Secrets (Lords of the City)

by Alice Ward

  Stacey cleared her throat. “I’m surprised you’re dropping this, Chelsea. It seemed pretty important to you.”

  “It was. But I ran into a friend who reminded me what’s most important.” I told Oliver and Stacey about my serendipitous run-ins with Peter.

  “Oh my God, I love this story,” Stacey gushed. “It’s like you have your very own guardian angel that swoops down when you need guidance.”

  “He’s definitely a real person,” I assured her. “But it’s strange the way we keep bumping into each other.”

  “It is pretty weird,” Oliver agreed.

  “It’s fate,” Stacey insisted. “It’s the world’s way of showing you that you and Drake belong together. Whenever you start doubting that, this Peter guy shows up and gives you perfect advice that shows you what to do next.”

  “I’m glad you think his advice is perfect. I’m not sure Piper would agree,” I replied, my voice dry and flat.

  “What makes you say that?” Stacey asked, her voice nervously jumping up a pitch. It was pretty clear that Piper had vented her feelings to my sister-in-law.

  “I think you know,” I sighed as Oliver refilled our glasses. “She thinks I’m making a mistake moving in with Drake. We had a huge fight right after the party. She accused me of sacrificing who I am to make Drake happy. She also referred to me as a ‘kept woman’ and said that I’m settling for less than I deserve.”

  “Piper’s your friend,” Stacey reminded me. “And the rest of us are so in love with Drake. I think Piper sees it as her job to be the one who doubts him.”

  I rolled my eyes. “She should have saved herself the effort.” I glanced at the wall clock and realized that I was about to be late meeting Drake. I sighed again, looked from Oliver to Stacey, and lowered my voice.

  “Have any other search results come back since the last time we talked?”

  Stacey shook her head. “I haven’t heard back from Denmark. They’re records aren’t archived online, so I emailed a request. I haven’t seen anything that’s any cause for concern.”

  “And I’m making the right decision? Letting go of The Albergo fight, I mean. You don’t think I’m sacrificing what I believe in?”

  “Chelsea, there’s a difference between sacrificing and compromising,” Oliver said softly. “If you were backing down from a fight to save The Waldorf or something it would be one thing. This is a historically insignificant building that’s stood long past its time. It’s okay to compromise for the sake of the person you love.”

  My brother’s words uprooted all of the doubts Piper had planted in my head.

  “I love you guys,” I said, rising to my feet. “I have to get going or we’ll be late for the airport. I’ll call you when we land.”

  “Have fun, Chelsea,” Stacey called as Oliver led me to the door.

  “Thanks for making me feel better, Ollie.” I wrapped him in a half hug and he gave me a light squeeze.

  “You’re more than welcome, peanut. You’ve had a long, rough week. It’s only natural that you’d feel a little insecure with Alex showing up. I like Drake and I love working with him. But I’m your brother first. And if I thought you had anything to worry about, I wouldn’t let you walk out this door.”

  Oliver and Stacey see things my way. They understand why I’m not giving up on Drake. Piper just doesn’t get it. She’s never felt like this before.

  “I love you, Oliver.”

  “I love you too, sis. Now get the hell out of her and go have some fun.”

  ***

  Three hours later, Drake and I boarded the jet to Hong Kong.

  “How many planes do you own?” I teased as we stepped into the cabin. I’d assumed we were taking the same jet that carried us to Paris. But the aircraft we were on was much larger and even more elegant, with polished maple floors, a corner bar, and a king size bed in the middle of the cabin.

  “A few,” Drake answered, his voice flat. “I like this one for longer trips. The below deck bed in that other one can get a little claustrophobic.”

  But the below deck one provides more privacy.

  Drake walked past the bed and settled down in an armchair that had no room for me. I tossed my purse on the couch and perched on the mattress while the ground crew loaded our luggage.

  Drake had been in a sour mood when I met him at the penthouse and it was showing no signs of improving. We hadn’t touched since I hugged him at my farewell party. I was hesitant to ask what was wrong, but I finally decided it was better than spending the weekend in uncomfortable silence.

  I laid down on the bed, rolled over to face Drake, and patted the pillow beside me. “Why don’t you join me over here?”

  “Are you sure you want me to?” he mumbled.

  “Why wouldn’t I?” I replied defensively.

  “You didn’t seem happy to see me at your office today. And you pawned me off the first chance you got. I know I fucked up and wasn’t completely honest with you about Alex. But I’m getting the feeling you’re hiding a secret of your own.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. I don’t want to do this right now…

  I wanted to deny Drake’s accusation, but my face flushed hot the moment the words left his mouth. There was nothing I could do but tell him the truth… some of it, at least. I sat up, took a deep breath, and wrapped my hand around Drake’s.

  “I’m so sorry, baby. I was so upset when you lied to me and doubts kind of crept up in my head. The girls and I did a little digging of our own to check your story,” I confessed.

  To my surprise, Drake broke out in laughter. “That’s it?” he asked, amusement dancing across his face.

  “You’re not upset?” I asked, my eyebrows peaked.

  “Not at all,” he assured me. “You have every right to look into whatever you want. I was worried you’d found someone else, that you were going to break up with me,” he admitted.

  “There will never be anyone else,” I replied. I cradled his face in my hands and gave him a light, teasing kiss.

  “The bed on the other jet does have one glaring advantage,” I pointed out as I pulled away from him. Drake’s face broke out in a relaxed smile and he joined me on the mattress.

  “I know. We can’t exactly have any privacy here. But we have plenty of DVDs to choose from.”

  Drake kicked off his shoes as a tall, skinny man with a wispy blonde goatee stepped out from the galley.

  “Good evening, Mr. Waters, Ms. Tyler. We’ve just been cleared for takeoff. I’m afraid you’ll need to buckle up until we’ve reached our designated altitude,” he directed.

  “No problem, Brian,” Drake replied, moving back to the armchair. He fastened his seatbelt while I settled down in the chair beside him.

  “Is there anything I can bring you once we’re in the air?” the flight attendant continued.

  “We’ll have the antipasto platter and a bottle of champagne,” Drake instructed.

  “Yes, sir,” Brian replied with a nod. He disappeared again as the jet started down the runway.

  “Are you going to be able to survive without that?” I teased as Drake turned off his phone.

  “Absolutely,” he replied with another broad grin. “I’ve missed you so much this week, Chelsea. And I plan on spending the entire flight holding you in my arms. Anyone who wants to talk to me can wait until we’ve landed.”

  A question popped into my head, but I wasn’t sure how to ask it. I shifted my weight as my palms went sweaty. “Are you sure you won’t miss any… important calls?”

  Drake knew what I was really asking. “Alex won’t be bothering us anymore, baby,” he assured me. “She refused to do the reasonable thing and sign over the shares. I turned the mess over to my legal department and blocked her number.”

  Relief danced through my body as the jet climbed into the air.

  Alex is no longer a problem. She can’t hurt us. Oliver will deal with Pete, I know he will. And I get to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful man.

 
***

  I’d expected Hong Kong to be beautiful, exotic, and mesmerizing. I hadn’t expected to be too disoriented to enjoy it. After a fifteen hour flight, Drake and I landed at eight p.m. Saturday, local time. But in my New York City brain, it was eight o’clock in the morning. We climbed into the back of a white limo to find a platter of sushi and a bottle of wine.

  “Oh my God,” I groaned. “All I want is a muffin and a cup of coffee.”

  “You can get that at the hotel,” Drake said with a laugh. He popped a tuna roll in his mouth as the limo navigated out into traffic.

  I stared out my window in awe and then rolled it down so I could take in both the sights and the smells of Hong Kong. The buildings were sleek, modern, and reached into the heavens. The neon lights rivaled those in Times Square and colorful, busy people rushed along the streets. We passed several food vendors and as the spicy aromas filled the car, my muffin craving became a thing of the past.

  “Where are we going first?” I asked, practically leaning out the window.

  “I thought we’d go to the hotel and get settled in. We can order room service and relax there tonight, try to adjust ourselves to local time.”

  “This is my first time in Hong Kong,” I argued. “I don’t want to sit at the hotel. I want to get out and explore.”

  “Jet lag can be a real ass kicker,” Drake warned.

  “I don’t care,” I insisted. “And I want to see the real Hong Kong, not the billionaire Hong Kong. I don’t want to take the limo and I don’t want to eat anywhere that has a dress code or requires a reservation.”

  “As usual, your wish is my command,” Drake agreed with a shrug. “Our hotel is in the heart of downtown. The driver can drop off our luggage and we’ll go exploring on foot.”

  “Perfect,” I gushed, my eyes still fixed out the window.

  This is my life now. Drake and I get to spend the rest of our lives doing whatever we want. The only limits to what I can have are the ones I’ve placed on myself. That stops right now. I’m done feeling guilty about Drake’s money. I’m not a kept woman and I’m certainly not settling. I’m living a life most people wouldn’t dare dream about. Starting now, I’m going to enjoy it.

  “Baby,” I asked, settling into Drake’s arms. “Is the hotel close to the harbor?” I’d spotted Victoria Harbour from the air and couldn’t wait to see it up close.

  “No,” he replied, brushing my forehead with his lips. “But my new development is.”

  “Then I don’t need to see the units to know I want to keep one,” I told him with a sly grin.

  “Baby, I think this is the first time you’ve ever told me you wanted something.” Drake beamed, happy that I was warming up to being spoiled. “Should we keep a standard three bedroom unit, or one of the penthouses?”

  “Definitely a penthouse,” I answered as if there was never any question. “Let’s keep the biggest penthouse in the building.”

  ***

  Drake and I spent the next two and a half hours wandering the streets near our hotel. Instead of sitting down in one of the restaurants for a meal, we shared odds and ends from the different food carts along our path. Once we were finally full of fried fish balls, hot pot, and dim sum, we window shopped at the large variety of boutiques. I was amazed by the people surrounding us and the odd, futuristic cloths some of them were wearing. I had no doubt why Drake was so excited about his project there. The city seemed to be at the cutting edge of modern day everything.

  We stopped at a coffee cart and Drake turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “So, do you feel like continuing our walk? Or would you like to take a taxi to our new penthouse?”

  “We can go see it now?” I gasped, giving him a playful slap on the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?”

  “Because I was starving,” he confessed with a guilty grin. “The unit isn’t finished, but that’s all the more reason to see it now. It’s a blank canvas and you can fill it however you want.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go,” I said, excitedly pulling him to the curb. Drake hailed a taxi and spoke Chinese to the driver. I watched the city fly by us as we made our way towards the sea.

  “There it is.” Drake smiled and pointed out my window. When I followed his finger, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

  Drake’s building sat at the top of a high hill and seemed to be a sphere made almost entirely of glass. If someone had described the building to me before I’d seen it, visions of Epcot center would have filled my mind. But in reality, it couldn’t look more different. The building was sleek, elegant, and perfectly balanced. The only slightly alarming aspect was that it looked like a strong wind could send it rolling down the hillside.

  “Drake, it’s beautiful,” I said, my voice full of genuine pride. “But how in the hell is it possible?”

  His deep laughter vibrated through me. “That’s my little secret,” he said with a wink. “Wait until you see the top floor.”

  The taxi pulled up to the entrance and Drake paid the driver before showing me inside. The ground floor was completely open and unfinished and I remembered that was where the restaurants and spa were going to go. We stepped into an elevator and rode to the very top.

  Like the elevator in Drake’s New York building, this one opened directly into the penthouse.

  “We have thirty-five hundred square feet,” Drake explained, leading me into the space. “We’re at the top of the dome, so the curvature on the exterior glass walls is quite prominent. I think it gives the place character.”

  “It’s like we’re moving into the Jetson’s house… in the best way possible,” I added, noticing the insulted look on his face.

  Like the ground floor, the penthouse was completely open and unfinished, save a few support beams. I walked the length of the circular wall, taking in a three hundred and sixty degree view of the city.

  “This is breathtaking,” I told Drake, who was crossing to the middle of the room to join me. He wrapped me in his arms and I leaned back against his chest.

  “The plumbing for the kitchen and bathrooms has already been installed. You can choose the layout of everything else and decide where you want to put the walls.”

  “Wall up the bathrooms and leave everything else open,” I insisted. “It’s too beautiful the way it is now. I don’t want to start closing it up.”

  “Your wish is my command.” He leaned down and kissed me gently behind the ear. I spun in his arms and wrapped my hands around his neck.

  “My every wish?” I asked him with a daring smile.

  “That depends.” He grinned back at me. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his chin. “I’ve been wishing I could get you naked since the moment we boarded the jet. Would you mind granting that one for me?”

  “It would be my pleasure.” Drake pulled my hips into his body and covered my lips with his as he backed up to the glass wall. He leaned against it, sliding down until we were both on the floor. I sat in his lap, pulling my floral sundress over my head. When I’d dressed on the jet, I’d purposely gone without panties in the hopes we’d have a chance to make love somewhere unexpected. When Drake realized they were missing, a devilish smile crossed his face.

  “You’re always full of surprises, aren’t you baby?” he teased.

  “I have to keep my man interested, don’t I?” I replied with a laugh, reaching for the buttons of his shirt.

  Drake took my hand and stared into my eyes, his face full of lust. “I assure you. Holding my interest requires very little effort on your part. In fact, I can hardly focus on anything else.”

  He dove for my neck, unbuttoning his shirt as his tongue teased my flesh. I pushed the fabric over his shoulders while he pushed his slacks to his thighs. I lowered myself onto his lap, taking in every inch of his shaft.

  “Oh baby,” Drake moaned, pulling his knees up to my shoulders. I leaned back and slid against his thighs as I moved up and down on his cock
. I opened my eyes and saw that Drake was staring down where we were joined. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what he was seeing as I buried him in my pussy and released him again.

  “Do you have a good view?” I purred.

  “Oh God, yes,” he groaned. “You’re so beautiful. Every time you take me in, I feel like I’m going to cum.”

  “Yeah, baby?” I continued, riding him harder.

  “Oh… Oh…” he gasped and brought his fingers to my mouth. I licked and sucked them, staring into his eyes until he pulled them away and lowered his hand. He put a slick finger on either side of my clit, putting pressure on it from both sides as he rocked his hand up and down.

  “Oh, Drake,” I cried, slamming down on him harder and faster. I angled my hips forward, pushing the head of his cock into my G-spot. I held myself in place, rocking back and forth instinctively until our bodies erupted in simultaneous release. I collapsed against Drake’s legs and he fell backwards into the thick glass wall. After a few moments of silence, Drake looked up at me with a smile.

  “So, do we get to christen every new place like this? If so, I’ll buy you a new house every day.”

  CHAPTER 5

  e

  At six in the morning, I was startled awake by my phone. I grabbed it from the bedside charger, silenced the ringer, and stared down at the screen.

  Stacey… I’ll call her back later.

  I rolled back over, tossing an arm over Drake. His body rose and fell with his deep, slumbering breaths. The rhythm of his body almost lulled me back to sleep, but not before a horrible thought crossed my mind.

  Stacey wouldn’t have called right now unless it was really important. Oh God, I hope everything’s okay with the baby. I have to call her back.

  I carefully rolled away from Drake and waited on the edge of the bed to make sure I hadn’t woken him. When I was certain he was still out, I grabbed my phone again and tiptoed to the living room. I dialed Stacey’s number and she answered on the first ring.

  “Chelsea, where are you?” she demanded.