The Billionaire’s Desires Vol.12-13 (18 page)

I'm going to blow... and shove the company handbook down your throat!

Luckily for us, Wilson has to greet new partygoers and quickly jets off to perform his show elsewhere.

"That guy is a pig!" Sophie mutters, giving me a compassionate look.

"Worse than that, he's a predator!" Clarence goes on.

"Even if he were the last man on earth, there would be no way..." Sophie grimaces with disgust.

"May I?" I ask, taking her glass and drinking it in one gulp."Sorry, I needed that."

"You can really knock 'em back!" Clarence guffaws.

"Alma, you can't let him harass you like that! He hasn't let up since you started. He's obsessed with you! You should talk to King about it," Sophie continues.

"We'd need Mr. Billionaire to come back for that to happen," our French Will Smith interrupts.

"Who knows if he'll come back," I say, my mind a bit fogged over by the three glasses I've emptied in less than an hour.

I'd been planning on going home, but I'm still here. I'm not exactly having a great night, but I don't feel like being home alone, where all I'd be doing would be thinking of him, feeling angry that he hasn't been in touch, imagining what will happen next, rehashing the past. No way. Sophie and Clarence are good company, and so are the rest of my colleagues and new partners. Luckily, Joseph has plenty to do and hasn't been back to drool. I catch him looking at me from the other side of the room, but the bustle around me and the alcohol help me ignore him. It's about time I switch to the non-alcoholic drinks...

It's almost midnight when Sophie tells me she and Clarence are going to share a taxi and ask me to join them. Or rather, they insist I join them. Apparently she's noticed I'm a"bit" drunk... I accept gladly, but ask them if they can wait fifteen minutes because I still haven't talked to Marc and I need to congratulate him. I stop by the ladies' room first, to relieve a pressing urge and my head begins to spin. I need to be alone for a few moments. The big dark marble room is very trendy yet elegant, and I'm glad no one else is around. Making chitchat in the restroom is not my favorite pastime, especially when I've drunk too much and my words might betray me.

I'm washing my hands and swearing I'll never drink again at a work function when Wilson opens the door and shuts it behind him. He backs against the wall and stares at me, a strangely perverted gleam in his eyes. This time I'm not going to beat around the bush. He's way out of line and it's time I set him straight!

"Get out of here – you have no right to be in here! For the last month you've been harassing me and treating me with disrespect. I'm sick of it! Get out, Joseph! I'm not joking, get out, or I'll scream!"

"Do you know who I am, you little tease? I'm your boss! You think you can talk to me like that? If you don't want me to fire you on the spot, you better be nice to me," he scolds in a husky, threatening voice, coming closer.

Shit, what is he doing?!

"Joseph, if you come one step closer, or if you try anything, I will make your life a living hell. You don't scare me," I say, without believing a word of it.

I'm shaking like a leaf. The alcohol has made me vulnerable and is blurring my mind. This guy terrifies me. I feel like he could be capable of anything.

"If I don't scare you, I must have some kind of an effect on you... Come here, I really would love to kiss you."

Sophie! Clarence! Where are you?!

I feel nauseous. Even the idea of his lips on mine makes me sick to the stomach. Panicked, I try to make a run for it: I lunge toward the door, hoping to escape him, but I miss. His arms close around me and he presses me forcefully against the cold wall, placing his big hot hand over my mouth.

"Don't put up a fight, Alma. Don't resist me."

I squirm and twist, trying to push him away with all my force, but he's too heavy. He kisses my neck and puts his hands on me. Tears are streaming down my face – I'm living a nightmare. My last bit of strength slips away and I feel like I'm about to faint.

Suddenly, in the distance, I hear a familiar voice which is powerful and comforting, then loud noises and yelling, then nothing. I black out completely.

I wake up at dawn, alone in my room with the shades drawn, in my underwear. I have no idea how I got here. My head is in a fog, my heart in my throat. A deep feeling of unease pulls at me, and I don't know why. Then it all comes back. The images flash through my mind, each one more crushing and painful than the last. Wilson tried to rape me and I don't know if he succeeded or not. In shock and devastation, I roll up in the comforter to disappear. That's when I notice a little note on the pillow...

[Drink in moderation. That's an order! V.]

Vadim. He's the one who rushed into the restroom when I was passing out. He pulled me out of Wilson's arms. He saved me just in time, once again. I owe him so much... I burst into sobs, overcome by a million emotions. I wish he were here. To curl up in his arms and feel his skin, smell him, to not be afraid anymore.

He's back... And if he came into the women's restroom it's because he was looking for me...

In the seven years of my working life, getting ready for a day of work has never been such a chore. Even though I want to get back up like a good little soldier, it's hard to listen to myself. I want to try and get past my anxiety and this feeling of shame that's eating at me. I shouldn't have drank so much and been left to Wilson's mercy. I should have remained dignified, reasonable and professional. Instead, I made a spectacle of myself. I've just stepped out of the shower when my cell phone rings. Sophie Adam's name appears on the screen. I've barely answered when she starts chattering away.

"Alma, I'm so relieved you picked up! I almost came over, but I wasn't sure if you'd appreciate that. How are you? I hope you aren't too traumatized. King was incredible! When he found you passed out and realized that Wilson was trying to take advantage of the situation, he went totally crazy! He took you home while the security guys got rid of the pervert. You should have seen him get thrown out onto the street like a piece of garbage. It was amazing!"

I don't know what to say.

"Sorry, it must have been horrible for you... Are you okay?" she says, embarrassed by her enthusiasm.

"I was just getting ready to go to work..."

"What? Are you crazy?! Take the day off, stay home and rest! How about I call in sick and keep you company?"

"No, I want to go to work. I need to get out and get my mind off things."

"Alma?"

"Yes?"

"What exactly happened? I mean... did he... well, you know?"

"No. But I think he was planning to."

"I knew it! King had his doubts, but Wilson claimed it was... consensual."

"Me, consent? To sleeping with that sicko?!"

"You have to press charges, Alma! He can't get away with this..."

"It won't lead to anything. I'd drunk too much and I have no proof. It'll be his word against mine. And I don't want the whole world to know. I'm already humiliated enough."

"Clarence and I can testify! We know Wilson was harassing you. We won't let you down! Alma, it really is important that you press charges, not just for you, but also to keep him from doing it again. That guy is a creep and you can be sure he'll start up again with another woman if no one does anything!"

"I need a little time..."

"Okay, but I'll go with you to the police station. Whenever you're ready, I'll be there. In the meantime, you can be sure he'll never set foot at King Productions again! After nailing him with an impressive right hook, King fired him on the spot. I thought he was going to kill him!"

He hit him?! And fired him?!

"Does everyone know about it?" I ask, on the verge of tears.

"I don't think so. People know that Wilson was fired, but they don't know why. Don't worry, I won't say anything."

"Thanks, Sophie..."

"I should never have left you alone, I should have forced you to get into the taxi, I knew he was after you," she says somberly.

"It's not your fault!"

"Well, I'm going to tell everyone you are out of town for work today."

"Sophie, I can go to work..."

"No, it's out of the question! I'll come over tonight on my way home from the office."

Sophie Adam is a great chick.

And a stubborn one...

I realize he's there before I even see him. The subtle waves of Paco Rabanne cologne reach me as I leave the bathroom and lead me straight to him. My senses didn't lie: Vadim King is indeed in my apartment, comfortably seated on my couch, holding a cup of coffee. I go into the living room, carefully avoiding his steely stare and, holding back my tears, I sit in one of the beige chairs next to the window. I'm only wearing a white robe over my underwear. I am mortified.

Even in dark jeans and a white V-neck sweater, he is breathtaking. He has circles under his eyes, his hair is disheveled and there's a worried look on his face, but any woman would fall for him in the blink of an eye. He looks at me and I lower my head, tighten the belt on my robe and push my rebellious hair behind my ears, waiting for the scolding that's sure to come. Finally, the words he speaks disarm me and force me to look him in the eye.

"Wilson's replacement is woman named Kate Monroe. She's from Fox and she'll start in a few days."

His voice is calm and sure, but I'm not stupid. Vadim is worried.

"Did you stay here all night?"

"Yes, I didn't want to leave you alone. I was going to leave early this morning, but... I wanted to stay."

"Thank you for bringing me home. And for coming to my rescue," I say with difficulty.

"I wanted to kill him when I saw him on you," he says, his voice tinted with emotion."If there hadn't been all those people around..."

"I'm sorry for... everything," I murmur stupidly.

"You should have told me that nut job was hovering dangerously close. I thought he was just hitting on you for a joke, and that that's where it stopped. Sophie Adam told me everything. He should have been fired long ago! And you shouldn't have drunk so much."

"I know. I tried to push him away. Last night... and the other times. But he never listened. He always came back for more..."

"You should have reported him! That creep was harassing you for weeks and you did nothing!"

"I thought I could handle the situation."

"If I hadn't shown up in time, he would have... he would have done it! Do you realize that?!" he roars, standing up quickly."I can't even express the rage I feel! God damn it, Alma, it's not my job to watch over you anymore. It's not my job to protect you!"

"So why did you do it then?"

"You know very well why!"

"Say it. Why do you keep protecting me, looking out for me?

"For the same reason you continue to send me messages and photos from the past! For the same reason you're jealous when you see me with someone else! And for the same reason I go nuts when an asshole hits on you in front of me!"

"I'm sorry about the photo, I was... nostalgic."

"Nostalgic? You want me to believe you were just feeling nostalgic? You're lying to me, and worse yet: you are lying to yourself if you believe a single word you just said, Alma!"

"I'm sorry."

"Stop being sorry. Polite. Fair. Reasonable. The perfect little daughter, I don't care about that crap anymore. We aren't kids anymore. Own up to it for once, take responsibility for yourself, go all the way! You were the one who left twelve years ago, and you destroyed me! And you throw these memories in my face, pretending you feel nothing for me?"

"I don't know what you want from me, Vadim. I've said everything I have to say," I reply shamefully, unable to admit the truth.

But the truth is he's right. I'm in love with him just like I was from day one, I don't want to lose him or share him with anyone else. The truth is also that I'm scared to death. I'm scared he'll use me to get revenge and then throw me away. Terrified I’ll lose him again.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

No!

"Great."

He gives me one last look, challenging me, waits a few seconds for me to react, then gets up to leave, realizing I'm not going to go any further. I get up also, secretly hoping he'll change his mind. At the door to the living room, he stops, waits, then does a U-turn.

"Oh, screw it!"

He crosses the room in long strides, as if pushed by a superhuman force. All of a sudden, his massive body is pressed against mine, his hands on my dumbstruck face, his lips cover my hungry mouth. He kisses me violently, almost growling, and I sigh and pant, trying to catch my breath. I've dreamt of this kiss a million times, I've waited for it, wanted it. His body against mine ignites a fire in me, I want more, I want him, now. I twist my fingers into his hair, like before, and slide my tongue over the small scar on his lower lip. Then suddenly his mouth is shyer, his arms loosen their hold on me. I feel him slipping away again. I try to hold on to him, kissing him again, but more tenderly. It's too late, he backs away, his face closed off, his mind tormented.

"What the hell am I doing? You haven't changed, Alma. You're going to end up using me however you want, just like before..."

I want to scream that twelve years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life by leaving him, that not a day has gone by I haven't thought of him, that we are meant to be. And that it's up to us, just us, to write the pages of our new story together. Wipe the slate clean. I'm ready to do it! But is he? Does he really want it?

"Give me the benefit of the doubt, Vadim. Whether you believe it or not, I've changed. I can prove it," I say, upset."I've missed you – excruciatingly so."

And then it clicks. Vadim wanted me to reveal my feelings, and I finally have. The mischievous look in his eyes says it all: we have ten years of lost time to make up for and not a second to lose. He places his hands gently on my waist and turns me so my back is to him. His hot lips venture into the crook of my neck and I moan as his fingers skillfully grasp my belt and begin to slowly untie it...