Billionaire On Fire: The Complete Series (A Bad Boy Alpha Billionaire Romance) (10 page)

"I'll be ready,"
Alex said before she walked away from the desk.

I marched out of the ER and
back to the truck where Tesla lay curled up sleeping in the front seat. I
started the truck and then slammed my fists on the steering wheel as I
muttered, "Women!"

Tesla lifted her head up off
of her paw and let out one quiet "Woof!" before she put her head back
down.

"Not you, too?" I
said in an exasperated tone. She ignored me the whole ride home.

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

Alex

After
Cam
left the ER, I went to find Liz. Leslie had been gone looking for her for a
long time, and I'd started to get worried. As I walked down the hallway toward
the pharmacy, Liz rounded the corner looking much better than she had a few
hours before.

"Are you okay?" I
asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine,"
Liz said waving me off as she looked down. I could tell she was embarrassed,
but I had no idea what had happened. "Just wasn't feeling very good
earlier."

"That's bullshit and you
know it," I said grabbing her arm and forcing her to look at me.
"What's going on with you, Liz? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry,
Alex," she said looking very apologetic. "I don't know what's going
on, I just felt incredibly tired."

"Liz, if you have a
problem..." I began not knowing how to say what I was about to say.
"If you have a drug problem, I can get you help, you know."

"Me? A drug
problem?" Liz said incredulously. "Jesus H. Christ, Pierce, not you,
too!"

"What? You were acting
strange, Liz!" I shot back as she moved away from me crossing her arms
over her chest and setting her jaw.

"I don't have a drug
problem," Liz said again. "I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend, and
if you have a problem, I'll help you," I pleaded. "Just tell me
what's going on!"

"Go to hell, Alex,"
Liz said as she wiped angry tears from her cheeks before turning her back and
walking away.

"What did I do?" I
shouted after her. "I just want to help!"

I threw up my hands and
walked back to the ER where Leslie cheerfully informed me that my shift was
over and I was free to go. I went to the locker room to gather my things hoping
that Liz would be there so we could talk about what had happened, but she was
gone. Her locker was open and empty, and as I pulled on my coat, I wondered if
I should pick up breakfast and take it to her place as a peace offering.

"Hey, Alex," Leslie
called as she ran after me hold the gold box containing the roses Cam had
brought. "Don't forget your flowers!"

"Oh, yeah, thanks,"
I said taking the box and tucking it under my arm.

"You okay?" Leslie
asked. "You look a little down."

"I'm fine, just worried
about Liz," I admitted. "There's something wrong and she won't tell
me, but we always tell each other everything."

"I'm sure she'll tell
you when she's ready," Leslie reassured me.

"But what if it's too
late?" I asked, "What then?"

"I'm sure if she needs
help, she'll ask," Leslie said as she turned and headed back inside to the
warmth of the ER. "If you need to talk, I'm here!"

I trudged home through the
snow, deciding to skip breakfast and sleep. I was supposed to go out with Cam
at seven, and I'd been awake for more than twenty-four hours. I shoved the
image of Violet Metzler hugging Cam out of my head, and by the time I got home,
it was all I could do to shed my scrubs, set my alarm and fall into a deep
sleep.

I woke up before my alarm
went off, and for a moment wasn't sure where I was. The sun had set and the
streetlight cast strange shadows on the wall of my bedroom. I grabbed my phone
and saw that Cam would be picking me up a couple of hours, so I got up and made
a cup of coffee as I ran a shower.

The caffeine and hot water
combined to jolt me out of my sleepy state and I decided that I wasn't going to
start the evening by being mad at Cam for what Violet had done in the ER. I'd
been tired and worried about Liz, so I'd read more into Cam's interaction with
Violet than I should have. Besides, it was me he'd brought the flowers to, not
her.

I wound my hair into a loose
bun at the nape of my neck, swept black mascara on my lashes and a bit of red
lipstick on my lips before I slipped into a form-fitting, little black dress
that had a deep v-neck and a pair of black, patent leather stilettos. The
overall effect was quite sexy and I smiled as I looked at myself from all
angles in the mirror next to the front door.

Cam arrived a little while
later and let out a low wolf whistle when I opened the door. He looked handsome
in a grey suit that was obviously custom made since it emphasized his wide
shoulders and cut in at the waist. He'd shaved, and although it looked like
he'd made an attempt to tame his wild, rust-colored curls, they defied him.

"You ready to go
eat?" he asked as he helped me with my coat.

"I'm starving," I
said. "I hope this place serves big portions!"

"Well, we're not leaving
until you're full, that's for sure," he smiled.

We drove to Grace over on
Randolph Street where Cam handed over the keys to the truck after making sure
I'd made it safely to the door. The hostess led us into the dining room and
seated us at a quiet table off to one side. I looked around, awed by the fact
that I was inside this beautiful place that was so in demand that reservations
had to be made months in advance.

"How did you get a
reservation here for tonight?" I asked as I looked over the menu.

"I've got some friends
in high places," Cam smiled as he gave the waiter our drink order. He
looked back at me and said, "Actually, a friend of mine already had the
reservation but he had to cancel, so he offered it to me."

"Ah, I see, so Violet's
friendly greeting had nothing to do with this?" I said with a playful
smile on my lips.

"I'm sorry about that,
Alex," he said in a tone that was far more serious than I'd expected.
"I don't know her at all. I know of her father, but we're not close or
anything."

"It's okay, Cam," I
said as the waiter brought our drinks and told us about the specials. We
ordered before returning to the topic at hand. "I had other things on my
mind this morning, and Violet, as a rule, gets on my nerves."

"I can see that,"
he said holding up his glass. "Well, let's put it behind us and toast to a
wonderful dinner and another nice date, shall we?"

I lifted my glass and clinked
it against his, smiling as I brought it to my lips. Cam grinned as he changed
the subject and we ate until I thought I would burst as we talked about our
career plans, politics and the Cubs.

"So, what was it like
growing up on the South Side?" Cam asked as he dug into a dessert that
looked almost too beautiful to eat.

"Probably like anywhere
else," I said trying to figure out how to change the subject. I avoided
talking about my childhood as much as possible because it wasn't a pretty story
and I didn't want any pity. "It had its ups and downs, but mostly it was
just a lot of looking ahead, you know?"

"That's pretty
general," Cam said as he watched my expression then quietly said, "My
childhood was rough, too."

I stared at him across the
table for what felt like an eternity, but was probably a minute at most. I
debated whether to let him in or tell the sanitized version of my upbringing.
It was his smile that tipped the balance.

"Rough has its
benefits," I said holding his gaze. "And I turned out okay."

"It's okay if you don't
want to talk about it," he said as he finished his dessert. "I get
it. I don't talk about mine much, either. But sometimes it's good, you
know?"

"I was bounced around
between relatives from the time I was a toddler," I said without looking
away. "My parents both disappeared by the time I was ten, and then my
mother showed up years later, when I was a senior in high school. She was sick
and had nowhere else to go, so I nursed her until she died. We tried to get
along, but she was someone who was used to being in charge of sick people. Her
illness made her angry and mean. I've made peace with it, though. I'm on my own
and free to decide what makes me happy."

"Sounds like a hell of a
trade off," Cam said as the look in his eyes softened. “I’m sorry you had
to go through that, Alex.”

"Don't you dare pity
me," I said.

"Wouldn't dream of
it," he smiled. "Besides, you're not the kind of woman who really
inspires pity. You're pretty tough, even if you do come in a package that is
soft and beautiful."

"Oh my God, did you just
say that out loud?" I laughed as the tension was broken and I suddenly
felt at ease again. There was something about Cam that challenged me, but also
made me feel like everything would ultimately be okay.

"I believe I did,"
he grinned as he stood up and held out his hand. "Would you like to head
out now?"

I nodded as I took his hand.
All I wanted was to be alone with him, and as we waited for the valet to bring
the truck around, I said so. Cam looked at me with a questioning expression to
which I replied, "Yes, I'm sure."

Neither one of us said a word
the entire drive. Cam simply reached over and rested his hand on my leg. I
slipped my hand under his and laced my fingers through his as he pulled into
the parking lot. He put the truck in park and turned to me.

"Are you okay?" he
asked squeezing my hand.

"I'm fine," I said
looking into his eyes. "I just really want to be alone with you right
now."

"Your wish is my
command," he said as he got out of the truck and came around to open my
door.

Once inside my apartment, I
slid out of my coat and wrapped my arms around Cam's neck, pulling him to me so
I could kiss him hard and deep. He seemed a little surprised by my bold move,
but quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around my waist as he returned my
kiss. I slid his jacket off and then unbuttoned his dress shirt as he slipped
my dress off of my shoulders leaving us both naked from the waist up.

His skin was warm against my
breasts and his strong arms pulled me closer until I felt as if I were going to
melt into him. I pressed myself against him as I quickly unzipped his pants and
pushed them down to the floor. Cam looked at me with wide eyes as I leaned
against him, forcing him back against the wall of the entryway. My hand roamed
his body, moving lower until I felt his stiffness pressing against my hand.

"Alex..." he moaned
as I slid my hand down inside his shorts and ran my fingers down the sensitive
underside of his shaft.

"Mmm hmm," I hummed
as I began slowly stroking him. I could feel both of our bodies vibrating with
the need. Cam pushed the hem of my dress up over my hips before he slipped his
fingers into the waistband of my panties and tugged them down until they
dropped to the floor. I reciprocated as I pressed my body against his.

"Alex, I..." he
groaned as he shifted.

"Shhhh," I
whispered as I let go of his shaft and reached around to pull open one of the
drawers in the hall table. Inside, there were a stash of condoms and I pulled one
out, ripped the package open with my teeth and quickly unrolled it on Cam's
erection. His eyes were wide as I smiled, and in an instant everything shifted.

Cam grabbed me and lifted me
up on to the hall table where he positioned himself so that he could tease me
with the tip of his shaft long enough to make me cry out and beg him to push it
in.

"Mmmm, you like that, do
you?" he growled as he pushed the tip in and then stood perfectly still
for a moment waiting for me to beg again.

"Cam, please,
please!" I begged as I reached around and grabbed his firm cheeks and
tried to pull him deeper. He resisted until I was moaning as I begged ,and then
in one swift thrust, he slid all the way in and waited. I thought I was going
to lose my mind as he pushed deeper before slowly pulling back. The sensation
drove me out of my mind and I looked up to see him smiling as he held himself
back.

"Cam, please! I can't
take this!" I cried as he did a few shallow thrusts that made me even
wetter than I'd been. And then he plunged back inside me. I moaned loudly as I
pushed my hips forward to meet the increasing speed of his thrusts and he
pulled back and plunged in again and again.

Soon we were moving together,
pushing each other closer and closer toward the edge as we ran our hands over
bare skin and shared brutal kisses. I wanted to take him all the way inside me
and his pounding rhythm matched my own need. It wasn't long before I felt the
wave of orgasm begin to flow and I screamed into Cam's lips as I climaxed. He
wasn't far behind and I felt his body tense as he joined me.
 

"Are you okay?" Cam
whispered as we both caught our breath.

"Mmm hmm," I nodded
as I clung to him tightly. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off of
the hall table, carrying me to the bedroom where he laid me down.

"Be right back," he
said making a beeline for the bathroom.

When he returned, he lay down
next to me and pulled the covers up over us both before pulling me to him. I
lay there ,wondering what to say as he rested his chin on my head and slowly
stroked my hair.