The Corrupt Billionaire COMPLETE Box Set

by Hope, Camilla

  “You look kind of banged up,” she said, cutting me off. “If that son of a bitch touched one hair on your head, you tell me where to find him, and the prick can answer to this.”

  She curled her manicured fingers into a tight fist, and I laughed lightly at the thought of her charging at Peter as she pounded her nails into his broad chest. No way could she cause the man any real harm, and I pictured Peter enduring her blows for my sake. But Sabrina fought dirty when she had to, and I knew that if she discovered his hard body a pillar of concrete that she could never break much less bruise, she would lose the fists and scratch her nails across his face. That move might draw blood, and I had no wish to see his skin sliced any further. I’d already covered that base.

  “It wasn’t like that,” I said.

  “You being straight with me?” Sabrina asked. “Because I’m telling you that if…”

  “Please, Bree,” I moaned. “I’ve had enough excitement for one morning.”

  “So something did happen!” she said as she shot up straighter and clasped my lacy arms.

  “It was nothing,” I lied. “I…”

  “Don’t even try to spin it,” she said. “If you had some magical time, you’d still be with the asshole instead of crying to me.”

  “Bree…” I sighed.

  “I knew it was a bad idea. I should have worked overtime to talk you out of it…”

  “Can you just stop, Bree? If I wanted a lecture, I would have gone home.”

  And my father would have been far less charitable. I could hear him now.

  Thought you were never coming back, little girl. Look at you now with your tail between your legs. Who knows where you’ve been or if you’re even fit for human company.

  I wouldn’t have fought the words. But just standing there and taking them? More than I could handle on this day or ever. Any attempt to race back out into the morning would have been met by his hand around my wrist and the threat that I had had my last taste of freedom, I was his property as long as I was under his roof, and that he was never letting me go again.

  At least Sabrina, like Peter, would let me leave if I asked her. But with the exception of Danny’s, where else was I supposed to go?

  “Okay, honey. No more talk. Come here,” Sabrina said gently.

  She was up and at my side, her arms tightly around my shoulders as she smoothed my hair from my damp cheeks.

  “First things first. Have yourself a good long cry.”

  She didn’t need to make the offer a second time, and I wept bitterly into her neck as she ran her hands down my back and kept whispering in my ear.

  “He’s not worth it. No man is.”

  If we were talking about Adam, I might have agreed. But the feel of Peter’s hands was still fresh on my body, and I shook my head against her body.

  “No man,” Sabrina insisted.

  Plucking a few tissues from the box on her bedside table, she pressed the flimsy paper into my hands.

  “Now dry your eyes and blow.”

  “That’s it?” I asked as I wiped my teary eyes with the back of my hand. “That’s my good long cry.”

  “What? Like you really thought that I’d just let you sit here and weep all day? You have to know me better than that.”

  She pressed her brow to mine, her eyes sparkling. Her infectious smile brought a light grin to my face, and I pushed back with a heavy sigh as I fell to the bed and started to curl toward the pillows.

  “Not doing that either,” Sabrina said.

  “Bree, it’s been a long…”

  “And you’re going to tell me all about it when we grab some breakfast. But right now…”

  Tugging on my sleeve, she pulled me back to my feet and marched me towards her bathroom. At the doorway, she turned me around to face her and tossed her shoulders back.

  “You’re going to wash your face and grab a shower,” she started. “Take your time.”

  “But not too much, right?” I said with a soft smirk.

  “Ten minutes max,” Sabrina ordered. “Then you towel off, tie your hair back, and we’ll eat. And somewhere between the mimosas and the bloody marys, you will spill your guts, and I’ll tell you all the reasons why you need to file this guy away under ‘do not return to the scene of the crime’.”

  If she only knew the half of it. I lacked the strength to fight with her. And a steaming shower beckoned.

  “Thanks, Bree,” I said. “I mean it.”

  “It’s what I do,” she said with a grin.

  She kissed my cheek and patted my hair.

  “I’ll lay out some clothes for you,” she said. “Ten minutes, Caroline. No more, no less.”

  Stripping off the Missoni, I stepped under the running water and sighed as it cascaded down my aching flesh. Banged up? No question. I pushed the memory of the man and his scar from my mind as I ran the washcloth over my body and scrubbed Peter’s touch away. Where was he now? Had he stepped into his own shower, no doubt ice cold, before putting on fresh clothes? What would he do next? He’d had the chance to come after me, and he’d failed to make the move. Was he furious that I had crossed him, or was he satisfied that he’d had me once, and now he was off to pursue some new conquest? The thought of that threatened new tears. But Sabrina wouldn’t want to see them, and as I left the shower, I dried my face, bound my hair in a tight ponytail, and covered my body with a towel to dress as instructed.

  “Fourteen minutes,” Sabrina said as she reclined on the bed.

  “So why didn’t you rush in after me?” I asked.

  “Sort of got held up with this.”

  Reaching to the floor at the far side of the bed, she revealed a large bouquet of orchids and roses. I gasped at the sight of the flowers and tried to wrap my head around their presence as Sabrina moved forward, her hands barely touching the stems covered in yellow tissue paper.

  “What?” I asked. “You got me a gift?”

  “Wasn’t me.”

  “Then who?” I puzzled.

  “Why don’t you read the card?”

  She handed me a small slip of cardboard, and my fingers trembled as I took hold of the note. Turning it over in my hands, my lips parted to speak when she waved her hands in the hair.

  “No need for out loud. I’ve already looked at it.”

  Of course she had.

  Struggling to focus on my eyes on the typed font, I took a deep breath and let the words hit my brain.

  If I can’t, maybe these will bring a smile to your pretty face. Please give me a chance. Don’t stay away.

  Gripping the card in my hand, I looked to the flowers with a questioning stare.

  “Some guy with brown hair just showed up,” Sabrina started. “Said these were for you. Not quite sure how he knew how to find you.”

  But I did. No way Peter would just take it on the chin and admit defeat. He had to have signaled Brett to keep an eye on me before I was even out the door. Maybe that was his car that I saw, and the move in the other direction was meant to throw me off as he opted for stealth. However he had done it, Peter knew how to find me. Should I hail another cab and take off for parts unknown? Or should I hide in plain sight? Because I wanted him to find me.

  “Caroline, do you want to go home?”

  “Very funny, Bree,” I grimaced.

  Dropping the towel, I dressed in her clothes and forced a smile as I took her arm.

  “Let’s eat,” I said. “Guess I really should tell you how it all went down.”

  Chapter Five

  “So have you seen him again?” Danny asked.

  “No. Why, have you?” I replied.

  Danny paused before his easel and shook his head. That surprised me. I had spent a week with Sabrina, dodging my father’s calls and even hiding in her bathroom when he arrived at her door and demanded to know where I was. Sabrina lied to him that she had no idea, and while I wasn’t sure if he bought it, Sabrina tore at her cashmere sweater and swore that she could make things really bad for him if
he didn’t just back off. I wondered what she would do if Peter sent more than Brett and a bouquet of flowers?

  But the fact remained; I couldn’t hide with her any longer. My father would come back, and every second I stayed away from him had to only intensify his wrath. There would be no getting away now if I dared to cross the threshold to my former home. Sabrina and I ordered in. Hotels entered the conversation, but my father knew too many people, and those places were a hub of spying eyes. I should really just get out of town and never look back, but that would mean Sabrina loaning out a significant portion of the wardrobe I was already borrowing. Shopping spree? My father could track the trail left by my card and find me another way.

  But he’d never met Danny and he didn’t know where he lived.

  Sitting in his studio, the old clock ticked away every minute that I was in limbo. The loft was cool and comforting, and I smiled at the sight of Danny working on a new collection featuring worlds under water. In some of the images, men and women floated under the waves and did things as mundane as walk dogs or pay bills. Other images saw people struggling for air as they performed the same tasks. His message?

  One man’s heaven is another man’s hell.

  And without Peter, I fell into the latter category. No question about it.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Danny asked, his question returning me to thoughts of Peter.

  Sighing over a cup of coffee, I looked into his eyes and stretched forward in my seat.

  “Just saying that Peter knows where you’re at. And he has to know that I’m not at Sabrina’s anymore.”

  “Forget your father’s eyes. Peter really does have his finger on the pulse.”

  But not on me. Were the flowers something other than a peace offering? Did he expect me to run back and throw myself at his feet? I couldn’t make that move. Too much was unknown. But was he giving up without a real fight? Just like that?

  “He’s probably moved on,” I said sadly. “Guess I wasn’t all that important after all.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Danny countered as he continued to paint. “I saw the way he looked at you. The way he looked at the painting. That man was hooked.”

  “It sure felt like that,” I said. “And he did ask me to stay...”

  “But things got a little rough, right? I mean…”

  My fingers curled around the handle of my mug, and I challenged him to finish his thought.

  “Well, Sabrina said that there was some crazy person that busted in on your morning after. Don’t care how fine the guy is. I would have run, too.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that,” I said. “If you had known what it was to feel his hands on you…”

  I closed my mind around the memory and wished that he had sent more than flowers. Unlike my father, Peter was sure of where to find me. Would I have kicked and struggled, would Sabrina have dug her nails into his skin if he tried to breach her fortress? Probably all that and more.

  “I’m not saying that I would have gone with him,” I said.

  “Aren’t you?” Danny said glancing over at me and raising his eyebrows.

  Danny could see straight through my attempt to brush off the perfect night that led to a confusing morning. Peter had said he wanted a chance to make me understand. Why wasn’t he pressing the point?

  “Look, I…”

  Winding my fingers through my hair, I fell back in my seat and stared up at the ceiling.

  “…I never met anyone like him, okay,” I said. “Sabrina thinks I’m out of practice. She says I would be doing the same thing if he we had parted as friends.”

  “Hiding out?” Danny asked.

  “No. Believing that he was the only man in the world for me.”

  Danny stayed silent as he turned back to his painting in progress. I stared into my cup of coffee and caught my dark reflection in the liquid left in the glass.

  “Sabrina says that I’m well rid of him,” I added sadly.

  But the unwelcome intruder aside, how could I ever find anyone, any hands that made my flesh buzz in the way that his had?

  “Sabrina and I don’t always see eye to eye,” Danny said. “Take a look see.”

  Lifting my eyes to his unfinished painting, I saw a man who too closely resembled Peter to be anyone but him. He had flowers in his hand. Innocent enough, but the pained expression on his face spoke a language that I all too easily understood. Abandoning my chair, I drew close to the canvas and nearly touched the drying oils when I pulled my hand back and palmed my mug.

  “But he didn’t actually buy the flowers,” I said. “He sent his boy to do it.”

  “You gonna fault me for artistic interpretation, Caroline? His driver or whatever has no place in the picture,” Danny said, his voice sounding mildly irritated.

  And, apparently, neither did I.

  “So who the hell is he giving the flowers to?” I asked. “The waves?”

  “You care that much?” Danny asked. “Then you should go back to him.”

  “Like it’s just that easy,” I said.

  “You really want to get back in the picture?” Danny said. “You know I can make that happen.”

  And Peter had the painting to prove it. Had he looked at it night after night as he plotted his next move? Or maybe he hid it in a closet or a back room when I failed to respond to his flowers.

  “I don’t know, Danny,” I said. “I’m not really in the mood to entice another buyer.”

  He smiled sadly and brushed his hand across my face.

  “Then just one for us,” he said. “Come on. For old time’s sake.”

  The warmth in his eyes calmed me, and I set the cup aside as I perched on his stool and tied my hair over my head.

  “You always said you liked my neck,” I reminded him. “So have at it.”

  He moved to a fresh canvas. I waited for him to paint me anew, to bring me back to life in a million colors. Danny cocked his head to the side and chewed on the inside of his cheek.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Lose the robe,” he ordered.

  “Why?” I asked as I pointed to the image of Peter underwater. “He gets to keep his threads.”

  “Who’s doing the painting here?” he challenged. “Let’s get a better look at you. I’m not gonna try anything.”

  “That’s not what I’m afraid of,” I said sadly.

  “Then what?” he asked as he moved to my side and lightly touched my cheek. Falling into the feel of his palm, I gazed up at him with brimming eyes and curled my fingers around his.

  “I’m afraid of him. And of… of what I might do if I see him again. Because I… oh, Danny,” I sobbed.

  Falling into his arms, I let him hold me close as he worked his fingers through my hair and pressed his lips to my ear.

  “You want to be with the guy,” Danny said. “Maybe there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “No,” I sobbed as I shook my head against his chest. “It’s all wrong. It’s… there’s just too much darkness there. I’d have been better off with Adam.”

  Danny pushed me away and gritted his teeth.

  “Don’t talk like that!” Danny started. “Prick was a freeloader and a cheat.”

  “And Peter is…” I faltered as I thought about him.

  “You saw his stats. We all did. Man’s a power player. So he has enemies...”

  “I guess. But…”

  “Look,” he said, pulling up another stool to sit by my side and take my hand. “I didn’t like hearing about you being hurt either. But here’s where Sabrina and I differ. The man fought for you. He told you that he’d tell you the rest of whatever the story was. And you…”

  “And I ran away,” I said sadly. “Why did I do that, Danny?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and held my hand tighter.

  “Scary morning, I guess,” he said. “And you were a little weak around the knees. But the flowers aside, has he tried to barrel his way back into your orbit?”

 
; “I don’t…”

  “Just answer the question, Caroline.”

  Hanging my head, I looked at Danny and slowly shook my head.

  “No,” I whispered. “But he probably just moved on to someone else.”

  “Bull fucking shit!” Danny said. “Man didn’t just lay down all that cash for your portrait so he could move on. My money is on smitten, and maybe if you just… you know.”

  Looking up into Danny’s face, I knew what he was getting at, and I sighed as I started to turn my head away from his.

  “You know what to do, Caroline,” he said.

  All too well. I did want to see him again. Even if it was just to finish what we had started. Part of me wanted it to be something more, but I didn’t dare hope for too much. And if it did go down the brighter path, Sabrina would be there questioning my every move and blasting Danny for just making the suggestion.

  And I had yet to deal with my father.

  “Can you… can you call him?” I pleaded. “I don’t know if I… if I can…”

  “That a girl.”

  Danny kissed the top of my head and stepped away from his stool. Brushing off his hands on the backs of his jeans, he retrieved his cell phone and started to dial.

  “Get cleaned up,” he said. “Leave the rest to me.”

  Easier said than done. I was still the one that would have to talk to him, to look into his eyes. But I’d rather try that than continue stewing in solitude and wondering where he was.

  “Mr. Barton! Hey!”

  I froze as Danny invited him to a private sitting.

  “No, sir,” Danny said with a lilting laugh. “Not for you. Although I suppose that could be arranged.”

  I quickly snapped my fingers in the air, and Danny dialed it back as he returned his attention to the reason for the phone call.

  “But that’s not why I’m calling,” Danny said as he regained his focus. “Got a model here that I know you’ll want to see.”

  Holding my breath, I watched Danny nod as he spun in a quick circle and shot me a thumbs up.

  “She…” he began but was stopped by the voice on the other end of the phone.

  As his voice fell way, my soul started to crumble. I knew it. Peter was past the point of interest, and was already on to the next best thing. I started to hide my ears under my hands, wanting to hear anything but how this conversation was bound to end when Danny’s happy tones filled the room.