“Fine, give me Damon’s number,” she said.
Tricia read it out to her. “Thank you, Geri. He still loves me, you know,” she said softly.
Argh, Geri wanted to shake Tricia, but she said goodbye instead.
She ensured her phone details wouldn’t appear on Damon’s screen before she tapped his number.
“Hello?” came a grumpy male voice.
“Damon?” she asked in her most confident voice.
“Who’s this?”
“It’s Geri.”
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the prodigal sister. What took you so long?”
“What do you want, Damon?”
“My quarter of a million dollars. But my business partner said that since you made us wait, we have to add interest, so three hundred thousand.”
“Are you kidding me?” Oh, God, he hadn’t changed at all.
“Oh, no, Geri. I’ve never been more serious. If you don’t give me the money by Friday night, I promise that you won’t like the consequences.”
“Why should I give you anything, Damon?” she said with bluster. “You’re a known criminal, and I bet you won’t want to go back to jail.”
“You know what? I know that Maddie walks home from school by herself. It’s only a five-minute walk, but lots can happen to a girl in five minutes.”
Fear gripped Geri’s entire body. “What do you intend to do?”
“Who said I’ll do anything?” Damon asked with exaggerated innocence. “But I guess you won’t know for sure until you refuse me, huh?”
“You won’t get away with it, Damon.”
“Are you going to take the risk, Geri?” Damon’s tone was now menacing. “Do you want to cross me again? I swear to you—I swear to you—you’re going to regret it. I’m also telling you that I’m not going back to jail. They’ll never find me, but I know where your sister and Maddie live.”
Geri shivered in fear. Suddenly, she was sure that Damon meant every word. Did she really want to push him?
“Okay,” she said shakily. “But I can’t give you the money by Friday. You’ll need to give me at least three months.”
“Three months? Don’t be stupid, Geri. Friday, or prepare to regret it for the rest of your life.”
“Please. I only learned about this now when you lied to Tricia again.”
“Of course I did. Too bad for you she’ll always believe me over you.”
Tears sprung to her eyes. That hurt.
“Damon, please. I’m telling you the truth this time because you know how much I love Maddie. You’ll get your money, but I need time. Please.”
“Well,” Damon drawled, “far be it from anyone to say I’m not flexible. One week, then. And I’ll tell you exactly how I want the money given to me.”
“That’s not enough time—”
“If I don’t get my three hundred thousand by Wednesday next week, you’ll find out what I’m truly capable of,” Damon growled.
Geri let out a ragged sigh. Three hundred thousand dollars in seven days? How?
She shut her eyes and one option crystallised in her mind. “When you get the money, will you stop messing with Tricia too? Stop telling her you still love her?”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” she said in defeat. “I’ll call you again before Wednesday.”
“Good girl, Geri,” Damon said triumphantly. “Remember, we can get to Maddie before the police can even do anything, so you better not go there.” Then he hung up.
Geri let her tears flow. She couldn’t see any other choice. She simply refused to risk Maddie’s safety.
“I’m so sorry, Simon,” she whispered, her heart breaking while she tapped another number.
“Hi, Justin. I need your help too.”
Chapter 11
Simon sat at a table near the door of the Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens cafe, away from where Ingrid had joined a mother and daughter, tourists from Hobart. He pulled out his phone and called Tristan back. He’d had a few missed calls from some of his friends, and this was the first chance he’d had to call them back.
“Hey, if it isn’t Mr. James,” Tristan said. “Still enjoying your new job? I heard from Lucas you’re having a ball.”
“I sure am.”
“I also heard you found yourself a nice girl.”
“I have.”
“Really, now? Where’s she from?”
“Hobart.”
“Hobart? Is she playing tourist too?”
“You could say that. It’s Geri, Mrs. Lawrence’s PA.”
“What? I thought it’s your policy not to fool around with people you work with.”
“It’s my policy not to fool around with any of my employees. She’s not my employee. Besides, we’re not fooling around.”
Tristan snickered. “Oh, so you haven’t made your move yet, huh? Very unlike you, Simon. Or is she immune to your charms?”
“Not at all,” he said with a laugh. “We’re actually dating, but we can’t let Mrs. Lawrence know yet.”
“You’re dating?” Tristan said with disbelief. “As in you’re exclusive?”
“Yup.”
“Is it serious?”
Simon inhaled deeply. “I think so.”
“Holy fuck.” Tristan’s tone was wondrous. “I don’t believe this. Are you sure it’s not just one of those holiday flings?”
“No,” he said with a bit of force.
“But…”
“But what? You don’t think Geri would like me without knowing I’m rich and all that?” he asked, a bit offended.
“Hell, dude, no. What are you on about? Even without money, girls will be all over you for your looks. I just find it impossible that you, Simon Alexander, could turn over a new leaf that quickly.”
Simon smiled. He couldn’t believe it either. He supposed this transformation had started a few months ago, but he just hadn’t acted on it until now.
“So what does Geri know about you?”
“Well, that’s the thing. She still knows me as Simon James, the chauffeur. She has no idea who I am, and I’m starting to worry that it might be a problem when I finally confess.”
“You’re not pulling my leg, are you?” Tristan said.
“No. Is it so hard for you to believe that I’ve fallen in love?”
“Holy shit. I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Well, I have,” he said with a loud exhale. “I couldn’t believe it either, but it happened. And it had to be love, because I can’t stop thinking about Geri. Even though I see her every day and make love to her every night, I still miss her whenever I’m not with her—like right now. And then my heart races when I see her again after being apart for even just a few hours. It’s a funny feeling, you know, like I’m drowning, but happy to breathe underwater because of her. Or like I’m flying, but falling hard for her at the same time.”
There was long silence before Tristan started laughing. “You are pulling my leg.”
“I’m not,” he said quietly. “But it doesn’t matter what you think. I know how I feel.”
“Oh my God, you’re not pulling my leg,” Tristan said in shock.
“No, I’m not,” he reiterated.
“Wow. Well, I suppose you’re gonna have to tell her the truth soon. When does your contract finish?”
“Monday’s my last day.”
“Are you gonna out yourself then? Escort Geri to an Alexander Jets plane and tell her you own it?”
“Well, I actually have a plan, and I need the help of all of you guys.”
“Sure. What’s the plan?”
“I need to convince Geri that I’ve gone into this incognito thing to find a serious girlfriend, not to play around. She might not believe it coming from just me, so that’s where you guys come in. I’ll introduce her to all of you at a party, then you guys can back me up when I confess.”
“Okay. I can already see that you will have a hard time explaining.”
“Thanks,” he
said sarcastically to cover up his fear.
“You can’t erase your past, Simon. So even though Geri might accept your initial explanation, you still have to contend with situations where she meets several of the women—pretty international celebrities and models—who love flying with Alexander Jets because of you.”
Simon rubbed his face. “I just need to show her I’ve changed.”
“Okay. Good luck, and I mean that. Do you want me to update the other guys so we can start talking about how we can help you explain?”
“Yeah, that will be good,” he said gratefully. “I still have another month before I plan to tell her, though. She’s going with Mrs. Lawrence to Victoria for a month, so I’ll wait until she comes back from that.”
“What about the Sydney-Hobart thing? Are you gonna conduct a long-distance love affair for a while?”
“I hope it won’t be for too long. She’s thinking of moving to Sydney.”
“Whoa! This is beyond serious.”
“The moving to Sydney bit actually has nothing to do with me. It was something she’s been considering for a long time now because she believes she’ll have a better chance of building a successful career there.”
“Right. Well, I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Can’t wait for you guys to meet her either.”
Tristan chuckled. “Imagine that. We’ll be meeting your very new girlfriend before we’ve met Derek’s on-and-off girlfriend of one year.”
“Yeah,” he said with a laugh. “You know what, dude? You should try this love thing. It’s really cool.”
Tristan chortled. “Thanks, but no thanks. You can win this round of the Captured by Love game. I don’t mind handing some more money to charity.”
“Hey, I might be in love, but I’m nowhere near proposing. Anyway, I gotta go. My boss is finished chatting with people from her hometown.”
“Imagine what Ingrid Lawrence will say when she finds out she’s being chauffeured around by the CEO of Alexander Jets.”
“Yeah, can’t wait for that.” And he was also itching to tell Geri. His lies were weighing him down, and he wouldn’t be able to sleep well until he heard Geri tell him that she still wanted to be with him even after learning of his deception.
Simon smiled as Geri came into his room. He’d been worried about her all day. She’d been too quiet, like something was bothering her. Thankfully, Ingrid had gone to bed early, tired from another day of long walks.
“Hi,” he said, pulling her down on the bed with him. He frowned when Geri resisted and sat on the chair instead.
“What’s wrong, babe?” he asked sitting up.
Geri took a deep breath, seeming to want to cry.
Alarmed, he sat at the edge of the bed and took her hands. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s my sister. She needs my help.”
“Okay. What help does she need?”
“I told you she’s not very good at choosing boyfriends, right?”
He nodded. Geri had been open about the fact that she didn’t get along well with her sister.
“Well, Tricia’s ex had stuffed her up big time. Anyway, to make a long story short, I need to go back to Hobart after our Victorian trip and help her. Besides, I really, really miss my niece.”
“Okay.” He touched her face, hoping to erase the worry lining it. It still thrilled him that he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do with this chauffeuring gig—to find a lovely woman who liked him without knowing his financial status or playboy reputation. Perhaps that was why he felt so much for Geri. She was responsible for his redemption from his past.
“Simon,” Geri said with hesitation, “what I mean is that I’m not moving to Sydney anymore. No matter how bad my relationship with Tricia gets, she and Maddie are still my only family left. I have to be there for them.”
“I understand that. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
Geri shook her head. “I don’t see how. Hobart and Sydney are far apart. There’s no way a relationship will work out if neither of us can move. And I will stop you if you want to move to Hobart. You have your big-name clients in Sydney who love working with you. Hobart is nowhere near as big as Sydney, and you’d be hard pressed to earn the same amount of money in Hobart.”
He frowned. Was Geri breaking up with him? “I know you think this looks insurmountable. But I disagree. I’m sure we’ll find out it’s actually fixable.”
“Simon, be realistic.”
“I am being realistic.” What Geri didn’t know was that he’d be happy to help Tricia and Maddie move to Sydney just so they could be together. He knew Tricia didn’t have a good job in Hobart.
And, yes, he had to be so totally in love to be prepared to do that. Because there was no chance in hell he was willing to let Geri go for something that, for him, was easily solved.
“Simon,” Geri said quietly. “We’ve only been going out for almost a month. That’s not a long time at all to be disrupting our lives and our jobs for a relationship that’s too new and”—she gulped—“might not last.”
His heart pinched. “Geri, I know what you’re saying. But why can’t we try to make it work first? Please trust me when I say that I don’t think it’s as big a problem as you think it is.” Argh, he was so tempted to tell her the whole truth. But he ran the risk of shocking and angering her, and that might be worse for his case. Better to wait until his buddies were around to help him with his confession.
Geri looked down on her hands.
He pulled her from her chair and placed her on his lap. “I know what we have is not a fling. I love you.”
Geri’s eyes watered, and he saw his feelings reflected in them. Despite Geri’s distress, his heart expanded with happiness.
“But it’s not gonna work,” she said miserably. “I don’t even know how we’d see each other again after Monday.”
He kissed her hair and laid her down in the centre of the bed. The timing simply wasn’t right for a full confession, so he’d humour her for now.
“Tell you what,” he said, kissing her lips. “Why don’t we have a so-called break while you’re in Victoria with Mrs. Lawrence? Then when you’re back home in Hobart, we’ll discuss this again.”
Geri sniffed.
“Please don’t worry.”
Geri stared into his eyes, then pulled his head down to hers for a passionate kiss. Soon, Geri had her arms and legs around him, holding him tight while they devoured each other’s mouths.
“I want you,” Geri breathed, eagerly pulling his shirt over his head.
“I know, honey.”
Geri pushed his boxer shorts down with an impatience he hadn’t seen in her before. “Make love to me now, Simon.”
“I am,” he assured her, frowning at her desperation. He kissed her face unhurriedly, letting his hand roam her body at a leisurely pace.
But Geri pushed at him so she could take off all her clothes.
“Shh. We have all night,” he said, burying his face in her neck. How could Geri even think their feelings weren’t real when they couldn’t get enough of each other?
“I want you to kiss me everywhere,” Geri whispered.
He reared up and grinned at her. “Your wish is my command, Miss Blaine. Where do you want me to start?”
Geri licked her lips and he leaned back down to smooch her.
“You want me to kiss you somewhere else now?” he murmured after a long moment.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Here.” Geri indicated her neck and throat. “Then here.” She ran her hand down her chest, where her fingertips touched a pebbled peak.
Ah, he loved this game. Geri hadn’t been this vocal before, although she’d always been so responsive that he’d been having the best sex of his life with her. But her words were fuelling his lust, and he planned to make the most of it.
He ran his lips against her throat, nipping here and there, before he left a trail of kisses down to her breasts.
“What next, sweetheart?”
“Um… here.” She pointed to her nipple.
He bit back a smile. His honey had suddenly gone shy. But he wouldn’t let her. This game was too enjoyable for her to start holding back. “Tell me what you want.”
“Um… kiss my nipple.”
He gave it a perfunctory kiss.
“Not like that.”
“How, then?”
“Like you usually do.”
“And how’s that?”
“Simon!” Geri slapped his bicep lightly.
“You started this game, honey. And I’m really liking it. So tell me how you want me to kiss your nipple.”
“Are you gonna want me to detail everything?”
He grinned. “Yes.”
Geri blushed, her lips curving into a shy smile. “You’re naughty.”
“Yup,” he said cheerily.
Geri took a deep breath. “Simon, please lick my nipple. Over and over like you usually do.”
With a chuckle, he obeyed.
“Mmm. Play with the other one with your fingers too, please.”
Ahh, that was more like it. He did as she asked.
Geri pulled her legs wider apart. “Touch me down there.”
“Where?”
She giggled. “You know where.”
“According to the rules of this game, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“What rules? We didn’t talk about rules.”
“Ah, but I’m sure you know the main rule.” He continued to lick one nipple while tweaking the other with his fingers. “I can’t move on to the next part until you specifically tell me what I have to do.”
“Touch my…”
“Hmm?”
“My clit.”
He smiled, placing a hand in between her legs. Oh, fuck, she was already soaking wet. He rubbed her nub, coating it with the evidence of her desire.
Geri moaned as he laved her rosy bud with his tongue while he stroked her clit.
Argh, he wanted to crawl down and use his mouth, but she hadn’t asked for that yet. “What next?” he prompted.
To his surprise, Geri pushed him onto his back. “This game goes both ways. What do you want me to do?” she asked, sitting by his legs.
A salacious smile formed on his lips. “I want you to lie back down so I can lick your pussy.”
The Unmasked CEO (Captured by Love Book 7) Page 10