The Billionaire's Terms: Prison Or Passion (15 page)

He took her to a lovely restaurant for dinner and she wore her last cocktail dress, feeling extremely special walking next to Adam who was dressed in a sharp suit with a maroon tie. Dressing for their evening had been another odd experience where she’d started to feel married to him. It had been a very intimate period and she was savoring the moments with him as long as she had him near.

The food was delicious and Adam shared more stories of his college years with her, making her laugh and feel extraordinarily special.

Dancing in his arms to the soft music made her feel as if she were on a cloud. She laid her head on his shoulder and pretended that no one else was around. She loved hearing his strong heartbeat and feeling his muscles as they wrapped around her. He was so gentle, she thought but had so much power behind his amazing body.

“Having a romantic time?” a harsh male voice asked from behind her.

 

Alicia instantly stiffened and she felt Adam’s body do the same. Obviously Adam didn’t like the man either.

 

“Evening, Roger. What can I do for you?” Adam asked the man.

Alicia turned to face the man, assuming it was the polite thing to do. But as soon as she turned, she felt the man’s eyes slide down her figure. The man practically undressed her, leering as he did so. Alicia felt so uncomfortable, she unconsciously moved closer to Adam and felt better when he put his arm around her waist, pulling her even closer to his strength.

“How about a dance with this little lady? I haven’t seen her around lately. A new mare for your stables?” he asked crudely.

Alicia was so horrified by the man’s comments she couldn’t hold back her gasp. Adam didn’t like his insinuations either and pulled her close, his body turning to shield her from the man’s disgusting behavior.

“If you’ll excuse us, Roger,” Adam said and Alicia could feel the bunched muscles underneath the sophisticated veneer of his tailored suit.

 

“You? Of course, but maybe the lady would like to speak for herself? How about it, doll?” he asked and moved closer, trying to see around Adam’s large body.

 

“I don’t think so,” Alicia said as politely as possible under the circumstances.

 

They walked back to the table and Alicia was finally able to get Adam to smile again although it took all of her conversational skills.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, taking her hand and kissing the ends of her fingers. If she had any doubt in her mind why he wanted to leave, it was eliminated with his actions.

“Absolutely. Let me just go to the ladies room,” she said, her eyes already moving over him as if she was ready to be with him, alone.

 

“I’ll meet you out front in a few minutes,” he said and signaled to the waiter for the check.

Alicia walked through the restaurant and lobby with a silly, romantic grin on her face. IN the bathroom, she looked at her appearance and was shocked at the transformation. It wasn’t just the dress. Her lipstick was gone but her lips were still red, her cheeks rosy and there was a starry eyed look on her face that probably told the whole world that she was in love with Adam.

Splashing water on her hands and neck, she tried to cool down her racing pulse but it was no use. She had been with Adam for four weeks and knew exactly what he was capable of as soon as the bedroom door was closed behind them. She should be ashamed and if her mother or sister ever found out that she was no better than a rich man’s mistress, she would be. But right now, with the promise of Adam’s lovemaking to guide her into the night, she couldn’t care less.

Stepping out of the ladies room, she was glancing down at her appearance to make sure everything was in place. If she’d been looking up, she never would have run into the large, obese man but since she hadn’t been paying attention, the man caught her off guard.

“Well, well, what have we here?” Roger’s deep, raspy voice said.

Alicia almost gagged at the pungent smell of a recently smoked cigarette on his clothes. His breath was even worse since the man had eaten something that made him simply reek of onions. The two smells together were too much and she pushed back on his shoulders, her face turned away and a grimace on her face.
“Let me go!” she demanded through gritted teeth.

“Why should I?” he asked, one hand coming up to grip her hair painfully.

“Because I asked you to and this is a public place,” Alicia articulated as quickly as she could, so she could stop breathing in the awful smell of the man. She realized the sickly smell of sweat and stench on him too.

“Don’t be shy, little dove. If you’re nice to me, I can guarantee that I’ll be much more generous that your boring, workaholic Adam Meyers. I’m more into the fulfillment of the flesh rather than the chase of the next business deal.”

“No thank you,” she said, starting to panic. The man was large but had a great deal of muscle underneath his flab. “Please let me go,” she said, leaning as far back as she possibly could. Unfortunately, they were in a small area that was hidden from others by both dim lighting as well as strategic walls.

The man smiled grotesquely. “You like to fight, eh? Well, don’t worry about that. I like it when women play hard to get. And I show them how to play it better than most,” he laughed.

“Uh!” Alicia said, grimacing as the man’s beefy hand moved up to touch her cheek. “Let me go!” she cried out. “You’re disgusting and I’d never even consider you for a dance partner much less a boyfriend!” she said, knowing it wasn’t tactful but she didn’t care anymore. She was gagging over the man’s smell as well as his touch which was making her skin crawl.

When something tore, she didn’t really think about it, too desperate to get out of his hands.

 

Suddenly, she was free and stumbling backwards. Opening her eyes, she saw that Adam was holding Roger by the lapels of his suit coat, a look of rage crossing his face.

She could see that he was going to do something he’d regret in the morning so she put a soft hand on his shoulder. Instantly, she felt his muscles relax slightly but he was still right on the edge of fury.

“Don’t ever touch her again,” Adam said to the now red faced man.

 

Adam released him and turned to Alicia. “Are you okay?” he asked, taking her gently into his arms.

 

“Yes. I think so,” she said, then gasped when she realized that her dress was torn off her shoulder. “Oh, Adam! The dress is torn,” she said and the tears started falling.

Roger just didn’t know when to stop. “Don’t be a fool, Adam,” he said, almost swaggering. “She was begging for me. Let her go and go find yourself someone who isn’t such a tramp. This one likes it rough and I know how to treat someone like that,” he said, licking his lips in anticipation.

She felt his muscles tense but didn’t have a chance to stop him since she was too shocked by the obscene man’s words. Adam set her gently away from him and then in one, deft movement, he slammed his fist into the fat Roger’s jaw. The man toppled like a lead weight.

Adam then took Alicia into his arms, swinging her legs up and cradling her as he snapped at the doorman to open the door. Thankfully, Adam’s Jaguar was already waiting at the bottom of the stone stairs and he placed her into the seat before rushing around to the other side of the car.

On the ride home, the shaking started and she huddled into a mass of fear and anger in the corner of the leather seat.

 

When they arrived at the house, Adam strode over to the side of the car and lifted her up in his arms, carrying her up to the bedroom they’d shared for the past three days.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said. “I didn’t know he would be waiting in ambush for you.” He placed her gently in one of the overstuffed chairs that was sitting by the dark fireplace before striding over to a small table and poured her a large snifter of brandy. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked, kneeling in front of her, his dark eyes looking worriedly at her face as if the signs for her reaction would be written there for him.

“Yes. I’ll be fine,” she said, accepting the glass of brandy even though she didn’t really want it. What she wanted was for Adam to pull her into his arms and hold her, push away the bad feelings and replace them with good ones. But he didn’t look like he was willing to do that. He looked angry and she watched as a muscle twitched in his jaw. “Why in the world would you maintain a friendship with someone like him?” she asked, worried that the question would spur more anger but needing to know the answer.

Adam’s eyes sharpened but he shook his head. “Roger isn’t my friend in any sense of the word. In fact, he’s one of those revolting human beings that leech off the rest of the world. I have only contempt for him.”

Alicia shivered and took a tentative sip of the brandy as much for something to do rather than needing the liquid. She coughed as the liquid burned her throat but a moment later, she actually felt slightly better. The warmth soothed her from the inside. It still wasn’t what she needed though. “I guess you do business with him?”

Adam turned his back to her and shook his head again. “No, the opposite, in fact.”

 

That comment made her curious and when she accepted that he wasn’t going to elaborate, she asked him the question, “What do you mean?”

Adam took a deep breath and faced her again, his face grim. “I actually made him go out of business. It wasn’t an intentional situation but if I had it to do over again, I’d make sure I ruined the man. He was able to bail on the company his family left to him with enough to last him a lifetime.”

“Ah. Well that explains his animosity and his need to denigrate anything that is yours.”

 

Adam stiffened and looked at her intently. “Are you saying that you’re mine, Alicia?” he asked softly.

Her hand froze and she looked back at him. He seemed nervous about her answer, as if it meant a great deal to him. But what was the right answer? Did he want her to be his in more than just a financial sense? That was ridiculous. That would mean he already felt something for her other than simple lust. She was just looking for things that she wanted to see instead of what was really there, she told herself.

“I’m here with you now, aren’t I?” she said simply. “But you have to make tonight better,” she said, putting the brandy aside and standing up. “You brought me there, you’re going to have to fix it,” she said, a little unsteadily.

Adam’s shoulders were tense but he turned to face her. “What can I do to make it up to you?” he asked. “A diamond bracelet?” he suggested. “Perhaps a trip to Europe? One of the hot spots, perhaps?”

Alicia looked at him, confused. “No. None of that will work.”

 

Adam sighed. “Alicia, you’re going to have to spell it out for me. I’m not a mind reader,” he said harshly.

She stood there, feeling scared and vulnerable but said the words anyway, terrified that he would reject her and turn away from her. If he did, so be it, she thought. “I need you to hold me. I need you to put your arms around me and make me feel clean again,” she said.

His eyes showed his surprise. “That’s what will fix this?” he asked, stunned.

“Yes,” she said and her voice broke on the word. She was shaking again, needing to feel his warmth and strength and scared that he was going to turn away from her. He had every right to. It wasn’t his responsibility but she desperately needed him right now.

He didn’t disappoint her. He took her into his arms gently and pulled her close, his hands enfolding her into his strength. For a long time, he simply held her, his hands rubbing her back and shoulders gently. But when she lifted her head from his shoulder, she told him without words that this was not enough. She slipped her hands higher and wrapped them around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers so she could kiss him.

For the rest of the night, she felt loved and secure. She knew that in the morning, they would drive back to New York and he would leave her at the door just as he always did but for tonight, she was in his arms and he was being amazingly tender and caring. His loving yet again was different and more fulfilling. She cried out her release, holding him close as the waves crashed over her again and again.

Alicia smiled and rolled over onto her stomach. She loved listening as Adam showered and shaved for the day. He always woke up before her but she had no idea how he did it. He had no alarm and the sun still wasn’t over the horizon. The man was part machine, she was sure of it.

Her smile grew as she realized what she had been thinking. He definitely wasn’t completely a machine, she thought. Every night for the past week, he had been a completely different person. It was as if the weekend together had changed something in their relationship. He still joked about her theft but he didn’t seem serious about it anymore. And he was caring and gentle, loving almost.

The shower stopped and Alicia pulled herself up, then slipped out of bed, pulling on the gorgeous silk robe Adam had sent to her one day earlier. That was another thing. Boxes of clothes arrived daily. Sometimes there were several boxes filled with the most beautiful clothes. Other times it was only a simple scarf or something sweet like chocolate covered cherries. Wednesday it had been a box of chocolates. Thursday it had been a stunning evening gown. She had no idea when she would wear something so beautiful but maybe Adam had an excursion already planned. Now it was Friday and she wondered what the weekend could hold. Before the weekend in Dover, Adam had spent most weekends working so Alicia could barely differentiate between the weekdays and the weekends, they all had the same pattern.

Tying the sash around her slim waist, she padded barefoot into the bathroom. Leaning against the door frame, she watched as Adam shaved, only a towel around his waist so she had a full view of his impressive muscles.

His eyes roved over her silk clad figure and his hand froze midway between the running water and his shaving cream covered face. “If you continue to stand there looking incredibly sexy like that, don’t be surprised if you find yourself right back in bed, minus that robe,” he growled, his dark eyes intense as he looked at her in the mirror.

Alicia smiled, not taking him seriously since she knew he was on his way to work. Besides, he’d made love to her quite thoroughly just the previous evening. “How do you wake up so early every morning?” she asked, walking over to lean against the counter to look up at him directly instead of through the mirror.