by Claire Adams
"You okay?" Cam asked as I stood in the doorway of the courtroom staring at the empty stand.
"Yeah, fine," I nodded as I took his hand and turned my back on the past.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Cam
It took me until Alex's graduation to make it through rehab, and even after the physical therapist pronounced me in tiptop shape, I wasn't sure I wanted to return to the fire department. I had developed a new perspective on life and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend my days running into burning buildings anymore. It was hard to admit, but once I told Alex how I felt, she encouraged me to explore other options.
Leo was adamant that I come work at CSC and help him deal with the surge in new business. I agreed to try that for a while, but I wasn't sure that's where I wanted to spend the rest of my time. Yet I wasn't sure what other options I had. I'd spent the past decade running from what had happened to Quinn, that I hadn't spent much time focusing on doing what would make me happy.
"You should think about doing home renovation," Alex said two nights before she was to graduate. "You did such an amazing job with this place and there are tons of homes that need updates and overhauls. This neighborhood alone would give you enough business to keep you hopping for the next five years!"
"I'll have to consider that," I said as I poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her. I raised my glass and toasted, “Here’s to you and your nursing degree!"
"It's hard to believe it's over," she said as she sipped her wine. "But it's nice that I'll be working at General in the ER. I like it there."
"I like having you there, and I'd like to have you here, too," I said as I looked at her. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small box that I'd been saving for the right moment, and this felt like it was it. I dropped to one knee next to her chair opening the box and said, "Alexandra Pierce, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Cam?" she said completely caught off guard. "What? Oh my God! Yes!"
"Hmmm, interesting response. Not exactly the one I was expecting, but the affirmative will work," I laughed as I pulled the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. It fit perfectly, and she stared at it for a moment before she threw her arms around me and kissed me.
I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply. It had been a long time since we'd had sex even though the doctor had cleared me for it a month before. We were both a little scared of what might happen.
Alex pulled back and looked at me expectantly, and I nodded, taking her hand I led her to the bedroom where I slowly removed her clothing stopping to kiss every inch of bare skin that I exposed. When I finally pulled her lacy panties down to her ankles, I looked up at her in wonder. This beautiful woman had agreed to marry me, and I wanted to show her just how happy I could make her.
I gently pushed her back onto the bed and spread her legs as my fingers traced a path around her nipple down to the warmth between her legs. She moaned softly and pushed her hips up as I teased her outer lips before sinking my fingers between them and stroking a path from top to bottom.
"Cam..." she moaned as I found the center of her pleasure and pressed on it before letting up and circling it over and over. "Oh my God..."
"Mmm, feels good, doesn't it?" I whispered as I leaned down and kissed her lips while my fingers dove deeper and stroked her inner walls. Alex lifted her hips and moved to the rhythm of my long lazy strokes while I used my other hand to unzip my own pants. I let them drop to the floor as I pulled my fingers out, much to Alex's chagrin.
"Don't stop," she whispered as I moved on top of her and slid my swollen shaft up and down coating it in her slick warm wetness. And then, in one swift thrust, I was inside ,her feeling the tightness and heat encircling me as I slowly pulled back and then thrust forward again.
Alex moaned more insistently as she gripped my shoulders and pushed her hips up to meet my thrusts. I could feel her naked skin sliding against mine as we climbed higher and higher searching for the release we'd been aching for. I braced myself as I felt a twinge, and when Alex saw the brief wave of pain cross my face, she pushed me sideways and rolled me onto my back so that she could straddle me.
I held my breath as I watched her move on top of me. She looked so beautiful rising above me like a nymph as she moved her hips back and forth. I held my breath as I tried to stave off the inevitable climax, but it had been too long to wait and in an instant I felt it all come crashing down on me as I came crying out her name. Alex kept moving as she raced toward the same conclusion. She leaned forward and ground herself against me as she found her own orgasm. I watched as she fell forward burying her face in my neck as our bodies jerked and moved in the throes of intensity neither one of us could deny.
I held on to her tightly as we waited for our breathing to return to normal, and felt like I was the luckiest man in the whole world.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Epilogue
"No, no, no! Do not pull the doggy's tail, Cassidy!" I said as I moved across the patio to where the two-year-old with sticky hands and face was yanking on Tesla's thick tail. The big, yellow lab turned and began licking her face as she screamed with delighted laughter. I couldn't help but stand back and laugh as the two of them enjoyed each other's company.
"Cam, are you keeping an eye on those burgers?" I yelled through the open door, as I smelled the scent of burning meat wafting from the other side of the patio.
"I'm on it!" he shouted as he barged through the door carrying a tub of beer. "We still need ice, though."
"I called Leo and let him know," I said as I grabbed the small person who had pulled off her shirt and was now running toward the yard, ostensibly to roll in the grass just like her buddy, Tesla, was doing. I looked down at the curly haired little angel and said, "What are you doing, missy?"
"Esla!" she shrieked as she ran toward her four-legged playmate. "Doggy!"
"Yes, she is a doggy," I laughed. Cassidy was the spitting image of her father with the curly red locks and bright green eyes that flashed with mischievousness more often than I liked to acknowledge.
"What are you doing, Peanut?" Cam asked in a deep booming voice that never failed to send her into shrieking laughter. We stood and watched as the two friends rolled on the lawn enjoying the coolness of the grass on a warm summer evening.
We were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary with a barbecue for all of the friends who had been in our wedding party, and a few other people who'd become integral to our life. The memory of our special day was on display all over the house and Cam had built small replica of the gazebo we'd stood on when we'd said our vows. The wedding had been a small affair because we hadn't wanted to draw a lot of attention to ourselves and because I was in the middle of starting my new nursing job.
Cam had promised that we'd make the celebration of our anniversary a yearly event, and so far he'd made good on his promise. I looked over at my husband who was laughing loudly as he watched our two-year-old rolling on the lawn with his beloved dog, and wondered how I could have ever doubted his sincerity and love.
He'd retired from the fire department not long after I'd graduated from nursing school. He'd said it no longer made sense to him to spend his time running into burning buildings when he could be at home with me. I knew his reasons ran much deeper than that, but I never pushed him for them. After all, I'd been there that fateful day, and I knew the price he'd paid for coming to my rescue. I was just glad we'd all survived it.
"Hey there, minion!" a familiar voice called to Cassidy. "What are you doing?"
"Tee Tee Izzy!" Cassidy yelled as she popped up off of the lawn and went running on chubby legs toward her favorite aunt, Liz. Liz met her half way and swept her up into a big hug as she kissed every inch of the baby's face making her laugh wildly before setting her down so she could run back to where Tesla lay in the grass.
"She's getting so big!" Liz said as she grabbed me and hugged me tightly. "I can't believe she's two now."
"I know, it's
crazy, isn't it?" I said, as I held tight to my friend.
The past few years hadn't been easy for Liz. Losing her place in the nursing program had been a blow that she'd had a hard time recovering from, and while she'd come out of rehab strong and determined, she'd relapsed twice and now was living in a group recovery home where she found that the order and rules helped her manage her addiction. I knew she was going to have a lifelong struggle ahead of her, but I wasn't about to abandon her.
Cassidy's first birthday seemed to have been a turning point for her since she'd been sober ever since. I crossed my fingers and hoped that Liz would be able to maintain her sobriety and that some day she'd be able to have a family of her own. Maybe some day our girls would become lifelong friends like their mothers were.
Leo showed up a short time later with more ice than we knew what to do with and a surprise for Cassidy. When he led his gift in on a leash, I looked at Cam, but he grinned and shrugged letting me know he'd approved this. I rolled my eyes and chuckled as I raised a fist at my secret-loving husband, but I also knew that he'd thought about this long and hard because Tesla was starting to show signs of senility and we knew she wasn't going to be with us forever.
Cam had worked with Leo at the office for several years after we got married as he started his new business, a home renovation company called CAC Designs. He and Danny Newsome worked together flipping houses and doing renovations for folks who had more money than they knew what to do with. Cam had used our initials as the acronym for the company, but when Cassidy had come along he'd started to claim that it was Cam Alex Cassidy Designs. I asked him what he was going to do when the family expanded, and he told me that he'd have to start another business venture to accommodate the new child. I'd rolled my eyes and laughed knowing that there was no stopping him if he decided to do it.
As the house began to fill with all the people we loved, we were reminded of how far we'd come and how arduous the road had been. As I looked around at all the different people we'd brought together through our love, I realized that we'd done our very best to shape a life that didn't deny the past, but, instead, embraced the future with love and hope.
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BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE
The Complete Series
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Claire Adams
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE VOLUME I
CHAPTER ONE
Jack
There was a gentle breeze blowing as I poured the champagne into tall flutes and handed them to the two bikini-clad girls tanning on the deck. The captain had anchored the boat in a quiet spot just off the coast of Santorini, and I was enjoying the sun and the sea with my companions. We were about to head north to Athens where we would celebrate my thirty-third birthday with a party that would keep the whole city talking for months.
"Jack, I'm out of champagne again," the tanned blonde pouted as she held out her glass. She was the heiress to a Greek shipping fortune, and as a result, was very spoiled, but I enjoyed her company—and her body.
"Well, that will not do at all, will it?" I said as I pulled the bottle of Cristal out of the icy bucket and refilled her glass. "You must stay hydrated, mikri prinkipissa!"
"I'm not a little princess," she giggled as she sipped the cold, bubbly liquid. "I'm rich, but I'm definitely not royalty."
"I am!" the brunette next to her piped up. "And I'm out of champagne, too!"
"What an affront to the crown!" I cried. I hit the button that connected me to the staff below decks and said, "Another bottle of Cristal for the ladies!"
"Right away, sir," the voice replied, and in moments, a staff member dressed in pure white emerged from below, carrying an ice-cold bottle of champagne wrapped in a white napkin. He waited for my nod before popping the cork and sinking the bottle deep into the bucket of ice.
"But I'm still empty," the brunette pouted.
I grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass, smiling as she tugged at the strings that kept her bikini bottoms up on her hips. Both girls had long since removed their tops, allowing me to admire their oil-coated breasts. This offering seemed to be leading somewhere else entirely.
"You're a very naughty girl, prinkipissa!" I playfully scolded her as she tugged the thin strip of material away from her body and tossed it at me.
"You have no idea, Jack," she purred. She and her blonde friend leaned forward and grabbed my hands, pulling me down between them on the lounging bench.
Before I knew it, they had stripped me of my swim trunks and were taking turns wrapping their hands around my stiff shaft as they kissed me and pressed their naked bodies against mine. I gave in to their ministrations as I lay back and watched their glistening bodies move over mine. These tanned nymphs always managed to find my weak spots and exploit them, much to my delight—and often theirs.
Just as the blonde was about to take me deep into her mouth for the second time, a staff member emerged from below decks holding a phone.
"Sir, you have an urgent call," he said as he managed to keep his eyes above the action happening on the lounge.
"Can't you take a message and tell them I'll call back?" I said, irritated, as I watched the brunette princess playfully fight for her oral rights.
"It's your mother, sir," he said. "She said it is urgent that you answer the call. No matter what you are doing."
"Son-of-a-bitch," I swore under my breath as I pushed the girls aside and pulled my shorts back on. The one thing I knew about my mother was that she never cried wolf. If she said it was urgent, then it was urgent.
I descended the stairs and entered my office where the phone sat waiting for me. I took a deep breath before I picked it up.
"Hello, Mother," I began.
"Jackson Fitzgerald, you need to come home," she said solemnly. "I need you here, now."
"What's wrong, Mother?" I asked, playfully adding, "Can't the king fix things for you anymore?"
"Your father is dead, Jack," she said and then went silent.
"Wait, what?" I replied, unsure that I'd heard her correctly. "I thought you just said Pop is dead."
"I did," she replied. "He died this morning on his way to meet with some new investors."
"You're kidding me, right?" I said, trying to process the news. I kept talking, "He can't be dead. He's the healthiest man alive. He's obsessive when it comes to his health!"
"I'm sorry, Jack," my mother said. "I know it's your birthday and that you had a party planned, but we need you to come home right away."
"I'll get there as soon as I can," I said, adding as an afterthought, "Are you okay?"
"I'm … I'm … I don't know what I am," my mother said, sounding small and scared. "I didn't expect this."
"I'll get home as soon as I can. I promise," I said, trying to reassure my mother from thousands of miles away. "Where's Lincoln? Why isn't he there with you?"
"He's in California on a big case," she said quietly. "He said he'd try to get home by the end of the week."
"Son-of-a-bitch," I cursed under my breath.
"Jackson Fitzgerald!" my mother scolded. "Do not say those words! They are vulgar!"
"Sorry, Mother," I apologized, but I wasn't sorry at all. I was pissed at my brother for not hopping on the next plane back to New York to be with our mother as she grieved. "I'll get to Athens and catch the next plane out. Probably in the morning."
"Hurry, Jack," she pleaded. "I need you here."
"I'm on my way, Mother," I said then added. "I love you. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"I love you, too," she sa
id, before hanging up.
I instructed the captain to pull up anchor and head for Athens. Then I walked back up to the top deck where the two girls had resumed sunbathing. They both looked up expectantly, ready for me to rejoin the fun.
"C'mon, Jack!" the blonde called. "We kept your spot warm!"
I looked at the beautiful naked bodies lying on the chaise lounge in front of me. I pushed my shorts down around my ankles and slid in between them.
"Have your way with me, girls," I said. I cupped the blonde girl's breast while the brunette princess straddled my hips, giggling as she began rocking herself to an orgasm of unparalleled intensity. I let go and pushed my sorrows aside as I gave in to the hedonistic pleasures of the girls' bodies as the yacht sped toward the mainland.
Reality could wait until we arrived.
CHAPTER TWO
Leah
"Dammit, Leah!" my mother yelled as she leaned against the doorframe, lighting a cigarette. "Where the hell did you put my bottle? I just had it five minutes ago!"
"I didn't touch it, Mama," I said as I sat on the couch folding clean laundry, trying to avoid my mother's wrath.
"The hell you didn't," she muttered as she walked back into the kitchen, slamming the cabinet doors as she searched for the bottle of vodka. It was no use telling her that she'd finished it several hours ago. She'd simply accuse me of lying to her. She yelled at me from the kitchen as she searched, "You're a lousy daughter, you know that? Molly never would have hidden my bottle from me! She was a blessing, that one. Not like you ... ungrateful little sneak."