The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance

by Michelle Love

  It’s been forever since I bought any woman anything. I was twenty-five when I last loved a woman enough to buy her things. When that relationship crumbled due to my neglect, I vowed not to dabble in love anymore.

  I don’t have the time for it!

  Being a life-long bachelor who occasionally finds time to have mind blowing sex with random women is perfect for me. No reason to try to complicate my life with the needs of a woman.

  I simply do not have that kind of time!

  An idea pops into my head and I pick up the phone again and call The Plaza. My personal concierge, Tristan answers, “Mr. White, how nice to hear from you. What can I do for you today, sir?”

  “I have a woman staying in 1212. I’d like to have a stylist sent to her room. Give her a haircut and style, even a color if the stylist sees fit. Spare no expense. And have her makeup done too. A mani and pedi, of course. Paint her nails a dark shade of red. I want her lips to match her nails. Do you think you can get all of that done in the matter of a couple of hours, Tristan?”

  “For you, of course. I’ll get right on it. A small team of three should suffice.”

  Ending the call, I get up and go look out the window of my office. The cars look like ants from up this high. My brain is a mess and I hate feeling like this. I just keep thinking about the adorable woman who came into my office and set me on fire.

  This doesn’t happen to me!

  My intercom buzzes at me so I go back and press the button. “Yes, Lane.”

  “You have an irate female on line one, Mr. White.”

  “Great,” I say and push the button to answer the woman I think must be Meagan Saunders.”

  “Hello, Zane here,” I say with a stern tone to hopefully take charge of this conversation from the get-go.

  “Zane, what makes you think you can send a team of makeover specialists to make me into what the fuck ever you think I need to look like?”

  “Oh, it’s you, Elizabeth,” I say with relief. “I thought you might like the royal treatment. It’s only for one day. And I’m not trying to make you into anything. I simply wanted to treat you. That’s all. Let them do their magic on you. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

  “This is too much, Zane. Way too much,” she says with a little whine to her sweet voice.

  “Let me do this for you, Elizabeth. Please.” I look out the window and lean my head against the cool glass. I have no idea why she’s consuming my thoughts but she is and I need to immerse myself in this feeling so it’ll go the hell away.

  “My hair, makeup, and nails, Zane?” she asks. “Why?”

  “Why not. I want to do this for you. And more is coming so stop protesting right now. Let them do to you what they think is best and go with it. Enjoy it. It’s only for one day, anyway. Tomorrow you’ll be going back to your life in that little town and this will all seem like a distant dream. So let it play out, won’t you? Let me treat you like a princess for a day.”

  I wait with my breath held for her response. I hope she’ll just go along with this. I need her to go along with this. If she can lose herself for the night, then I might have the chance to get intimate with her and get her out of my system and get back to my normal thought process.

  “Fine,” she says. “But I just want you to know, I feel foolish. I feel as if I’ve sold out to you.”

  “You haven’t,” I say with a chuckle. “We both know you’ll be doing all you can to save that old lighthouse.”

  The fact is, I’m kind of enjoying the fight.

  It’s been a long time since anyone bucked against me. And with that thought, my pants are getting tight in the crotch. The scene of Elizabeth on top of me, bucking around has me growing.

  “I will be doing all I can, Zane. I’m not going to make this easy for you just because you’re going overboard here.”

  “Good. See you later then.”

  “What does that mean?” she asks.

  I end the call because she should soon get the flowers and the clothes and the jewelry and she’ll know what I mean by that then. I love leaving her with an air of mystery. Toying with her is very pleasing to me for some reason.

  Sitting at my desk, I close my eyes and lean my head back and envision toying with her all night long. She has to let me. It would be a grievous error on her part if she denies us both the pleasure I’m sure I can bring her.

  I wonder if she’s a screamer. I bet she is. I bet I can make her scream my name over and over tonight. She has to want me too. I know she does. But she seems like a woman who doesn’t give in on the first date.

  I’ll just have to use a jackhammer style approach to get to the good stuff a lot more quickly than she’s used to giving it out. I need her out of my system and I need her out fast.

  Chapter 3

  ELIZABETH

  Sitting in the living area of the large suite, my feet in a bath of some exotic salts, my hands in bowls of some kind of liquid, on either side of me, a woman cuts my hair. “I think no color is necessary as your natural color has many streaks of gold in it already.”

  I agree with her and give a nod as there is a mud mask on my face, I think might crack if I speak. She smiles and snips away at the ends of my wet hair. A knock at the door has the concierge, Tristan, going to answer it and I see a man holding my suitcase and a back bag with a hanger coming out of the top of it.

  “Hey, Tristan,” the man says as he comes inside and goes straight to the bedroom. Coming back, I see he has a little black dress in one hand and a pair of strappy black heels in the other. “I’m Jeremy, Mr. White’s personal assistant, Miss Cook.”

  I nod as I obviously still can’t speak.

  He wiggles the dress in front of me. “Mr. White personally picked out this dress for you. I have to tell you he doesn’t do this sort of thing. Like never!”

  I nod again and wonder if this is really all about getting me to chill about the lighthouse. It’s over the top if it is.

  The stylist finishes with my hair cut and motions for everyone to go to the next stage of making me as close to beautiful as they can get me. “Wash her face and let’s move on to step two,” she says.

  One of the young men who has been working on massaging my calves as my feet soaked takes out one foot at a time and dries it off. Then the other guy who was taking care of making sure the mud on my face was working as it should, takes my hand and off he leads me to the bathroom to take this off my face, I suppose.

  The mud falls off my face in clumps as he takes a brown washcloth and gently washes it away over the bathroom sink. I see my face in the mirror and see no difference at all. What a waste of money!

  Back he leads me to the little chair they brought in with small tables attached to each side and I see the lady who cut my hair has her gadgets all ready to dry it and style it. Plus, the makeup guy has out his large case of makeup and I see a deep red nail polish on one of the tables too.

  “Red, huh?” I ask as I sit down.

  The guy holding my hand answers, “Mr. White said to use that color. He was specific about it.”

  The other guy pulls out a lip gloss the same shade and holds it up to the bottle of nail polish. “Your lips are to match this,” he says.

  Now I’m feeling kind of prickly as he’s treating me like his personal doll. Another knock comes to the door and Tristan answers it. A man with a gorgeous vase full of the reddest roses I’ve ever seen comes in and gives me a smile. “Miss Cook, I have a note for you.” He places the vase down on the table and comes to me with a white envelope. “Here you go.”

  I take it and open it to find a nice card and inside of it is an invitation to join Zane for dinner and drinks. “He’s finally asking me out on a date. I have to say I saw this coming,” I say with a laugh. “Would someone hand me my cell phone so I can tell him I accept his offer.”

  Tristan picks up my phone and brings it to me. “You really are one lucky woman, Miss Cook.”

  I nod and feel like none of these people
really get it. This man wants no more from me than for me to drop my pursuit of the lighthouse. I call the number on the card and it rings three times before he answers, “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself,” I say.

  “You must’ve finally gotten the flowers,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve been waiting for your call.”

  “With all this, you’re having done to me, I’d think you would’ve seen fit to make the date first. You seem to be doing things ass-backward.”

  “And that’s not at all like me. So will you be joining me for dinner then?” he asks as if he doesn’t know what my answer will be.

  “Of course I will. What time should I expect you?”

  I hear him let out a sigh. Surely he couldn’t really believe I’d say no to him after he’s done all of this. “Eight?” he asks. “Will that work for you?”

  “Being that I have nothing on my very busy schedule, I think eight will work for me. Can I expect you to pick me up at my room?”

  “You can,” he says. “See you then. I’ll be the handsome man in a tux.”

  I laugh a little. “I’ll be the gorgeous woman in a tiny black dress some Neanderthal bought me earlier today.”

  His laugh makes my heart pound it’s so deep and sexy and I don’t know what I’m going to do if this man makes a move on me. “See you then, Elizabeth.”

  I hand the phone back to Tristan who’s smiling from ear to ear. He shakes his head as he goes to sit it back down. “Never have I seen him do this. It’s amazing.”

  “It’s only for today,” I say as the manicure guy takes my hand and begins the process of painting my nails.

  The lady begins blow drying my hair and drowns everything else out. My mind moves to a place somewhere in the near future of tonight. I go to a fancy ballroom where only the handsome Zane and I are dancing to a slow song. Our bodies close, his lips near my ear. Little whispers tickle it and I giggle. One of his hands slip down to my ass and he gives it a little squeeze. I make a little yipping sound and grip his shoulder with my red nails.

  I know that’s not how it’ll play out. There is no place in this hotel with so much privacy. People are everywhere!

  But it’s a nice fantasy. I do wonder how tonight will play out. I wonder if he thinks I’m going to have sex with him after he’s done all of this. I know most men would expect that.

  I’m not that woman, though. I don’t have meaningless sex. Not anymore, anyway. That’s not what I’m about.

  No, there will be no sex. No matter how gorgeous and smooth the man is, I will not become another notch on his bedpost.

  I’m sure he can get another woman to climb into his bed. One who doesn’t have any shame. But I can let myself have an enjoyable evening with him. I can eat things I’ve never eaten. Drink expensive wines, I’ll never have the chance to again.

  Tonight can be the one time I get to experience life like the rich do. But I won’t be experiencing Zane White. And he won’t be experiencing me!

  Chapter 4

  ZANE

  With the last of my business for today completed, I leave my office and find I’m the last one here. Locking the door behind me, I turn around and see a very unwelcomed guest.

  Her foot is tapping at a rapid speed, her thin arms are crossed and her light blue eyes are narrowed at me. “You’re a hard man to get to see, Zane. You’re little Nazi of a secretary refused to even let you know I was here, waiting for you. She kept telling me I needed to call to make an appointment with you.”

  “Well, that is the way we handle business, Meagan. I’m very busy. I’m afraid I don’t have time for you this evening,” I walk past her to get onto the elevator and she follows along, much to my disappointment.

  No one else is on the damn thing, leaving us alone. She stands right next to me as if it was crammed full, though. “Zane, why are you being like this? You know that night we shared was special. What are you so afraid of?”

  “I’m not afraid of anything. I told you I was sorry for taking advantage of you that night. What more do you want?” I look at her for only a second as her eyes are still narrowed and her expression is set in an obstinate glare.

  “I want you to finally realize that you and I will make one hell of a power-couple. That’s what I want. The real estate mogul and the high powered judge. We can really get places together if we combine our forces, Zane. You have to admit you enjoyed the sex.”

  My stomach clenches with her reminder. I don’t know how to tell her I felt nothing for her. It was a sexual act and nothing more than that. But she’s a person who I can’t be that blunt with. I still need her help now and then.

  “I’m not able to make any commitments, Meagan.” I step off the elevator as the doors open.

  She follows me, of course. “Why not?”

  “Because,” I say, not knowing what the hell else to tell her.

  She follows close behind me as I hail a cab and I find her slipping into the seat as I get into the back of one. “I’m going with you,” she says. “You and I are going to talk, Mister!”

  Not tonight!

  “Meagan, look, I have a meeting with an important client. I cannot do this tonight,” I say as I scoot over.

  Her hand goes to my knee and she scoots right on over too, squeezing me between her and the door. “I can go with you to meet this client. You should have a woman on your arm, Zane. It makes you look more powerful when you do. You have to agree about that.”

  “I do not need some arm candy to command respect in the business world, Meagan. And being a woman of your status, I’d think you’d see women as more than merely arm candy.”

  Her hand moves over mine and she pulls my hand up and touches it to her small breast. “I’m a woman who wants a man. I’ll be whatever you want me to be in private.”

  “I don’t want you to be anything to me, anywhere,” I say as I pull my hand back. “You don’t seem to understand me. I am not available.”

  A pout forms on her thin red lips. The shade is more orange than red and I really hate it. It makes her teeth look yellow. There is so much about Meagan Saunders that I find unattractive, it’s not even funny.

  I saw her as a beautiful woman when I first met her. Her aggressive nature quickly put me off, though. I can’t stand the fact she can’t take no for an answer.

  Her hand goes to my cock and I grab it and hold it in a tight grip. She looks at me then leans in to try to kiss me. “Zane, one kiss.”

  “No, not one kiss,” I say as I move her hand back to her own lap. “And keep your hands off the goods.”

  “Why did you do that to me then?” she asks and starts to get a weepy look. “You let me have the knowledge of what it feels like to lie in your strong arms. I know what it feels like to have your well-muscled body grinding mine to the bed as your huge cock plunged into me.”

  The cab driver’s eyes catch mine in his rearview mirror and I find myself blushing. “I think she reads too many of those romance novels,” I tell him.

  He nods and Meagan grabs my face and pulls me to her. Just before our lips touch, I yank my head out of her grasp. “Zane!”

  “No, Meagan.” I grab her hands and hold them between us. “I am not available.”

  The cab driver stops at the hotel and the doorman opens the door. I climb out the other side and see she’s gotten out too. “I’m coming up to your penthouse. We’re going to talk.”

  Looking up at the sky I ask, “Why Lord? Why tonight, of all nights?”

  Walking quickly around the back of the cab, I catch up to her and grab her by the arm. “You can’t come up.”

  She stops and puts her hand on her narrow hip. “And just why not. It’s not as if you have another woman up there. I do know that about you, Zane. You aren’t seeing anyone else. I don’t see why you can’t give me a little of your time.” She leans in and whispers. “I need you. I need some more of what you gave me. You can’t just show a woman a time like you showed me and think she’ll never need that again. No man has ev
er made love to me like that before. I need more.”

  “That wasn’t making love, Meagan. That was a drunk fuck. How can you not understand that?” I whisper back. “I don’t love you.”

  “Well, if that was a drunk fuck then I want to know what a sober one is. So take me up to your penthouse and show me,” she says as she runs her hands over my shoulders. “I have to know.”

  “No,” I say as I gently push her back. “I’m not going to be doing that. Not ever. I’d love to know why you think you coming to me like this is a thing I would like. I’m not a man who likes to be pursued.”

  “Sure you’re not,” she says as she follows me as I try once again to get her to leave me alone. “I know what I want. What’s not sexy about that?”

  Only everything!

  “Look, I have things to attend to. You need to go. You won’t be coming up to my place. You need to go catch a cab and be on your way.”

  Her heels click as she hurries to stay by my side. “I’m not taking no for an answer. A drink then. A little drink and if you still don’t want me after that then I’ll give you some space for tonight. But I will never stop until I have you, just so you know.”

  If it’ll take one drink to get her off my back, then I’ll do that. Otherwise, I foresee her interrupting my plans with Elizabeth and I do not want that. “One drink, at a bar here in the hotel and not up in my penthouse.”

  She hangs onto my arm and makes a little purring sound. “Oh, all I need is one drink with you and I’ll get you to change your mind.”

  Shaking her off me, I take a couple of steps to get in front of her. “My mind can’t be changed. I really am not available.”

  “We’ll, see about that,” she says as she struggles to keep up with me.

  I can’t get this drink over fast enough!

  Chapter 5

  ELIZABETH

  With the suite empty of all the people it took to make me look better than I ever have in my life, including my high school prom, I find myself very nervous about this date. It’s about an hour from now and I think I need a drink to help me not act like a fool over the hot man.