by Adams, Zoe
Close Love
The Billionaires Club Book 2
By Zoe Adams
Close Love
Copyright © 2015 by Zoe Adams.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: December 2015
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-390-8
ISBN-10: 1-68058-390-5
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the special
love of my life, Mike F.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 1
Every Friday night Del found the usual excuse to go out. He sat at the bar taking up as much room as a bachelor could claim. Luckily he even had a seat. Everyone within a hundred mile radius came here to drink. The building burst at the seams.
A fire department could yell about it. But Del recognized a few firefighters at a table by the door. Fortunately, they cared about the capacity code, and were there just in case something happened.
Guests lined up wherever they could. Most of them had one drink, some had two. They drank in lines or groups. It didn’t matter what they had or where they stood, they just wanted to have fun. The social pat on the back came with the bar, and the verbal pat of approval came from the liquor.
A band rocked out some good entertainment, but this was not a celebrity’s playground. One would have to look far in every direction to find five-, four-, or three and a half-star treatment.
Things in this bar had been known to get out of hand. No matter the problem, Del smoothed his way through life without a police record. There were heroic stories of bar fights and car races, but Del had avoided incidents with the law.
Having a clean slate and a loud voice gave him a nickname.
“Hey, Minister Del, I challenge you to a game of pool.” It was Bill, the paint store clerk. After five years of bar drinking and casual acquaintance, he still looked too young to drink.
Del looked at him, a little confused, and said, “Maybe later.”
It was the same old problem of his shining and different record. Everyone always wanted to challenge him. His competitiveness forced him to win at nearly everything. But lately he felt less amiable. He thought it better to save friendliness for the people who mattered.
Del looked for his brother behind the bar. Waiting for drinks made him thirstier. Tantalizing bottles of booze beckoned his thoughts.
The bar had been put on the map of historical sites years ago. There were genuine wood shelves and murky glass dating back to before prohibition. The large oak shelves gave the bar an aged, stable, and shadowy effect.
Bartenders were always hiding when it was most important, or else he couldn’t see them in the dark bar. Del looked around to share his joke, but different sets of couples were oblivious.
Instead he swiveled on the barstool and watched the dance floor. Line dancing took up one side of the room. The sound of periodical stomps and claps came from intense dancers. Couples shook their heads and stomped their heels. The blur of blue denim, turquoise, and cowboy hats made him happy to wear black. Seeing people shake their heads with hands on hips reminded him of past relationship woes. Del squirmed.
Every Friday night he did the same thing, and went to the bar with his best foot forward. He had to check the local women’s score. He always expected to see a ten or an eight. But most of the country girls didn’t add up to the brains, beauty, and hourglass figure shaped in his dreams. Del expected to meet the perfect woman every time, but instead was known as quite a loner.
He showed up for the ladies and accepted their attention whether they were twenty, eighty, or forty years of age. Girls loved cowboys; and everyone liked a sharp dressed man. It was a win-win situation either way.
Del lived alone on a farm. He needed these social moments in town to feel normal. But instead, it made him feel different. He existed in another world. The solitude of farming gave him inquisitive sobriety.
Alcohol lowered his inhibitions and helped him get places with the ladies. He also knew too much alcohol placed his fists in certain circles with men. He struggled with the happy medium place, and stayed in a sort of mediocre sobriety. He could walk with more or less sway, but he usually found himself alone.
“Hey, Del. You look thirsty.” His brother set a case of beer on the cooler.
“Yes I am, Ted. Thanks for noticing.” Del turned around to face his brother.
He instantly felt bad about teasing Ted when the sweat dripped down his forehead. His brother picked up a napkin and wiped his brow.
Both brothers knew what the other was thinking. They didn’t have to spend a lot of time together to be alike. A comfortable silence full of uncomfortable things not said filled the space between them.
“Here’s your drink. And here’s the drink of the day. Hopefully you drink a few more so I can pay you back somehow.” Ted smiled, but a nervous look across the room slowed him down.
“Hey. I don’t care about that. I’m here to have fun.” Del nodded and drank the special. “Ah. That was great, Ted, thanks.”
The men could’ve been twins. They both had the same strawberry blond hair and wide Scandinavian featured full face. Their bodies were large, except Ted would be considered big boned, while Del was completely ripped with muscles.
They had other similarities too, but those were more like quirks and mannerisms. Del studied his brother while he poured more drinks. Ted’s health had become a concern lately. But drunk or not, he sure knew how to throw a party.
The brothers looked at each other deeply and considered.
Ted raised his drink first. “Let’s drink to the two Ericson boys that Momma’s actually proud of.”
Del tilted his head and smiled before raising his glass. He drained the square tumbler, and set it on the bar a little loudly. He wasn’t going to wait at the bar until the next time his brother bounced back from a different customer or errand.
Del decided to have fun. He played a few games of pool and darts. He caught all the jokes and gossip floating around the bar.
This was the life he was accustomed to. All week he would spend hours reflecting on things. Then on the weekends go back to town for more. His advanced areas of conversation were anything done by hand. It could be something to aim at, make, brew, grow, or cut. Del could talk someone’s ear off about anything.
When he talked a lot then he didn’t drink as much. Del liked it better that way. Just like always, he talked
about farming and sharp cutting objects. He predicted the seasonal freeze or thaw. And just like everyone else, he guessed at the year’s production.
Tonight could be left to the similar past. Del had done it all before. Having the same conversations with the same group of people made him feel old. It had been done too many times. Del ended his drinkers night early, and slipped out of the bar.
Outside, the night had a few vague stars. Del crossed a main intersection of town. Large trees held Christmas lights all year. They wrapped heavily around the trunks of trees and lit up slightly swaying branches.
Downtown emanated romance and a small town feeling. Streets made a square around a historically protected cabin. He could name every strip of grains, herbs, flowers, and trees in the park. The outdoor area had been the city’s most desirable venue for weddings or celebrations for over a hundred years. Del always liked parties there and wondered if he would ever have one for himself.
A lump settled in his throat. He looked across the street instead. It didn’t make up for all the shops and stores being closed. The town made a halfhearted attempt to light up the street for the evening. The gas station looked dark and closed. But the overhead lights at the gas pumps were brightly lit.
A sports car pulled into the gas station. It had out of state license plates and looked expensive. Del had to know who traveled so late at night. He turned on the side street toward his truck. Del had time to climb into his truck and study the rearview mirror before the driver got out of the car.
The door of the mysterious car opened. One high heeled foot stepped out. Both star-studded shoes were placed together. When the stranger stood up, a sequined dress stopped an inch from the ground.
A gorgeous woman made a small circle where she stood. There was no attendant for her or her luxurious car. She obviously didn’t drive very much because the gas door opened on the other side of the vehicle.
She was beautiful and completely out of place. But there was something else. Her mannerisms held Del’s attention. She made quick, jerky movements, like she wasn’t quite sure if she could claim all of her space.
Del drove over to the gas station and parked at the opposite pump. He walked past her headlights, and she noticed him for the first time.
Del lifted his black cowboy hat. “Good evening, ma’am.”
She sputtered nervously, “What? Who says stuff like that anymore?”
“Del Ericson.” He put his hand out in greeting.
The woman took his hand and tilted her head. “I’m Lady, umm.”
“Lady Umm?” Del tried to figure her out. “Is Lady your real name or a title?”
“I don’t know.” She put her nose down and fumbled with the gas door.
Lady’s tone of voice matched the distraught look in her eyes. Del thought he saw something deeper. She had a frozen smile attached to a poker face. Her expression got longer as she straightened to meet him.
“The gas station is closed, but you can still get gas. It accepts credit cards at night. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Del gave a reassuring smile and began to turn away.
“Oh no.” Lady’s composure went to panicky tears. “Oh no.”
She repeated herself sickly. Lady stomped a high heeled shoe on the concrete and it made a weak click.
“Oh no.” She lifted her face to his. “I lose again.”
Lady had a little temper. Del considered her a loss. Then those three little words melted any preconceived notion of being spoiled or rich.
She had said she lost again. Those words drew Del’s interest back.
“What did you lose?” he asked.
“Anonymity. I lose to technology.” She humpffed and a piece of brown hair floated above her cheek. When the wayward strand settled, it fell somewhere indifferently. “I just can’t ever run away from my family. They will see my credit card and follow my every move.”
She looked up at Del. Her eyes held a serious look of discomfort. But there was more to it than that, it was a hopeless look about belonging. She grimaced like she wasn’t sure if he was a better place for her to turn toward or not.
“Hey. I’m just trying to help.” Del held his hand out toward the gas tank.
Del pulled out his wallet and retrieved a bank card. He ran the magnetic strip through the machine. He filled her car with gas while staring at her quietly. He finished and stood back. He had many words for her, but looking at her could silence any critic. Lady was young, smooth, and probably sheltered. She had the face of a young girl who would someday be a lovely woman. Even now she was beautiful, but someday she would grow into those large brown eyes, slightly long nose, and wide mouth.
She interrupted his wondering. “Here, I have money.”
“Oh no, ma’am.” Del shook his head adamantly. “I couldn’t take money from you. A beautiful woman like you shouldn’t have to worry about things like money.”
Shock kept her in place. The money that was caught between her thumb and palm flapped in the wind.
Dell winked. “I wouldn’t stay in any hotels around here. There’s a farm nearby with a nice guest room where you can sleep more comfortably.”
He let the rest of his invitation drop.
She silently considered.
Del could feel the calling from within himself. He took off his goat skin gloves and said, “I know you’re running away to somewhere. You left a lot of things behind you. Whatever it was, I don’t want you to lose. If you want to follow me to my house, where I live alone, that would be just fine with me.”
She was still clutching her purse.
“Put your money away. You won’t need it. I’ll keep you safe.” Del wasn’t sure why he said it. He rolled his eyes at his promise. “Hey. I’m not gonna stand in the middle of town talking to you. And while you are beautiful, people will definitely see us. There’s a new girl in town, and even if it’s temporary, there’s still a new girl in town. If you’d like to follow me to my house, that’s fine. It’s east of town and probably the way you’re headed anyway. I’ll turn off on a gravel road in approximately forty-two miles. That’s the road to my house. You can either turn or keep on driving.”
She remained transfixed.
Del tried again. “Do I have to kiss you to make it real?”
Lady shook her head and slid into her car.
Chapter 2
Del drove out of town leading a smaller car with bright blue headlights. He reached the halfway mark. Looking in his rear-view mirror showed her car still there. It could have passed him, but hadn’t.
He turned on the blinker for his road nearly a mile before turning. Lady’s blinker lit up a parade. She was still there with him. He parked his truck outside of the garage and turned the key. Lady’s car pulled up evenly beside his. She rolled into park and shut off the car. The night was handed back over to the sounds and calls of nature.
Del stepped from the cab and shook out his legs. It came naturally to open her door. He approached and heard the locks click out of position. The door popped open and Del stood aside with a wave of relief. He put out his hand and she used it. She unwrapped herself from the sleek automobile like a red carpet waited for her feet.
“Thank you.” She stood beside him hesitantly.
“You’re welcome. I want you to make yourself at home. I know the house ain’t much, but I can guarantee you it’s more comfortable than the Super 8 behind us, or wherever it was you were driving to. I just wanted to give you a choice.” Del looked at her. “Wow. You’re beautiful. You stand on my sidewalk in sequins, and my sidewalk ain’t worth an inch of you.”
They studied each other. Her reserve showed good training. The rest of her showed proportionate breeding. Her face, arms, and chest were femininely curved. Certain places were dainty, and others were voluptuous. She was perfect.
Del knew she was tall, because he was tall and her head reached his nose, but she seemed delicate. He wondered how their bodies would fit together and blushed.
Lady opened her mouth
and gave him a smile. It wasn’t a huge smile, in fact, it looked planned and well-used.
“This is all your property,” she stated boldly, and turned a full three sixty in front of him.
Del enjoyed the extra views of her backside. He didn’t know if she was innocent or playing him. Her age confused him. But anyone who moved like honey while admiring his land could stand beside him anytime.
“Yes, this is all mine.” He looked at the gorgeous view.
Del had a lot of questions but gave answers instead. “This is private property as far as you can see in every direction. Everything’s paid for and belongs to me. My grandfather left it to me in his will. This land has been Ericson land for a hundred years.”
His answer didn’t seem to change her opinion of the darkened fields.
“What about you?” Del questioned. “Who owns you?”
Del almost regretted it. But he had to answer the important question.
“Myself.” The word came out strong like this had been done and said before. “I own myself. No one owns me. And I don’t owe anybody a thing. I am a woman, not a horse or a bartering chip.”
Her eyes flashed up at him. Apparently the subject was very close to her heart. He liked the fire. She had eyes like a tiger’s. She would protect herself, for herself. It made her even more attractive.
“Is Lady your real name?” Del asked the oldest question he had about her.
“Yes. My first name is Lady. I will tell you my second and third name when I know you better.” She held her name to a high privilege it probably deserved. “I ran away from my family tonight. I won’t tell you who they are. Besides, if you knew who I was complaining about, you’d probably try to stop me or something.”
She saw his approval and continued, “The rich are just so…ugh.”
Lady’s shoulders shook like there was a spider on her back. She straightened herself and tried to protect her species. “It’s hard to know who your friends are when there’s a lot of money involved.”