Rising Storm (27 page)

Derek knew he was what women considered a real catch. Hell, a stupid magazine had done a write-up on Seattle’s most eligible bachelors and placed his picture as number one. He’d been furious and had tried to have himself taken out of the article, but his attorney had spouted some crap about freedom of speech. Since the article appeared, even more materialistic females approached him.

The magazine listed his net worth as equal to Bill Gates. They’d also said he was tall, dark and handsome. He stood over six feet, with broad shoulders and muscles that rippled throughout his entire body. He hated gyms, but he ran every morning, and sometimes in the evenings too. He’d discovered, at a young age, that running was a great form of relieving his stress.

He knew the second best way to relieve stress was to take a woman to bed. The minute he was done with her, he walked away, though. There were many women who tried to get him to stay, but no one held his interest longer than it took him to button up his pants.

After his heart had been shattered by Jasmine, he wasn’t interested in any other woman. He figured once he got his revenge, then he’d think about settling down.

A woman breezed by him wearing entirely too much perfume, and he snapped back to reality. He sighed as he grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter.

These parties were all about who had the most to offer. The women were on the prowl, and the men were fishing. He wasn’t interested. If he wanted a woman, he could have one at any time. He wasn’t interested in superficial wannabe socialites.

He watched as a couple of ladies passed by in low-cut gowns, dripping with diamonds. They were trying to catch his eye, and normally he’d make their day by flirting a little, giving them the impression they stood a chance. Today wasn’t that day. He had a raging headache, and he was pissed he’d been summoned.

“There you are, boy. What are you doing hiding in the corner?” Daniel Titan, his father, walked up and questioned him.

“I’m wondering why I’m here when I’d rather be home with a scotch and my feet up,” Derek replied.

“You’re here because you received a request from your father. I have some things to discuss with you later,” Daniel said in his no-nonsense voice.

“And it couldn’t wait?” Derek questioned.

“Oh, live it up a little. You’re always so busy adding a few more million to your bank account you don’t stop to smell the roses,” his father admonished him.

“I live it up plenty. Hell, I was in Milan last week.”

“You were in Milan on business. That doesn’t count,” his dad told him, a bit exasperated.

“For me, the ideal time is mixing business with pleasure,” Derek told his father with a waggle of his brows. Both men relaxed. “Seriously, Dad, I do have a headache. What’s so important it couldn’t wait until morning?” Derek asked.

Once Derek had made his first million, he’d moved his father to the city. Daniel was the Chief Financial Officer of his huge corporation. His father was brilliant and had helped the company grow further. His dad may have had several hard times while Derek was growing up, but he was essential to Derek’s company now.

“David Freeman’s here tonight, and he’s talking to some people, trying to get investors,” Daniel said.

Derek was on instant alert. He searched the room, spotting his enemy. David was the one who’d made Derek the cut-throat businessman he’d turned into. “It’s far too late for him. By tomorrow morning, his company will be mine, no matter what he tries tonight,” Derek said with a sneer.

Derek saw a beautiful woman approach David, stepping up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. David didn’t even bother to turn and acknowledge her, which she didn’t seem to notice. The man noticed nothing around him if it didn’t have dollar signs on it, not even his stunning daughter. Derek’s eyes narrowed to slits. He hadn’t seen Jasmine for ten years, and those years had been very good to her.

Her dress was skintight on top, dipping low in both the front and back. Her curves were even more pronounced now that her body had matured. She had dark hair, which was swept up in a classic bun, with tendrils floating around her delicate face. Her dark brown eyes had once mesmerized him. They had a hypnotic quality, with their deceiving innocence shining through and the thick, dark lashes surrounding them.

He was angry at the tightening in his gut at just the sight of her. She’d nearly destroyed him, and yet he still wanted her. His full revenge included her, though, so he’d have her in his bed again, and then she’d be begging him not to leave.

“I’m leaving now. He won’t make any progress tonight, and tomorrow’s a busy day for me.” Derek said. He then turned away and walked out of the room, without once looking behind him.

###

Jasmine spotted Derek across the room, and her insides went up in flames. She narrowed her eyes in anger at the man as he walked around like he owned the place. She knew the kinder, gentler side of him, but that boy was long gone. He may have never really existed beyond her imagination.

He wasn’t the boy who had taken her virginity and promised her forever. She thought back to that summer so many years ago. She’d waited at the abandoned church all day, hoping something had happened to make him run late. When the sun had faded from the sky, she’d finally had to admit he wasn’t coming. It had all been lies.

She watched him now as he turned and walked from the room. He was by far the sexiest man in the room, with his custom tuxedo and piercing blue eyes. He had a delectable body, even though he sat in an office all day. Her heart fluttered, remembering those long summer nights of running her hands and tongue down those hard muscles.

As Derek disappeared around the corner, she couldn’t help but think back to the summer ten years before. It had been a time when she’d really believed in fairy tales and magic.

She’d grown up very wealthy in a small town outside of Seattle, Washington. Her father owned a multi-million-dollar company, and she’d always had more than most people could ever hope for.

Her mother died during childbirth, so Jasmine had never known her. Her father never remarried, though he dated a lot of women. None of them really acknowledged her presence, so she didn’t get attached to any of them. Sometimes, Jasmine thought it would be nice to have a woman help her pick out a dress or teach her how to do her hair. The staff was great and always spoiled her a bit, which she knew irritated her father.

She’d seen Derek in school from the time she was young, but she really got to know him the summer before her senior year in high school. He’d been from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks. His family was dirt poor, but he was always determined to make a success out of his own life and turn things around. He ended up helping her with her math, and soon they were inseparable. She’d loved his hunger and motivation and the way he never talked down about anyone. She thought he was every one of her fairy tales come to life.

Soon, she found she was spending every waking moment with him. When her father found out she was dating a boy from the poor side of town, he’d been furious and demanded her to end the relationship. It was the first time in her life her father told her she couldn’t have something she wanted. It also was the first time she’d defied him.

She’d been stubborn, putting her foot down, and had continued to see Derek behind her father’s back. She loved that he seemed to like her for who she was and not her money. He wouldn’t let her spend money on him--ever. He worked hard for a construction company, which would frustrate her at times because she wanted him to be with her and not at a job.

He’d laugh at her frustration, but he always made it up to her on the weekend. That last weekend they’d been together, they snuck off and went camping in the woods. She’d made love to him for the first time. It was the most magical experience she’d ever had. He proposed marriage to her that night, and she said yes. They were going to meet at the old abandoned church on the outside of town on Sunday and run away together. He’d been saving all his money and was heading to the city to make something of himself.

She’d gone home after being gone all night, and her father had been spitting he was so angry with her. She’d told him she was of legal age and could do what she wanted. She told her father she loved Derek and she was going to marry him. Her father had seemed to accept her decision because he became eerily calm and kissed her on the cheek. That was a rare thing, as he wasn’t normally a man to openly show affection.

He said she was right and he was proud of her for making adult decisions. He then asked if he could help with anything. She’d been so happy her dad accepted her decision, she told him everything.

The next day, she ended up being late to the church because she had a few errands her dad had asked her to do for him. She knew she had the rest of her life with Derek, so she could wait a couple of hours to run away with him. She knew he’d wait for her. She was confident in their relationship.

She got to the church and was surprised he wasn’t there, but she figured he’d gotten busy like her. She waited, and then waited some more. She sat there all afternoon until she finally accepted he wasn’t coming, as the sun started to set in the sky.

She’d dragged herself home, crying the entire way. When she walked into the house and her father saw her, he’d taken her into his arms and asked her what was wrong. She’d cried against him and finally told him Derek hadn’t shown up.

Her father continued to stroke her back and tell her everything was okay. He’d explained to her he never trusted the boy, and that’s why he’d been so overprotective. She never suspected her father had anything to do with Derek not arriving.

###

Derek left the hotel, thinking back to that summer. He had so much bitterness about that day, but if he really thought back to it, that’s what shaped him into the man he was now.

He’d fallen head over heels for the girl. He’d never thought he was worthy of dating someone as amazing as her, but he was determined to make himself so. When he ended up helping her with her schoolwork and found a connection with her, he was unable to stay away.

He thought she was so different from the other kids who had money. Her family was the richest in town, and her father reveled in that fact. He walked around in his custom-made suits and drove his expensive cars. Hell, the man’s house was a showpiece, so all the people lower than he could worship at his doorstep.

When Derek and Jasmine made love for the first time and he’d realized she’d given him her most sacred gift, he was overwhelmed. He proposed right away and decided to run away with her to do the right thing.

He planned on heading to the city and making something of himself so he could continue to give her all the things she was used to. He wanted to make sure she never went without anything. He wanted to place her on a throne and spoil her rotten. He’d do, or give her, anything she wanted.

He’d shown up at the church full of naïve teenage dreams and one bag. When he heard approaching steps, he’d turned in anticipation. His heart sank at the sight of her father.

The man approached with a sympathetic smile plastered on his face. “Derek, I’m sorry, but Jasmine asked me to come and speak with you,” David had said. Derek didn’t understand why she’d send her father. “Jasmine said she couldn’t face you, but she didn’t want to leave here. I have some cash here to help you on your way. She said you planned to go to the city, and I want to help you get there,” he said with that same smile on his face.

Derek felt like his world was falling out underneath him. The man pulled out an envelope loaded with hundred-dollar bills. He held it out toward Derek. David was trying to pay him off. It was as if he was saying,
Thanks for entertaining my daughter, but your services are no longer needed.

“I don’t want your money,” Derek spat at him. David continued holding the envelope out, like he couldn’t believe the kid from the wrong side of town wouldn’t jump at having that much cash.

“Jasmine was hoping this would appease your feelings and help you get on with your life,” David had the gall to say.

“Tell Jasmine no thank you,” Derek growled at him and then turned and walked away. He never looked back. He’d been pissed when David had offered to pay him off, but when he found out it was Jasmine’s idea he saw red.

He couldn’t believe how wrong he’d been about her. The thing that made him even angrier was the grief coursing through him at knowing he wouldn’t see her again. As he walked back toward his childhood home, he vowed someday he’d have her begging him to take her back, and then he’d be the one to walk away.

He’d made his way home, told his father goodbye, and then left for the city. He worked night and day until he purchased his first company. He was excellent at his job. He found companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy, bought them and divided them up, making huge sums of money. His first takeover had led to many, many more. He was now worth far more than Jasmine ever had been, and he was about to exact his revenge.

He downed a scotch and then went to bed. He had a full day planned for tomorrow, and he wanted to be well-rested for what was to come. He’d finally have Jasmine at his mercy when her daddy no longer had any money left.

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