Princely Passions: A Royal Romance
Page 88
Mr. Wright looks toward Nadia. I look toward Nadia. I can tell from the corner of my eye that Derek is looking toward her too.
"Alicia," Nadia says slowly, "When I told you to prepare the investment options based on Mr. Lowell's visit, I never told you to go through his account. And," she says and pauses and laughs to herself. "There is no way I ever promoted you to Associate."
It's like someone took a giant baseball bat and just hit me in the face.
"We don't do promotions until the end of the year, and you're still too new to the Firm," Nadia continues as she looks through her phone. "And as far as I can see, there is no email or notification from me to HR telling them to move you to that level."
"In fact, Ms. Sullivan, did you not use your manager's credentials to log into Mr. Lowell's account?" Thomas Wright asks me.
Fuck. I don't know what to answer.
I feel like throwing up.
My head is spinning.
I think I've been set up.
"I'm going to take your silence as a sign of guilt, Ms. Sullivan," the lawyer says as he sits down next to me. "But you should know that the Firm will try to recover the damages from you on his behalf. We believe that you've stolen about $30 million dollars from Mr. Lowell so far."
Tears are streaming down my face as I look to Derek.
I can't tell what he's thinking.
$30 million dollars?
This global bank is about to go to war with me.
How am I going to even be able to pay that back? The number is absolutely ridiculous.
Especially because after my Starbucks today I only have $347.14 in my checking account.
I wonder if Carter Jeffries does a 7,000-year payment plan.
178
Derek
$30 million dollars.
That’s how much was stolen from me, and at this point in time, I honestly could care less.
After months of searching and gathering evidence, I’ve finally found the thief. But again, I couldn’t care less.
I stand up and look at her—this woman who has literally stolen a fortune from me.
“Before you say another word,” I say looking at her. “Let me just go ahead and tell you that I’ve called over NYPD and Preston Cabot. I suggest the next words out of your mouth be the truth, Nadia.”
Nadia looks at me with alarm and I hear a sharp intake of breath.
That must be Alicia. She must be going out of her mind. I figure once we’re done here, she will probably be pretty mad at me, you know?
And you know what? I’m not happy about it. I love her. I meant what I said when I told her that I needed her in my life. I can’t live without her.
But the only way we were going to get out of this entire situation was for her to play the part that she fell into. I never wanted her to have to go through this. But she dove in, and I had to let her see it through.
You have no idea actually what I’m talking about, do you?
Fine, let me make it a bit clearer.
Just then, the door opens and an uniformed police officer walks in along with the Chairman and CEO of Carter Jeffries.
Nadia’s eyes grow wide and she gets up from her chair.
But before she can do or say anything, Preston Cabot – the lion of Wall Street – speaks up.
“Just stay right where you are, Ms. Moore,” he says sharply. “We’ll do this quietly to avoid as much embarrassment as possible as long as you cooperate. But make things difficult and I have no problem marching you out the floor in handcuffs.”
Nadia seems to think better of her situation. She’s still flustered and looks at me.
But I’m looking at Alicia. Poor girl looks like she’s about to faint, but she’ll be okay.
Satisfied at how strong Alicia is to cope with all this, I turn my attention back to Nadia.
“Yes, Nadia,” I say to her with a bit of a sneer. “I knew from the very beginning that the embezzlement was happening from Carter Jeffries.”
Nadia is silent. This is a fucking wise move as I get up and walk over to her. “What I didn't realize was that it was coming from right in the Private Client department. I mean, I thought maybe it was happening somewhere in the operational side – the traders or programmers who execute all the trades,” I say to her as she remains still. “I thought for sure it had to be someone who was getting legitimate instructions and then siphoning off cash. That it was someone who worked at your level and broke the system internally never occurred to me until Alicia started dropping hints and asking pointed questions.”
Nadia looks over sharply at Alicia and I can see a whole new level of startled go through that girl’s face.
“That’s right, Nadia,” I say aloud. “Alicia figured out what was going on, but a little faster than you thought she would. She found out some improper classifications of trades and most likely didn't realize that they were just placeholders. You classified trades and deposits as happening in Iran and North Korea, but it was actually just moving to your own bank account.”
Nadia flinches. It’s just dawning on her the extent to how much I know what’s going on.
“And being the good person that Alicia is, she tried her level best to find out what I knew without breaking her confidence to the Firm,” I say toward Preston who nods to me.
I can see he’s about to say something so I pause to let him speak.
“Imagine my surprise when Derek and I meet for a round of drinks and he tells me that the woman he’s been seeing just got promoted that works in his account,” Preston says to Nadia. “A promotion from this department during the middle of the year is something that usually has to get signed off by the CEO. By me. And I had no idea what he was talking about.”
“You both knew?” Nadia asks Preston and I.
I shrug and walk toward Alicia. “I suspected you were rotten,” I say nonchalantly. “But I also wanted to see how far you would take it. Only this morning did I realize you were attempting to set Alicia up for the fall and that was how you were going to exit. That’s when I had all the pieces I needed.”
“As did we, Ms. Moore,” Preston says to Nadia. “Take it from someone who’s been on Wall Street a long time. You got greedy. And greed makes you careless. On the Street, Bulls rush in and Bears play it safe, but pigs get slaughtered.”
“Oink oink, boss,” I turn around in surprise and see that Alicia has gotten up. She’s balled her fists and looks like she’s going to rush Nadia. I go over and place a hand on her shoulder, calming her down slightly. She’s mad. With good reason.
Nadia for her part hangs her head in defeat. “It was supposed to be a foolproof plan,” she says, all but admitting her guilt.
“It never is when you’re stealing,” Preston says with an air of finality. When Nadia doesn’t respond, he nods to the uniformed police officer who walks over to Nadia. He stays a few feet from her, but his intention is clear. She looks at him and then at Preston and then nods, grateful for the small courtesy of not being dragged away in cuffs.
The cop and Nadia leave the room and walk unobtrusively toward the elevator, where an unmarked police car is waiting to take Nadia to the Manhattan Jail.
Preston looks at me and then at Alicia. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he says. “Ms. Sullivan, consider yourself demoted back to Analyst, and think about taking the rest of the day off.”
She barely has time to nod when he turns and leaves the room as well. She seems a bit surprised by his haste.
“Don’t worry,” I tell Alicia, taking her hand and moving her face back to me. “The guy is in back-to-back meetings throughout the day and barely had time to come to this one,” I say.
She shrugs. “So, like watching a Managing Director get arrested for trying to steal $30 million is just another entry in his calendar, huh?” Alicia asks me with a bit of snark.
“It’s Wall Street, babe,” I reply back with a chuckle. “If you’re not taking money from somebody, then somebody’s taking it from you.”
Alicia sticks her tongue out at me and takes a step closer. “So I have the day off …” she says, trailing off.
I know where this is going and I pull her closer. She can feel my cock come to life against her thigh. “The Omni Hotel is right across the street, you know?” I ask her.
“What if they don’t have rooms?” Alicia asks with the wide-eyed innocence of someone who doesn’t know the full power of a billionaire.
I grab her hand and lead her out of the conference room as I say, “Then I’ll just buy the hotel and fuck you in the lobby.”
To her credit, Alicia takes it in stride. “Oh okay,” she says. “As long as you have a plan to fuck me, I think we’re good.”
I grin.
I’m going to enjoy her.
Immensely.
179
Alicia
“So, lemme get this right,” I say as I come out of the bedroom to Derek’s private jet to the main cabin. The plane just took off and I got out of my work clothes and put on something sexy.
There’s music playing through the speakers and Derek is making cocktails at the bar. It’s like a flying palace. Seriously, a girl could get used to this.
Anyways, back to what I was saying.
“You used me?” I ask him pointedly. “You realized I was digging through something and you let me keep going hoping it would get Nadia to try and take me out?”
Derek shrugs. “I mean, it’s not like you were in any real danger. Unless, you know…embarrassment.”
I feel my cheeks burn.
“So you realized that those transfers to Iran or dealings in North Korea were being used to mask the money actually going to Nadia’s accounts?” I ask.
He nods. “Offshore accounts she set up in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands,” he says. “But I couldn’t be sure until she fired you for them. Only the person that set them up would know they existed since they were fake.”
I should be upset at this man. He basically took my sleuthing and did some sort of mind fuck to get what he needed.
But I dunno…I guess I’m also glad that he’s not a terrorist. Oh my God, did you just hear me? Like have my standards fallen so low that I'm now glad if the man I’m with isn’t an international criminal?
“You could've just told me, you know,” I tell him, walking to the bar. “You could've trusted me.”
“I didn’t take the chance to tell you, Alicia,” Derek says looking into my eyes. “Because I didn’t want you involved at all.”
“Why not?” I ask back, my indignation piqued.
“Because…I love you.”
Oh.
Well, let’s let that statement hang there.
Derek walks around the bar.
“But all that is over now,” he says and wraps his arms around me. “My money is returned and we have no secrets between each other. We won’t let anything ever get in the middle of us again. Deal?” he asks.
“Except clothes?” I ask, smiling at my cheesy joke.
“Well we won’t let them get between us for long.”
I don’t know how or why I squeal, but I do. And in three seconds, I’m kissing him passionately.
Yeah. So I’m turned on. So sue me.
We’re in his private jet, the whole cabin to ourselves… What do you expect me to do? Sit still while the man I love is so damn close to me? No way, Jose.
I’m telling you, it’s impossible for me to get tired of him. I can’t, I really can’t. He is perfection incarnate. And knowing that this perfect man has only space in his heart for one woman—me—is enough to make me go delirious.
There’s no need for talking: both he and I know that whenever we are alone our bodies scream for each other. That’s just one of the unwritten rules of life.
He grins at me, his hands on my waist as he kisses me with a gentleness I would never believe he had in him just a few weeks ago. It’s still hard for me to understand how everything unfolded up to this point. But it happened… And now, Derek and I are two inseparable and matching pieces… If only I knew right from the start how maddening his kiss would be I’d have jumped on him as soon as he was within reach.
No matter; he’s here now, his hands cupping my ass over my tight black dress as his cock becomes hard. There’s a slow burning ache between my legs, my pussy becoming as wet as it has ever been. God, Derek is going to be the end of me.
I take one hand to his crotch, pressing against his cock with the open palm of my hand and rubbing over it. Softly, I trace its contour with just the tip of my fingers, imagining how it will feel to have his long member sliding inside of me mercilessly. He’s so damn big; he’s so huge that I still have a hard time understanding how it’s even possible for something like it to exist. His shape is long and thick, perfect in all things, and I can’t help but salivate at the thought of having him deep inside my mouth…
My heart races fast as I try to wrap my mind around the fact that something as big as his throbbing member has already been inside of me, that huge head of his pushing against my folds and stretching me wide. I’m the luckiest woman in the world, there’s no denying it.
With that mental image engraved in my mind, I start unbuttoning his pants, brushing my fingers over his boxer briefs. My heart is drumming anxiously inside my chest, and I slide my hand under his underwear, my fingers curling around his member as if they have a life of their own. I start stroking him in all his length, going over from his tip to his root; I can’t wait to feel each and every inch of his cock deep inside of me.
If we keep going at it like this he’s going to ruin me, I just know it. Now that there’s nothing in our way, it’s just impossible for me to keep my hands off of him. And that sounds so good. What could possibly be better than having my body completely destroyed by Derek’s massive cock? Not many things, I’d wager.
I caress his balls with my other hand, still grasping his cock tight while I move my hand up and down, from his tip to the base, marveling at his size. I need it inside of me again. I need that as much as I need air to breathe and my heart to beat. It would be a sin to waste such a majestic gift, don’t you think?
He nibbles at my lower lip, his hands going down my cheeks and neck to the round mounds of my breasts, grabbing and squeezing gently. Possessed by what I’d describe as an insatiable hunger for my breasts, he slides the shoulder straps of my dress down my arms and then leans into me and starts sucking on my right nipple, pulling down the cup of my bra and holding it in place with his long fingers. I can’t help but moan as his tongue dances in circles around it, lapping at it endlessly.
Derek leans into me, his lips against my ear, and he whispers.
“I can’t get enough of you, Alicia. And I’m going to fuck you very, very hard.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks as he says it, and I almost come at his words. Really. Having Derek whisper those things at me is better than almost everything I have experienced during my short time here on this Earth. I could have him perched on my shoulder 24/7 whispering those things at me, and I would never get tired of it. Only problem I can see with that is that I would spend the whole day completely wet. But then again, that sounds just about perfect.
I don’t even know how it's possible for me to be so damn wet. Is it possible to die of dehydration this way? Mm, well, I guess not; my whole body is still aching for him, so I’m still with the living…!
Derek pushes me down on the long side-seat, his hands darting to my back and lodging themselves there. In a sudden movement he is on top of me, our bodies pressed against each other as we kiss. Am I still alive? Have I died and gone up to heaven? As he sucks and licks my nipple I can’t help but wonder if paradise is just that—Derek sucking and nibbling at my tits. Sign me up for it if I’m right.
He squeezes my breasts hard as he sucks on them; then one of his hand goes down my belly, and still over the fabric of my dress, he presses it over my eager pussy, rubbing it slowly with just the tip of his fingers. I grind against his hand, swaying my
hips and trying to sate the aching desire my insides feel for him. Damn, I can feel every nerve ending in my body yearning for his cock. After being with someone as big as he is, I can’t help but feel lucky I’ll be his forever… I doubt I’d ever find someone capable of bringing me such pleasure. Not to mention he’s not only big… He actually knows how to use it. It’s not hard to understand why so many people envy him; he’s rich, well endowed, and above all, he’s a true expert. A master of the trade.
His hand goes down my waist and he slides it under my dress, his fingers hiking up to my thong; with a flick of his fingers, he pushes the small string of fabric to the side and brushes one finger slowly against my clit. I shudder and exhale sharply as he presses down on it. Damn, it’s like being hit by lightning. I can’t see, I can’t speak, I can’t hear—all that I feel are his fingers slowly stroking my pussy.
I thrust my hips upwards against his hand; I can’t handle all this teasing, I really can’t. I’m going to die of anticipation. Then, as if he’s capable of hearing my thoughts, he pushes my hips down onto the seat, the palm of his hand pressing hard against my pussy. He lets one finger go inside of me in an upward motion, and before I can even let out a heartfelt moan, he has his thumb over my clit again.
He lets go without a warning, the absence of his touch almost too painful to endure.
Getting up, he grabs my hand and makes me stand; with a sudden movement, he has me pinned against the curved wall of the jet.
I close my eyes as he runs his hands through my hair and pushes it back. We stand there in a silence only broken by the steady hum of the engines, our bodies brushing against each other as we just savor that sweet closeness.
When I open my eyes I see him looking at me, his lips slightly parted as if he’s lost in a daze. My hands go to his chest, my fingertips feeling the rough outline of his muscles with deliberate care. He’s so perfectly sculpted that I believe not even the renaissance masters of old would be able to sculpt him in all his glory.
He reaches for my mouth with his, kissing me in abandonment. My heart flutters as I kiss him back, my lips submitting to one of the absolute best moments of my life. I could stay here forever, lost in this sweet trance.