The Billionaire's Terms: Prison Or Passion (18 page)

“There are gold cufflinks in his drawer somewhere,” Alicia said, panicking as Nancy grew more and more agitated.

 

Nancy’s head swung around and she looked at the drawers she’d just gone through. “Where?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Alicia said. “I don’t watch him get dressed. I just know they are there.”

As Nancy bent down, Alicia knew this might be her only chance. She stood up as quickly as she could and grabbed the brass lamp beside the bed with her still tied hands. Gripping it tightly, she rushed over to where her former friend was bent over, searching frantically through the drawers. With a sudden crash, Alicia jammed the lamp down over the woman’s head.

For what seemed like a long moment, Alicia watched in horror as Nancy looked up. But then, as if in slow motion, the woman toppled to the floor, her eyes closed and the awful gun sitting relatively safely on the dresser top.

Seconds later, the police swarmed into the bedroom, guns drawn and Alicia couldn’t take the stress any longer. Her hands were hurting and she simply moved to the floor in a heap, letting the tears stream down her face. She felt the strong arms wrap around her as Adam lifted her into his arms, gently carrying her out of the bedroom while the police handcuffed the still unconscious woman.

“Adam!” Alicia cried, her still tied hands going around his neck. She was shaking all over, her body reacting after the fact to the situation and she was unable to control that reaction as shock set in. “Adam, you’re here!”

“Yes, my love. I’m here. I’m sorry I left you alone. Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her hands over his head again and making short work of the tight knot. He gently rubbed her raw, scraped wrists before pulling her into his arms again.

“I’m fine now,” she said, but she couldn’t stop the tears or the shivering. “I’m sorry,” she said.

 

Adam’s laughter was soft, deep and infinitely reassuring. “You’re sorry?” he asked. “I leave you alone with a mad woman and you’re apologizing.”

 

Alicia pulled back so she could wipe her eyes. “I’m sorry I can’t stop crying. I’m sorry I’m being so emotional.”

“You can’t know how terrified I was when we figured out who had set the fire. When the police couldn’t find her, I got a bad feeling in my gut and had to get home to you. When I found Tim downstairs unconscious, I knew something was terribly wrong,” he explained. “I called the police. Thankfully, they were already on their way or there would have been no way they would have stopped me from getting up here to you.”

“Really?” she asked, the fear of the morning fading as the fear of what he was telling her moved in. “So Nancy was the one who embezzled all the money?” she asked, pulling back, terrified that he would not want her anymore.

“Yes. I started the investigation last week again. Too many things didn’t add up.”

Alicia nodded her head, but she couldn’t look at him. “So I guess this whole mistress thing is over.” Alicia’s worst fears were now coming true. It would be over and Adam wouldn’t want her anymore. The revenge was done.

“Yes.” Adam stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced around the penthouse and then down at her. “Alicia, I know this isn’t the time or the place and you’ve had probably the worst morning of your life. But I’m sorry, I won’t let you go,” he said. With two quick strides, he was back in front of her, kneeling down and taking her hands gently within his strong ones. “Alicia, this can’t be the end of it. I think you care for me and if it is only a small amount of the feelings I have for you, then I’m not going to let you walk out of here, walk out on us.”

Alicia’s teary eyes looked up into his dark, intense ones. “What are you saying?”

Adam pulled her into his lap. “I’m saying that I love you and I know I can make you feel the same way. If you’ll just give me a chance to overcome these past two months, I promise I’ll try and start over with you.”

Alicia’s eyes teared up again, but they were tears of joy and not of sadness or fear. “You love me?” she whispered, afraid she’d misunderstood him.

 

“Yes. And I think you care for me.”

 

“But how? Why all this?” she asked.

Adam moved away from her, shoving his hands into his pockets. “That first night,” he started off, “well, it was incredible. And I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I’d had private investigators searching everywhere for you but they just came up on dead ends. So when Jim came to me and showed me your picture and all the evidence, well, I guess I just went a little crazy.” He smiled but it was more of a grimace. “I had to have you again. And since you’d already slipped away from me once, I had to figure out how to keep you here with me for as long as it took to get you out of my system.”

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “And did it work?” she asked.

Adam laughed harshly. “Hell no,” he said. “You just got more and more under my skin. I don’t know when it happened, but somehow, I fell in love with you. And now that the investigation has shown that you weren’t the person I originally accused you of, you’re going to run from me as fast as you can, aren’t you?” he asked, turning away.

Alicia smiled through the tears of happiness. She watched his strong, muscular back flex as if he were working through something in his mind but couldn’t quite get it fixed.

“I’ll be running, but into your arms,” she said softly. “If what you said was still true,” she hesitated. Alicia looked down at the carpet, terrified that she’d misunderstood.

 

Adam swung around, looking at her face. “Alicia?” he demanded. “Are you telling me what I think you’re saying?”

 

“That I’m in love with you?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders.

The breath was knocked out of her system as strong arms swooped her up and carried her to the sofa. Adam’s mouth covered hers, his body touching her everywhere as he kissed her. “I love you,” he said before covering her mouth with his again.

The cough behind them slowly broke into their consciousness. Adam pulled his mouth away reluctantly but his arms continued to hold her firmly, protectively. “Yes, officer?” he asked, not the slightest bit embarrassed that he was almost making love with Alicia while a crazy woman was carted out of his home.

“I’m sorry to disturb this reunion, but I need to get Ms. Morgan’s statement.”

Adam reluctantly let her go, chuckling at her face that was flaming with embarrassment. But he sat beside her the whole time the man wrote and asked questions. Two hours later, the cleaning crew, the police and even the reporter that had tried to sneak up to his penthouse were gone. Adam closed the door and looked at the tiny woman sitting on the sofa.

“You can’t go back on your word, you know,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “You’re going to have to marry me now.”

Alicia laughed. It was so like him to tell her what to do instead of asking, proposing in the traditional way. There wasn’t a traditional bone in Adam’s body, nor would she want it any other way. “Fine. But you’re going to have to have children with me and promise to love me for at least the next fifty years. None of this silly celebrity or wealthy divorces, Adam,” she admonished.

“Fifty years, huh?” he asked, taking both of her hands in his and pulling her up into his arms. “That’s awfully demanding, you know.”

 

“Yes. I know. I learned it from the best,” she tossed back at him.

Adam laughed deeply, his white teeth flashing at her as he pulled her into his arms. “Okay. But I want lots of children,” he said. “And they all have to have soft, blue eyes just like you.”

“What if they are boys?” she asked, laughing at his sweet words.

 

“No boys,” he said. “They are too stubborn,” he said and tossed her into his arms, carrying her into the bedroom.