The Corrupt Billionaire COMPLETE Box Set

by Hope, Camilla

  And I wouldn’t let him get his teeth into me even one more time.

  “Don’t lie,” I said. “You used me. You did… it’s unspeakable. I’m your daughter.”

  “And I love you so much, Caroline, you know that,” he said. “Is this because I gave you a tap before you did something stupid. Because I was only trying to…”

  “A tap?” I cried. “You hit me hard.”

  Peter was at my side and he held me close as my father started to wither.

  “Okay. Maybe… maybe I got a little carried away. But are you really going to hold that one thing against me?”

  Either he didn’t comprehend or he didn’t care. I couldn’t be sure which was worse, and I was ready to leave on Peter’s arm when I narrowed my eyes.

  “One thing?” I asked. “One thing?”

  “Like I ever did anything but love you, Caroline,” he wheedled.

  The feel of his finger curling around my lips made me want to gag, and I felt Peter ready to lash out at the first chance when I pushed him back and beat him to the punch.

  “Love me?” I demanded. “It wasn’t love, you sick fuck! You took advantage of your own daughter!”

  Slapping his face hard, I watched him wheel back and fall to the floor, more than ready to land another blow when Peter pulled me back to his chest and whispered into my ear.

  “He’s not worth it,” he said.

  “Don’t tell me that you don’t want to smash his skull in, too,” I cried.

  Peter stepped past me and glared down at my father’s cowering form as he clenched his fists.

  “No,” he said. “Man should be in the ground for what he put you through.”

  I raised my hand again when Peter pulled me back and whispered into my eyes.

  “But now you’ve told him,” he murmured as he kissed my cheeks.

  “And if you so much as look at her again,” Peter started as he turned to look at my father. “I’ll do more than hit you.”

  My father was up on his elbows, licking a thin stream of blood from his lips.

  “Tough guy?” he challenged. “Think she’s yours now?”

  “I am his,” I said. “And you’ll… you’ll answer to me as well if you get in the way.”

  Taking Peter’s hand, I started to drag him from the office when my father’s cold laugher hit my back.

  “Something tells me that you’re both going to regret that,” my father threatened.

  Peter moved to defend my honor, and I loved the sight of his muscles bulging through his jacket as he started to charge forward. But I managed to hold him back as I looked up into his eyes.

  “Let me,” I whispered.

  He obliged as I fell to my knees, and even thought it made me want to vomit, I took my father’s face in my hand.

  “No, you’ll regret it,” I threatened. “I’m not afraid of you anymore. I’ve been through more than even you could ever think of dishing out.”

  His lips curled into a smirk.

  “Is that why all the bruises?” he asked. “You always deserved that, Caroline.”

  I slapped him again, and as I found my feet, he fell back and I took Peter’s hand.

  “No more than you, Daddy dear. Stay away from me. If you know what’s good for you.”

  With that we marched through the door, past the open-mouthed redhead and came to a halt by the bank of elevators. As soon as we were hidden in the elevator, Peter tilted is head.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You… you barely blinked,” he said in a hushed tone.

  “Didn’t I?”

  “But you had to be scared, Gypsy.”

  “Sure,” I nodded.

  “Christ knows I was,” he admitted.

  “You were?”

  He nodded and pulled me close to his side, his lips running down my neck before he found my eyes again.

  “I can’t stand being around anyone that might do you harm,” he said. “I feel like I could kill him right now.”

  No argument left my lips. For what he did, my father deserved to die. But once we were back in the lobby, the sunlight stretching through the windows hit my face, and I touched his cheek and smiled into his eyes.

  “But I think I put him I his place,” I said. “Don’t you?”

  Our eyes locked, and he kissed me as Brett brought the car back to the curb and held open the door.

  “You were magnificent,” he said. “Kind of like you don’t even need me.”

  I shook my head and pushed him into the car as I snuggled close to his chest.

  “Don’t sell yourself short,” I said. “Having you at my back made it all possible.”

  Brett guided the car away from my father’s world and back into Peter’s as he grabbed my face.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You look more beautiful than ever,” he said.

  I kissed him quickly and ran my fingers through his hair.

  “Say it again,” I pleaded.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  I pushed my fingers to his lips and slowly shook my head.

  “Say my name,” I whispered. “Your name for me.”

  Peter dragged me into his arms and lightly kissed my brow.

  “Gypsy,” he purred.

  “I like that. I like sounding special to you.”

  He lifted my face to his with a smile.

  “You are more than special. You’re a fighter.”

  His words flooded my soul, and I kissed him again as I clung to his neck.

  “And I’ll always fight for you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Peter took me back to his place and locked the door. Somehow the sound of the snap calmed my soul, and he took me into his arms and kissed me quickly.

  “You were pretty great yourself you know,” I said.

  “Just followed your lead, Gypsy.”

  His place seemed bare without the rippling water running across the window, and I was ready to go back to Harrison right then and there when he pulled out a bottle of wine.

  “Is that Nellie’s gift?” I asked.

  “I had Brett put it on ice. Feels pretty cool now,” he nodded.

  I met his fingers around the neck of the bottle and murmured my assent.

  “Wouldn’t want to let Nellie down,” I said. “And this time I won’t get all weepy.”

  “Then let’s do this thing.”

  He filled two glasses, and we clinked before I drank down. I took a sip and his hand on mine warmed me to a perfect point.

  “Are you… are you kind of happy to be home?” he asked.

  “I am,” I said. “But is this…?”

  Danny’s painting was still on the wall, and my fingers met his brushstrokes. It seemed at home, and I wanted to share that feeling. I considered Peter’s words.

  “Are you asking me to move in, Mr. Barton?”

  He shook his head and laughed lightly.

  “I sort of thought it was an implied thing,” he started. “… Unless you don’t want to stay?”

  I pressed my hands to my hips and tossed my head back.

  “Maybe I still want you to ask,” I countered.

  Peter drained his glass and fell to his knees as I giggled.

  “Consider this a proper proposal,” he smiled.

  He pushed his hand into his pocket, and I expected a spare key on a shiny new ring when he stunned me with a small velvet box.

  “Peter?” I whispered, my eyes flitting from his face to the box and back.

  He sighed before he spoke.

  “This… was supposed to be for Aruba,” he said. “You, a bikini, maybe a little less; all I wanted to see on you was this.”

  I held my breath as he flipped open the lid. Resting in the blue velvet bed, I saw a huge, sparkling diamond. He had to be have been waiting in Harrison, waiting for the right moment. Until it seemed like there were no more moments, and I imagined the box in his pocket as he worried and searched and finally cut me down from the hook. He could
have asked me then and kept me far from home; but that might have made me run and he knew that.

  “But you… you let me wonder…” I said.

  “No, you let yourself do it,” he said. “And I would be proud to see my ring on your finger.”

  I didn’t make another sound as he plucked the sparkling diamond from the box and held it before my hand.

  “I had it all planned,” he said. “I would have told you how beautiful you are, and…”

  “You can still say that,” I murmured, stroking his face.

  “Sure, I’m going to keep telling you, my lovely Gypsy.”

  My soul buzzed as the sound of that, and Peter threw back his shoulders. Despite the strength of his stance, I still took note of his fingers trembling around the band of the ring.

  “And then I… then I thought I’d never get the chance,” he said looking up at me.

  His eyes brimmed, and I fell to my knees to meet his proposal.

  “Did you want me as soon as I woke up in the hospital?” I asked.

  “Of course I did. And every waking moment after,” he said looking deep into my eyes.

  “But you waited.”

  “Because it’s what you needed,” he continued. “And now you’ve laid the dog down. No one but you could have had the strength to do that. And I’m so proud of you.”

  I blushed under his compliment, and he curled his fingers under my chin as he held the ring before my eyes.

  “And now’s the right time to ask you,” he said. “I just hope…”

  Ready to say yes, I held my tongue when he suddenly lifted me to my feet and took a soft step back.

  “I don’t want to see you on your knees, Gypsy. Not ever,” he said. “It’s… you’re better under your own strength.”

  I stayed where I stood and watched him draw a deep breath as he took my hand and pressed the ring to the tip of my nail.

  “Caroline Winters… would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he asked and I was surprised at the nervous shake in his voice.

  My heart flooded around the question, and I bit down on my lip as I started to nod. But my heart came to a halt as I pushed the ring away and peered into his eyes.

  “I need to think… I need you to tell me…” I whispered.

  Peter’s face started to fall, and I moved fast to grab his face when he shrugged me off.

  “Damn,” he said. “I should have done this last night.”

  “Peter, I…” I shook my head.

  “Or as soon as we were at Nellie’s place,” he interrupted. “I should have known that it would be too much for you to think about now.”

  “What happened to me being so strong?” I challenged.

  “You are, Gypsy. But…”

  “But I’m shocked. I wasn’t expecting you to propose,” I said. “You’ve never actually told me that you love me. Not in words. I assume you do love me?”

  “Do you really have to ask?” he said incredulously.

  “Yes, I do,” I replied.

  “I do love you, Gypsy, with all my heart,” Peter said as he pulled me into his arms. “I thought you knew that.”

  “But I still want to hear the words,” I said as I pulled away from him.

  He seemed stunned as I took his hand and helped him guide the ring towards my finger.

  “I… I think I don’t have to wander anymore,” I started. “And that’s a good thing.”

  I stole a quick glance into his eyes and smiled.

  “And who knows? If you ask a Gypsy to stay, she’ll probably say yes.”

  He finally caught my drift and pressed the ring closer with a sure stare.

  “Gypsy, will you?” he asked.

  He didn’t wait for an answer as he eased the ring across my finger. It fit perfectly, and I gazed down at the gem for all of a second before meeting his eager eyes again.

  He scooped me into his arms and twirled me around the room, Danny’s painting flashing across my eyes before I came to rest on the floor and held his face in my hands.

  “Don’t keep me in any more suspense,” he said. “Is it a yes?”

  “It’s a yes,” I said. “It always was a yes.”

  He brushed a gentle kiss across my lips, and I sighed as he carried me to the bedroom. Ready for my body to hit the sheets, I was surprised when he held back and just looked at me.

  “Don’t you want to celebrate?” I asked.

  “Give me a second to just bask in this,” he said. “You saying yes.”

  Slipping away from his side, I removed my blouse and twirled under his eyes. I heard him wince at the sight of my fading bruises and made no move to meet his stare.

  “There… there’s always going to be scars, Peter,” I said. “Tell me that you’re okay with that.”

  I nervously twisted his ring, hoping that I didn’t have to give it back when it was just a few seconds around my finger but he pushed his chest into my body, and I felt his lips on my skin.

  “And are you okay with what I was?” he asked hesitantly. “Dirty dealings. Can you understand why I did it? I have scars, too.”

  Turning to face him again, I realized that he still had his secrets and I asked him for an explanation.

  “It’s not a long story,” he confessed. “I wanted to make some money. And I wanted to get it done fast. I… I just wanted to run some restaurants. And I took the coward’s way out to get my start-up money.”

  “But the scars, Peter?” I asked. “I’ve seen every inch of your body. There are no scars.”

  He smiled as he stripped off his shirt, and he offered no resistance as he ran my ringed across his heart.

  “They’re right here,” he said placing my hand over his heart. “Every time we moved a shipment into the city. I knew what I was doing and what it was costing the people who were pumping the product into their veins. And I don’t mean dollars.”

  I gazed into his eyes and saw his regret.

  “But you still did it,” I said.

  “I… I know,” Peter said with a heavy sigh. “Call me greedy, or desperate or whatever. And it doesn’t come close to what you went through. But it still hurts.”

  I watched him hang his head and I believed him. I’d seen him struggle in the space of his dreams as I cuddled him closer and wanted to bring him to his own safe place.

  I kissed his eyes and turned my back as I pulled his arms around me.

  “It doesn’t have to keep hurting,” I said. “Just come closer, Peter.”

  He kissed my scars and stopped at my neck then he turned me to back around to face him bringing my eyes back to his with a faint smile.

  “There’s no pain when I’m with you,” I said.

  “Same here,” he answered. “It’s just sublime, Gypsy.”

  I offered no protest as he pressed me into arms and led me to the bed. As soon as we were on the sheets, he kissed my lips and lifted my hand to the air.

  “This looks so good on you,” he said twisting the ring about so that it caught the light.

  “It’s where it belongs,” I said. “And so am I.”

  “I second that,” he said dropping my hand and kissing my lips.

  We kissed quickly, and he dragged me into his arms as ran his fingers through my hair.

  “So what now?” he asked. “A simple ceremony here?”

  “Something simple… not so fast! I still want something splashy.”

  “Of course,” he said. “You’ll want to talk to Sabrina.”

  It would take some time for her to wrap her head around all of this, but I knew she could get on board with any kind of party planning.

  “And we’ll have to call Nellie,” I said. “I think she should be there, too.”

  “Naturally,” he said. “Do you… would you really want to go back to Harrison?”

  I got the thrust of his question. Everything could have gone wrong in that one little town. At the end of the day, everything had turned out right, but I didn’t nod yet and kissed his lips. />
  “We just got engaged,” I teased. “Don’t rush me.”

  “Whatever you want, Gypsy,” he promised. “We have all the time in the world now.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “You’re home!”

  Danny hugged me tight and twirled me around the room. I laughed against him and smiled brightly as he lowered me to the ground.

  But Danny’s gaze failed to mirror mine.

  “Holy shit, Caroline!” he cried. “What the hell happened to you?”

  I nervously touched my hand to my face; my bruises had nearly faded, but traces of the story still lingered across my cheeks.

  “Believe me,” I assured him. “It’s really not as bad as it looks.”

  Danny pushed me behind his back and narrowed his gaze at Peter.

  “You’d better not tell me that you had something to do with this,” he said sharply. “I cut for you. Remember?”

  “Naturally,” Peter said. “And do you really think I would damage your first muse?”

  Danny still seemed unconvinced, and there was no way that I could launch into the whole tale without too many questions that I had no desire to answer. Better to just touch on the innocent bits.

  “Danny, we… Peter’s plane went down over Virginia,” I explained.

  His eyes grew wide, and I started to assure him that I was truly fine when Danny stood toe-to-toe with Peter.

  “Don’t you like… do maintenance or something?” he demanded. “This girl is precious cargo.”

  “I get that,” Peter said, his voice dark and thick as I pressed my body between them.

  “It was just an accident,” I assured him. “And we would have crashed…”

  “You said you went down,” Danny said with a frown, trying to get his head around what I was saying.

  “… Because Peter landed the plane,” I continued.

  I watched Danny’s mind work around my words and he gently brought his hand to my face.

  “It was horrible, Danny,” I said. “Everything was ripping apart. There was so much flying glass. And the so-called pilot…”

  My eyes locked with Peter’s, and for one second I felt as if I was back in chains, barely registering his presence until I awoke under soft sheets and his tender hands.

  “Well, let’s just say that he had other things on his mind,” I added.

  Danny wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I just prayed that he wouldn’t ask to see the rest of the scars or that he wouldn’t want me to pose for him any time soon or the jig would be up. No way even the worst crash would have sliced into my flesh like that. But Danny’s stare softened as he jutted his chin in the air.