Blackmailing the Billionaire

by

Marie Kelly

Special Smashwords
Edition

This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places and incidents are either the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is
entirely coincidental.

Blackmailing the
Billionaire

Special Smashwords
Edition

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Copyright © 2013 Marie
Kelly
. All rights reserved, including the
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Joy sat, legs crossed primly, body stiff and
tense, her stomach churning as nausea clutched at her. Across the
desk, the powerful 32-year-old CEO of the Calle Corporation stared
in disbelief. For what seemed an eternity, the silence stretched
out before the man blinked, his mouth setting in an angry line.
“Are you out of your mind Miss Reid?”, the words bitten out
contemptuously, his dark eyes raking her with disdain. She
swallowed, only managing to cling to her calm exterior by her very
fingertips, her knees hidden under the table shaking violently. If
he could see the way she quaked inside she thought, he would not
look so stunned, praying for Ricco’s sake she could hold strong.
The thought of him was the shot of courage she needed, Joy raising
her small chin, eyes meeting the man across from her and nodding.
“That is my offer Mr Calle... Take it or leave it”

The man leant forward, his fingers steepled
together on the large, ornate and obviously expensive walnut desk,
the thought that it no doubt cost more than she could earn in a
year flitting through her mind, not sure why such a thing should
register at a time like that.

His deep voice, the slightest hint of an
accent making it strangely sexy, interrupted her musings, “So...
Let me get this right. For the past six months you have been
holding out selling your land... While I have been upping my
offer…” Joy nodded in affirmation as he continued, “But now... You
are prepared to sell at the ORIGINAL price... If I agree to be your
boyfriend for some unknown period of time?”

When the offer was laid out like that even
Joy could see how crazy it sounded, her insides knotting together
even tighter, her voice almost a squeak, “Yes” Before her, Carig
Calle shook his head, his eyes hard as slate and just as dark. “You
are out of your mind Miss Reid. I will get your land by legal means
if necessary. You are blocking a major development... One badly
needed around here and I will win in the end... Even if the sale
has to be court-ordered”

Joy gripped her bag tighter, staring back at
the arrogant Spaniard, her tone harder now, her own eyes flashing
back, the usually warm brown of them darkening. “Don’t threaten me
Mr Calle. You might manage that eventually but we both know that
you need to start this project in the next three months”, her head
rising as she locked stares with the CEO, not aware how glorious
she looked, Carig Calle frowning at the change in the little mouse
who had walked in with her ridiculous demand only moments before.
“I might not win... But I will cost you so much money in delayed
building that even YOU will feel it Mr Calle”

Stopping, she glowered at the man. She hated
bullies, and even more so this man and his ilk. Why did rich people
think that because they had money they could destroy the lives of
others? A flash of pain once more ripped through her as an image of
Ricco in a hospital bed pushed into her mind. The fight left her as
she lifted a hand, pushing a wayward strand of hair from her face,
her voice softening, “If you do as I ask... then you will maintain
your schedule and even save some money”

Carig Calle sat back in his chair, one
finger absently stroking his lower lip, brows furrowed in
confusion. “I do not understand Miss Reid. Why would you want to be
my girlfriend? We are strangers”, a light of sympathy suddenly
appearing in the inky darkness of his eyes as his voice softened.
“Miss Reid... I have heard of this... Of women fixating on people
they see in the papers... On TV... This idolisation... ”, the rest
was lost as Joy, her emotions still taut, burst out laughing, not
sure why she would at a moment like that react this way. Carig’s
frown turned to a scowl as she shook her head, “No... Oh God no.
Please don’t think that. When I said girlfriend... I meant in name
only. I have NO desire for anything else... ”, another giggle left
her, tears starting to slide down her face, as she raised a hand in
apology, “No... I have absolutely no desire for anything other than
being beside you at events you attend... None at all”

Carig sat in stunned shock. While the small
woman across from him was most certainly not his type, he did not
enjoy hearing as she made it very clear that even the thought of
anything else between them reduced her to hysterics, his hand
gripping the leather chair so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Then what the hell are you talking about?”,
his icy tone sloshed over her like a bucket of freezing water, the
laughter dying instantly as she once more became solemn, “I want to
attend events with you... Meet the right people and generally gain
access to your social group Mr Calle” Anger broiled deep within
Carig, fired by her blatant disinterest in him as a man, not sure
why when the idea was abhorrent to him he would have such a
reaction. “No. I find your offer unacceptable Miss Reid”, his eyes
flitting down her with no attempt to conceal the disgust in them,
“I have my reputation to consider and certainly have no desire to
drag around an ugly duckling like you as my ‘girlfriend’”

The moment the words were out he felt shame,
Carig not someone who took any pleasure in hurting others. It did
not help the way her large brown doe eyes filled with hurt and
pain, her heart-shaped lips struggling to keep the small tremor
from them before she shifted in her seat, trying hard to hide her
upset as she pulled open the small bag she clung to. From within
she extracted a letter before nervously unfolding it with fingers
which shook handing it over to him. “I thought you might not be
keen, and you should know Mr Calle, that I am determined. I will do
whatever it takes to get what I want... Even if that means fighting
dirty. I contacted Mr Lucian of the Barella Corporation and he was
most kind... and generous”

Carig took the letter from her, his eyes
scanning the words, lifting his shocked gaze back. “He is offering
you twice what I was... You know why he is doing this don’t you?”
Nodding, she sat stiffly once more, “I understand that Mr Lucian
would like to block your proposed plans... And yes, he is being
very generous” Carig’s thunderous voice made her flinch. “This
project will provide much-needed jobs in this area Joy... You know
this... YOU are putting the whole future of this area in
jeopardy... Why the hell would you do that?... These people are
your friends and neighbours”

Her eyes held his steadily. “You were right
when you said that I could not fight you... But he can... And he
will. You and I both know that he has the resources to hold this up
forever” Dropping her head, guilt shot through her. He was right.
She was playing with the future of the entire area. The future of
people she had grown up with, many already having turned on her.
Farming was no longer the industry it used to be in the English
countryside, most farmers struggling to compete with cheaper
imported produce. The development the Calle Corporation proposed
would see a huge golf course, five star hotel and resort bringing
hundreds of jobs to the area, and jump-starting the tourist
opportunities for the many pretty villages scattered around.
However, this was the only way... The only way to help Ricco, and
she was going to see it through, no matter what. Taking another
steadying breath she looked back up, a pleading light in her eyes.
“Please Mr Calle. This may seem crazy to you... But I have my
reasons. I have no interest in selling to Mr Lucian... As you can
see from my offer... None at all. I would much rather sell to
you... But I will sell to him if you force my hand. This will be
over in a few months, three at most... Then you will have your land
and will never have to see me again”

His eyes once more dropped to the letter,
anger at having been outmaneuvered filling him with cold rage. What
choice did he have? She had backed him right into a corner.
Dropping the letter, his look rose to hers. “Fine. Seems I have
little choice Miss Reid. However, I want this agreement in writing.
I will have my lawyers draft something up for this afternoon”

Relief swamped Joy, her shoulders drooping
as the tension and a long sigh left her body. The smile she gave
radiated from her, Carig stunned at the difference it made; how it
elevated her from his initial impression of being pretty, despite
his earlier brutal words, to beautiful. Scowling, he turned away.
No he would not think of her like that. This woman had played him
to get her still yet-unknown way, and nobody – least of all a small
slip of a girl from some backwater farm – did that to him. With
mouth set, he watched as she leapt to her feet, sliding a small
piece of paper across to him. “I put my cell phone number on here,
and look forward to hearing from your lawyers. The sooner we get
started the better” He leant forward picking up the paper, his mind
thoughtful. He would make her pay for this.

The rest of the day rolled by in a blur for
Joy, she only having time for a tea in a small coffee shop close to
the intimidating Calle building before her phone rang, the
officious lawyer requesting her presence in an hour. Sitting
sipping the much needed drink, her mind played over the events of
the meeting. Things had gone far smoother than she could possibly
have hoped for, her lips quirking at the memory of the anger in his
eyes. He was even more handsome up close than in the many pictures
she had seen of him on the internet. In most, he was accompanied to
special events by stunning blondes, another chuckle escaping her
lush lips. He did seem to like blondes, her fingers capturing a
lock of her own dark hair, lifting it, a rueful curl to her mouth.
No, she was certainly not his type.

From his black glossy hair, fashionably cut,
to his sensual mouth, he was stunning, another gurgle of laughter
rising within her. If he had not been born with a silver spoon in
his mouth and made head of the Calle Corporation, he could most
definitely have modelled for a living. Stirring the tea, she
frowned. It seemed good looks ran in men of his circle, anger once
more gnawing at her as she took another calming sip. Well, people
like him had to learn that they could not run over those with less
resources than themselves, certainly not those desperate.

Entering the offices of his legal team, she
was aware that all talk ended, Joy holding her head high to not let
them see the way her insides cringed. While the older lawyer might
have been surprised at the contents of the document he handed to
her, he said nothing, merely pointing to an area she could examine
it, then waiting as she took a seat to carefully read over the
words.

The contract was a perfect reflection of her
previous conversation and as she closed over the final sheet, the
lawyer stood, moving over to join her. Handing her a pen, he
questioned if all was in order, Joy nodding, giving the man a ghost
of a smile before adding her signature to the strong sure one
already there. With the signing done, the lawyer shook her hand,
Joy holding back the smile at his professionalism, before finally
able to make her way home.