Alphas & Millionaires Starter Set (7 page)

She glanced at me, not noticing the dark circles around my eyes. I had hardly slept at all. I made coffee and whipped up some French toast. Michael dragged his ass into the kitchen, looking like shit.

“You look awful,” I teased, pouring orange juice into my cup.

“So do you,” he scowled. He was right. I knew I looked awful.
I didn’t fucking care.

I shrugged, not wanting to tell him what happened. “What are your plans today?” I asked, hoping to lighten the mood and change the subject.

“I have clients to meet today for the fashion blog. We’re doing brunch.” He poured himself a cup of coffee and headed out to the living room by Stella.

It was late afternoon before I decided to turn my phone back on. I had three voicemails, all from Drake’s phone. I didn’t feel like listening to them; I was still too pissed off.

He knew I was going to be calling him last night, so why would he allow some drunken slut to answer his phone?

I decided to take Stella shopping for some retail therapy. She enjoyed walking up and down the Chicago streets, oohing and ahhing at the expensive items. I felt as if someone was watching me, so I quickly turned around and saw him standing there with his son.

Travis.

Already in a mood, I marched over to him. “Wow, you are just everywhere!”

He looked surprised to see me talking to him. “I guess I am.” He chuckled. “Jacob wanted to check out the Disney store. So here we are.”

“Yeah, Stella did too,” I said, calming down. I was pissed at Drake and even though we weren’t officially a couple, I was still vibrating with anger. “So, I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to come off rude. Give me your phone,” I demanded. He was caught off guard, and reached into his pocket and handed me his phone.

I scrolled down to my name and fixed the last digit that I had entered incorrectly. “Here, now you have the correct number.” I smiled and handed him his phone back. I could tell he was a little confused.

“Thanks. I’ll call you, and we can set something up.” He grinned, clearly excited that he finally was getting his way.

Stella and I stopped for dinner at a cute little bistro café down the block from the apartment. Once we arrived home, she took a bath and went to bed. She needed at least ten hours of solid sleep to be functional the next day.

I slipped into the bathtub after she fell asleep and smothered myself with bubbles, listening to soft music in the background. I still hadn’t listened to my voicemails from Drake, so after my bath, I grabbed a glass of wine, and pulled my phone out of my purse.

“Molly…its Drake. I’m so sorry. Please call me.” I hit delete and continued to the next message. “Molly, it’s me again. Listen, it’s not what you think. Please. Call me.” I rolled my eyes, deleted the message, and went to the next one again. “Molly, please, I know you are mad, but just hear me out. I went to meet up with some clients at a club, and some chick grabbed my phone when you called me. She answered it and ran with her girlfriends. I was in a booth with some other guys and couldn’t get to my phone fast enough to tell them to give it back. Please understand. I didn’t even know who she was. She was drunk, and I gave her hell once I was able to get my phone back. Please, Molly…call me…” my voicemail cut him off.

Part of me felt bad for ignoring him, but I was still pissed. I decided to call him back, but my phone rang before I could dial. Assuming it was Drake, I answered it. “Hello?”

“Molly? It’s Travis.”
Oh shit…

“Travis? Hi,” I answered, confused as to why he was calling me so late.

“Sorry to call you so late, I just needed to hear your voice.”

“Oh. It’s okay.”
No, it’s not.
“Actually, Travis, I’m glad you called. I need to tell you that I can’t have dinner with you. In fact, I shouldn’t have given you my number in the first place. I’m sorry.”

“Oh…” he sounded disappointed.

“Sorry, it’s just that, I’m seeing someone right now, and it’s new, and I’d like to see where it goes,” I interrupted. I didn’t want him to feel rejected, he was a decent looking guy, but I just wasn’t interested.

“I understand, Molly. You have my number now, so if anything changes, feel free to call.” He hung up and I felt sad that I had hurt his feelings. I decided to call Drake and see if he would actually answer this time.

“Molly?” he said picking up my call.

“Yeah…hi,” I responded softly.

“I’m so glad you called. I’m so sorry, Molly. I was dying inside not hearing from you,” he said, sounding desperate and relieved at the same time.

“Sorry, Drake. I was pissed and didn’t listen to your messages until a few minutes ago. I shouldn’t have turned my phone off.”

“No, it’s all right, baby. I understand. I just wanted you to know that it wasn’t what it sounded like.”

“I know that now. Let’s not worry about it anymore.” I smiled, hoping he would sense my lightened mood.

“Sounds good. How was your day, baby?” he asked sincerely. I filled him in on what I had been up to since he left the day before. He told me he had been in meetings, doing various food and wine tastings for the restaurant, and was flying back tomorrow morning. We hung up and I finally went to bed…
smiling.

“Who can tell me the magic ratio of oil to vinegar for perfecting salad dressing?” Mr. Cooper asked. A few hands flew up in front of me. “Yes? You there in the back.”

“The magic ratio of oil to vinegar is three to one,” a man’s voice from behind me answered.

“Excellent. Thank you…” Mr. Cooper urged on.

“Travis.” I swung around to see Travis standing there.
Shit.
What was he doing here? He smiled at me and nodded. I smiled back with big eyes, shocked to see him.

Today we were going to be learning how to make salad dressings from scratch. We divided into our groups when Mr. Cooper approached us.

“Travis is a new addition to the internship program. He’s going to be added to your group,” Mr. Cooper announced to us. I faked a smile at Mr. Cooper and Travis and hustled back to work.

“Are you stalking me?” I teased Travis. I accused Drake of the same thing, only I wanted him to be stalking me in a non-creepy way.

“Ha, no, actually I got into the program late. But fortunately, they still accepted me, and here I am—with you, apparently.” He smirked.

“Isn’t that convenient,” I mocked. “Well, let’s get started.”

The group and I worked for several hours, trying to master recipes and get the ratios just right. I kept my distance from Travis, not wanting to give him the wrong impression.

“Here, let me help you,” Travis chimed in behind me while I reached on my tiptoes for the top shelf. I backed up and let him in front of me. His long arms had no problem reaching as he gracefully handed me the bowl I was trying to reach.

“Thank you.” I nodded, trying to keep a small distance between us.

“No problem. Hey, the others were talking about getting a drink after. Do you want to go with us?” he asked, as I walked back to my station.

“Sorry, I can’t. I have to grab Stella after this and get her in for the night,” I responded, hoping that was enough.

“Oh, okay, maybe another time then.” He smiled and walked the other way.

Blakely approached me shortly after with a wide knowing grin on her face. “Where the hell did that eye candy come from?” She was basically drooling as she fanned her face.

“Oh, Travis. We met a couple times before,” I answered quietly, hoping he wouldn’t overhear Blakely and I talking about him.

“Oh, please tell!” She sounded like an excited child.

I laughed at her eagerness, but gave in anyway. “We first met at a coffee house when we ran into each other, causing me to drop my phone and crack the screen. Then we ran into each other at the children’s museum over the weekend. He has a five-year-old son.” I was hoping she wouldn’t further the interrogation, so I slowly started to walk away as I placed my bowls in the sink.

“Sooo…is he single?” she persisted.

“As far as I know.”

“Sweet.” She bit her lip and turned to stare at him. “Unless you’re interested?” she glanced back at me.

“No, he’s all yours.” I smiled, and walked away.

I was the last one in the kitchen when I heard the door swing open. I felt warm arms wrap around my waist, and soft lips nuzzle my neck. I moaned as I caught Drake’s scent.

“This is a pleasant surprise.” I turned around and kissed his full lips. He grabbed my hips and lifted me up on the counter without loosening his grip. He grabbed my face in for a deeper kiss, running his fingers through my hair. I smiled, knowing we were in a public place, and could be caught at any moment. ,

He slowly unfastened the buttons on my chef’s coat one by one. “You look very sexy in this,” he teased continuing to kiss down my neck and chest after each button had opened.

“Oh, this old thing?” I grinned, tugging on my collar.    

He smirked, and continued pulling my shirt off, exposing my naked skin. He continued as he moved his lips down to my neck, kissing his way to my breast, unsnapping my bra in the meantime. He rubbed my nipples between his fingers, making them hard. I moaned in his ear, and tilted my head back, giving him access to me.

“Let’s pull your hair down, baby.” He tossed my chef’s hat to the floor and took out my hairpins. I always pulled my hair up under my hat, and only allowed a few wisps to fall on my face.

He reached behind me, softly grazing my bare shoulder as he grabbed a red silicone brush; keeping his eyes locked on mine. I shot him a confused look, and he raised his eyebrows, giving me a reassuring smile. I went along with it, curious as to what was on his mind. He brushed it down my torso, and a shiver ran through me as the bristles touched me.

“Drake…” I pleaded. He teased me as he dragged the brush down my body, just barely touching me. He was making my body ache.

“Hold tight, baby.” Drake pushed my pants down, exposing my panties. He pulled them to the side and inserted two fingers deep inside me. I moaned out, letting him know I was enjoying him. He quickly unbuttoned his pants, reached around for his wallet again, and let them pool to his feet. After sliding the condom on, he pressed against me and slid inside.

“Christ, Molly…” he whimpered on a heavy sigh. “You feel amazing.” He continued making love to me while his palms massaged my breasts, making me greedy for more. My body went into a mind-blowing spasm as I tightened around him. He released shortly after with a deep grunt and satisfied smile..

We grabbed our clothes from the pile we formed on the counter, knowing we needed to leave before being caught. He linked his fingers with mine as he smirked, grabbing the red silicone brush. He shoved it into his pocket and whispered, “I’ll keep this.”

His driver picked Stella up, and then the three of us went back to my apartment. I wanted Drake to feel comfortable around Stella, so I invited him to stay for dinner in hopes they could bond.

“Mommy, can we have mac and cheese?” Stella begged with her sweet baby blues. I turned to look at Drake for his reaction, and surprisingly, he smiled and nodded at me.

“Of course, baby,” I smirked and walked to the kitchen.

“Are you excited for me to make your first gourmet meal?” I teased Drake, leading him into the kitchen with me.

“Don’t worry, you can make it up to me with dessert.” He laughed, slapping my ass in the process.

Michael walked in the door, unaware we had company, and started blabbering about his hectic day. “Oh my God, Molly. Like, seriously, this guy Marcus totally runs into me…” he froze as he walked into the kitchen, realizing I was not alone. “Oh shit, sorry,” he mumbled, looking at Drake.

“It’s okay, Michael. He’s staying for dinner,” I said reassuringly. “Wanna join? It’s mac and cheese night.” He shot me a confused look as he knew I would want to cook a real meal for Drake.

Stella joined us at the table, completely oblivious to the awkward tension of having a new person at dinner. I served her a plate and sat down next to Drake. I jumped as Drake’s phone rang in his pocket. I expected him to answer it, but he glanced at it, and shut it off instead. I glanced at Michael as I wondered who had called him.

After tucking Stella in for the night, Michael hid away in his room to work on his blog. I led Drake out onto the balcony with a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine. 

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you…” I was cut off by the ringing of his phone. I stopped, waiting for him to answer, but again he looked at it and turned it off. “Are you sure you don’t need to answer that?”

“No, it’s not important. Don’t worry about it.” He sounded cold, almost irritated by the caller.

We continued the rest of the time on the balcony in silence, taking in the amazing Chicago view. I wrapped my fleece over me and snuggled in closer to Drake. It was perfect.

* * *

The next day I woke up to an empty bed, puzzled at where Drake could be. It was still early, so I grabbed my robe and walked out into the hallway. As I walked down the hall, I saw him sitting at the table, talking on his phone.

“I told you to stop calling me, Kendra! This is enough!” Drake scowled. He paused a short second before continuing his rant. “This is unacceptable. I gave you what you wanted, now leave me alone!” He snapped the phone shut and dug his head into his hands. He was obviously worked up over something, or someone.

I wasn’t sure if I should comfort him or go back to bed and pretend I didn’t hear his conversation. He stood up and pushed his chair in as I quickly tiptoed back to bed, covering myself up as if I had been in there the entire time.

When I woke up again, Drake was kissing my neck and gracefully teasing my breasts. It was certainly a sweet surprise to start my day.

“Well, good morning to you too,” I breathed as his kissing became more intense. It was as if the early morning phone conversation never happened.

“Shh…” he hushed me. He continued kissing my neck and then lowered himself onto me, kissing my breasts, my stomach, and then finally, he pushed inside me.
A very good start to my morning after all.

I arrived to my internship just on time, ready to conquer the day after the amazing wake-up call I had. It was bliss beginning my day with Drake.
And ending it with Drake.
It was as if we had been together all along, when in reality it had only been a week. He was helping me make sense of my life, giving it purpose. It was mind-blowing how strong my feelings were for this man already.

“Why are you so happy this morning?” Blakely asked, accusingly.

“Just am.” I smiled. I noticed Travis and Brad looking at me for any signs of why I was so happy. I couldn’t stop smiling. It made for a very productive day in the kitchen.

“All done. I think we had another successful day,” Brad praised. “You guys game for hitting a couple drinks after?”

I wasn’t picking Stella up today, and I wasn’t sure what Drake’s plans were, so I decided a drink or two would be nice. “Sure, I’ll go.” Brad’s eyes lit up and he smiled.

We went to our usual tavern, not too far from the restaurant. The memory of Drake sitting at the bar and catching me before I tripped sent shivers down my spine. It had only been a week, and yet so much had changed since then.

Between Brad and Travis and their continual flirting, I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Blakely was fooling around with Micah and Anthony playing darts, and I was ready to get back home.

“So, Molly, what are your plans after graduation?” Brad asked, sipping his beer.

“I would actually like to work at the Riverside Restaurant, but ultimately, I’d like to run my own restaurant someday,” I responded shyly.

Brad laughed. “That’s a hard position to get, Mols. No offense, but the Riverside Restaurant is the most elite and competitive in Chicago. Only the best of the best get hired there.”

“I know. Are you saying I’m not good enough?” I asked teasingly.

“No, not at all. Just saying I wouldn’t get my hopes up. It’s a hard place to get into. The program itself is intense,” he said, trying to sound sincere.

“Well, it’s one of my goals, and just because it seems impossible doesn’t mean I’m not going to aim for it.” I finished my drink and slid out of the booth.

At the bar, Blakely had charmed Micah and Anthony into buying her drink after drink. “Hey, I gotta get going. See you tomorrow?”

“Definitely. Night, dear,” she said, giggling as Micah whispered in her ear. I waved goodbye to the rest of the group and walked out the door.

Was I crazy for thinking I’d get a position at the Riverside after graduation? I knew it would look bad if word leaked out I was sleeping with Drake. I wanted to earn it on my own with no favors.