Mister Romantic

by Alice Cooper

  The Irish mobster reached out and gripped his arm tightly. “I don’t think you’ll like the consequences. Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”

  “You invested quite a bit of money into my company six years ago, but I would not be here if it were not for Simon and Grant. They did more than give me money. They backed me one hundred percent of the way, and I will not betray them to you.”

  The man dark eyes held a touch of sympathy. “I liked you, Marquis. I really did. The people that I work for aren’t just going to take no for an answer. O’Shea isn’t going to let you walk away. You will give them what they want, whether you do it willingly or not. You would make both of our lives much easier if you simply did what we asked of you.”

  Cade yanked his arm away and stepped into the elevator. He held his hand out to keep the door from closing. “Tell me, O’Toole. You have all the money you could ever need. Why do you work for them?”

  O’Toole stiffened. “Once you’re in, you never get out. Besides, I want for nothing.”

  “Except for true friends. A family that loves you. Peace of mind. Integrity.” Cade stepped back and let the doors close. “I won’t turn into you.”

  He had to warn Erin. As much as it would kill him to tell her the truth, it would be even worse if she were caught unawares. It would ruin her career if she ran the story without knowing all the facts. And who knows what O’Toole would do to get what he wanted.

  He leaned back and hit his head gently against the elevator wall. He’d tell her tonight at dinner.

  * * *

  Erin’s hands shook when she saw the headline on the magazine. “Cade,” she whispered as she pressed herself against him. It had been three weeks since he’d told her the news. For three weeks, she’d spent every spare moment she had with him. He did things to her body that no one else had, but there was fear lurking behind every moment.

  “The Irish mob? Cade, are you insane?” she’d gasped.

  “I didn’t know,” he’d said as he shook his head. “What can I do?”

  As far as Erin was concern, there was only one thing he could do. He could come clean. And she’d done just that for him.

  New York’s youngest and hottest billionaire defies the Irish mob: Cade Marquis saves hundreds of thousands of jobs by saying no.

  He put an arm protectively around her and steered her away from the magazine stand. The air was chilly, but it was nothing compared to the fear that iced over her bones. “What do you think is going to happen now?” she whispered.

  Cade kissed the top of her head. “Don’t go anywhere alone,” he said softly. “And keep the gun I gave you in your purse at all times. More than likely, this will be too public for them to retaliate. They’ll simply deny it and move on. Timothy O’Shea usually keeps a cool head about him. But O’Toole is a loose cannon.”

  Erin nodded her head. They’d talked at length about this, but she didn’t know what she would do if something actually happened. She’d just finally gotten Cade back. She couldn’t lose him now.

  A month ago, O’Toole had revealed what he really wanted from Cade. It wasn’t his money. Cade now had inside information on Simon and Grant, and O’Toole’s boss, O’Shea, wanted to bring Simon and Grant down.

  But it was more than just Cade’s loyalties to the company. Thousands of workers would have lost their jobs, and Cade wouldn’t have that on his conscience. But Erin wasn’t content with Cade just saying no. She wanted to protect him and reveal the dangers of the Irish mob. It wasn’t just violence. Businesses were at stake. People’s jobs were at stake.

  He walked her to her apartment and pulled her close. “Tomorrow, we’ll tell our parents,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her.

  She melted into his embrace. “Tell them what?” she teased. “That you give me three orgasms every night? That I strip naked for you and give you lap dances at the dinner table?”

  Cade groaned. “Keep talking like that, and this block will see just how many orgasms I can give you,” he hissed.

  What would he tell their parents? She was more curious about that than she was about their reaction. He didn’t talk much about their future.

  “Stay inside today,” he said with another searing kiss.

  “Keep doing that, and the tabloids will tell my mom before you do,” she said as she pulled away. He gave her one last longing look before he turned and walked away.

  He made it two steps before the bullet rang out. “Erin,” he screamed as he turned, but the bullets weren’t for her. Fear forced her into action. As he fell to his knees, blood seeping through his shirt, she pulled the gun from her purse.

  She couldn’t lose him. Not now. She didn’t even hesitate as he aimed the gun at the large man on the corner. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. She fired until she realized the gun was no longer spilling bullets. She fired until it was just a clicking noise. She fired until someone finally wrenched the gun out of her hand.

  The man was on the ground, not moving, but she didn’t give a damn about him.

  “Cade,” she screamed. The world stilled as she spun raced towards him. He reached up to touch her cheek, but the blood was coming out too quickly. “Hang on,” she muttered as she stripped off her jacket and pressed it to the wound on his side.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “Shut-up,” she snapped. “You say the worse things.”

  He managed to laugh, and she smiled. “You can tell me how you feel when you’re not bleeding out on the side-walk. And when that happens, I’ll tell you exactly how I feel about you.” Tears were flooding down her cheeks, and she leaned down and pressed her lips to hers. “If you die, Cade Marquis, I will tell your father that you took my virginity when I was nineteen.”

  But his eyes were closing, and she began to rock back and forth. He would live. He had to live.

  Please.

  * * *

  The response was overwhelming. She’d wanted to keep it a small affair. Cade wanted it that way, but more than just family and friends wanted to come out. Business associates from all over the country demanded to be there, and before she knew it, the whole thing was just out of control. Every seat in the church was taken.

  She couldn’t believe that it would end like this. She’d been in love with him ever since she met him, and it took a bullet for her to realize it. For her to realize how much time they had wasted thinking they knew what the other was thinking.

  Cade had only wanted what was best for her, and Erin thought he was ashamed of her. Instead of embracing the unexpected love, years of silence and heartbreak had separated them.

  Too late now, she thought as she walked slowly down the aisle. She couldn’t go back and change the past.

  But as she saw his eyes light up with love and awe, she knew that their future was going to be filled with love.

  O’Toole was dead. O’Shea put as much distance between him and the investor as possible, and they hadn’t heard more than an apology from him in the past year. Apparently he realized that the printed word was more powerful than money and blackmail.

  Cade had pulled through with surgery. Rather than finding out over dinner, her mom and his dad had learned the entire truth of their affair at the hospital. They’d surprised her with a roll of their eyes.

  “It’s about time,” her mom had snapped. “I thought I was going to have to lock you two in the room together to get you to admit your feelings.”

  Three weeks later, he’d slipped a ring on her finger. She’d glared and grumbled. Of course they loved each other, but that didn’t mean they could make it work. He was neat. She was messy. She wanted a smaller house and dogs. He wanted a bigger house and another car. She wanted two kids. He wanted five.

  But he refused to take the ring back, and she realized that she was never going to take it off. Cade Marquis was hers. And even if they bickered and fought for the rest of their lives, he belonged to her and her alone. Just as she belonged to him.

  Her dress trailed behind her
as she finished the walk. Her stepfather leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I thought it would be weird to give you away to my son,” he admitted with a smile. “But there is no one else I’d rather see you with.”

  She blushed and reached out to take Cade’s hand. Breaking tradition, he leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. “I love you, Erin.”

  “I love you, always and forever, Cade,” she said honestly.

  Twenty minutes later, she was Erin Silva Marquis. And she was the happiest woman in the world.

  THE END

  SNEAK PEAK OF MISTER HOTTIEE: A BAD BOY ROMANCE

  Prologue

  It was wrong of me to get involved with a guy like him. He’s the kind of guy that you should keep your distance from and open your eyes to see the warning signs telling you to stay away. But it was human nature to help those who need our help.

  The first day I met him I was at the usual coffee shop that I studied at, Fancy Cups. It was a small but unique coffee shop. I usually stayed there after my classes. I’m in graduate school taking my doctor’s program so I can become a medical doctor.

  One day I’ll be called Dr. Lucy Richmond

  I was the kind of girl who only focused on studying and working hard enough to pay rent. Although I come from a rich family I wasn’t one to ride on the tailcoats of my parents. It was a quiet and peaceful afternoon and I was focusing on my textbook and worksheets in front of me.

  The peaceful atmosphere was suddenly disturbed by thundering shouts. My head snapped towards the disturbance to see two handsome tall men staring violently at each other. I thought nothing of the situation since it was pretty normal in New York for people to yell at each other.

  Unexpectedly one of the men threw a punch making the other man fall to the ground, knocking the table down as well. Everyone around me including myself started panicking, thinking we might end up getting hit as well. The man who got punched suddenly started throwing furniture and cups as well. I quickly grabbed my worksheets as I inched towards the door, knowing that this fight will only escalate.

  My eyes were glued to the fight but before my body could reach the door the fight came to a complete stop. The man who had the upper hand accidentally hit the girl who also happens to be the owner of the shop. Gasps sounded through the room as they watched the pretty red head fall to the ground unconscious.

  The man who hit her suddenly ran out of the coffee shop while everybody else either went back to their seats or went to the red head to see if she’s okay. I noticed the other man all alone on the ground, he was panting as he looked irritated. His cheek looked swollen and he bled a few places.

  I gently put my worksheets back on the table as I slowly made my way towards the bleeding man. It isn’t smart to approach him since he looked like he was always up to no good and he seemed irritated at the same time.

  I stood in front of the man and got a good look at him. Putting his minor injuries aside he was a pretty good looking guy. He had long chocolate brown hair that stopped at his collarbones, and even though it seemed like he just rolled out of bed his hair still seemed silky. His grassy green eyes showed irritation, despite his annoyance his eyes hinted a hidden sadness. What made his eyes pop out was his strong arched eyebrows and thick eyelashes.

  He had a strong lean body and although he just got his ass handed to him he still seemed like a tough guy. If you looked closely he had a light stubble on his sun-kissed skin. He had distinctive cheekbones and an angular jaw that made him devilishly handsome.

  I was too busy getting a good look at the man that he caught me off guard as his piercing green orbs snapped to me.

  “What you looking at?” he practically growled. Instead of answering his question I held out my hand for him to grab, he stared at my hand for a minute and as his hand started inching towards mine I thought he was going to accept it but instead he slapped my hand away.

  “I don’t need your help.” He pushed himself up as he straightened his leather metal studded jacket. I just stared at him not knowing what to do. I was never the one to ever approach the opposite sex. I was either focused on my studies or doing my field study as a doctor. I noticed that he had droplets of sweat rolling down his face mixed with blood. I grabbed the handkerchief that was in my sweater’s pocket and held it out for him.

  He glared at my offering but as his eyes drifted to me he noticed that I didn’t particularly had any expression. He snatched the handkerchief out of my hands and roughly wiped his face. I still stood there staring at him, internally I was wondering what should I do? Should I leave and go back to my table or should I wait for him to give back the handkerchief?

  When he noticed that I wasn’t going anywhere his irritated expression was suddenly replaced with a mischievous smirk. I was taken back by his sudden change of moods.

  “Waiting for a thank you?” he asked. It would be nice if he could thank me so that my impression of him would be better because as of now I’m judging him by his looks.

  I stood there blinking wondering if I should nod or not. He unexpectedly started walking closer to me that his body heat was intimidating. His face was clean of sweat and blood, he definitely is drop-dead gorgeous.

  I’ve never been this close to the opposite sex, it made me feel excited, rebellious. I’ve always been the girl to follow the rules and keep safe even if it means staying away from parties and especially men. Without warning he snaked his arm around my tiny waist and pulled me closer to him where my breasts were practically pressed against his strong chest.

  I could feel my nipples hardened as I gave a breathy gasp. His smirk never disappeared as he connected his gaze with mine. His gaze suddenly moved up and down my body.

  “Who knew someone could look absolutely sexy in a sweater. Want to warm my bed for tonight? I can thank you properly there.” He asked.

  I could feel my cheeks reddened from his question. No one has ever asked me that, I should feel disgusted instead I felt a certain thrill. Like I was playing a game, predator vs. prey to be exact.

  “You’re not much for words are you?” he asked “I’m fine with that but I would also prefer you screaming my name all night long.” he whispered in my ear making goosebumps spread down my back. I wasn’t able to recover from the goosebumps when all of a sudden he nibbled on my ear making my legs quiver.

  I’ve never felt this before, this feeling of want. In the moment I wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms. His lips suddenly trailed from my ear along my jaw to capture my lips in what seemed to be my first kiss. It wasn’t tender nor loving but it was filled with passion and lust.

  I never knew kissing could be so addicting. As I melted more and more into his kiss I wanted even more of him.

  “You! What the hell are you still doing here?” we were suddenly interrupted by a woman who worked here. My eyes widen when I suddenly realized what I was doing. I quickly pulled back as I bowed my head not wanting to meet his gaze, afraid that I might kiss him again. I heard the man in front of me chuckle as he said “That’s one hell of a thank you, don’t you think?” he asked me. I slowly looked up to see him licking his lips which made me bite my lower lip. What was he doing to me?

  “What are you doing playing around? We don’t need the likes of you here.” the female employee shouted as she pointed at the man in front of me. The man broke our eye contact and smirked at the female employee.

  “I heard you. Besides I’ve already had my fun.” he said as he casually walked away. He didn’t even gave back my handkerchief, not that it was important. I didn’t understand why my stomach clenched painfully as I saw him walk away not even saying a word nor giving me a glance.

  What happened to me?

  I touched my lips still feeling the tingling effects of his kiss.

  I wanted more. I needed more.

  Chapter 1

  Zen

  I clenched my fists tightly as I sat up from my bed. It’s been days since the rumble with Ciel at Fancy Cups and he was avoiding me. B
ut that’s not what I was pissed about. I’ve been sleeping with women for the past few days but they weren’t enough. I haven’t been satisfied.

  My mind was going crazy over this blonde chick that I kissed at Fancy Cups just a few days ago. When I snaked my hand around her waist I wasn’t expecting her to have a tiny waist, I felt even stronger when I held her like I had power over her.

  She even had a large rack that make me want to bury myself in them. It was a huge plus that she had an attractive face as well. She had golden curls with ivory skin not to mention her piercing grey eyes. She wasn’t short but enough for me to get a good glimpse of her cleavage without being obvious.

  Her beauty ranked high enough to put her on my radar, wanting to add her to my list of conquests. She didn’t seem the type to be a model nor a woman to be jealous about, she seemed more like a bookworm. She didn’t show much expression in front of me but when she kissed me back it somehow awakened a burning fire from within.

  I wanted nothing more than to conquer her, possess her, and corrupt her in different ways possible.

  I ignored my erotic imagination and raging boner as I put on my leather jacket. I was going to the hospital to visit her. She’s been very sick lately that she couldn’t leave her bed so she only looked forward to seeing me. If only things were different, if she wasn’t sick then I wouldn’t have to do illegal fighting or run certain errands.

  I stomped down the stairs and entered the bar where I usually hung out. My small apartment was just right above the bar. “Yo Zen! Where you heading?” one of the guys shouted at me which caught everyone’s attention. Although Ciel might be the strongest still everyone looked at me as if I was the leader.

  “None of your damn business.” I snapped back. Nobody knows about her nor will they ever. I’ll be damned if they ever found out.

  I ignored their insults directed at me as I exited the bar and made my way towards the hospital. After spending hours at the hospital with her I exited the room and decided to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat.