Pawn of the Billionaire

by Frasier, Kristin

  “Toni, please believe me. I care more about you and how you feel than myself. Please let me help you. I can’t bear to think of what you thought and what’s happened to you.”

  I looked down. I couldn’t take this intensity and make good decisions. I began to lever myself forwards. Damn. I knew this would be impossible to get out of.

  James made as if to stand up. “Can I help? Where are you going?”

  “No.” I pushed hard with my arms. “Just going to have some of that coffee. It smells so good after what I’ve been having.”

  He grinned. “There you go.” And he handed me the cup.

  “Thanks.” I stayed sitting on the edge though. I might just need a quick getaway.

  I sniffed at the heavenly aroma and looked across the room. The only other guests were at the other end, and we were still private.

  “Toni?” James’ voice was gentle.

  “Mmm?”

  “We seem to be at the point of no return for you to go back and work there because of your back. Is that right?”

  I shrugged. “I suppose so.”

  “Where were you thinking of going to?”

  I looked up, startled. “I hadn’t had time to think. I mean, I knew a couple days ago that I couldn’t stay, but you’re just so busy all the time. And I hadn’t anywhere to go.”

  There was a long pause, and he stirred his coffee absently, obviously deep in thought. Then he looked up.

  “I know we can’t go backwards, Toni, but would you consider moving back home? Not to the house. I know that would probably be too much, but I could rent an apartment for you, or a room in a hotel? Then you could come in to the office, work on your app again, and maybe, maybe we could start again. I could perhaps earn your trust?”

  There was a question in his voice. Not pleading, I didn’t think a man like James could do pleading, but he was giving me the option, offering me the choice.

  I wondered idly if he’d just let me walk out if I said no.

  “That sounds like a good idea.” As I said it I wondered where that had come from. I’d not intended to say that at all. But I didn’t get the chance to retract it.

  “Thank you, Toni, thank you so much.” The relief in his voice was evident. He sat there quietly for a few minutes, and we were already back at the companionable silence stage. I wondered how I felt so comfortable so quickly. Maybe because he’d apologized so readily, not tried to make it feel as if it was all my fault.

  “And would you mind if I organized you to see a doctor about your back? I think it ought to be checked out soon.”

  I shook my head. “No. I’ll do that if it doesn’t get better. I think it’ll get better by itself.”

  “But what if it …” He stopped as I shook my head at him.

  “No. I need to control things a bit more.”

  “All right.” He obviously wasn’t happy, but I needed to put some boundaries in.

  He tried again. “I’d ask if you’d have your old phone back, so I know you have my number, but as we haven’t found it yet, I can’t, unless you tell me.” He grinned. “It’s still around, as we track it from time to time, but mostly it’s near home, or the office.” He looked surprised at my expression. “Go on, so where did you put it?”

  I shrugged. “You haven’t found it? It’s in the glove compartment of the car.”

  He fell back on the sofa, laughing as if he hadn’t laughed in a long time. “Damnation! And I’ve had men stopping and searching cabs whenever they’ve seemed close to the location. And it’s my own damn car!”

  I found I was grinning too. It was so nice to see him happier. He drained his coffee.

  “So, Antonia. Apartment or hotel?” He crooked an eyebrow at me. I didn’t have to think.

  “Apartment, please.”

  “Good. And would you let Anne Russell help you?”

  That would help, I supposed. But I didn’t want to get too sucked in to his lifestyle again. Then again, I knew I wouldn’t be able to carry shopping bags or clean the place while my back hurt. “All right.”

  He smiled at me, that slightly crooked smile that undid me inside every time. I wondered if he knew that.

  “Thank you.”

  Then he leaned back, looking around. In a moment, Lawrence was at his side and being given a long list of instructions, beginning with packing up at the hotel and ending with leasing an apartment.

  My eyebrows went up as I listened to the list of requirements for the apartment.

  “James. There’s no need for that. It doesn’t need all that fancy stuff. And one bedroom’s enough.”

  He looked over at me. “Well, let’s see what Lawrence manages to find that’s available close enough to the office, shall we?” I could see by the glint in his eye that somehow, the only available apartment would have a jacuzzi spa and all the extras.

  He was smiling. “You’ll find a spa really helps your back, if you’re going to be stubborn and not see a doctor.”

  Lawrence went off to start on the jobs.

  “Have you really been staying here this week?”

  He shrugged. “Of course. I needed to be as close as I could. I had to go back to England for a crisis at one point, but I flew straight back out again after a day.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know how to feel about that.

  He shook his head at me. “Don’t think about it too much. You’re really tired, I can see that. Let’s just get home and rested. Then we can sort out everything else. You’re safe and that’s all that matters.”

  I wanted to retort that he was tired too. If there was ever evidence that he cared about me, it was in the way he looked. But, he’d deceived me once, was he holding back anything else?

  James

  I got Lawrence to charter another plane for everyone else and the luggage to go back, saving the jet for just us. I didn’t want her to see the size of the team I’d had hunting for her, the equipment we’d used.

  I didn’t want her feeling that we’d been prepared to use all possible means to find her. As she’d rung Paul, she could think we’d found her that way.

  I’d been prepared to go back with her to that horrible place to collect her stuff, but she’d refused.

  “No, I’ll go back on my own. I’ve not got anything worth packing, but I have to say goodbye to Maria.”

  I’d asked if I could meet Maria too, and Toni had shaken her head.

  “No. Absolutely not. You look too official, they’d be frightened you’d shut them down.” Then she’d shrugged. “And maybe you should. But there’s nothing anywhere else for them if you did. Nothing.”

  I let that go. I had more important things in my life at the moment. Toni, of course, first and foremost. But the situation at home with Edward was also simmering, and I didn’t know what the hell to do about that. If Toni found out, would she think that was the only reason I was keeping her? It wasn’t true, but it was a hell of a time for this to have happened.

  * * *

  The apartment was a success. There hadn’t been time yet for Anne Russell to have all Toni’s stuff brought over, but she looked all around with an awed expression.

  “Wow,” she said, shaking her head. Staring into the bathroom, she sighed and turned to me with a mischievous grin. “It’s just as well my stuff’s not here yet or you’d be out on your ear.” She looked back into the room. “A hot bath. I’d kill for a hot bath.”

  I smiled down on the top of her head. “Well, it won’t be long getting here now. Why not get started? Anne can bring in the towels and a clean outfit when she gets here.” I met her eye as she turned to look at me. “A long soak might relax your back muscles.”

  She tipped her head. “I suppose so.” She started for the door, then paused and looked back. “Thank you. You don’t need to stay.”

  “I’ll stay.” I smiled, but she didn’t smile back.

  “No, you don’t need to stay. Give me space, James, please.”

  “Of course.” My need for her, the aching
place in my arms for her would have to wait. I turned for the door, not wanting her to see the power she had over me. But I couldn’t do it. I looked back. “Dinner tonight?”

  She shook her head. “I’m going to sleep the clock around I think.” She smiled, though there was sadness in her eyes. “You look as if you could do with that too.”

  “Lunch tomorrow then?” I said hopefully.

  She smiled at that. “Won’t we be meeting at the office in the morning?”

  I looked at her. “It’s Sunday tomorrow.”

  “Oh.” She sounded vague. “I never knew what day it was.” She shrugged. “Okay then. Lunch.” I wished she sounded a bit more enthusiastic, but maybe she would be after a good night’s sleep.

  * * *

  It broke my heart to leave her there, but at least she was safe and protected. She didn’t need to know about the security I’d put around the place. And I’d see her tomorrow. I got in the car feeling more relaxed than I had for a long time. Idly, I put my hand in the glove compartment, and my hand closed around her phone. I grinned and tucked it in my shirt pocket, close to my heart, sentimental fool that I was.

  We’d had lunch on the plane, so I sat down to work on my neglected business before dinner. There was an email from Tom. He wanted to talk. I raised my eyebrows. It was unlike him to be so terse.

  I called him. “What’s up, Tom?”

  “For fuck’s sake, James, you can’t just abandon your business and not talk to me!”

  “Sure I can. That’s what I employ you for.” Nothing could faze me now, I had Toni back.

  “Yeah, well. I need to come around and talk right now.”

  “What’s it about, Tom? Can’t it wait until Monday?”

  “No, I need to talk to you. Something Paul’s told me about the app he’s working on with Antonia.”

  That had my attention. “Okay, I’ll wait here for you, Tom. And it had better be good stuff.” I felt cold. What other bad news might I have to give her?

  Tom breezed in half an hour later. “Glad we can do this here, mate. It’s better to talk it out quietly away from the office.”

  “Well, let’s get on with it then.” I led him into my own office.

  He glanced around. “I’m glad you’ve got her back, James. But can you be sure she won’t overhear us?”

  “She’s not here. She’s staying elsewhere at the moment. But I won’t be a party to any shady deals with her work. So what’s Paul said?” If he’d betrayed her trust, then he was for the high jump, whether he knew it or not.

  “That’s the problem.” Tom gulped down the whiskey I’d given him. He put the glass down and stared at me. “Paul’s bloody good. I knew it would be a waste when he went onto that project. He’s got this sort of sense of what’ll work or won’t.” He shifted uncomfortably. “He said ages ago that there’d be other chess apps coming out with the new world championship coming up. I didn’t believe him, but he was right. Ours is going to tank unless we can keep up with updates and the new releases as well.” He scratched his head. “But we’ve nothing earth-shattering in the pipeline. Then last week, I was talking to Paul on the phone — he was down with you, obviously. He let slip that he’s going to be asking for the media team to start soon. He said it’s a fucking good app, and it’s the first in its field.” His eyes held mine. “He said that it could be the start of a whole new franchise of similar stuff. It needs its own website and is going to be huge. I don’t know what it is, but we want it in our name. We really do. We could put her in, give her a really good royalty income. Then she won’t have to worry about the marketing and stuff. We’ll do it in-house.”

  He sat back. “James, this is important for your business.” He smiled. “And you can tell her from me that I’m sorry I didn’t believe in it from the beginning.”

  I twirled my own whiskey glass. I wasn’t actually going to drink it. I needed a clear head.

  “So, did he say that she’s got the ideas for the run-on apps?”

  “Yup. They’re all mapped out for the first year. I tell you, James, we need to get onto this quick.”

  He glared at me. “Why are you grinning?”

  I felt like the cat who’d swallowed the cream. “I’m so glad this is working for her.” I had to pull myself together. “Look, Tom. I know you’ve the best interests of the company at heart, and I’m grateful for that. But, between you and me, if this takes off for her, you’ll get exactly the same bonus as if it was in the company.”

  “It wasn’t that,” he blustered, although I could see it was. The relief on his face was palpable. I made a mental note to spend more time with him, get beside him more and see what I could do. I knew he had a sick child and things could get very expensive, even though I made sure all my staff had really good medical plans.

  I got rid of him soon after that, and lounged around feeling at a loose end for a bit. Then Anne Russell phoned me as I’d instructed her to update me.

  “She’s asleep now, sir. When I got here, she was in the spa and seemed quite all right. She slept in front of the TV on and off. But then she seemed to stiffen up a bit, so I suggested she have another go in the spa and she took some Tylenol as well before going to bed. She didn’t want any supper.”

  There wasn’t much I could do about that. Still, I could see at lunch tomorrow how she was. I sat there as the dusk crept through the room. My body ached for her. I needed her, needed her close. Things were better now I knew she was safe. The last week had been so terribly dark without her. I had to court her all over again, show her how her life could be better with me, how much I cared.

  I shook my head. Why couldn’t I just come out with it and say I loved her, that my life was incomplete without her and that whatever she wanted was hers?

  * * *

  The phone rang, echoing through the quiet room. I reached out for the receiver.

  “Hello?”

  “James, is that you, Son?”

  “Hello, Father.”

  “I wish you’d ring me back when I leave messages for you, Son. I rang twice yesterday.”

  “I know you did. But I had problems here, and I didn’t get the chance to ring.” I felt impatient. As he got older, his horizons had narrowed, and he was becoming more insular. Still, I supposed he was lonely. It must’ve been hard, losing my mother so young. But he’d had time to build up a network of friends.

  “Anyway, what did you ring about?”

  “The Inspector wants you to come home if you can, or to ring him if that’s the best you can do. Apparently one of the passengers sent back a selfie, whatever that is, from the plane. They think that they can identify Edward in the background, but they wanted you to check it before they do anything else.”

  I sat silent. It seemed that my brother was lost. I hadn’t really believed it, really taken it in. I felt anger, rage at such a waste of a life.

  “James? Are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here, Father. I’m sorry, I was just feeling sad.”

  “I know. He was a good boy once. Still, it looks like you can keep the girl and she can be the Countess too. Isn’t that right?”

  “Father, I’m not going to even think about that for a while yet. I’ll ring the Inspector in a day or two. Goodnight.”

  * * *

  Noon the next day found me at the apartment, feeling like a young man on a first date again. I took my features in hand and went in. Toni came to meet me, looking pretty and fresh. She smiled.

  “Thanks so much for finding me and bringing me back. I don’t know what I would’ve done without that.” She looked up at me. “Are you feeling better? You still look tired.”

  I smiled down. “I’m so much better now that I know you’re safe, Toni.” My heart skipped a beat as she smiled up at me, lips parted invitingly. I wouldn’t push this, but it was going to be bloody hard. “Where would you like to have lunch?” I asked, not sure of the sort of place she’d like, whether she could sit comfortably.

  “Could
— could we go back to your house for lunch? There’s something I want to get from my room.”

  “Of course. That would be fine.”

  I called through to the kitchen. “Anne? Could you ring the house, please? Tell them we’ll be in for lunch.”

  She came bustling through. “Yes, of course, sir.” Then she looked at Toni.

  “I’ll fetch your coat.”

  “Thank you.”

  Soon we were back at home, and it felt complete with her there again. David took her coat, and she turned to me.

  “Will you come up to my room with me?”

  I nodded and followed her, glad that she still called it her room, seeing that her walking was better this morning. Perhaps she would heal now that there was no heavy lifting to do.

  Up in her room, she stood and looked all around, as if she’d thought she was never coming back. Her expression was that of utter contentment. Then she shook her head as if to clear it and closed the door firmly. She went through the whole suite as if checking we were the only ones there.

  Then she was in front of me, her eyes bright but unsure. “Will you …? Will you spank me? Punish me for running away?” She went pink and dropped her eyes, pressing herself into my arms.

  I felt myself harden at the invitation, even as I was surprised at her words. My arms went around her, and the scent of her and her nearness completed me.

  I nuzzled into her hair. “Toni, we’re going slowly with this. We’re going to get to know each other over again, slowly. I want to show you that you can trust me, and that I’m sorry for the way I acted.” My hand across her back, I wanted to keep her close forever.

  “But why do you think you need to be punished, Toni? I’m sorry you didn’t come into the room when I was talking to Father and smack me round the face. We could’ve sorted it all out much quicker.” I grinned. “But I can understand why you did what you did. I don’t think a punishment is justified.”

  She drooped a little in my arms. “I just thought we could do that and then I could enjoy the reward. And I wouldn’t need to feel guilty about it any more, what I did to you, how much it cost.” She was still pink. I felt proud of her, that she could ask for what she wanted even now.