Enraptured (9 page)

I clenched my eyes to fight more damnable tears. I heard him rise from his chair, but by the time I opened my eyes again, it was to catch him walking away.

I joined Jonathan in our office shortly after, and he was hard at work on one of his latest assignments. He was concerned as I approached. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I gave him a brave smile. “Some days are tougher than others, you know that.”

He nodded as I sat. “Sorry I ambushed you at Dad’s office. I just thought having Alex work with us would make things better between Alex and Dad. If you’re mad at Alex,” he started but I cut him off.

“I’m not.”

“So what’s wrong?”

I sighed. There was no way I could tell him. “Like I said, some days are worse than others. I just feel a little overwhelmed sometimes.”

“I can help you,” he offered hopefully. “So can Alex. Like last year.”

The knot in my stomach twisted. “Give me some time to think about it,” I said. “Now you have to go get packed. Your mom will be here before you know it.”

He nodded and closed the folder he was working on before he left the room. As if my day wasn’t stressful enough, I would soon have to face off with the ex-Mrs. Fullerton. I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Just as I expected, she wore a hateful expression on her face from the moment I opened the door. She brushed past me. “I’m here to pick up my son.”

“He’s packing,” I explained as I followed her to the living room.

“Good,” she said as she spun to face me. “That’ll give us some time alone.”  Her eyes were icy blue as she glared at me. “You may have everyone else fooled, but I saw through your game from the moment we met. You’re nothing but trailer trash that got lucky, and you’ll never fit into this family, I don’t care how many of these idiots you’ve snowed.”

My jaw clenched as I crossed my arms in front of me. “When are you going to get it, Elise? I don’t care if you hate me. This isn’t about us. This is about Jonathan.”

“Please,” she sneered. “Once your baby is born you’re going to forget all about him and you know it. He’s not your winning lottery ticket anymore. Now that you have a Fullerton heir
of your very own, they’ll have to blast you with dynamite to get you away from this family.”

My eyebrow arched. “I guess you’d know.”

Her face screwed into a scowl. “You don’t know what I’ve been through for this family. I earned my place here. You weren’t around when Malcolm marched around here like the maniacal tyrant he was, making everyone miserable from the very moment I walked into this house.”

“Then why make it harder than it has to be?” I asked.

She stepped closer. “Because they don’t deserve easy. They got everything they ever wanted only to throw it away, used and damaged and ugly.” She held out her arms. “Just look at me. And don’t think Alex is any different. He’s not. In fact, he may be worse. At least Drew never denied being a womanizing, sexist jerk. He never said, ‘I love you.’ He never promised to be faithful.” She glared down her nose at me. “You think you’re the first one they’ve bounced between them like a tennis ball? That’s their favorite game. I can guarantee you won’t be the last, no matter what they tell you now. Maybe it’ll be a new secretary down at the office. Or you’ll end up with a new nanny for the new baby. As you get fatter, incubating a precious Fullerton offspring, a new crop of gold-digging whores will jump right in to take your place. A beautiful new girl will fall for the moony, romantic, unattainable Alex and Drew will go from chasing after you every night to sleeping in his study because he had to ‘work.’ He won’t stop until every woman alive knows who the real alpha male is, and just like us, they’ll all be powerless to resist. Then they’ll get the diamonds and the trips and the sex, while you get to smile pretty for the camera like nothing is wrong, and you’re perfectly content being just another brood mare for the stables.” She snickered. “So, yeah. I’ll take every goddamned dime I can get out of them.”

She
glanced me up and down before she said, “You know, you should be down on your knees thanking me for giving Drew a reason to seduce you. As long as I’m around, he has something to prove to the world. The wholesome bride, the saintly Madonna, to cleanse his palate from the selfish socialite he couldn’t get enough of just a few years before. That should clean his image right up in time for a senatorial run. But deep down he’s hungry for more. He needs it. He needs to be wanted. He needs to be adored. It’s a lust in his blood. You’ll never be enough, no matter how many heirs you breed. Take my advice. Divorce him and take him for as much as you can get out of him. Otherwise he’s just going to make a fool out of you, too.”

She stepped away from me when she heard Jonathan’s footfalls in the hallway. She was all smiles as he entered the room. “Hey, sugar,” she greeted with a feigned sweetness I knew Jonathan could easily detect.

His face was resigned as he allowed her hug. They turned to leave and she sent one last hateful glance at me over her shoulder before the door slammed behind them.

I was sleeping when Drew came home early that evening.
I was worn out by the confrontations of the day, which had me feeling queasier than normal. Cleo sent me straight to bed, and who was I to argue? I dozed immediately and all the way until Drew made it home. I woke to find him standing beside the bed, packing clothes into an open suitcase. I pulled myself into a sitting position. “Where are you going?”

“Where are
we
going,” he corrected. “Since Jonathan won’t be home until Sunday night, I thought we could get away ourselves for the weekend. I don’t know about you, but I could use a change of scenery.”

My first impulse was to decline, unable to muster the enthusiasm of an impromptu trip. “Drew…
,” I began.

He snapped the suitcase shut and placed it on the floor, rolling it to the hall. “Thank you, Harrison,” he said to the waiting valet as he handed off the baggage. He turned back to me. “It dawned on me today what a delicate balance we walk week in and week out. We sacrifice time with each other to meet the needs of our child, because that is what
one does as a parent. But we are also a newly committed couple, and that demands just as much attention. It’s up to us to steal what chances we can to strengthen our relationship, which benefits our children most of all.” He stopped in front of me. “Jet is fueled and waiting,” he said as he reached out a hand. “Let’s be spontaneous.”

“I haven’t packed,” I offered helplessly.

“You don’t need to,” he assured.

I placed my hand in his and he pulled me to my feet,
and then led me down the hall and down the stairs.

“Do I get to ask where we’re going?”

“No,” he decided on the spot. “You get to trust me.”

He took my arm and led me to the car.

Drew’s plane was even more luxurious than the one he had originally chartered to transport me from Texas to Los Angeles. The interior of this plane was sleek, in blue, white and gray, with leather bench seating and swivel recliners and small tables. There were red roses around the cabin. The beautiful blonde flight attended named Bethany welcomed us aboard with complimentary champagne for Drew and sparkling cider for me.

We took our seats and accepted our drinks, and within minutes we were lifting off into the darkening sky. Once we reached our cruising altitude, Bethany informed us we could unbuckle our seatbelts and get comfortable.

“Will there be anything else, Mr. Fullerton?” she asked.

“Not at the moment,” he replied with that show-stopping smile. “Thank you, Bethany.”

Professional though she was, even Bethany couldn’t help blushing a bit from Drew’s attention. She disappeared into the rear cabin, which gave us some privacy.

Drew rested his arm along the back of the bench seat where we sat, snug like a love seat.
He was quiet as he traced my jaw with his finger. “This is only the beginning of what I want to show you,” he murmured finally. “This weekend you will learn what it means to be a Fullerton. Anything your heart desires can be yours for the having. This is my world, Rachel. And I want to give it to you.”

My eyes fluttered shut as his mouth descended onto mine. It was a tender, probing kiss,
which took its time to coax my mouth open and mingle my tongue with his. He savored every detail of the kiss as he slid his hand up to cup my face. He groaned deep in his throat as he dragged his mouth away. “I could kiss you forever,” he whispered. “I still dream about you, even when you sleep right in my arms. I wake up and there you are. Right at the tips of these fingers,” he said as he ran his hand up under my shirt. His eyes swallowed me as he stared down at me. “Right at the tip of my tongue.” Another kiss, deeper, hungrier. I moaned as his mouth traveled from my lips toward my ear and along the sensitive curve of my neck.

“Drew,” I gasped and he shuddered against me, unable to contain his own uncontrolled moan. He peeled off my top before kissing his way to my full breasts. His tongue went right to work on the painfully hardened peak until I couldn’t help but cry out.

He eased me over to straddle his lap. I was immediately self-conscious as I looked down at him, naked from the waist up. I kept hearing those things I learned in that courtroom, the things Drew had said about purposefully finding someone undesirable, and how that ultimately led him to me. Elise’s earlier admonitions also rang in my ear. Had he only wanted me because Alex did?

He read my insecurities immediately. “Feel me, Rachel,” he invited as he reaches his hips toward me. “Feel how hard I am for you. Just you,” he whispered as he pulled me closer for another raw kiss. His hand captured my swaying breast. I whimpered a bit in his mouth as his thumb brushed over it. He teased me for long, agonizing minutes. He remained fully dressed as he tortured me with his fingers and with his tongue. He never let me come.
Instead he savored his new official role as my lover by making me ache with pleasure. I was alive with need as he scooted me off of his lap and gently put my bra and my shirt back on. The pilot turned on the light for us to fasten our seatbelts, and Drew’s jet landed at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada.

By the time Bethany re-emerged, my mouth was swollen from his kiss, a blush crept around my neck and my nipples were hard enough to cut glass. She sent a knowing smirk his way. “Enjoy your flight, Mr. Fullerton?”

He brought my hand to his lips. “Indeed.”

A limousine was ready to transport us to our luxury hotel right on the Las Vegas strip. “Mr. Fullerton,” greeted another lovely young woman as we approached.
“So good to see you.” She kissed him on his cheek before turning to me. “And you must be Mrs. Fullerton. It is so lovely to meet you,” she gushed with a picture-perfect smile.

There was more champagne chilling in the limo, and the lovely young woman named
Aja handed Drew his glass before offering me a ginger ale. As we sped toward our hotel, she went over our trip itinerary, which included tickets to one of the hottest new shows in town.

As the limo pulled up to
private entrance of the hotel, more staffers were waiting to attend to us. We were surrounded by the casino manager and several bellboys, who took care of our luggage so we didn’t have to. We were ushered to our lavish private villa with marble flooring in the foyer, a fireplace and manicured gardens in our private courtyard, a private salon and 24-hour butler service.

“Welcome, sir,” the handsome, swarthy man greeted as we entered the large living area. “My name is
Demetri. May I take your jacket?”

“Yes,
Demetri,” Drew said as he shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to the younger man.

A stunning brunette emerged from the other room to tend to me. “Mrs. Fullerton,” she greeted with a shake of my hand. “My name is Annabelle. Please, follow me.”

I turned to Drew who nodded his head. I followed her to the private spa, where a masseuse was waiting. Annabelle offered me a thick robe so that I could change out of my clothes. I felt entirely out of place I lay on top of the table and allowed these women to pamper me with a full spa treatment. I emerged an hour later in a silk robe.

I walked into the bedroom of our villa, where gorgeous floral arrangements filled the room. A silver tray of
petits fours and candies beckoned me, and I nibbled on one of the sweet treats. Annabelle knocked on the door before peeking her head inside. “Mr. Fullerton left you a package,” she announced as she walked toward the closet. There hung a white designer dress with a gold Egyptian print. The sleeves were long and the shape was curve-hugging, tapering off at the knee. It had an off-the-shoulder neckline, which would show off the gold onyx necklace and earrings she revealed from a crushed velvet box.

Another box contained a
gold ring that featured a diamond-crusted horseshoe. “For luck” the tag read. As I slipped it on my right hand, I was reminded of Alex’s ranch and our horses. That life had been much simpler than this, which was no doubt the reason Drew opted to give me this particular gift.

He wanted to make sure I knew I had “traded up” for a life of luxury and riches beyond my wildest dreams.

A young girl named Hailey styled my hair and applied my tasteful makeup befitting the wife of one of the most powerful men on the planet. I grinned as I thought of Jorge Navarro and his magical kingdom on the
Fierce
studio back lot. There was no incense or disco, and especially no fairy godmother dressed in black leather, but I thought with an impish chuckle that there definitely should have been.

I stepped into gold pumps and followed Annabelle toward the casino. Exciting bells and noises came from banks of slot machines as we made our way to the high limits area, which was a set apart like a private club. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and dramatic glass flowers spun up amidst lounge seating. I kept waiting for someone to tell me to leave, as I surely didn’t belong there. Annabelle spared me a sparkling smile as we headed toward the table games.
We approached where Drew sat alone at a blackjack table.

A
tumbler of aged whiskey sat to the side of his stacks of chips in black, purple, yellow and brown.

I never even learned what denominations came in those colors.

“Mr. Fullerton,” Annabelle said.

He turned to face me and his eyes warmed with appreciation. “You take my breath away,” he murmured as he pulled me close to plant a teasing kiss on my lips. “Sit,” he commanded softly. “Let’s play.”

I perched on the chair next to his and he scooted half of his stack toward me. “Do you know how to play?” he asked.

I nodded. “Though sitting at a high rollers table in Vegas is considerably more daunting than casino night at the Gilberts.”

He chuckled. “It’s a single deck, so you follow strict etiquette to play.” He selected five yellow chips to bet. The handsome dealer named Ryan turned to me and waited.

“How much should I bet?” I asked.

Drew shrugged. “Bet whatever you like. It’s your money.”

I matched his stack of yellow chips, which panicked me to learn were worth a thousand dollars per chip. Ryan dealt the cards face-down. I watched as Drew used his right hand only to lift up his two hold cards. He used the edges of the card to scratch the table slightly, to indicate he wanted another card. Ryan dealt a three of clubs. This satisfied Drew, who slid his cards, face-down, under his stack of chips.

I glanced at my two cards, which were an eight of diamonds and a two of spades. Nervously I glanced at the dealer’s card, which was a seven of spades.

“Double down,”
Drew instructed.

“That’s five thousand
more dollars,” I said under my breath.

His eyebrow arched. “So?”

I turned over my cards before I slid an identical stack of yellow chips beside the original bet. The dealer delivered my next card face down before he turned to his own deck. He turned over both cards, revealing an ace underneath the seven, given him a soft eighteen. He turned over Drew’s cards, which totaled seventeen. Ryan took those five yellow chips away from Drew before turning to me. He turned over my original ten, and then the extra card, which was a ten of spades, giving me twenty.

I let out the breath I didn’t even know I was holding as Ryan slid ten thousand dollars in chips toward me.

“Let it ride,” Drew suggested as he placed another bet. I opened my mouth to protest but he took my hand in his and laid it on his solid thigh. “Big risk, bigger reward,” he murmured with a cloudy look in his eyes.

The next hand was an easy twenty, with the dealer busting and doubling my bet.

“Let it ride,” he commanded as he drew my hand further up his thigh.

My next two cards were eights, which Drew told me to split
, making eleven on one hand and eighteen on the other. “Double down,” he said quietly as the backs of my fingers brushed up against the hardening bulge in his slacks.

There was so much money on the table I felt literally sick, especially as the dealer made a twenty-one and practically all my chips went right back to the house. I turned to Drew, who shrugged with a smile. “You win some, you lose some.”

“That was more than a hundred thousand dollars, Drew.” Two years ago, that had been a life-changing amount of money beyond my wildest dreams.

Now it was reduced to tiny little chips that felt more like game pieces than actual money.

He chuckled. “You are my jackpot, darling,” he murmured as he brought my hand to his lips for another kiss. “We’re not here to win. We’re here to play.”

Yet as hard as he tried to bet away the stack of chips in front of him, he invariably walked away from the table two hours later with money in his pocket.
By then it was late, and most of the restaurants were closing.

At least for the general public.

We were ushered in to the posh eatery with a lake view while most other patrons were leaving. We got the run of the joint as we sat next to the window looking out over dancing fountains. “This is how you experience Asian cuisine,” Drew winked as he put his napkin into his lap. “This side of Asia, anyway.”

It dawned on me in that moment that it was very likely I would someday eat said cuisine on said continent. The world had no limitations now; this was the lesson our jaunt to Vegas was supposed to teach me.