Unbreak Her Heart: A Billionaire BWWM Love Story

by Lacey Legend

  He cut in and Leo obligingly moved aside and let Brad move in. Brad and Aliyah began to move together as if they were alone. The heat between them coupled with the music and bystanders either had to stare or look away because their passion was contagious. Aliyah was surprised at what a good dancer Brad was. She thought that his other qualities were already almost too much of a good thing. Their bodies moved together and they began to sweat on the dance floor. Aliyah had never had such a great time dancing, and that was saying something.

  Brad had learned to dance as a child. Growing up to be presented in society, he had learned to dance in the more traditional ways. He had a knack for it, though, and through the years, he and his friends started to go out for fun. That’s exactly how Gavin got interested in owning a night club. The guys would go from bar to bar. They rarely had trouble getting in because of their wealth and connections. However, this wasn’t enough for Gavin. He wanted to have his own place to be comfortable in a club and he wanted to make the rules. That is why, after several years of club hopping with his friends, Gavin decided to build his own. He hadn’t expected Brad to get so busy and to change his priorities. Brad had stopped coming out to clubs for some time and Gavin went ahead with his fun on his own.

  This club went all night long. In time, even Aliyah was finished dancing. She was happily tired and ready for bed. They left the club with their ears ringing and she couldn’t wait to take off her shoes. Brad had arranged for a hotel nearby and the staff of the hotel had already received their luggage and unpacked for them. Aliyah couldn’t get used to the luxury of so much help, but she was relieved to come into the suite and know that her things were ready for her to use.

  There was a main sitting room in the suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. They would never need two beds, but the two bathrooms made it easy for the tired couple to shower quickly so that they could crawl into bed together. In spite of the late hour and their tiredness, the dancing had stoked their libidos and they fell together on the bed. Their bodies writhed together as if the time on the dance floor had been leading to this very moment. Their freshly showered skin coupled until they had satisfied themselves and fell fast asleep.

  ***

  The next day was more practical. They ordered breakfast in their room and room service brought it in so that they could get ready to go home. The jet was to take them to their own city. Someone had been sent to retrieve the BMW from their vacation spot and it would be waiting for them at the airport. Brad was careful to arrange things for Aliyah’s comfort and she was never caught waiting for a car, a phone call, or anything that would impede their good time together.

  “All right, love. I’ve got to run in to grab something with caffeine.” Brad said this at a gas station after they retrieved the car. “Would you like anything?”

  “Water would be great, thanks.” Aliyah wanted to take good care of this new heart and live for many years, especially now that she had so much to live for.

  Brad had called her “love” a few times, but he never said “I love you.” It made her a little nervous, especially since he had been so hesitant to date her initially and that look of sadness still crossed his face often, even when they were having a great time together. She shook it off because she realized that she hadn’t said those important words, either, and she knew that she loved him deeply. Also, they had already made plans for their times together when they got home. It seemed obvious to her that he was now a part of her life and she was so glad of it. She didn’t want to get hung up on a few words.

  As Brad stood in line at the gas station counter, Aliyah needed a tissue. She remembered seeing Brad stash a box in the glove compartment and she popped it open to get one. The small jewelry box fell out of the glove compartment and onto her lap. She didn’t want to snoop, but she couldn’t imagine who else it could be for. Her curiosity got the better of her and she quickly snapped the lid open. A gorgeous ruby necklace glimmered back at her. She loved it, but suddenly wondered why he hadn’t given it to her on this trip when he had given her so many other things.

  Another shadow crossed her mind as she wondered if it could be meant for someone else. She tried to push the thought out of her mind but the fact that “I love you” had never been uttered began to bother her again. She also noticed that he never spoke of their relationship in terms of the future. Everything seemed to be in the “here and now” alone. Her eyes caressed the lovely ruby and made her think again of the times of silence when Brad’s face became clouded with an emotion she couldn’t quite place. She saw him move to the front of the line and stashed the necklace back in the glove compartment. She wasn’t meant to have seen this and she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, but doubt was growing in her mind.

  When he came back to the car, he put her at ease with his plans to take her to the zoo with Jenna and ideas about their next romantic vacation. By the time they were back on the freeway, she was his again and her thoughts were happy and focused on Brad.

  Chapter5

  Brad and Aliyah settled into a routine at home. He spent many evenings with her at her apartment. They often went out for dinner or to a concert or show and then ended up at her apartment. He spent his busy days doing business and often had to work, even on weekends. This wasn’t a problem for Aliyah, who took her own work very seriously. She would have rather taken some time off to go to school so that she could earn a degree that would help her better organize facilities like New Hope and raise much needed funds for both the rehabilitation and the research for brain injuries.

  Meanwhile, they both pursued their separate work during the days and spent their evenings sharing the findings of each day. Brad was working hard to elevate the family business beyond its previous holdings and move into markets that were booming. He knew that he would have to stay ahead of things with the economy and technology changing so fast. His great education and ability to stretch for new goals helped him to head this company even better than his esteemed father did.

  Aliyah shared the joys and heartaches of her patients with Brad and was always amazed by his kind and giving heart. He was such a loving man and she knew that he felt for every person she described to him.

  They also grew as a couple because of their love for Jenna and Trinity. Sometimes they would take both the baby and the little girl for an outing. Brad’s healthy bank account could fund great adventures. They took the girls to a store where they were able to customize toys. Jenna was much too young to appreciate it, so Aliyah bounced her and played games with her while Brad and Trinity worked side by side to make the little toy. When they were done, they came running to show Aliyah what they had accomplished. Trinity had a fluffy white bunny with a pink vest and pink shoes with Trinity’s initials on them. Brad had done his best to produce something for Jenna, but Jenna was anything but interested. The stuffed panda became a resident of Aliyah’s bed instead and reminded her of the fun day with the girls.

  They took them to the zoo, planetarium, park, and mall. Brad wasn’t interested in the mall, but he would deal with it to see the look on Trinity’s face when they pulled up to the shoe store. Trinity had an affinity for shoes already. She would try on every pair if they let her. Aliyah joked that Julia would have to start saving now to buy Trinity’s shoes once she got into high school.

  The best times were the quiet nights when Brad and Aliyah were alone together. As Christmas approached, Aliyah’s apartment took on a festive glow with inexpensive, yet adorable decorations. She strung lights around the windows and even set up and decorated her own little tree. She was thrilled to have the energy to do it this year. Last year she had been too exhausted. The heart disease also had her worried that it could have been her last Christmas on earth. This year was like a new life and she was very grateful. When she was finished, she sat down next to her tree and enjoyed the colored lights and brightly colored ornaments. Her thoughts went again to the person whose heart lay beating beneath her breastbone. She bowed her head and said a praye
r for this person who must have had a rapid and tragic death that took a perfectly healthy person out of the world before the heart could stop beating. She also prayed for loved ones who were facing their first Christmas without the owner of this heart. She was the keeper of the heart now and felt an obligation to live life to the fullest, both for herself and for the life lost.

  When Brad saw her apartment, he spun around and said, “I’ve got something for you at home. My mother gave me a star for a Christmas tree. We haven’t used it in years because it’s meant for a small tree and we always have a huge tree. The house is empty right now because the country club is having a party to celebrate a man’s 40th year working there and he’s a good friend of my staff so I let them have the night off. Shall we go and get it? We may have to dig around in the attic ourselves since the staff is gone.” He gave her a smile that meant he couldn’t wait to give her the star for her tree.

  They left for the mansion. Aliyah had seen it briefly one other time, but she had stayed in the car because they were late for a show, and they had never spent much time there. Usually they were only there to switch cars or for Brad to grab a bag or computer. On this night, they traipsed in and headed to the attic. The size of the house was a shock to Aliyah. She knew it was a mansion, but room after room after room opened up before her. They went to the attic. She had expected a dusty, old fashioned attic with cobwebs and spooky noises. Instead she found a neatly organized and cleaned space with good lighting and carefully organized shelves and bins. This made it easy to find the star because it was in a section of bins in green and red with notes on each bin. They found the box with a year written on it from his mother’s earlier life. They opened the box and he took out the sparkling star.

  In itself, the star was not an extravagant gift, but knowing that it was from his mother; Aliyah took it very seriously. She held it to the light and thanked him for the beautiful gesture. They picked themselves up and began to wind their way back down to the lower levels of the house. They spoke softly and reaffirmed their love in quiet tones as they held hands. This intimacy caused their passions to stir. They passed a room on the third floor with the door ajar. Aliyah glimpsed a comfortable, four poster bed with thick bedding. There was also a gas fireplace, heavy sheers on the windows, and the entire room invited her to settle in. Brad was having the same thought and gently took her hand and led her inside. He turned on the fireplace with a flick of a switch and bolted the door behind them.

  Aliyah could tell that it wasn’t Brad’s room because it had no personal belongings and was so far up in the house, but the room had seemed to call them in just when they needed to be alone. They nestled together and spoke in whispers about the things that were important to them. Brad asked Aliyah what she wanted for Christmas. She paused, “Brad, I’m so happy already. There isn’t anything in the world that could make me happier than I am right now.” The words “I love you” were so close to the tip of her tongue as she finished her sentence, but she held back. She had rushed him at the beginning of their relationship and she wanted to let him take the lead now and if tonight wasn’t the night, she would just have to wait.

  Brad put his finger under her chin and eased her head back to look into her eyes. “Aliyah. I love you.” The words shot through her. She was so moved that she couldn’t speak. Tears welled in her eyes and one bright tear splashed down her beautiful cheek.

  “I love you, too, Brad.” The passion between them soared and they reached for each other. Their love-making was always passionate, but the heat in their embrace was beyond anything from the past. Their lips met and they felt as if they couldn’t get close enough. Brad rolled her onto her back and moved between her legs. She could feel his hardness against her thigh and she shuddered with her desire to have it inside of her. He had always been a patient lover, but this night was for unbridled love. They needed to consummate their confessions and mark each other forever.

  As he opened her legs and slid between them, cupping one breast in his hand, she whispered, “Make love with me, I’m yours now, and I need you.” These words made him lose all control. He pushed himself inside of her and wrapped an arm around her back to draw her to him so that he could reach her depths and possess her completely. He was only able to hold back for a limited time because she felt so good around him. She climaxed almost immediately and he could feel her clenching him, when he came, she could feel him release his essence deeply and the felt him flooding her body, sending her into another orgasm, even harder than the first.

  “Baby, I…” Brad was breathing heavily. “I couldn’t wait.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair. “Don’t worry about that. I love you and you’ve made me feel better than I ever have before.” They held each other tightly and began to fall asleep feeling content and well-loved. Just then Brad’s cell phone rang and startled them both. Gavin was calling and his voice sounded panicked on the other end of the line.

  “Hang on, buddy. I can hardly understand you. What’s the problem?” Brad tried to calm Gavin down but Gavin was terribly upset. “Okay, I’ll be right there.” Brad turned to Aliyah. “Love, I’ve got to go. I’m so sorry. Gavin said someone is trying to shut down the club. He’s sunk a lot of money into this. I need to get down there and find out what’s going on. His lawyer is out of town so I’m going to call mine in on this case. I won’t be gone long—just long enough to introduce my lawyer to Gavin so that they can take care of whatever problem Gavin is having.”

  “You’re a good friend.” Aliyah kissed his cheek. “That’s one of the reasons I love you.” He kissed her softly and then jumped up to go.

  “If I don’t go now, I’ll end up back in bed with you and Gavin will kill me.” He winked and pulled his clothes on. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in about a half hour, well before the staff gets back.” He was gone and Aliyah was alone in the huge mansion.

  Aliyah wandered slowly down the hall. It was hard for her to believe that the man she loved owned this house. She noticed that it would be a great place to raise children. She would love to see a child running down this hallway to find a favorite room. She ran her hands along the smooth railings of the stairs. She didn’t intrude, but if a door was open, she looked inside. The entire house was beautifully decorated. She thought about how strange it was for a young man living alone to maintain such a big house with so much staff. He certainly didn’t need so many rooms or the hassle and expense of managing this place.

  She went through the kitchen. It was a homey space, but it had all of the top of the line, restaurant-grade appliances. The kitchen gleamed and she admired the expensive pots hanging from the pot racks and the chopping block islands. She could imagine cooking something nice for Brad in this kitchen. She knew that a woman didn’t have to cook, but she loved cooking and baking. She hoped that the cook wasn’t too territorial and if she was, she hoped that Brad would set her straight.

  Aliyah ran her hand over the granite counter top and realized that the home was very organized, as if a woman had been the one to make the household decisions. Even a home run by servants needed someone to organize and supervise the running of daily events. She could see the touch of a feminine hand in every corner of the place.

  Aliyah turned and went out to the hallway. There were several rooms with closed door, but Brad’s study door was wide open. She could see at a glance where he had left his familiar briefcase and the shoes he wore earlier in the day had been kicked off next to the briefcase. She felt comfortable going into this room because she knew it was a place he frequented. She marveled at the huge shelves of books and wondered how many of them he’d read. She studied the art he chose for the walls and tried every chair and sofa in the room. The last chair was pulled up to his large, mahogany desk that had once belonged to his father.

  As she sat at his desk, surveying the room, a framed photograph caught her eye. She saw a woman on horseback with blonde hair. She felt a stab in her heart but hoped that this would turn out to be a
sister or cousin. She wondered why he would have a relative’s picture on his desk if she weren’t an intimate of his. She didn’t remember hearing of a cousin, aunt or any other female relative who may have prompted such devotion from Brad. Her eyes roamed over the room and she noticed the pictures all around. She got up and looked at a couple of pictures on a side table. The same face smiled back at her in different settings. She went to the sofa and saw another picture of her in cap and gown. Then she saw a grouping of photos on the wall with Brad embracing this woman. Her eyes shone from the frame as Brad held her in his arms as only a lover would do. The other photos in this grouping showed the couple in France, Italy, the Bahamas, and even China.

  Chapter6

  Aliyah’s eyes opened wide in grief and astonishment. It all came together in her mind in an instant. The ruby necklace in the car must have been for this woman and not for her. The weekends and late nights at work were nights he spent with her. The size of this house and its staff were for her comfort. He must have brought her here today because the wife and staff were all away. All of the pieces of the puzzle seemed to come together for her and she was appalled at her predicament.

  She remembered his hesitation when they first met. She also remembered how a shadow sometimes passed over his face when they advanced to a deeper stage of their relationship. Aliyah thought about how most of their nights of passion happened in her tiny apartment when he had this grand house and how he spent more time with her in hotels and the cabin than in his own bed. Once she thought of it, she realized that they still had never slept together in his bed. They had made love in a guest bedroom on the third floor. The only explanation that made sense was that the woman in the pictures was his wife.