Obsessed: A Billionaire Love Triangle

by Mia Ford

  “Please, leave Calvin. I’m going to ask you politely this last time,” Frank’s deep calm voice cut through the air and now Calvin looked like he wasn’t going to take his chances.

  “Goodbye, Veronica,” he said and she watched him in fuming silence as he walked to her dresser, picked up the box with her ring and left the room, sidestepping Frank on his way out.

  When he shut the door behind him, Frank turned to look at her and she could tell that he had been worried.

  Chapter 15

  “I’m so sorry that you had to witness this, the girls…” Veronica cried, but before she could cover her face with her hands, Frank had rushed towards her and taken her into his arms.

  “Don’t worry about that. Are you okay?” he asked, trying to get her to look up at him.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit in shock. I didn’t expect him to just turn up here,” she said, wiping her damp cheeks with the backs of her hands.

  “I heard loud voices and came up here. I didn’t want to intervene unless absolutely necessary. But I didn’t want him to hurt you either,” he said and drew her into his arms.

  Veronica rested her head on his chest as she tried to catch her breath again. Frank remained as he was, with his arms around her, and gently rocked her from side to side.

  “He’s been cheating on me. For years, Frank and I had no idea. I feel so foolish,” she burst into tears again, and now Frank wiped the tears away from her cheeks and continued to rock her. It comforted her, the rocking motion, and she laid her head on his chest again.

  “He figured out about us, and wanted me to stop and just go back home with him,” she said, in a meek voice. Frank allowed a few seconds to pass before he said anything, almost as though he was allowing the words to sink into his mind.

  “Your home is here, Veronica, with us,” he said and she looked up at him with her sparkling earnest eyes. He was right. There was nowhere else on Earth that she would rather call home.

  “I don’t ever want to see him again,” she said, in a whimpering whisper.

  “You don’t have to,” he replied and gently stroked her forehead, pushing her curls away from her face.

  “I’m just glad you decided to stay,” he added and she couldn’t help but smile.

  “I wouldn’t leave for anything. This is where I want to be,” Veronica admitted and Frank leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was soft and gentle, while they continued to sway in each other’s arms. Veronica felt like she could have stayed there forever, just rocking in his arms like that.

  “And he took your ring away too!” he said abruptly and she looked up at him and rolled her eyes. The last thing she cared about was Calvin’s ring.

  “But it’s a good thing that I have something to replace it with,” he said and gently pushed her away.

  Veronica’s brows crossed in confusion as she watched Frank take out a red velvet box from the pocket of his pants. Unlike Calvin, he didn’t drop to his knee but remained standing over her, looking down at her with a warm smile spreading on his face.

  Veronica felt like her breath was caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected him to propose. She hadn’t even expected him to formally commit. She was just happy knowing that she could be near him for a while.

  “I’ve been carrying this around in my pocket for a few days, before you went for your date with him. After that I just wanted to give you a chance to decide for yourself, before putting you in the spot like this,” Frank said and Veronica couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

  “That is the most romantic proposal I’ve ever heard,” she said sarcastically and Frank smiled.

  “What I really want to say is, that ever since I met you I knew that you were a woman who I respected and someone I could trust. The fact that I find you irresistible and I want to make love to you all the time, is just an additional bonus. I want my daughters to grow up around a woman like you, I can see the positive influence that you’ve had in their lives and in mine. My days are just nicer with you around. So, will you be my wife?” Frank ended this by popping open the box and presenting the ring to her. It was a pink diamond, cut out in the shape of a heart, studded with small rubies around it.

  Veronica could do all she could to keep her gasp from being too loud. She stared at the sparkling ring in front of her and then back up at Frank’s face.

  “There is nothing more that I want to do, Frank,” she said and before he had a chance to slip the ring on to her finger, Veronica had flung her arms around his neck and was kissing him.

  When they parted they were both laughing. Frank finally slipped the ring on and she held her hand out to admire it.

  “It’s gorgeous Frank. I can’t believe this. It’s all happening so fast,” she said, through her laughter. She still couldn’t stop giggling. Frank was smiling too and he reached for her hand and squeezed it.

  “I’ve always believed in love at first sight. When I know, I just know. And with you I knew from the moment you walked into my office. And kissing you, making love to you only strengthened that belief,” he said and leaned forward to knock their foreheads together.

  Veronica bit down on her lip as she looked at the man who was going to be her husband. She couldn’t help but blush, giggle and remind herself that this was all actually happening. She was going to be with Frank forever. Her deepest wishes were coming true. No matter what the world or her parents had to say about it.

  “I love you, Frank,” she said to him, for the first time aloud.

  “I love you, Veronica. I always will,” he said and pressed his hand on the back of her neck to draw her in closer.

  “Now, let’s go tell the girls!” Frank said and Veronica was laughing again. She was going to have that happy family after all.

  Sneak Peak: The Perfect Gift

  Book Description:

  Casey was born and raised in Brooklyn New York by her mother and late father, who died in the line of duty when she was a teenager. Casey was shy and didn’t date very much, but when she was faced with her best friend’s brother on Christmas Eve, she was more than happy to give up her virginity. Afterward, though, she did not see what was coming.

  Dex Canton was the businessman that was obsessed with working to build his father’s business from the empire that was created while he was alive, into one of the biggest companies in the world. Dex knew how much he needed to focus, so women were just an after thought in his life until he met Casey that is. After a hot Christmas Eve in her mom’s apartment, Dex jets off to for business, not realizing the secret Casey would be hiding when he returned.

  Would the realization of big news push Dex out of his comfort zone and back on his private jet? Would Casey vow to keep her secret forever? These two have more lust for each other than anyone they have ever met, but is it enough to break Casey from her mold, and bring Dex back to reality?

  Chapter 1: Dex

  As the small symmetrical icy crystals floated gingerly from the sky and landed on the lawns of Central Park, I felt a sadness swell inside my chest. It was Christmas Eve, a time I relished when I was growing up. My parents always decorated the house to match the festive nature of the city with garlands, lights, and the smell of cinnamon and pine. They threw big lavish parties at their sky-high penthouse in Canton Commons. The wealthiest families in New York would put aside their high natured snobbery to bring gifts, food, and merry greetings to share with everyone else. As children, my sister Natalie and I would run around the house with the other children, playing with our toys and soaking up the feeling of Christmas. It had always been my favorite time of the year.

  Years later, I found myself staring at the lights twinkling in the park, people walking hand in hand through the Christmas Eve snow, and carolers wishing people well, all the while feeling nothing but the silence of a now mostly empty home. After my parents died, the holidays stopped feeling like a magical time. There were no more parties, no more crackling fires, and the decorations sat in storage boxes, hoping one day to be picked
up and used again. My sister loved Christmas and tried to keep the spirit alive but it was too much for one person. With me running the company now, I didn’t have time for such frivolous things as holiday parties. It almost felt like my parents took the holidays with them when they passed.

  Neither Natalie nor I had a family of our own, so we either spent the holidays with each other or I went to work and left her to her own devices. This year, with my pending travels approaching I decided not to work on Christmas Eve. I tried not to be the scrooge, so I gave my employees off on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Usually, I ended up spending that time alone in the office, eating Chinese food and watching A Christmas Story while going over financial reports. Everything was settled this year since I was going to be leaving soon and so there I sat, reminiscing and staring out at the city. It was cold outside, colder than any Christmas I remembered and even inside the penthouse, I kept my sweater on to fight the chill. I could hear Natalie down the hall, getting ready for something, though I thought she would be spending the evening here in the penthouse.

  I pulled up the number to the local Chinese delivery place and figured I’d order us some food for the night. I didn’t know what Natalie liked to eat anymore, so I sat waiting for her to come out of her room. The fact that she could always keep a cheery attitude during the holidays comforted me. I looked up as she walked quickly down the hall and pulled her coat from the closet. She put on the wool pea coat and turned back, surprised to see me still sitting in the living room.

  “Oh,” she said, slightly startled. “Dex, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to be working like you do every year.”

  “Since I’m leaving in a couple of days, I figured I’d break that habit and spend Christmas Eve here with you,” I replied, watching her face twitch nervously. “You look like you're going somewhere.”

  “Yeah. I, uh, I was going to go spend Christmas with a friend,” she said, walking over and sitting down on the arm of the chair. I could tell the quieteness of the house was really starting to get to her and I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the idea of spending Christmas Eve alone. “I should have mentioned it. I’m just so used to you always being at work that I honestly didn’t even think to say anything.”

  I shook my head, trying not to make her feel guilty. After all, she was right, I didn’t even take weekends off anymore. The last time I had any time off was for her birthday and I didn’t really take off, I just left the office at five instead of midnight. Natalie had gotten used to living her own life, without any real family to spend time with. Part of me wanted to tell her not to worry about it but the other part of me wanted to ask her to stay and hang out.

  “Why don’t I do this,” she said. “I’ll call and make sure it’s okay and we can just go together.”

  I nodded and smiled, deciding that spending the holidays with people I didn’t know was better than being alone. I watched as she walked back in the hallway and called her friend. She talked for a few minutes and then hung up, bouncing cheerily out to the living room and waving me over. I grabbed the bottle of hazelnut liqueur I bought for tonight and we walked down to the garage where my car sat waiting.

  Since I gave all my employees the night off, I drove myself, slightly confused as I made my way out of Manhattan and through the boroughs. We ended up in Brooklyn, which was weird since I assumed Natalie meant she was going to see one of the rich kids she grew up with. However, as I pulled up in front of the five-story brick walk-up, I realized whoever we were visiting had much less than we did. I almost felt foolish having thrown on my seven hundred dollar Gucci sweater and ungodly expensive belt. I smiled at Natalie as we got out, stepping over the piles of snow that had been pushed off the streets by the plows. I was glad she didn’t see my confusion. I didn’t want it to look like I was being judgmental toward her friends. That was my sister though, if you didn’t know her as a child, she seemed like any other normal girl from a middle-class family. Her heart was always too big for her to ever come across as the snobby rich girl from the upper East side.

  As we climbed the stairs I could smell food cooking in the oven and I started to relax. The warmth of the glow coming from under the door already made me feel at home. Natalie knocked and we stood back as we heard footsteps from inside. The door flung open and a short round woman with curly red hair and rosy cheeks answered, smiling big and wrapping her arms around Natalie. She smiled warmly before turning to me and pulling me down for a hug. I laughed from surprise but welcomed the happy greeting.

  “Come in, come in. I’m Andrea,” she said, stepping to the side and waving us inside. “You can put your coats up there and then follow me back to the kitchen. That’s where all the magic is happening.”

  I set the bottle of liqueur on the floor next to my snow-covered shoes and hung up my jacket. Natalie smiled big and squeezed my arm as she walked forward. She took Andrea's hand as they walked toward the smell of food and the sound of Christmas Carols. Natalie looked really happy just being in this place. I instantly felt better about leaving her for my travels since she seemed to have made her own little family right here in Brooklyn. As I turned into the kitchen I looked around at the apple wall paper, farm themed wall hangings, and cook books propped on shelves all over the walls. It was like I had been transported from Brooklyn to a farm house in the country. There was a large turkey on the counter next to several bowls full of all the normal Christmas food.

  My eyes scanned the kitchen, landing on my sister as she hugged a curvy brown-haired girl. She was facing the stove while stirring something but the lights from the kitchen made the streaks of red in her hair stand out. I could tell Natalie was whispering something to her and as she turned around and caught my gaze, my knees went weak. Her green eyes cut through me like a knife and instantly I wanted to know more about her. She nodded once and looked down, her cheeks growing red. She was shy, which made her even more appealing to me.

  “Dex, this is my best friend Casey,” Natalie said with a knowing look. “Casey, meet my big brother Dex.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Casey whispered with even brighter cheeks.

  “Okay,” Andrea said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get this food on the table!”

  I started grabbing dishes and helped bring all the food out to the large oak table sitting in the dining room. I looked up at the pictures hanging on the wall. There were several of a man that I assumed was Andrea’s husband posing in his officer’s uniform. His ribbons were encased and hung next to the pictures, making me think he was no longer with us. I didn’t want to bring it up, not knowing the details, so instead, I sat down and began passing the food around.

  “So, how did you two meet?” I looked at Natalie and then over to Casey.

  “Oh, we met in college,” Natalie said with excitement. “We ended up being on the same team for one of our Sophomore projects.”

  “That’s awesome,” I said. I turned to Casey and added, “Did you grow up in New York?”

  “She sure did,” Andrea answered. “In fact, her father and I, God rest his soul, grew up here in Brooklyn. I’m glad she decided to stick around.” Andrea looked at Casey and winked as we ate our food and continued the conversation. I wanted to know more about this girl. In all reality, I wanted to see more of this girl, and I didn’t mean on a date. She was gorgeous with unguarded eyes and thick curvy body. I could only imagine what it would feel like to run my hands over her smooth skin.

  I excused myself from the table and grabbed the cordial I bought, hoping they would enjoy it. It was extremely expensive but that wasn’t something I wanted to mention in present company. I showed Andrea who oohed at the bottle and pointed me to the cordial glasses in the china cabinet behind us. I brought out four glasses and poured a small amount into each, making sure Casey’s was a bit fuller than the rest. She smiled at me as she reached out to take the glass. As our fingers skimmed across each other’s, I could feel the electricity between us.

  We sat around th
e table listening to Andrea tell stories of Christmas’ when Casey was a little girl. The woman was so happy and so jolly that you couldn’t help but feel loved just by sitting around her table. I kept a close eye on Casey’s glass, making sure to refill it each time it got low. I wanted her to loosen up because the pull between us was thick and hungry. Each time she caught me staring she would look for a bit too long before blushing and turning back to her mother. Her innocent personality was sexy but I knew there was something raw and needy inside of her. I stretched my leg out under the table and grazed her foot with mine. She rubbed it back, staring forward and listening to her mother’s continued stories. Natalie seemed to be in her own little world, which left me and Casey trapped in this bubble, bursting at the seams to be let loose.

  Maybe it was the fact that I was leaving, maybe it was the hazelnut liquor or even the twinkling Christmas lights, but I wanted Casey and I wanted her bad.

  Chapter 2: Casey

  When Natalie called and asked if her brother could join us for dinner, I had no idea I would end up standing in front of the hottest guy I had ever met. As soon as my eyes met his, I knew I was in trouble. He pierced me with a stunningly blue gaze and there was just something about the way his eyes glimmered as he flashed his wide smile with his wavy blonde hair curling around his face that left me breathless. I longed to put my hands in his curls and pull him close. The warmth in my chest was caused by a combination of his lustful stare and the hazelnut liqueur he refilled my glass with over and over again. There was a serious air of danger emanating from him, which usually made me run in the opposite direction from but for Dex, it only pulled me further in.

  As we talked about our childhoods, my mother stood and started clearing the dishes. As always, I took notice and stood as well, reaching for the empty bowls and plates. Natalie grabbed my hand and winked at me, glancing over at her brother who was still staring intently, waiting for me to finish my sentence. I handed her the bowl and stepped back from the table, grabbing my glass.