by Nadia Lee
“He clocked out at eleven. We went to his place after that.”
She continued as though she hadn’t heard a word. “And he got you drunk to take advantage of you. That doesn’t seem like an act of an honorable man, does it?”
“He had no idea. I used a fake ID.”
Shirley sipped her coffee, completely unconcerned. “He should’ve been more discerning. What do you think I’m going to do to a man who raped my granddaughter?”
“Rape” is too vile and wrong a word to describe what I had with Dominic. I gripped the handle of my teacup harder, willing myself to stay calm since Shirley wanted me to panic and do something stupid. Like agree with her—or worse, rage at her. “You don’t even like me.”
She gave me a mildly fond smile. “Of course I do, Elizabeth. I have great plans for you.”
God, that smile… All my good intentions forgotten, I jumped to my feet. “You can’t accuse him of rape!”
“Can’t I?” She sipped her coffee.
“I won’t let you.”
“Fine. I’ll give you until six this evening if you’re that confident you can stop me.” She turned her attention to the New York Times spread out in front of her. She always reads it in the morning, no matter what.
She’s crazy if she honestly thinks I’m helpless. There are people in my life who don’t want me dancing to her tune. Like my dad. Not because he loves me, but because he hates Shirley.
Finally the door unlocks, and I stumble inside. Dominic blinks at me, then slowly comes forward. My breath catches when I notice something red smeared on the wall behind him. The apprehension solidifies when I drop my gaze and see the bruises, cuts and blood on his hand.
“Do you…” I wet my dry lips. “Do you know?”
“Yes. My aunt came by,” he says, his voice low and raw.
“You know that’s all lies, right?”
He doesn’t answer. Instead, he reaches out, his bloody, bruised left hand rising to cradle my cheek.
I place my hand over his, careful to avoid the injuries, and let my eyes close at the touch. When he touches me like this, I feel like I’m the most precious thing in the world and at total peace with the universe.
Tears prickle my eyes, then seep out uncontrollably.
His breath fans my lips, and I rise on my toes to kiss him, desperate to prove to myself this isn’t over—that my grandmother’s horrible machinations haven’t ruined our incredible love and connection. We’ve never said the words, but if this isn’t love, I don’t know what is.
Oh God, please. Let him feel half of what I’m feeling.
His mouth is warm and tastes of mint and orange. I lick my tongue across, then push inside, even as I sense how stiffly he’s holding himself.
No, no. I kiss him harder, my lips and tongue clumsy and awkward in their desperation. I know if I just try…do my best, I can make him feel this, make him remember what we have and listen to me.
Suddenly he pushes me away, and I stumble backward, catching myself on the arm of the couch. His breathing grows rougher. I reach forward—I can’t just give up and do nothing—but he shoves his hand into my hair and stops me.
“Your mouth… It’s extraordinary.” His gaze is dark, but it blazes with something other than lust as he studies my lips. “It can kiss me…wrap around my dick like blowjobs were what it was made for…then lie to my aunt and your grandmother about what we’ve been up to…calling it rape. Did you also tell them how many times? What positions? Did you keep a log?”
I swallow, then cross my arms, shivering. “I told Shirley it wasn’t rape. You know it’s all bullshit.”
“Lie-zuh.”
He’s the only man who calls me that. I love it because it seems to make what we have even more special. But it hurts to hear him call me that with such acid contempt in his voice.
“They don’t just want me to stay away from you. They want me prosecuted, convicted, labeled a sex offender. They want to take my sister away.”
“I can help you,” I persist, the way only a panicked young girl can. “I can take care of Kristen, and we can all—”
“Do you think I’d leave my sister with you?” He laughs incredulously. “What are they giving you to feed me all this bullshit? To destroy my life?”
“I’m not getting anything from this. I don’t know your aunt or anybody in your family except Kristen. You have to trust me!” I shove the sob rising in my throat back down. I can’t fall apart now. “Dominic, just trust me. Please.”
“Trust?” Letting go of my hair, he shakes his head. Then he deliberately and methodically takes me by the shoulders and pushes me out of his apartment. “One day I’ll take away what matters most to you. And you’ll experience what it’s like to have your heart ripped to pieces.”
Chapter Thirteen
–five years later
Dominic
I yank the tie from around my neck then fling it across the hotel room. Nighttime Dallas glitters on the other side of the windows. The meeting went down the toilet fast. The rezoning I need is a no-go because of blah blah blah, but I know what’s really going on.
There’s political pressure to thwart me. Just as there has been every step of the way.
Fury and restless energy rage through me, and I pace, unable to stay still. The continued interference is delaying my plans, and I hate delays.
I’m worth seven hundred million bucks. This project is going to create thousands of jobs. But that isn’t enough to smooth things over.
Elizabeth.
She has to be the one in my way.
Is this some new gambit to destroy me because your pathetic attempt to paint me as a rapist failed?
I think back five years. The threatened prosecution never materialized. But then the accusation was groundless anyway. Probably somebody in the DA’s office saw the light. Or maybe Granddad stopped them. After all, he did make me his sole heir a month after the clusterfuck blow-up with Elizabeth. Shaw Construction was a medium-sized company back then, but it had some pull with local politicians and the police.
My phone rings, and the screen flashes Liza.
Jesus. I still have her fucking number in my contacts.
Anger coalesces, sharp as a lance point. I want a fight. What better target than the woman who keeps fucking with my life?
“You little bitch,” I hiss into the phone. “Do you think your pathetic games can stop me?”
Her breath hitches, then I hear something that sounds suspiciously like a muffled sob.
What the hell?
She didn’t call to cry…
Then it hits me—it’s a choking titter. Tension grips my body. The giggle starts small, but grows in volume and hilarity until it becomes a full belly laugh.
Fury explodes like a volcano. A need for violence surges, and I grip my phone. “You fucking bitch—”
She’s laughing so hard, she starts hiccupping, her breath skipping harshly.
Before I can pour out the rest of my outrage, she hangs up.
My grip on the phone grows knuckle-white. My whole body shakes, air sawing in and out through my mouth. All the vicious words I want to say cause my throat to ache, and it’s all I can do not to throw the phone.
Instead, I reach for the empty crystal tumbler and hurl it against the wall, shattering it completely.
“Fuck! Fuck!”
I rake my hair, breathing hard. I pace, trying to rein in the frantic energy swirling inside.
Five more years.
That’s how long it should take to finish building my empire.
And then I’ll bring her to her knees.
——
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Titles by Nadia Lee
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——
The Billionaire’s Claim Duet
Book 1: Obsession
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 2: Redemption
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
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Sweet Darlings Inc. Series
Book 1: That Man Next Door
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 2: That Sexy Stranger
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 3: That Wild Player
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
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Billionaires’ Brides of Convenience Series
Book 1: A Hollywood Deal
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 2: A Hollywood Bride
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 3: An Improper Deal
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Book 4: An Improper Bride
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 5: An Improper Ever After
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Book 6: An Unlikely Deal
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Book 7: An Unlikely Bride
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Book 8: A Final Deal
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The Pryce Family Series
Book 1: The Billionaire’s Counterfeit Girlfriend
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 2: The Billionaire’s Inconvenient Obsession
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 3: The Billionaire’s Secret Wife
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 4: The Billionaire’s Forgotten Fiancée
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 5: The Billionaire’s Forbidden Desire
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 6: The Billionaire’s Holiday Bride
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
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Seduced by the Billionaire Series
Book 1: Taken by Her Unforgiving Billionaire Boss
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 2: Pursued by Her Billionaire Hook- Up
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 3: Pregnant with Her Billionaire Ex’s Baby
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 3.5: Romanced by Her Illicit Millionaire Crush
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 4: Wanted by Her Scandalous Billionaire
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
Book 5: Loving Her Best Friend’s Billionaire Brother
US :: UK :: Canada :: Australia
——
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Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Ilona Andrews, Rachael Khan and Saiko Nu for assistance with Russian names. All mistakes are mine.
About Nadia Lee
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nadia Lee writes sexy, emotional contemporary romance. Born with a love for excellent food, travel and adventure, she has lived in four different countries, kissed stingrays, been bitten by a shark, ridden an elephant and petted tigers.
Currently, she shares a condo overlooking a small river and sakura trees in Japan with her husband and son. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading books by her favorite authors or planning another trip.
To learn more about Nadia and her projects, please visit www.nadialee.net. To receive news about Nadia’s upcoming releases, sales and promotions, giveaways, exclusive epilogues, bonus scenes and more, join her VIP List at www.nadialee.net/vip!
The Billionaire’s Claim: Possession
Copyright © 2018 by Hyun J Kyung
Kindle Edition
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.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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