Prologue
Have you ever had one of those out of body experiences? The kind of moment that you only hear about in the movies? A moment that you wonder if you weren't in that exact spot, at that exact second, you would've missed out on something that would change your life forever?
I never believed in fate and that everything happened for a reason, but the instant she stepped into the room I knew why I was put on this earth and why I was in this room at this very moment. It was to see her, an angel sent from above, more gorgeous then Aphrodite the Goddess of Beauty herself.
When those beautiful, sparkling emerald green eyes met mine I was gone. My life would never be the same. I was fine with that, because after seeing her I knew I wouldn't be able to survive on this planet without her.
I would do anything to have this exquisite woman. I'm not just talking about a major misdemeanor here; I am talking about selling my soul to the devil or blowing up the moon kind of thing.
Chapter 1
"Vegas baby," my best friend Margaret, aka Maggie said, hovering as I packed for my trip. She was trying to convince me to loosen up and have some fun.
"You could use a good shagging, mate. You've been so uptight lately." I met Mags when I went abroad for college in London. After school she moved to New York with me since she was in PR. Where's a better place for public relations than New York City?
"I'm not going for pleasure this is strictly for business," I told her again. She was on a mission to make me more carefree. I've been very uptight since I moved to London and with very good reason. I wasn't planning on having a one night stand in Vegas or anywhere else for that matter.
"Aubrey Jackson, you are way too serious. You need to get your gorgeous arse out there and have some fun already. I mean, really woman, you're so tense and uptight. I bet when you spread your legs they squeak!" She laughs at her joke. She wasn't wrong though, I'd been so focused on finishing my schooling and not getting into trouble that I had sworn off men. Besides, who needs a man when you have a good vibrator?
“This is my first time meeting the board and I need to make a good impression.” Three months ago I was summoned to a lawyer’s office in New York City for a reading of a will for one William S. Jackson. He was my father whom I had never met. I knew of him, from what my Aunt Kate had told me, but that was very little. I know he was contacted after my mother died when I was 15. He waived his rights and I went to live with my Aunt who lived in Dallas, Texas.
I learned that he was rich and owned some hotels. He happened to own the one my mother worked at. She was a bartender in the restaurant of one of his many fancy hotels. I guess he was drop dead gorgeous and quite the charmer. Aunt Kate had told me that my mother never stood a chance. They had a hot, steamy affair and my mother was on cloud nine.
But it all changed when she told him she was pregnant with me. She did not expect a proposal or anything, but she didn't expect what she got. He said he wasn't the fatherly type and she never saw him again.
For some reason my mother gave me his last name. Something about tradition and she had hoped he would come to his senses and want to be part of my life someday. She had also been sending him pictures of me and he would send her checks once in a while. I guess the guilt started to get to him and that was his way of being a "father". After he heard of my mother's death he set up a trust for me, a college fund that I could use after I graduated.
Being moved to a new state after mom's death, I was an impressionable and vulnerable teen being thrown into a very cliquish Texas high school. I wasn't like the girls in that school. They focused on their tans, makeup, and who could get their hair the blondest. The girls hated me instantly because I was competition, turning the heads of all the boys did not make me popular with the cliques of girls. Small town Texas was so different than what I was used to in Portland. Most of the girls were in groups. You had the cheerleaders, of course, a lot of them being friends and competitors since their pageant days as children. I guess you could call them friends. I think any of them would stab the other in the eye for a chance at a cute football player. Then you had every other girl who was basically a wanna-be cheerleader. They all took their orders from the head of them all, the leader of the school and the Captain of the football teams’ girlfriend, Andrea Worthington. Yeah, the name says it all. She came from old Texas oil money and she wasn't scared to let everyone know. She hated me. The word hate was tame for how Andrea felt for me.
Not only did Rex Olsen, her boyfriend, constantly flirt with me, but every other guy in the school did as well. I was different than what they were used to. I was, and still am, what some like to call a "ginger"; strawberry blonde hair and very fair skin. Thanks to my mother's obsession with sun block, my skin has never met the sun without a very strong SPF. Which made my skin peaches and cream, not everyone's taste, but I learned that a lot of the boys liked it.
Having few friends of the girl persuasion, I did a lot of running and working out. It was the only way I could take out my frustrations. Not only had Andrea made bullying me her soul purpose in life, but she had all of her followers do the same. I was asked to the prom by a cute Senior during my Junior year but decided against going. I had no doubt in my mind that Andrea would have reenacted the prom scene from the move Carrie with a giant bucket of pig blood, or even something worse.
At the beginning of Senior year I couldn't take it anymore. I basically lost it and started stalking Andrea Worthington. I had a plan. It involved humiliating her by taking the one thing I knew I could get and the one thing she was most proud of. You see, Rex Olsen was not only a drop dead gorgeous hunk, but he had already received a full scholarship to Texas A&M and was sure to turn pro. He was a town legend and hero even though his father was an abusive drunk and his mother took off with another man when Rex was 10. He was poor but no one cared because he was the "football star," the best to ever come out of the town.
I had timed it perfect that night. Andrea was always the last to leave the school after cheerleading practice. I had texted Rex and told him I wanted to talk. It didn't take much for him to be at my house picking me up in his beat up Trans Am.
He had made it no secret that he wanted me and I was going to see just how much he did. I asked him to drive to the school, he did with no questions asked, and parked at the doors. I knew that even though the windows were tinted Andrea would see his car and assume that her doting boyfriend was there to pick her up.
We talked for awhile but when I saw the rest of the girls coming out of the school I knew it wouldn't be long and Andrea would be out. I made my move, straddling Rex in his seat. He was kissing me in a second slipping his tongue in my mouth, and for an 18 year old he sure did know how to kiss.
I wore a skirt of course knowing full well what I was going to do. He had my skirt around my waist and I could feel his rock hard erection rubbing against my panty covered sex. I was caught in the moment and started gyrating against his jean clad cock. I thought I would feel guilt for teasing Rex with sex, but I had to say, I was horny as hell and he was doing a good job of making me forget the whole reason I was doing this.
He had removed his shirt and mine, pulling my bra cups down he began licking and kissing my nipples. My mind was lost of all reason as Rex's hands were all over my body. His face was buried between my breasts when the passenger door opened and we heard the loudest, girlishly scream ever.
We both looked over at a horrified Andrea. This is the part I did not plan. I expected that Rex would have pushed me off of him and chased after his girlfriend, screaming shit like, "It's not what it looks like," or "I'm so sorry!" Instead he looked Andrea dead pan in the face and said, "We are over, Andrea. Please shut the
door." Not only was Andrea's mouth hanging open with a trembling lip, but I had realized that I had a very shocked look also.
With a slam so hard I almost thought the door was going to fall off the Trans Am, Andrea stomped off but not before we heard the metal of her keys scraping the side of his car.
I looked at Rex, who had a very amused look on his face. "What, you didn't think I knew what you were up to baby girl?" Rex said rubbing my cheek with the back of his hand. "I've been waiting for a reason to break up with her, and well, this just happened to be a very damn good one."
Rex and I were hot and heavy for most of Senior year. Andrea never tried anything with me for being with Rex because, like I said, he was the star.
But things change and sometimes not in a good way. The last night I was in Texas was the worst night of my life. Something so brutal and unforgiving changed for both Rex and I that I would never be able to step foot in the town again.
That's when I took my father's money and left for London. Rex went on to Texas A&M and just like everyone had predicted, he became pro playing for the Denver Broncos.
We are still best friends to this day. We talk on the phone at least weekly and when it's possible he flies to see me or I go to him. It has been few and far between having lived in London for the past 7 years, but now that Mags and I are in New York we are going to see each other more often.
Now back to the reading of my father’s will.
Apparently, William S Jackson grew a conscious on his death bed. He called his lawyer in to change his will and left everything to me. I wasn’t sure what that meant at first, but soon found out when I made the journey to New York. I had an idea and had Maggie put together some quick PR. The last thing I wanted was my face and name plastered on papers. I've tried very hard the last 7 years to not let too many people know where I am.
I knew that the news was going crazy trying to find out who was going to be the heir of financial mogul and billionaire William S. Jackson. So far all they knew was whoever it was, their last name was Jackson. I was going to try my hardest to keep it that way. Was it going to be Tandi Jackson, Williams 24 year old widow? According to the press that is what she had been saying. She was rarely seen without a man on her arm and the recent one was Matt Wilson, a board member in my father's company.
I soon found out that not only had I inherited millions in cash, but was now the owner of many luxury hotels all over the world and a few other extremely lucrative businesses. I also had controlling stock in one of the largest companies on the globe. I was very glad Mags had already set security and PR in place. We were directed to the back of the building where the press wasn't camped out. And Dan Rivers, my father's attorney and now mine, had already put in place a gag order on Tandi Jackson. All board members were also restricted to talking to the press.
Walking into the lawyer’s office I received looks of death from his widow, who happened to be my age. Not only did she still think she was going to inherit everything, but she had no clue of my existence. I didn't feel bad for her. It was obvious on sight that she had only married him for his money, him being 45 years older than her, and she was crying on the shoulder of Matt Wilson.
That day had become very uncomfortable, fast. Tandi Jackson, my dad's jilted widow, was spewing hate words at me left and right. Some of the stuff she called me I'd never heard before. She was threatening bodily harm next and had to be escorted out of the building by security. I was also now the owner of my father's 40,000 square foot mansion that Tandi currently lived in. I would be evicting her of course, but I needed to get some ground under me first. That fun day can wait awhile, after the press had moved on to other things.
Chapter 2
All of these memories run through my mind as I climb into the limo waiting at the Vegas airport. I am still having a hard time with the new, rich prestigious life I am living. This will be my first Board meeting since the reading of the will. With my bank account now having millions in it, I could do what my dad’s attorney had advised me of and sell my 51% of the stock and live the rest of my life as a very wealthy woman. I was a business major and well wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and I was going to try.
The press is actually why we made the last minute change in location for the board meeting. They always met in New York at the W.S Jackson Grand. I made the decision to move the meeting last minute knowing that there were still press camped out. If they got word of the meeting there would be more.
Pulling up to the biggest hotel on the strip, the W. S. Jackson Grand, I had a hard time swallowing because I could hardly believe I owned this building. It was the elite of the elite and only the very rich could afford a basic room in this hotel.
“Ms. Jackson, we are so pleased you are here.” One of the doormen helps me out of the limo, my bags being carted behind me. I was in the elevator and being sent to the top floor penthouse. I guess I don't have to check in.
“Ms. Jackson, if there is anything I can do for you please let me know. I am here only to serve you.” The man in the elevator with my bags says to me as we climb to the top in the sleek private lift.
“First off, you can call me Aubrey. What is your name?” I held out my hand to shake his.
“Ethan,” he said taking my hand looking a little shocked at me. He was cute, probably 22 or so, with blonde hair and well-built. I am sure he was a charmer with the ladies and no doubt why he was assigned to me as my personal concierge while I was here. Although I was very used to men paying attention to me, I had never had a man being paid to do so.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ethan. How long have you been working here?” I asked trying to make small talk in the longest ever elevator ride of my life. I looked up and saw that we had only made it to floor 50.
“About a year, Ms. Jackson……I mean Ms. Aubrey.” He corrected himself when I gave him a warning look. I could go for Ms. Aubrey for now seeing that it was making him uncomfortable to use my first name. No doubt that it had been drilled into him on how he was to speak to me.
“Have you been a personal concierge the whole time?”
“You’re my first, Ms. Aubrey,” he said, looking at me apprehensively like he was doing something wrong. How was I to know if he was doing something wrong, I had never done the concierge thing either?
“Well, Ethan, that makes two of us because you are my first too. Being virgins at this we can learn together.” I smile at him and he laughs a real laugh, not a fake one trying to impress me. “So please relax, because I am nervous as hell.”
“Yes Ms. Aubrey,” and just like that, the tension in the elevator leaves. I can tell Ethan and I are going to be friends. “I have your itinerary and it appears like your meeting isn't until tomorrow. What would you like to do today?”
“God if I know. Any suggestions?” I shrugged at him and he laughs again. We were both laughing when the elevator doors open and we were staring at the massive suite.
“Come, I will show you around,” Ethan says, rolling my bags into the master suite. “Do you need help unpacking?”
“Um no, I think I can manage.” I am shocked by his question. People really have strangers unpack their suitcases?
“Well, Ms. Aubrey, how about I set you up at the hotel spa for the afternoon? Maybe some pampering will help your nerves.” He gives me a wiggle of his eyebrows. Yeah he had a way with the ladies. Although it did nothing for me, I am sure his smile dropped panties all over town.
“That would be awesome,” I say looking out at the breath taking view of the Las Vegas strip.
“Just wait till you see it at night. It is amazing. I will get you set up for the spa.” I turn to see Ethan reach for the house phone to let them know I would be coming. I saunter into the master suite and gasp at the huge bed that was only going to have one person in it. It could fit 10 comfortably. The bathroom off of it was just as big with a grotto shower and very large Jacuzzi tub.
Mags and I had moved into a penthouse apartment a couple months ago.
It too had a similar bathroom and I had come to love my gigantic Jacuzzi tub. The place was state of the art with a gourmet kitchen and vaulted ceilings. Spoiling Mags and myself had become one of my favorite pastimes. We have been on many shopping sprees in the past months and thank God for Mags fashion sense. She was good at helping me pick out the finer things and we were having a lot of fun doing it.
“They are waiting for you in the spa whenever you are ready, Ms. Aubrey,” Ethan says at the doorway of the master suite.
“I’m ready. Will you show me the way?” I ask stepping out of the bathroom and joining him in the main room.
“But of course,” he says hooking his arm for me to take it. I wrap my arm in his as he escorts me toward the elevators. He has on a very expensive suit and looks very handsome in it. He knows what he's doing.
“When does you shift end?”
“It doesn’t while you are here,” he says matter-of-factly, like I should already know this, as we step in the elevator and he pushes the button for the spa floor.
“Well I hope I am paying you well for the 24 hour service,” I tease.
“It’s my pleasure, Ms. Aubrey,” is all he says to that. Yeah, he is good.
“Well with your attention to detail I might have to hire you as my personal assistant.” I can see where Ethan would be a great asset to my growing team. I have my attorney of course, a financial officer, and a secretary set up in my new office in New York. I am just getting started, but I have come to realize that being a millionaire and controlling stock holder to one of the largest companies in the world comes with a lot of work. I set up my own office off site due to the press, and because W.S. Jackson in New York was too big and impersonal. It housed a lot of companies, many I had stock in, and the top 10 floors were mine. It ran smoothly with the management my father had put in place so there was no need for me to frequent it often.
“Well, Ms. Aubrey, I assure you I could be persuaded.” He laughs and I’m sure he thinks I’m joking, but I really am considering it. This boy was born to schmooze.
Deep Blue Impact (Deep Blue Series) Page 1