get stuck on one of those many steel spires. My ass would be exposed. Lucas would stroll right out to see it flailing at him. He'd be in heaven and I'd be in hell.

“Tia...”

He called for me from far away as he came sprinting out of his house. I leapt from the van and then stood at the side of it, like at any moment I might try to dive back inside.

My worst fears came true. Lucas looked incredible. And that caring, protective look he had as he rushed to greet me, to make sure I was okay, melted my cold heart. He wore a long sleeved shirt that clung to his ripped figure. I liked this Lucas. Even when he tried to be down to Earth, he was out of this world.

“I'm fine,” I said. I peered downward, hoping it would slow his advance.

Not a chance.

Lucas caught my hips. I darted onto my heels. I leaned back so much I almost tilted over, and he noticed my alarm and let go.

I stared into those loving eyes I'd tried so hard to forget.

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine. I mean...I'm a little confused.” I looked to the corners of my vision where the soldiers guarded. I whispered, “These guys, the ones who look like super soldiers, who are they?”

He rubbed between the bridge of his nose, then squinted. Lucas told them to leave. “Thank you, guys, that'll be it.”

They followed his orders immediately.

“These men are employed by me.”

“Why were they following me?”

Lucas took me by the shoulder. We started to walk toward his house.

“I hired security to follow you, to make sure you were safe.”

I pulled my shoulder back. He reeled around to face me.

“Why would I need security?” I also added in a rising tone, “And you hired people...
to follow me
?” He’d said that part like it was an everyday thing.
Oh yeah, no problem, just hired security detail for you, babe. No, not going to be glossed over this time, Lucas.

“You obviously needed it tonight. Aren't you glad I kept it on you?”

“Who...who is trying to kidnap me?”

Lucas shrugged. “I wish I knew.” He took a step closer, but I took a step back.

“Lucas, I'm glad you helped me, but I should go. This shouldn't be happening. I shouldn’t be here.”

“Nonsense. Of course you should be here. Where else should you be?”

“Back home. Where I know I belong.”

His silver eyes flashed. They could’ve cut me in two. “You’ll be staying here for the night. I don’t care what you do in the long term, but right now, I’m concerned about your safety.”

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

You don’t own me. You never did. What you said about me being yours turned out to be a lie. We were only playing around...and that playing got me hurt too many times.

“History doesn’t agree with you.” He crossed his arms over his barrel chest and tipped his head back, tempting me to challenge him.

“It’s different now. What we had was good, but it wasn’t right. Please, Lucas, if you ever cared about me, help me…”

“Help you deny me?” He shook his head slowly. “What you’re asking for is impossible.”

“What we had was good, but it wasn’t sustainable...what your father said was true...I don’t belong in your world. I’m not a part of it.”

Lucas smirked. He strode up to me. I gasped as he snatched my back and then pulled me to his lips.

Silenced, I struggled against him for a second. The next, I was wide open again, allowing him to drive his tongue against mine, taking control of me and reminding me of passionate nights that we shared, and how many more we could have if I let it continue.

I didn’t stop him. I couldn’t.

“You’re right for me, Tia. There’s no one else out there for me. Only you. And you know it.”

He took my hand and pulled me toward his house. My feet were moving on their own. Then I was inside. Then against the wall. Crawling up it, reaching toward the ceiling to hold, no matter how absurd that was, once again I was out of my mind, and Lucas was in it.

His musky, testosterone laced scent kept me panting against the wall, even after he let me go.

“Tell me that wasn't right,” he stated. I couldn't.

I unwound my fingers from his belt. I uncurled my fingers, keeping them straight, as if telling them not to get involved.
Don't touch him, he's dangerous,
I wanted them to understand, but the next moment he thrust himself against me, and my fingers wound around his belt again.

My treacherous fingers tried to pull him in deeper, closer. I wanted more, so much more.

His kissing, while under different circumstances would be harsh, was soft to me now. After being strung up, paddled, and fucked rough the last time I saw him...and after a long wait, Lucas knew I desired
hard
.

How had I let this happen? Months of struggling to keep him away, then one meeting, and I was his once again.

“Tell me this isn't right,” he said, stronger this time.

He grinned when he saw my stupefied look. What was I to do? It was right. Too fucking right.

I would've curled up in my defensive shell, but he took me by the hips, picked me up, and shoved me higher against the wall. I wanted to warn him of my weight but he held me up with ease. Other men had tried to do the same and failed miserably, ruining the moment. Lucas, once again, proved he was not a normal man.

“I don't hear you complaining now.”

“Don't fool yourself.”

He breathed close to my ear. His lips brushed against my neck, and I curled against him as he dove deeper into the vulnerable crook I’d exposed. “You want me. You
need
me. Nothing has changed. You've only gotten
closer
to me the more you've tried to run.”

He split my lips again and rolled against my tongue. He pinned it, then thrust deeper, making me halfway squeal and halfway moan. My hips buckled. Rubbing against his thin sleeved shirt, his abs sliding between my thighs, he caught my voice in my throat. I gasped and shuddered, then bit down on my lip, trying to reclaim my independence...but if that would ever happen again, I would need to get far away from Lucas.

“No, Lucas,” I said, shaking my head.

Lucas attacked my tender neck with kisses. A weak spot. One that he marked a long time ago as a vulnerability. I clamped down against him, then released, my sex trying to pull him inside, but we were still clothed and there was still a lot more in our way before we got there.

“This isn't right,” I blurted out. My grave expression caused his hold on me to weaken. I slid back down to my feet, understandably shaky from his touch, and leaned against the wall as he paced away.

“Please, don't be mad,” I pleaded.

Seeing Lucas hurt made me want to call him back. But I wouldn't let him kiss me out of pity. I was proud of all of my training over the past few months to defend myself against him.

A part of me said
you see that, you smug bastard? I CAN say no to you.
Another wanted to take him, hug him real quick to change his mood, then have happy Lucas go wild on me.

“Go on. You have something to say. Say it now.” Even angry, he looked too hot. His ruffled blond streaks looked like he'd just woken from sleep, his lip curved in displeasure, but I still imagined them over my neck, still prickling from his hungry kisses.

The words didn’t come easily. “I'm not convinced.”

He raised an eyebrow. In his informal attire he seemed much bigger, much more intimidating. The titan remained unbroken before me.

Nothing I said would convince him.

“Go on,” he said again.

“You're making this difficult.” He nodded and smirked a little. Sighing, I continued, “I need more than sex with you, because after sex, I look ahead. I can't help it. But nothing you can say can convince me of our future. I don't see it. I can't see it working out.”