“You’re just crazy. I want to go home.” I declared.
“We are going home now, but first, we are going to wait for those idiots for a few more minutes.”
I pursed my lips, knowing full well he wasn’t going to like what I was going to say next. “Not yours; I meant my home.”
His eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You heard me. I want to go back to my mother.”
“You can’t go back there, and that’s final,” he barked. I turned to look through the window as he pulled out of the parking lot. He fiddled with the radio station, stopping at the live news.
A black sports car has collided into an ongoing truck just south of River Heights, a few kilometers away from the Willow’s Mart. The driver, thirty-five-year-old Matt Boyer, and his brother, thirty-year-old Ed Boyer, have sustained serious injuries and have been rushed to the hospital. Police speculate it was due to rash driving.
Chapter Fifteen
The four walls of the mansion were now becoming suffocating to live within. As the days passed, I was starting to feel empty inside. I had a feeling like I was almost being used. After the music room, the only time Jasper touched me was after the night we’d narrowly avoided death. He’d walked into my room the next night and gifted me a stunning diamond necklace that he’d gotten custom-made just for me from Tiffany’s. I didn’t really care about the gift as much as his emotions if he’d just told me I meant something to him. Jasper whispered sweet things into my ear but it felt almost rehearsed.
He was sitting on my bed, touching the hem of my dress and his fingers raking up my thigh. Jasper had given me something expensive; of course, he’d expect me to give him what he wanted, and that’s what mistresses do, right?
I automatically spread my legs, feeling obligated to do my duty to him. He kissed me tenderly, pouring every emotion into that kiss, making me think that he was actually in love with me. I knew he wasn’t. To Jasper, I was just someone he helped, fed, and sheltered; someone who was supposed to warm his bed.
And what did that make me?
A shameless slut.
My mother had been right. Women like me couldn’t be anything more than a keep for someone with such a high social status. That’s exactly what I was. When I woke up in the morning and looked at myself in the mirror, I almost didn’t recognize myself. Who was this woman who was letting a man use her body just so she could get a good life? The good life didn’t matter, I realized. It was my heart that was playing tricks. Every time he was around saying nice things to me, taking me out for dinner my resolve of staying strong melted and all I saw was a bit of an unusual man who may fall in love with me if he gave this relationship a chance, and I wanted that so bad.
And so I let it happen.
Jasper had ravished my body with his expert hands and mouth, and I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. The empty look on his face, that’s what bothered me and his inability to show me his emotions. It wasn’t love making by a long shot; it was downright ‘fucking’. I could tell the difference between the two. While I loved him, he didn’t. It was just as simple. When we were both breathing hard and spent, instead of kissing my forehead or cuddling with me, he would do his fly, run his fingers through his hair and walk out of the bedroom as if it were a transaction. A luxurious life in exchange of sex.
It sickened me what I’d become, and it wasn’t even for the money. It was just for the man I thought would love me back.
Just a little.
***
I decided to put an end to it. I wanted to stop feeling so used and for that, I needed to get away from this mansion. As if faith could read my mind, an opportunity arose in the disguise of a birthday party. Jasper’s best friend, Lucas, was throwing a grand party at his house and Jasper had asked me to be his companion for the evening. It was an opportunity I would never pass.
Dressed in a long, beautiful evening gown, I descended the stairs. The dress was beige in color, studded with tiny golden flowers all over. The shoulders were strapless and the neck was a little deeper than what I’d usually wear, but it was feminine and sexy. I liked it right off the bat. I’d found a matching pair of glimmering, high heels and a clutch bag.
Jasper was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs dressed in a navy tux, his dark hair ruffled back. He looked like a movie star. Jasper always wore the best outfits; everything that was in fashion and never was an outfit repeated twice. He took his appearance very seriously. As he watched me walk towards him, his gaze raked from top to bottom. His eyes shone with something that I wasn’t yet familiar with.
Was it lust?
“Well?” I asked.
I gasped as he pulled me tightly into his arms. His hands that were on my waist dropped to my hips and he gave it a squeeze. His lips connected to my jaw as he trailed lazy kisses down my throat. “You look nothing less than the rarest of gems,” he whispered. “I could eat you right here.”
“Hmmm…” I whimpered.
Just a few nice words from him and I was a puddle on the floor.
“Now, go back to your room and change into another dress; something that’s not too revealing and doesn’t stick to you like a second skin.” He kissed my cheek, smiling.
I was puzzled. “I thought you liked the dress.”
“I do, Kiara, but I won’t appreciate other men looking at you and thinking of you in their bed, and that dress makes you look like a meal.” He indicated towards the dress. “Go on now. Wear something else that’s appropriate. And then, when we get home, you can change into this one just for me.”
I bit my lips again, stopping myself from saying something that would upset him. I scurried upstairs towards my room and threw open the wardrobe. I picked out a less revealing dress this time which was a long satin pink gown; plain but elegant and had a lovely butterfly brooch jewel. I loved the previous dress more but knew Jasper didn’t approve of me wearing it in public. Jasper had a possessive streak. I just didn’t know how far it went until now.
***
Jasper explained that Lucas Johnson was his very long-time friend; they’d met during high school and instantly hit it off. He also mentioned that Lucas was a prominent magician, and sometimes even performed shows in Vegas at his leisure. When I’d asked him about his other friends, he wasn’t very keen on discussing them so I decided not to push him.
Lucas’s home was a two-story Victorian mansion, vintage with a gothic architecture and quite smaller in comparison to Jasper’s enormous one. The house was easily a modernized Adam’s family home.
I hated how Jasper paraded me around in the party like a gold medal, telling people that I was his girlfriend, although I knew that wasn’t true. These people didn’t even know me, didn’t know who I was or where I came from and yet, I felt their judging eyes following my every step. It was like they could see right through all the designer clothing.
I didn’t belong here.
Jasper introduced me to his friends, Tom and Dylan. Spike, he mentioned, couldn’t make it to the party, and was currently traveling somewhere in South East Asia due to his work. Both men were dressed in impressive tailored suits and looked just as handsome, but of course, their attractiveness paled in comparison to Jasper’s. He was completely at a different level and I couldn’t stop thinking if I was the subject of envy for a dozen women.
The men had made polite talk and asked me the questions that Jasper and I had rehearsed a number of times. While Tom was being nice, Dylan had a strange look in his eyes that made me uncomfortable. He closely resembled a vulture, ready to tear its prey to shreds. The look in his eyes reminded me of the man in the alley that day.
I shuddered.
I tugged at Jasper’s sleeve so he turned his attention to me. “Is it alright if I sit down somewhere?”
He rubbed my shoulders and looked at me lovingly. “Of course, precious.” He led me to a table at the far corner where there were two beautiful ladies already seated. The women were laughing and sipping on
wine, enjoying some delicious-looking appetizers. When we approached the table, the blonde glanced up towards me.
“Ladies, would it be alright with you if my beautiful companion, Kiara, joins your table?” Jasper asked politely, giving them his best ‘Oscar-winning’ smile that probably had women falling all over his feet.
“Sure, we’d love for you to introduce us to your girlfriend, Jasper,” the blonde pointed out. Her smile was sweet and genuine compared to the ones I’d been receiving throughout the evening.
It kind of made me jealous how familiar they were acting with Jasper. I wondered if one of them was his ex. And then I was relieved to find out that they were Dylan and Tom’s partners, respectively. The blonde lady in a royal blue dress was Dylan’s girlfriend, Cecilia, and the brunette in the red gown was Tom’s wife, Penny. After the fast introductions were over, Jasper was pulled away by one of his old clients and that left me to deal with the women alone.
At first, they eyed me curiously. Cecilia was the first to speak. “We never thought Jasper would get serious again with a woman. Everyone thought there wasn’t any hope for him, you know after…”
“After?” I asked.
Realization registered on her face. She exchanged looks with Penny. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s not my place to say such things.”
They knew about Jasper’s past relationships.
“But one thing is for sure,” Penny continued, smiling at me. “He’s acting differently around you; the way he keeps stealing glances towards this table is proof enough that you have him where you need him to be. It’s kinda cute.”
“I second that,” Cecelia said.
The girls giggled, and I joined in on their good humor.
“Kiara, which college did you go to?” Penny asked me.
I didn’t have any reason to lie about the college I’d been attending, so I gave them a real name and they just nodded, probably wondering why I hadn’t joined an Ivy League college. I was glad when their conversations changed tracks, and they started gossiping about someone I didn’t know, and then they talked about sex which was the last topic I wanted to be part of.
“Men will be men, you know. They aren’t satisfied with just one woman. That’s the sad reality,” said Penny, taking a sip of her wine as her gaze followed someone.
I glanced in the same direction to see Tom laughing and talking to a tall woman. She whispered something in his ear and he touched her shoulder lightly, one would think the two were a couple. Penny caught me staring, and she flushed. She excused herself, and started walking towards her husband.
Cecelia clicked her tongue. “Poor Penny. Tom really can’t keep his dick in his pants for one second. She’s caught him cheating on her over a million times already. Dylan told me that.”
“So why is she still with him?” I asked her, astonished.
“Because she loves him blind, and where would she go anyway? She’s not like us, Kiara. Penny doesn’t come from a wealthy background. If she divorces Tom and still manages to get her settlements, it just wouldn’t be enough. Once you’ve gotten used to this lifestyle, you can’t go back to how you used to be.”
I nodded. If I was Penny, I knew my decision would have been different. There wouldn’t be a million chances, once would be enough for me to pack and leave.
“Well, I can’t say good things about Dylan either. I caught him cheating on me once, but it was just once, and I know it never happened after that.” She said, and I placed my hand over hers.
It was like she was trying to feed herself some horse shit, because I’d caught her “so-called” boyfriend steal glances at me more than once.
“You’re really lucky compared to us, Kiara. Jasper is a nice man. He’s polite and such a gentleman.”
“He’s a little different, isn’t he?” I asked her, trying to dig for some juicy inside story.
Cecelia nodded. “A little. He’s straight-forward and that’s what people like about him, and he’s quite the keeper.”
It seemed like Jasper had paid this woman to give me a good report.
“He’s a little demanding,” I whispered.
“Demanding?” She appeared confused. “What do you mean?”
I could feel the blush creep into my cheeks. “About sex.”
Cecilia laughed, waving her well-manicured nails at me. “Why is that something to worry about? It just means you’re desirable to him. All men are demanding in bed. If you want to keep the man, you’ve gotta do it, honey.”
“It’s not just that, Cecilia. I don’t think Jasper loves me,” I said, unable to hold it in any longer. I needed to talk to someone. My hands were shaking. “He just…well, he just wants my body.”
There. I said it.
“No, darling, I don’t think that’s true.” She squeezed the life out of my hand. “You’re so beautiful and you seem so kind. Jasper just doesn’t speak about his feelings. I’m sure he loves you. If not, he wouldn’t introduce you to us.”
I wasn’t convinced yet.
I nodded, and downed the entire glass of the wine. Cecilia continued to hail down every waiter serving wine and gulped each wine glass with enthusiasm. By the end of the fifth, she was laughing non-stop and talking about something that didn’t make sense. A shadow fell upon me and that’s when I looked up.
“May I have the honor of this dance?” Jasper’s hand was raised towards me.
He placed his hand on my waist and circled my arms around his neck. It was a sensuous, slow dance. I waltzed across the dance floor, moving smoothly to the song in the background. He looked at me like I meant the world to him, and yet there was still something missing entirely. The DJ played a slow Ed Sheeran song. My head rested against his chest as we swayed to the music. In that moment I knew I would never love anyone as much as I loved him. He had the ability to destroy me completely without intention.
I lifted my head up and our gazes locked. I wanted to see one last time if there was something in those beautiful blue eyes that conveyed his true feelings. His soul appeared to be empty just like his eyes. My heart broke into a million pieces. I cupped his face in my palms. “Jasper.”
“What is it?” he whispered.
“I love you,” I confessed, and before he had time to say anything, I continued. “I don’t expect you to love me back. I just want to know if you feel something, even an ounce that I can hold onto.”
I realized my hands were shaking as I waited for him to answer. His expression betrayed no emotion as he continued to stare at me in baffled silence.
His silence was the only answer I needed. It would have sufficed if he had remained silent but what he said next nearly blew my mind away. “I love fucking you in bed. Isn’t that enough?”
I flushed, stunned beyond words. Out of all the answers I’d predicted, this hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’d told him that I loved him, and he’d said blatantly that he was only interested in one thing, nothing else. I wondered if this was the same man who’d saved me from my worst fate time and time again.
I stepped back from his touch and started walking away. I heard him call out my name but I didn’t glance back. The last thing I needed right now was for him to follow me. I tried to fight back the hot tears gliding down my cheeks. I’d chalked up Jasper’s behavior so far as him being childish, but this was the last straw.
Being wealthy, handsome and a man who acquired everything, it was a no-brainer that he’d wanted me in bed and he successfully achieved that without batting an eye. It only happened in books or movies that a billionaire fell in love with a damsel in distress. In real life, none of that happened.
In real life; the damsel in distress was just reduced to someone he could use and discard.
I held onto the granite counters of the bathroom and cried until I had no tears left. It hurt so much. In the end, I was just a daft little idiot who’d assumed that after giving my body to him, I’d eventually have his heart. I hadn’t asked him to love me back, had I?
All I wanted was for
him to tell me if there could be anything in the future.
His bluntness had proven one thing.
I was going back home.
Back to my old life.
Chapter Sixteen
Throughout most of the evening, I maintained distance from Jasper. I could tell that he wanted to talk to me, but I was doing my best in avoiding him. I was looking for one chance to be out of his sight so I could leave the mansion. I’d decided that once I was out of here, I’d hail a cab and go straight home. After dinner, when Jasper wasn’t in view, I sneaked into the courtyard of the mansion and looked for an exit that didn’t draw too much attention.
I took the heels in my hands and started walking towards the main exit.
“You dropped something.” The deep voice that came from behind me put a halt to my steps.
I glanced back to find a very attractive blond man standing a few feet away, holding what seemed like a shiny trinket. A closer inspection revealed that it was my earring. “I think having just one earring dangling in your ear wouldn’t be very attractive, although I’m pretty sure you can pull it off without much of an effort seeing how gorgeous you are,” he complimented, grinning at me. His eyes were a striking shade of green that pierced right through me.
I took the earring from him. “Thanks,” I said.
“Apologies, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Lucas Johnson. It happens to be my birthday today, but it’s quite a shame that you’re here and yet I can’t place you very well and for that, I’m extremely sorry,” he said, and his hand rose for a handshake. “Have we met?”
“Happy Birthday, Mr. Johnson,” I said, accepting the handshake. “And to answer your question, it’s a no. We haven’t met before. I’m Kiara Reeves.”
That name surely rang bells because his eyes lit up. “Of course, and please call me Lucas,” he said, smiling, but his expression conveyed a level of discomfort. “You’re Jasper’s girl. Am I right?”
Psycho Billionaire: A Dark Romance Page 10