Alphas & Millionaires Starter Set (11 page)

“Mom, is it time for the dolphin show yet?” Stella looked up at me, yanking on my sweater. I was distracted, watching Travis with Jacob. He was holding him up to look inside the window at the moon jellies. I beamed at him, envious of that father-son bond they had.

“Yes, darling, let’s go to the show!” I waved at Travis for them to follow us and away we went.

Six hours later and we were finally done at the aquarium. The kids had an amazing time and were beyond exhausted. It was a nice change of pace spending time with another adult that also had a child.

“So can I ask you a personal question?” I asked Travis as we were waiting for our Chicago-style pizza in a booth at one of the best pizzerias in town.

“Sure, what’s on your mind?” he asked, taking a sip of his soda.

“Where is Jacob’s mom? I mean, you haven’t really talked about her, so I wasn’t sure if she was in the picture or not,” I asked, trying not to sound too nosy.

“She’s a trauma nurse at the Children’s Hospital. She works twelve-hour shifts every weekend so he stays with her Monday night through Thursday night and I get him every weekend. That way I can focus on my internship during the week, and she can work on the weekends. Works perfectly, actually.”

“So you two aren’t together anymore?”

“No, we split when Jacob was only two. I was in my first year of culinary school, and she was doing her clinicals. We just didn’t make time for one another and grew apart. We’re very civil though, for Jacob’s sake,” he replied matter-of-factly.

I could not imagine having to share custody of Stella. She was my baby, and I depended on her as much as she depended on me. A part of me ached for Travis not seeing his child as much as I got to see Stella. But in a perfect world, that wouldn’t be an issue.

Travis and I could talk so easily, like we had been friends for years. We had so much in common, and our goals were very similar. Although he had wanted a romantic relationship in the beginning, it was starting to feel easy just being friends with him.

After our long day, I tucked Stella into bed and poured myself a glass of wine. I hadn’t heard from Drake since earlier in the day, and I was starting to miss his voice. Before I could grab my phone to call him, my doorbell rang.

“Delivery for Ms. Molly Woods.”

“Yes, that’s me.”

A deliveryman stood at my door and handed me a large decorated box. It was wrapped in pink paper with magenta ribbon twirled in the middle. A single stem rose lay on top. My eyes lit up as I realized Drake had sent me something special,
again.

I thanked the man and rushed back to the table to open the box. Inside were a dozen beautifully decorated chocolate-covered strawberries. They looked like a masterpiece of heaven. Some were dipped in milk chocolate, and some were dipped in white chocolate. They were each decorated in the opposite color chocolate, in swirls. They looked too good to eat.

Well, I’d eat them anyway.

I picked up my phone to call Drake to thank him a million times over. He answered on the second ring, like he was surprised to hear from me.

“Baby! I’m so glad you called. I miss you so much,” he gushed without taking a breath.

“I miss you, too! Can’t wait to see you…and thank you for my amazing and delicious gift,” I said, moaning as I popped a strawberry in my mouth.

“I’m glad you approve,” he said in an obviously playful way. I wasn’t used to receiving gifts from a man, or from anyone, for that matter. Sometimes it was too much to accept, but I knew it was his way of making sure I knew he was thinking of me and loved me.

“When can I see you?” I asked, hoping he would come back sooner.

“I fly back tomorrow afternoon. I can be at your doorstep by 11pm sharp.”

“Perfect. I’ll have something special waiting for you,” I said cheerfully.    

“Can’t wait, baby. I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

We hung up, and my heart raced with pure joy. It made me feel like a lovesick teenager again, knowing that even when we weren’t together, he was always thinking of me.

The next morning, Stella and I had a late breakfast and watched TV in our pajamas. It was days like these that I never wanted to take for granted. Stella would only be young once, and I wanted to take every opportunity to enjoy it while I could.

When Stella was two and a half years old, I took her to a bakery to get some cupcakes. She slipped from my view while I was paying. I stood in the middle of
the shop, shaking and sweating at the realization that Stella was missing.

“Ma’am? Are you all right?” a woman’s voice echoed as I swung around, eyes frantically searching for her.

“Stella! She’s gone!” I shouted. “Stella!”

“Ma’am? She’s back here.” I ran to the back where the woman was pointing. Crouched in a ball under the counter, little Stella was laughing, playing a game of hide-n-seek. I about died. I exhaled in relief, but also in frustration. I realized this was part of raising Stella alone.

“Mommy, someone is at the door! He’s holding flowers,” Stella yelled as I was still in the kitchen cleaning up.

I walked over to where she was and noticed a beautiful flower arrangement in a short vase with little stones at the bottom. It had a combination of a few pink roses, white hydrangeas, and green flowers. It was absolutely breathtaking.

I smiled as I took the flowers into the kitchen and set them on the island so I could admire them. My heart filled with love and passion. Just when I already thought Drake was amazing, he goes and exceeds all my expectations.

I decided to call him again before he got on his plane to head back. Just as the phone was ringing, I noticed the card.
Crap.
I quickly hung up as I realized these flowers were not from Drake.

That night I decided to wear nothing but my panties for Drake’s arrival, so I could give him his surprise thank you present right away. I couldn’t wait to see him. Two long days without him were torture.
Pure torture.

He knocked, and I seductively answered the door. Without saying a word, he scooped me up and kissed me hard on my lips. He slammed the door shut, and kicked off his shoes. We laughed as he stumbled through the hallway to my bedroom.

Less than a minute later, he was completely undressed, lying on top of me. He wrapped his fingers around my lacy panties and pulled them off.

“I have missed you so incredibly much. Your touch. Your smell. Your smile. You intoxicate me, Molly. It was like holding my breath for two straight days. It was almost unbearable,” Drake confessed, kissing me tenderly down my neck and back up to my lips. I moaned as I tried to find air to speak.

“I felt lost without you. No more trips, okay?” I teased. I obviously knew he would have to go on business trips, but they felt like a lifetime when he was gone.

“I’m lost without you, too. Okay, no more trips,” he bantered back. I knew he was trying to humor me, but at that very moment, all that mattered was that he was here with me.

He caressed my arms, gently rubbing slowly up to my collarbone. The slower he went, the more I wanted it.
Needed it.
He rolled me to my side and gently pressed himself against me. Rubbing his hand up and down my body, teasing as much of me as he could, he tenderly kissed my shoulder as I pulled my neck back for him. He parted my legs and inserted two fingers inside me. I arched back, bursting from pleasure. I wanted to let him know how much I missed him and how much I desired him.

“Baby…you must have been waiting for me,” he said playfully into my ear.

“I have been waiting a long time for you… longer than you know.”

Suddenly, he rolled me over and landed back on top of me, pushing inside. He felt amazing. He made
me
feel amazing.
Oh God…

He continued making sweet, passionate love to me as we rekindled our love. Afterward, I lay back in my bed, panting and out of breath. It was as if I had just worked out at the gym for hours. Drake kissed my forehead with a small smile as he saw how winded I was. He pulled his briefs back on and walked out the door.

I was frozen in my bed, unable to move. Drake reentered my room with a glass of water.

“Drink up, baby. I’m not done with you yet.” He sounded all too serious.
More? Holy shit.

I sucked the water down, needing to rehydrate myself. I didn’t even bother getting dressed; I knew Drake all too well.

After giving me a few moments to rest, Drake lifted me off the bed and swung me around against the wall. My legs wrapped around his waist, holding on tight. He kissed me hard, letting me know he was in charge.
Yes,
he was. Take me any way you want me.

He entered me again, lifting my ass cheeks up to grasp me harder. I felt secure with Drake no matter what – even slammed up against a wall. He held me tightly, never loosening his grip, making sure I came, over and over again.

The next morning was another internship day in the kitchen. I was ready for whatever Blakely wanted to throw at me. I wasn’t going to take her shit anymore. Travis had my back, and with that, I felt confident.

“Morning, Trav.” I smiled, walking up to him. I had a bright smile on my face.

“Good morning, Mols. Nice to see you again.” He smiled back. “Did you receive our flowers?”
Shit, I totally forgot about that.
After I hung up the phone on Drake, realizing the flowers weren’t from him, I saw the card.

To Molly & Stella –

Just wanted to say thank you for our wonderful double date yesterday. We had a blast! These flowers are as beautiful as you both are.

Love, Travis & Jacob

I was completely thrown off that I had forgotten to tell Drake about the flowers as well as thank Travis for his unnecessary gift.

“Yes! Yes we did,” I stumbled. “Thank you so much. I’m so sorry we didn’t call, we had a very busy day yesterday.” I tried to sound convincing. Truth was I had been thinking about Drake all day and was sidetracked.

“Good, I’m glad.” He smiled back, relieved.

The first half of the day, Travis and I worked in our group, casually preparing new menu items and learning new ways to sauté vegetables. By lunchtime, I was ready to go see Drake and surprise him. I decided to grab a couple coffees and artisan sandwiches for us.

I walked right past his secretary, smiling when she didn’t try to stop me this time. She recognized me, and knew I was allowed to just waltz into Drake’s office. I opened his office door and as I began to walk in, my jaw dropped and the tray of coffee spilled to the ground, all over my legs and the carpet. 

There, sitting on his couch, was a beautiful, redheaded woman with long legs. She was flawless , in a white satin cocktail dress and white stilettos.
Who the fuck was this…

Drake rushed to the door, seeing my surprised face as I dropped hot coffee everywhere. He acted more concerned about me being burnt than the attractive young woman in his office.

“Baby, are you all right?” he asked, panicked, grabbing the tray and coffee cups off the floor. He grabbed a few towels from his private bathroom and helped clean me up.

“Molly, come here with me please.” He grabbed my hand and led me to a chair by his desk.
Forget about me… who the hell is that bitch?
He grabbed my face with his hands and lifted my chin up to look at him. “Are you hurt?” His eyes begged for an answer.

“I’m fine. I promise. I was just startled,” I answered quietly, embarrassed.

“I didn’t know you were stopping by for lunch. I have a lunch meeting, but can I see you for dinner?” he pleaded.

I nodded, hoping he would notice how uncomfortable I was. I handed him one of the sandwiches I bought and kissed him goodbye. Seeing him in there with another woman ate at me all afternoon. I could hardly function the rest of the day.

“What’s wrong with you?” Travis asked after watching me spill ingredients and drop utensils several times. I could barely focus on what I was doing.

“Nothing…sorry. I’m just super clumsy today. A lot on my mind I guess.” I shrugged, hoping he would just let it be.

After the day was over, I went to pick Stella up and walk her home. I needed a walk to clear my mind, so I offered Stella an ice cream treat before dinner.

“Ice cream?” Stella asked, shocked and confused.

“Yeah, why not?” I smiled.

“Awesome! Can I get bubble gum flavor with gummy bears on top?” she asked excitedly, like she knew exactly what she wanted.

“Of course you can, baby. Get whatever you want.”

I indulged in some peanut butter rocky road with marshmallow sauce. If one thing calmed my nerves, it was ice cream. For the next hour, Stella and I talked about her day. She bragged to all her little friends about going to the Shedd Aquarium with her boyfriend, Jacob. She sure had a great imagination.

Stella was so happy and innocent; it made me feel relaxed again. We walked hand-in-hand back to our apartment, smiling and giggling. The ice cream put Stella in a sugar coma, and she plummeted to the loveseat and turned on her cartoon network.

“What’s up, my lovely ladies?” Michael chimed in through the door, happy as a clam.

“Someone’s perky,” I smirked back. Michael was usually in this type of mood when he had gotten lucky the night before. He was definitely a man’s man.

“Damn right, girl. I have a-mazing news. You are looking at the next featured blogger for Quest Magazine!” He jumped up and down, clapping his hands like a child.

“Holy shit, Michael, that’s awesome!” I squeezed him tight. “We need to celebrate!”

“Chinese food and a glass of chardonnay are all I need.” He smiled. He was too easy to please sometimes.

I decided to call Drake to make sure he was still coming over tonight. I was hoping he liked Chinese food, too. It was one of my favorites.

“Hey baby, how are you?” he asked still obviously concerned about me.

“Great. Are you still coming tonight? Michael has some great news, and we’re celebrating with Chinese food and wine.”

“No, I’m so sorry, baby, I have to cancel. My lunch meeting ran short, and we rescheduled for tonight. I promise to make it up to you, okay?”

“Oh…..We’ll miss you,” I pouted slightly.
Was red-haired bimbo part of his lunch and dinner meetings?

For the rest of the evening, Stella, Michael, and I chowed down on Chinese food and watched chick flicks. Drake and Travis were both on my mind. I tried to act casual about Travis sending me flowers, but deep inside I wondered if they had any hidden meaning behind them.

Knowing that Drake was probably in a dinner meeting with that redheaded skank ate me up inside. It was like she had fed off my embarrassment, just sitting there watching me wither. Drake hadn’t explained to me why she was there, or even introduce us. It made my mind flutter with worse case scenarios. Was that Kendra? Was she someone else from his past?
How many women would come up from his previous relationships?

After Stella was tucked in for the night, I decided to take a bath to wind down. I didn’t want to be one of those clingy girlfriends calling their boyfriends all the time. It drove me crazy not knowing what he was doing, but I knew he was working and that I shouldn’t bother him. Still, I wondered.

I soaked in the tub for what felt like hours. The water had turned cold, and all the bubbles were gone, but I didn’t care; I could stay in here forever. Michael barged in without as much as a knock with my cell in his hand.

“Damn, girl. Your phone will not stop ringing. Drake has called five times and left three voicemails. He’s also texted you twice…” the phone beeped once again, “nope make that three times.” He looked annoyed that someone could call and text so much in just an hour or so. He left the phone on the counter and walked out.

I quickly dried off and grabbed for my phone. Before I could check any of my messages, the phone rang once again. It was Drake.

Before I could even answer, Drake was on the other line panicking. “Molly? Oh, thank God, you answered.” He sounded out of breath, as if he’d been running.

“Drake, what’s wrong? I was taking a bath and didn’t have my phone. Are you all right?” I was extremely worried now, hearing him panic like this.

“I’m almost to your apartment. We’ll talk in a few minutes,” he rushed and then hung up. I quickly dressed and waited for him to knock.

He barged in practically in a sweat from running all the way here. His face was flushed, and his cheeks were red from the chill in the air. He bent over to catch his breath before saying a word.

“Molly…the photos…were leaked…tomorrow…press…  Kendra,” were the only words I could catch. He was panting so hard; I tried to figure out what he was saying.

Holy shit…Kendra leaked our photos out. That fucking bitch!

“Our photos were leaked to the press?” I panicked.

“Kendra came into my office today at lunch. She came to apologize for blackmailing you and to tell me all her files on her computer were stolen. She didn’t think anything of it until she received a letter. Everything in her files were going to go public if she didn’t give the person ten million dollars,” he paused, letting everything sink in. “She comes from a very wealthy family, Molly, but not even she can come up with ten million dollars in just a couple days’ time. They gave her until midnight tonight to come up with the money, and that’s why I have been busting my ass all night, trying to come up with a solution to protect those photos and files of whatever else she has.”

“So now the photos are going to be leaked to the press?” I questioned, trying to understand everything.

“It’s likely. If they can’t get the money from her, they’ll sell those photos and anything else they found in her files ,while making a huge ass out of me..” I grabbed him a glass of water, and he finally sat down.

“Why didn’t you bother telling me all this earlier? Now I have no time to prepare myself, mentally or emotionally. What the hell am I going to do?” I sat down slowly, trying to project what my life was going to be like after this incident. Blakely would never let this go, my teachers would all see them and suspect the worst, my parents would be humiliated, and the likelihood of getting a job after graduation would be slim. This could ruin me.

Ruin us.