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It was two days before Suzy saw Ruben Mayweather again. Under any other circumstances it would have been a New York getaway to die for. The suite at the Mandarin was over the top luxury with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline. Anything she wanted was at hand and Candy, if taciturn, was there at her beck and call like a stern shadow, answering all her needs but refusing to be drawn on the subjects of her boss, the Hargrave brothers or the situation with Nadia.
Every few hours there was a gift or a note from Ruben to reassure her that everything was okay and that she would soon meet with her friend. The gifts were quietly lavish and included full sets of clothing to match every possible occasion, seemingly hand selected by stylists to match her hair, eye-color and physique. There were also gifts of technology which she found much more attractive and intriguing than the clothing and jewellery. The laptop he left her was even more powerful than the high end machine of hers that he held in captivity. The array of software was fascinating and clearly specialized to the security and surveillance industries. There was an array of wearable gadgets as well, including watches, glasses, pocket books, small mirrors, vanity cases that all held technological secrets. It was a nerd's paradise and despite her anxiety about Nadia and her growing anticipation as to what her night with Ruben would entail, still the time managed to pass quickly.
Candy grudgingly warmed up to her when she saw how little interest she had in the clothing and jewels.
"You're the absolute worst I've ever seen." She grumbled at one point as hotel staff set down piles of boxes which she showed absolutely no interest in.
"The worst what?" Suzy was desperate for some conversation from the stern woman.
"Nerd." She said. "You look like you genuinely love that stuff."
"I do. And your boss has some pretty fancy technology."
Candy smiled for the first time since Suzy had met her.
"You don't know the half of it. He is going to absolutely love you."
"I don’t know if that's good or bad at this point."
Candy leaned in closer to her and mouthed the word 'bad' as obviously as she could and then stared at Suzy with huge, intense eyes. It was so ridiculous that she couldn't help beginning to laugh. Candy smiled, watching her amusement grow, at first with irritation but then the laughter became infectious and she began to laugh too.
"Very, very bad." She said and it was enough to crack the two of them up until they were lying on their backs together on the huge four poster bed. When she was all laughed out Suzy rolled up onto her elbows and looked at her chaperone/bodyguard.
"So come on Candy, what can you tell me about this guy that won’t get you fired? What exactly am I in for if I spend the night with him?"
Candy rolled up off the bed, straightened her suit and then sat down on chair next the bed.
"Truth to tell Ms. Falstaff, there is almost nothing I can tell you about him that won’t get me fired."
"Sounds like a hell of a boss." Suzy said.
Candy looked around the room as though checking for eyes and ears.
"Can I call you Suzy?" She asked. Suzy nodded.
"Of course you can. This formal stuff drives me nuts."
"Okay. I'm as sure as I can be that we aren't being listened to. Ruben isn't that bad. I've had worse bosses, believe me. So look, without digging myself in too deep here, the fact that he wants you to stay with him overnight is a very, very big deal."
"How do you figure that?"
"Boy do you have a lot to learn. The only man in this world more selective about his women than the Hargrave brothers is Ruben Mayweather. Clayton and Dale are famous in this town for what all they get up to with women. Jesus, don’t get me started on Dale. There's a lot of speculation in certain female circles about what weird shit must have happened to him when he was a teenager but Ruben is even more of a mystery and that's exactly how he likes it. Since you're already in his sights though, I guess it's no harm to give you a heads up. If you really want to know that is?"
Suzy was rapt and nodded her head eagerly for Candy to continue.
"Okay then, well let me tell you that this guy is OCD precise in what he wants from a girl - we are talking obsessive compulsive here - and the man only does one relationship at a time. We're talking absolute serial monogamy. We're talking obsessive, we're talking sociopathic if you ask me, so you better be ready for lock down if you want a chunk of his time."
"Well, I'm not sure I have the choice one way or the other."
"One of those huh? You guys are a rare breed. Normally it's the other way around. You have no idea what some crazy chicks will do to get next to this guy, but that's not how he likes it."
"He prefers his women psychologically cornered and blackmailed into his bedroom?"
"Who said anything about his bedroom?"
"I don't get it? I thought this whole thing was just his weird way of him getting me into the sack with him?"
Candy gave a knowing smile.
"Trust me, it gets very weird with him and very, very specific."
Suzy sat up on the bed.
"Specific? In what way exactly?"
Suzy's increasing interest made the nervous employee back off.
"Look, I've said too much already. This job is way, way too good for me to jeopardize just because another dizzy Mensa nerd got caught up in Ruben's crazy sex life."
"Come on Candy, I thought we had an understanding going here? One woman to another. What does this guy want from me and how can I beat him at this game of his?"
Candy's eyes shifted nervously.
"Don’t get me wrong." She said. "I've got nothing against you, in fact, I'd say you're the smartest chick he's ever had in here. At least from the one's I've seen. But let me put it this way, you know what quicksand is, right?"
"Quicksand, yeah sure I do. If you're in it and start to struggle it only makes it worse."
"Exactly. If you don’t want to sink, then you have to relax, lay back and then gently, very, very gently get yourself to the edge and then pull yourself out. Either way you'll end up messy, but at least one way you won't be up to your neck in a whole lot of--"
The door to the main suite entrance opened in the next room and both woman froze.
"Shit." Candy hissed. "You shut up about this Suzy. Or it’s my ass on the line." She whispered as she stood up, straightened her already perfect clothes and headed to the bedroom door.
It opened just as she reached it.
"Candy." Ruben said. "Why weren't you out front?"
"I was just assisting Ms. Falstaff with something."
"With what?"
Candy was momentarily speechless under Ruben's gaze.
"Girl stuff." Suzy interjected. "And none of your business."
He looked at Suzy for a moment and then smiled.
"Of course it's not. Candy, you're relieved. I'll take care of Ms. Falstaff tonight."
"Very good Mr. Mayweather. Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?"
"Just close the door on the way out. Tell the security detail not to disturb us unless it's a nuclear bomb or a tsunami."
Candy nodded her head, darted a very brief glance to Suzy and then left the two alone together.
There was an awkward moment. For Suzy at least; Ruben looked rather more calm. She had spent the last two days counting the minutes for his return but now that he was here in front of her she didn't quite know what to do.
"It's good to see you gain Ms. Falstaff." He said. "It's been a very long couple of days."
"You're telling me. Where were you all this time?"
He smiled and ran his fingers through his thick hair. For the first time she noticed how tired he looked, very unlike the sculpted picture of health and fitness who had left her two days before. She felt concern run through her. It wasn't something she had felt about him before. She wanted to stroke his forehead and ask what had happened to him but he was a step too far away.
; "You wouldn’t believe me if I told you." He said and in one relaxed, easy movement crossed the distance between them and took her hand.
"Come on." He said. "It's time. My place isn’t far from here and you owe me."
"Wait, wait, wait." She pulled back and felt the weight of his presence, the strength of his hand. "I need to get ready…"
He looked at her for a second and then smiled. She was wearing a pair of figure hugging designer jeans, flip-flops and a t-shirt.
"You're as ready as you need to be. Come on, I've got a surprise for you. Grab a jacket and lets go."
She was just barely able to take a hold of one of the ridiculously expensive jackets he had purchased her as they went to the door. When they stepped outside he gave brisk orders to the two burly guards he had posted at her door.
"I don't need security tonight. See to it that everything that belongs to Ms. Falstaff in this hotel room is packed up methodically and carefully. Then have it all sent to my apartment. Make sure the bill is taken care of. And take tomorrow off, all of you. You've done a good job."
The tall security detail nodded to Ruben and then to Suzy but she was already being carried along again, in tow behind her man, towards the elevators. She felt like she should be protesting but wasn't this what they had agreed on? Break the promise and he would feel free to report her activities to the authorities. Was this really a free choice? If she was being blackmailed into sex then why they hell did it feel so, damned thrilling and exciting?
They got inside the elevator and he pushed her back against one wall leaving her trembling with anticipation. But instead of taking her he stepped back and leaned against the opposite wall, as far from her as possible, and stood looking at her as they descended. The effect was more intensely erotic than if he had started to undress her there and then in the lift and started to make love to her.
He was taking her all in, every trembling, pulsating detail, like an art collector looking at a priceless stolen painting that has just come into his possession.
"What are you waiting for?" She asked, breathless.
"I'm waiting for that kiss you owe me. If it wasn't for the cameras I'd even take it from you right now."
The lift descended smoothly, noiselessly.
"It's just a kiss. If you want it, then just take it. What are you afraid of?"
"The kiss you owe me is going to take more time than we have here and it's for our eyes only. So, thanks but no thanks Ms. Falstaff, I won’t take it yet. Besides, we also have an evening together which will give you plenty of time for you to settle all of your outstanding debts to me."
He was far away from her but a thrill seared through her at his words.
Bad idea Suzy, it's got to be bad. Fantasies like this need to stay just that, fantasies, nobody ever got anything good by living out something like this.
But what else could she do?
"Don’t look so scared." He said. "It's just one kiss and besides, I don’t want you scared. I want you to be a very, very good girl for me, but I don’t want you scared."
"That's not helping." She said. He smiled and she felt herself go wet, or had she been wet already but just not noticed it until now?
Fuck. What is this? It seemed like her body was no longer under conscious control and there was something raw about Ruben as he stood there, so far away from her but so inescapable, that she hadn't seen before now. He was always immaculate, so totally in control, but the frayed edge of tiredness evident in his just slightly tousled hair and five o'clock shadow revealed another side of him that was making come undone just being near him.
The lift reached the ground floor and he took her hand again, leading her trailing behind him to an exclusive, celebrity guest only, rear entrance to the hotel where a sleek, luxury super car was waiting for him to speed her away in.
"That's a Zenvo ST1." Suzy said in amazement. "I've never seen one before."
Ruben stopped and looked at her in genuine surprise.
"You know what kind of car this is?"
"Of course I do. The technology in this class of car makes it one of the top ten nerd cars in the world. Why wouldn't I know about it? Let me drive. Please. I'll make it worth your while."
He smiled. "You're funny Ms. Falstaff. Just when I think it couldn't get any better hanging out with you, you go and surprise me like this. come on, get in. I'll let you drive but no fender benders. I've only owned it for two months and you already owe me enough as it is. I don’t think you want to pick up the price tag on a vehicle like this one."
Suzy got into the driver's seat and felt the absolute luxury surround her in full immersion; a vivid, multi-sensory experience of the rich man's world. She had no interest in cars, but this one was different, it was like a powerful super computer that you could physically get inside of and cause to do your bidding.
If she had been wet before then this particular car wasn't going to change anything about that; it was a geeks wet dream on wheels come true.
The concierge closed her door and she looked over the console.
"I'd be happy to let that brilliant mind of yours figure out how to get us in gear," he said, "but we don’t have that much time. This right here?" He pointed to a knob on the center console. "Is the ignition. Turn it, then press the clutch followed by the start button." He indicated a button on top of a chunky, piston shaped gear lever. "Then hit the gas, but not too hard. Think you can remember all that?"
Suzy smiled and then began to follow the sequence flawlessly up to the point of squeezing the gas pedal. The roar that came out of the engine made her jump in the seat and the flesh all over her body tingle.
She looked at Ruben who was smiling like a big, silly kid.
"Is that normal?" She said.
"For this car? Sure. Now come on, let's get out of here. Broadway is that way. Get on it and then go south until we reach 34th street."
"Shit." Suzy whispered.
"What's wrong?"
"I… I've never driven in Manhattan before, not even in a regular car.…"
"Don't worry. You'll be fine. I have insurance." He said with a smirk. "I'm just kidding." His face went deadly serious again. "No fender benders, insurance or not. Now come on, let's get going. You owe me this night and you owe me my kiss, so quit stalling."
She took a deep breath and squeezed her foot gently to the gas. The growl from the engine sounded like thunder and sent another thrill of response through her body. She let the clutch out and felt the car glide away.
It was glorious, like nothing else she had ever driven.
Typical, nothing with him is ever like anything I've ever done before.
They reached the end of the street and she began turning the wheel to go left. She could feel the nervous perspiration on her hands, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety about smashing up a car worth more in cash than her entire life.
Somehow the wheel refused to follow her instructions and began turning right instead.
"I'm not doing that, that's not me." She looked at Ruben in panic but he had that smug, sexy know-it-all smile on his face.
"I know." he said. "You can relax. I've only ever driven it once or twice myself. It's one of only seven cars licensed to drive automatically in Manhattan. Our destination is already programmed. Did you really think I was going to let you take $1.2 million dollars worth of car out on the road without any kind of preparation?"
The car pulled out into a gap in the flow of traffic by itself.
"You're funny." He said. "I am so going to enjoy this one little kiss you owe me. Oh my lord, yes indeed I am."
"This is weird." Suzy said, but she was relieved. "I didn't know anyone else was doing this."
"The technology isn’t for sale. The big auto companies and tech companies can do what they like, this car was custom built for me with technology from Mayweather Services and Hargrave Robotics fully integrated. There isn’t another one like it in the world and probably never will be. Let's just say it's one of the perks of
being friends with the Hargrave brothers. So now you can relax, just sit back and enjoy the ride."
Suzy looked at him and smiled, the first genuine smile she had bestowed upon him.
His cock went instantly hard.
"I can't tell if you're the most attractive man in the world or if you're just richest twelve year old boy I've ever met."
The comment came out completely unfiltered and she felt color begin rising to her face.
"I can't tell if you're the cutest geek I've ever met or the most beautiful woman."
The return comment added to Suzy's blush and she looked away.
"Where's the air conditioning in this overpriced toy?" She flustered.
"It's already on. Just try to relax Suzy. I'm a little tired out from the last couple of days so I'd appreciate it if you would listen to me, just for tonight at least, without turning everything into a poker game. A little old fashioned obedience for the rest of the night would put me at ease and help you to clear this debt of yours without any complications. I only have you until six am tomorrow and I don’t intend to waste a second of our time together."
Every mention of what was to happen later in the evening made her Suzy squirm in resistance to her own growing hunger to find out what he had planned for them tonight.
She was wet enough as it was; better just to change the subject.
"When will I get to meet Katy?" She said.
"You can call her Nadia now. She doesn't need the assumed identity anymore."
It was another shock for Suzy.
"How can that be? What's been going on?"
"I took care of everything. I can’t tell you more than that but what I can say is that she no longer has anything to fear. Anyone who could wish to threaten her has been convinced or compelled to think otherwise and Nadia can resume her normal life from exactly the point she left off four years ago."
He was so confident, so sure, but how could anyone have achieved that in only two days. It was impossible, totally impossible.
His Secret Request: Billionaire Secrets - Book Three Page 5