The Naughty One

by Michelle Love

“The cab driver’s,” he told her. “I was sure you wouldn’t answer my number or Hayley’s.”

  “You were right about that. But bringing her here won’t solve a thing. You withheld information. You went off to L.A. with your ex. And I have too much on my plate at the present time to deal with anymore. The timing is bad, Weston.”

  “I love you and you love me. That’s all that matters,” he argued.

  “And you want to have kids soon and I don’t.”

  “I don’t want that anymore. I want to have them whenever you do,” he said, sending a small chill through her.

  “I’m not sure I can believe you. On top of that, I have a feeling you aren’t being truthful with yourself.”

  “Let me bring her over, so you can see that I haven’t lied about sleeping with Hayley.”

  “Please,” she heard Hayley call out in the background.

  “I’ll text you the address. I’ll give you thirty minutes. I have a lot to do today, apparently,” Aullie said then ended the call and went to get into the shower.

  It was time to stop feeling sorry for herself. The self-pity was weighing heavily on her. She was tired of the weight. Tired of crying. Tired of feeling numb.

  And she’d need her wits about her to keep Weston out of her life. He was a wild card she didn’t need.

  Chapter 7

  The ride over to the building Aulora’s new penthouse was in had Weston wondering what the hell could have possibly transpired in the matter of a couple of days that had her living in such a grand manner.

  “A waitress lives here?” Hayley asked as they got out of the cab. “Oh, is she someone’s maid too?”

  “No. And she quit her job, so she’s not a waitress anymore, either. You don’t need to know what’s going on in her life. You need to tell her you lied and that’s all then you can leave,” he told her as they got on the elevator to go up to the top floor.

  “A penthouse on Fifth Avenue,” Hayley mumbled. “Is any of this making sense to you, Weston?”

  “No. Maybe Aulora has been hiding some other rich man from me. She was all against money when we first met, yet she’d never explain why that was. Maybe she has an ex who’s rich too. Maybe that’s why she was so against me in the beginning, merely because I’m wealthy.”

  The elevator stopped and they stepped off it and went to the door with the number she’d given him. Ringing the doorbell, they were met by a butler. “Welcome to Miss Whorl’s home. May I tell her who is calling?”

  “I’m looking for Aulora Greene,” Weston said. “She gave me this address.”

  “Yes, this is her home,” the butler said. “And you are?”

  “Weston Calloway. She’s expecting me.”

  The butler gestured for them to come in and led them to a small sitting room. “Wait here.”

  Weston sat down in a comfortable overstuffed leather chair as Hayley looked out the window that overlooked the busy New York street below. “She’s living with someone else,” Hayley said. “She’s moved on from you, Weston. You sure you want to continue to hold out for her?”

  “I am.” He gestured for her to take a seat. “Park it. You’re making me more nervous than I already was.”

  She took a seat just as Aulora walked into the small room. “Hello,” she said then waited at the door. “Tell me what you have to say then you two can be on your way.”

  “Aulora, please…” Weston said but she held up her hand to stop him.

  “Save it.” Aulora looked at Hayley. “You have something to say?”

  Hayley stood up with a sheepish expression on her gorgeous face. Her violet eyes were brimming with unshed tears. “Aulora, I’m sorry. I was beside myself when Weston turned me down. The truth is this. We shared one kiss at the graveside of our son. He ended it and let me know he wasn’t interested in getting back together with me. He loves you.”

  Aulora’s eyes moved to look at Weston who stood up, slowly. “And yet he hid things from me. That’s not what people who love each other do, is it?”

  “And what about you?” Weston asked as he came up to her.

  “About me?” she asked him with a frown. “What have I kept from you?”

  He gestured around to the grandeur of the small room. “A penthouse on Fifth Avenue, peach. How did this happen?”

  “I never held out information from you. My father left me and my mother when I was in my teens. I never thought I’d see him again. There was nothing I was hiding. It was merely a thing I didn’t like to talk about. It hurt too much.”

  “And you don’t think talking about my dead son would hurt me, Aulora?” he asked her, making her flinch.

  Hayley cleared her throat. “Is my part here done? This is beginning to get uncomfortable.”

  Weston nodded. “First let her know what I’ve told you about us.”

  Hayley looked at Aulora who held her eyes with a solid stare. “Aulora, Weston and I will not be getting together. It doesn’t matter if you take him back or not. He’s assured me that I need to move on. He and I will no longer be talking. I think I’ve pushed him a lot further than I should have. I’m sorry about lying to you. I think I warned you, inadvertently, that I’d probably resort to anything I had to in order to get him back. Bitch move on my part.”

  “Yes, it was,” Aullie agreed. “But I suppose I can understand. Thank you for coming clean. It’s appreciated. My heart has already been broken, though. Your apology hasn’t miraculously mended it.”

  “I didn’t expect it would. But Weston made me do it anyway. I’ll be going now. Good luck with your future, Aulora. I wasn’t thinking when I lied to you.” Hayley walked out of the room and Aullie watched her go to the front door where the butler was waiting to let her out.

  She turned her attention to Weston when he touched her cheek. Heat ran through her with his touch and the tears that sprang into her eyes only served to piss her off.

  “Do not touch me,” her voice was low and threatening.

  Weston removed his hand and gave her a stern expression. “So, spill it. How did you end up here?”

  “My father came back into my life yesterday. He’s married a woman and they’re having a baby girl. My new sister. His wife wants me to be a part of their lives. So, I guess I will be.” Aullie walked over to take a seat and looked out the window with a vacant stare.

  “Don’t shut me out,” he told her as he moved into her line of sight.

  “I see you shutting everything down. This is your life. If you want to live this way, then do that. If you don’t then don’t. Be who you want to be, Aulora.”

  She looked at him then sighed. “I’m lost, West. I’m completely lost.”

  “I can see that,” he said then kneeled in front of her and took her hands in his. “I’m sorry for keeping so much from you. I didn’t mean to hurt you by doing that but I can see that I did. I was so afraid of telling you everything and you bolting on me.”

  “So, you didn’t tell me and I did exactly what you were afraid of anyway,” she said then ran her thumbs over the backs of his hands.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered then kissed the tops of her hands. “Have you missed me at all?”

  Her eyes drooped with sadness. Her voice sounded tired as she said, “I have missed you. My heart has never hurt so damn much, though. I’m through with love, Weston. I want no part of it.”

  “But you have it there, inside of your heart. You have love for me there. You can’t tell me you don’t have it for me still.”

  With a heavy sigh, she said, “I think it will go away. If I don’t have to see you. I think I could get over you. I’ll never love again if that helps you to understand how devastated I am.”

  “Look, I’m not liking the way this is going at all,” he said then stood up. “Your depression is over the top. You’ve found out that I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “You kissed her,” she reminded him.

  “One kiss. That’s all. Shit, Aulora! I’ll give you this. You can kis
s anyone you want one time too. If that will make things go back to where they were, you get one kiss with anyone you want.”

  “You are the only one I want to kiss, West. Only you. But you not only gave her one kiss, you gave her a thought. You actually thought about getting back together with her because you have feelings for her and you want to have a child.”

  “Stop that,” he shouted at her, anger filling him suddenly and completely. “You have to stop doing this. I told you I want you and I want to wait as long as you want to. I’m sorry I kept things from you. I’ve ended everything with her. This pity party you have going on is unhealthy, to say the least. Now, get up and argue with me about anything other than that. I can’t change what’s happened. But we can move on from here.”

  “And if I don’t agree to?” she asked him.

  “You’re forgetting something. Something very important, peach. You’ve made a commitment to me. A verbal commitment. I warned you before I took you. You will not get away from me. I love you.”

  She eyed him carefully. He was strong willed, she knew that. Even when he had done something wrong, he was still strong in his convictions. Could she ever really stop loving him? Could he ever give up on her? Could things get better or would she resent him forever for what he’d done?

  Confusion filled her and all she could do was wonder if they could really have a future together.

  Hidden Riches Part Seven

  Chapter 1

  The sound of her own heart pounding was deafening. Aulora was being led down the hallway of her new home.

  “Which one is yours?” Weston asked her as he held her hand tightly in his.

  “Why?” her voice trembled.

  “Because I need to remind you of what you promised me.”

  She didn’t want to be alone, behind closed doors with him. She knew all too well how he could bend her will with his touch. “Weston, this is a bad idea. Let’s go into one of the living areas.”

  “No,” he said with a snip to his tone. “Now, which one is it?”

  “The third door on the left,” she whimpered.

  He pushed it open and took her inside of her new bedroom, closing the door behind them and pinning her between it and his body. “Aulora, you and I are meant to be together. You and I share something I’ve never shared with anyone else. You may be stubborn but I am even more so than you are. I’m not about to take no for an answer.”

  She gulped when he pulled her arms up over her head and took her wrists into one of his hands, holding them down. She was panting with desire, a thing she didn’t want to be doing but her body wanted the man.

  “Please, Weston,” she murmured.

  “Please, what?” he asked then bit her lower lip, gently.

  She went wet instantly. “Please.”

  “Tell me that you love me, Aulora,” came his husky whisper from just behind her ear.

  “No,” she said with a moan as he ground his hard cock into her soft sex.

  His teeth grazed along her neck then he clamped down, making her yelp. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he continued to grind his body against hers. He clamped down hard on her shoulder. “Tell me!”

  Her mind was losing the battle between it and her body. Her lips parted, she licked them then whispered, “I love you.”

  That’s all he needed and he rewarded her with a hot kiss that left her breathless. In a frenzy of rips and tears, she found he’d stripped her down to nothing and was carrying her to the bed.

  Somehow, he’d managed to get his clothes off too. He never let enough space get between them for her to have a chance in hell at slipping away from him, not that she wanted to.

  He forced her legs apart and settled his body between them, thrusting into her with a passion she found exhilarating. “West!”

  His mouth on hers, shut her up as he took her like he owned her. Each hard thrust let her know she was his and his alone. There would never be any running.

  Never again would he allow that!

  When her body began to shake, he pulled his mouth off hers and watched her climax. “You are mine, Aulora.”

  Her nails gouged into the flesh of his back as she gritted her teeth. “Yes! Yes!” Her legs wrapped around him, holding him to her as she arched up and gyrated as her body gave into his.

  His cock wasn’t about to give up yet and he began to move again, stroking her until she was screaming his name and begging him for more. He found her need for him entrancing and gave her what she wanted three more times before he let himself go.

  He fell on top of her, spent and satiated. They were a puddle in the middle of her huge new bed. Her hands trailed softly over his back and her warm lips pressed against his neck.

  “I love you, West.”

  “And I love you, Aulora,” the words felt right, coming out of his mouth. He felt all was right again. Then he closed his eyes, falling asleep on top of her as her breathing went into a steady rhythm, telling him she too was fast asleep.

  Chapter 2

  Her eyes fluttered open and she found it hadn’t been a dream at all. Weston was holding her tight in his arms, even though his light snores let her know he was fast asleep. A smile ran over her face as she eased out of his arms and made her way to the bathroom that was attached to her bedroom.

  Her father’s driver would soon be there to pick her up for her visit. She found a certain amount of enthusiasm had formed in her about meeting her stepmother. She washed her face and smiled at her reflection.

  “You’re going to be a big sister!”

  She hurried to dress, pulling her hair into a ponytail and leaving her face free from makeup. She was in a rush to get to her cell that she’d left in the main living area. It was getting close to noon.

  When she went back into her bedroom, she saw that Weston had spread out and was sleeping soundly. With a kiss to his cheek, she left him right where he was. She knew how exhausted he had to be. She was tired too but she was also excited about things now.

  He’d come back and he’d taken control. Aullie never saw herself as a woman who wanted anyone to take control of their live life. But she had to admit that it felt fantastic.

  He’d fight for her. He wasn’t about to let their love die. She knew that for certain now.

  It was odd how the ache that had resided in her heart had suddenly disappeared. Love was flowing all through it again and she found that a relief. And now to see how she would get along with her father and new stepmom.

  When she found her cell, she saw the text from her father that had come in, an hour back.

  -My driver is on his way now. Can’t wait to see you.-

  Just as she was about to text him back, the doorbell rang and she hurried to it. She found the butler answering the door and there stood the driver she’d known from the old days. “Dustin!”

  The older man’s smile had wrinkles forming around his mouth and light green eyes. “Miss Aulora!”

  She ran into his arms and he picked her up as they hugged. “I never thought I’d see you again!”

  “Oh, honey,” he said with a happy tone to his deep voice. “I knew your father would smarten up one day.”

  He let her go and took her down to the waiting car. “It’s so nice to see you, Dustin. How has everything gone these past years?”

  “The usual. I’ve driven your daddy around a lot and time has passed. My only news is that I’ve had three grandkids in the time that’s passed.” He opened the back door of the Town car for her to get into.

  “You’re a grandpa?” she asked then giggled.

  “I am. They call me Gramps. Now, off we go so you can meet your new family, Miss Aulora.”

  She gave him a nod as he closed the door. Then he took off and she found her tummy was filling with butterflies. She was back to where she’d been before.

  Riding in the back of her father’s car, driven around by their driver and looking out the window as the car veered around other cars, some expensive and some not. People were
everywhere and then they began to thin out as they left the city and went toward the place she’d once lived.

  She wondered if her bedroom had been kept the same. She’d had a Paris-themed bedroom, complete with a replica of the Eiffel Tower in one corner. There was a huge balcony off that room and white lights had been strung along the railing.

  Her fingers trembled as she smoothed out her blue skirt. She was going home. The place she always thought of as home. The small apartment in Queens was never a thing she thought of as home. It was like a little dungeon to her back then.

  That apartment was like a prison. And it was a constant reminder to her that the money she’d always had wasn’t really hers. It was her father’s and he could take it all away.

  She thought about how things had all changed. The money in the bank account was all hers. No one could take it away from her. She’d made sure to ask the bank representative who helped her sign the necessary paperwork about that.

  She was the owner of a brand new Mercedes. Her name was on the title. She was also the owner of the penthouse. Her name was on that too. And it was her name and hers alone that was on the bank account that had a balance that was nearly a billion dollars.

  Aulora was set!

  Her man had come back to her, showing her how much he really loved her. She had two walls in a prestigious art gallery to fill. The world was her oyster, it seemed.

  She hummed, happily as they drove the hour and a half out of New York City to get to her father’s home. A mansion she had a key to!

  As they pulled into the long drive, she felt the butterflies turn into gargoyles. It was time to meet the woman who’d changed her father for the better!

  Dustin got out and let her out of the car, then walked her up the huge staircase that led to the front entrance. “Good luck, Miss Aulora. It’s damn nice to have you back home.”

  “Thanks, Dustin. It’s damn great to be here,” she said then gave the man a hug and turned to find the door was opening and a new man was standing at the door.

  “You’re father and mother are waiting in the nursery for you, Miss Aulora,” he told her.