Maid To The Billionaire: Forever His (Part Three) (Billionaire Romance) (3 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

VICTORIA

I was excited about dinner out with Alex. It had been quite a while since I’d been out and an evening alone with Alex is always a bonus. I was a little worried about what I would wear since I hadn’t bought any new clothes since before I found out I was pregnant. None of the clothes I did have before the pregnancy were really appropriate for the kind of restaurant I assumed Alex would pick either. With a bit of my excitement ebbing, I went up to start getting ready while Alex was on a business call. When I got to the master suite I was shocked to see a gorgeous black and white Vera Wang dress laying out on the bed. Next to it was a beautiful pair of black Manola Blahnik pumps and next to that sat two dozen long stemmed roses in a box. There was a note.

I picked up the note and read it:
“To the most beautiful woman in the world. I didn’t get you a gift for doing such an amazing job of giving me an heir… so please accept these. P.S. Your friend Liz helped me with the sizes so hopefully they’re right. Love, Alexander.”

I had tears in my eyes. I read the note again, this time pausing longer on the part that said, “Love.” Did he love me? He hadn’t said it yet… but then neither have I and I loved him with my heart and soul. I picked up the dress and held it up to me. I looked at it in the full-length mirror on the closet door. I was going to feel like a princess in it. I turned back around to put the dress back on the bed and that’s when I saw the white velvet box. It was a long, thin box. With trembling hands I reached down and picked it up. When I opened it, my breath caught in my throat.

It was a necklace with a delicate white gold chain and a stunning black onyx pendant with white bands running through it dangling from the center of it. There were two small diamonds on either side of the onyx and I knew at a glance that it must have cost a fortune. I felt one of the tears in my eyes spill over onto my cheek and I turned around to go find Alex. I didn’t have to look far; he was standing in the doorway behind me, smiling.

“Alex! It’s all so beautiful, but it’s too much, really.”

He came over to me and took the necklace from my hands. He took it out of the box and held it up to my neck and said, “I saw it and I couldn’t stop thinking about how pretty it would look on your gorgeous neck.” He stepped sideways so that I could see the mirror as he held it against my skin and said, “Look, I was right. Please accept it, Vicki. I would never buy you anything that I didn’t want you to have or that I didn’t think you deserved.”

I was speechless. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. When I finally let him go, I voiced that thought aloud. I saw him furrow his brow and for a second I wondered if maybe he’d never seen the movie, but then he took my chin in his hand and tipped my face up towards him and said, “Do you know what the big difference is?”

“I’m not Julia Roberts?” I asked, kidding… sort of.

“No, you’re not,” he said. “You are ten times as beautiful, first of all. Second of all, she played a call girl in that movie. You’re much, much more than that. You’re my son’s mother and you’re my… I hate the term girlfriend, it seems so juvenile, and I just don’t like it. But you mean so much to me, Vicki. I look into your eyes and I just feel it… it’s like… Damn!”

“What? What is it?”

“I don’t want to scare you.”

“Scare me? You’re scaring me by not saying it.”

“When I look into your eyes Vicki, I feel like I’ve found my soulmate. I love you… I’m in love with you.” The lone tear on my face was joined by about a hundred more. After a few seconds it was a torrent and I could hardly see his beautiful face through them. “Please don’t cry… I’m sorry.”

I had to sniff and like a six year old, I used the back of my hand to wipe my tears away as I said, “Oh no! Please don’t be sorry. They’re happy tears. I’m so happy! I love you too, Alex. I just wasn’t sure how you felt about me.”

He grinned. I melted. “I love you. I want you. I need you, and when Cassandra is out of our lives I want to put a ring on your finger. I’m not going to do it yet because I don’t want anything to take away from that moment.”

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Did he just say he wants to marry me? I threw my arms around him and he held me until I was able to get my tears under control. Most of them ended up all over his shirt, his shoulder was soaked. He lifted my head with a touch and pressed his soft lips to mine. He kissed me deeply and passionately and for the first time in my entire life I finally knew just exactly where I belonged.

***

He took me to Santa Monica for dinner to a place called Mélisse. It’s a French/American restaurant, and probably the nicest place I had ever been inside of. The outside looked like a picture of a French Bistro. It was wood and glass and had a big, green and white striped arbor over the entryway. There were potted plants on either side of the door and as soon as we entered we were greeted by a chic-looking hostess dressed all in black.

The walls of the restaurant were a deep purple color and there were beautiful gold lights all around the top of them that pointed towards the ceiling. They let off enough light to eat comfortably but still allowed for a romantic ambiance. The tables were all covered with white linen table cloths and set with fine silver and linen napkins. A hand-blown blue glass candle holder sat in the center of each one and a votive candle cast a glow across each of the patron’s faces. Fine artwork adorned the walls and a silver bowl sat in the center on a fine wood table filled with ice and chilling champagne.

“It’s so pretty in here!”

Alex smiled, “Yes, it is. The food is fantastic too.”

The hostess led us to a quiet corner of the restaurant to a small table near one of the windows that opened up to the man-made pond outside that had what looked like a handcrafted wooden bridge going across it and real ducks swimming and white lily pads floating. It was amazing. Alex didn’t take the seat across from me, instead he took the one next to me and angled it so that we were facing each other and close enough to touch knees.

Alex took my hand in his and brought it to his lips and said, “That dress looks beautiful on you.”

I smiled. “Thank you. I love it.”

He winked at me and said, “Thank you for agreeing to come out.”

“I needed this,” I told him. The waiter brought us a wine menu. I’d pumped enough milk for Michael for the night so that I could have wine tonight; Alex knew exactly which one to order.

The waiter brought the wine back and poured us each a glass after Alex tasted and approved it. After he’d gone away again Alex said, “Have you been to a restaurant with a tasting menu?”

“No…”

He smiled gently and said, “Basically we just order for two and they bring the food out in courses. It’s a lot of food so if there’s something you don’t like, you’ll likely be able to find something in the next course.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun.” He smiled. It was an affectionate smile and I didn’t feel like he was judging me at all for not knowing what a “tasting menu” was. It was one of the things I’d loved about him back when I was just his employee as well; he never seemed to judge people based on their background or social status.

Alex wasn’t kidding when he said there was a lot of food. Most of it, I had to ask Alex what it was, but he patiently told me what each thing was and after a while I wasn’t even embarrassed to ask him. For our first course we were served sweet pea soup, sun-choke chips and a whipped black truffle. There was also egg caviar which I’d never tasted and a soft poached egg with lemon-chive crème fraiche and American olestra caviar. There were turnips, young tatsoi, truffle-lime vinaigrette and Maine diver scallops. There were leeks, cardoons, beech mushrooms, Buddha’s Hand, crème de brandade, seared foie gras, red butter lettuce salad radish, grilled scallion vinaigrette, wagyu beef tartare smoked tomato emulsion, capers and puffed rice. My personal favorite was the white asparagus “Cocotte” and the morel mushrooms with yellow wine sauce. The second course was as ridiculously long. It was all yummy, but it was so much food. The whole time I worried about how much we were wasting and I thought about Cook and his soup kitchen. I wondered if people like Alex who had grown up with excesses realized how much food was wasted at a place like this on a daily basis, and how many hungry people were in the city. I didn’t mention it to him now. It wasn’t the time or the place, but it was something to think about for the future. I am so lucky and so is my son… I’d love to be able to give back the way that Cook does.

We ate until I was so full that I thought I would have to be rolled away and while we ate, we talked about anything and everything. Alex asked me if I could go anywhere in the world, where would I like to go. I didn’t have to think about it, I said, “Ireland.”

“Really? Why Ireland?”

“When I was about twelve I read a book about Ireland and a little girl who lived in a castle. I used to pretend I was that little girl and instead of Glendale with my pole dance mother, we lived in Ireland and my mother was the lady of the castle and I was the princess.” I suddenly realized that was the first time I’d ever told anyone about that. I felt my face go hot and Alex reached over under the table and rested his hand on my leg.

“Why are you blushing?”

“I was babbling about a fantasy I had when I was twelve. It was kind of embarrassing.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed to tell me anything. I thought it was cute. I would love to take you to Ireland. We can even stay in a castle if you’d like to.”

“Really?”

He laughed. “Really.”

“Can Michael come too?”

“Michael always gets an invitation.”

We finished our huge meal and then Alex tried to talk me into dessert. I quite literally could not eat another bite. When we stepped outside, my breath was taken away by the sky. The moonlight was like a diffuse ocean above us. The colors of it lessened the inky blackness of the night, but it was still subdued enough not to dull the magnificent stars that glittered across the dark expanse. 

“Oh Alex! Look at it. It’s incredible!”

He wasn’t looking at the sky, he was looking at me. “You’re incredible. I see things so differently when I’m with you. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve even looked at the sky other than to check the weather?”

“I don’t, but it’s sad. I’m amazed by the sky… it’s just an endless palate of glorious colors.”

He cut my words off with his lips. After another breathtaking kiss he said, “I’m amazed by you.”

CHAPTER FIVE

ALEXANDER

For a few blessed weeks, Victoria, Michael and I enjoyed our lives together as a family without any lurid news stories, ex-wives or vindictive ex-boyfriends showing up to shatter the peace. Just when I thought things had settled into a comfortable, normal state however, life once again came along to prove to me that it was in charge.

Vicki had been more than right about the nanny. Mrs. Yost was wonderful with Michael. I’d installed a nanny cam in the nursery, not for her specifically, but the thought of my son being abused or mistreated was almost more than I could bear. I’d watched it after each time the nanny had come to stay with Michael and I’d seen her be nothing but sweet and gentle and kind to the baby which did both mine and Vicki’s hearts good.

She had also been right about the other girl Tracy, which was what was bothering me today. I had gone into work in the morning after having breakfast on the terrace with Vicki. After I left for work, she and the baby went to do some shopping and have lunch with Liz. My morning meeting was cancelled so I didn’t have to stay in the city as long as I’d expected. When I got home, Tracy was in the office with Karen. I said hello to them both and then I headed down to the basement. I was just planning on maybe shooting a little pool or playing a video game or two. It wasn’t often that I had a free afternoon all to myself. I bent over the pool table and I was about halfway through my first solo game when I heard, “Nice view.”

I turned and Tracy was standing in the doorway. “Oh, hi Tracy. I’m sorry, were you not finished cleaning down here?”

She walked over close to me and smiled. “I’m finished. I finished this morning. I just came down to say hello.”

“Oh… um, okay. Hi.”

She giggled and said, “Why don’t we have a drink?”

I looked over at the clock above the bar. It was eleven-fifteen. “Aren’t you working?”

She stepped even closer, so close that if the pool table hadn’t been right behind me, I would have taken a step back. As it were, she had me semi-trapped. “I’ve pretty much got everything done… besides, you can’t get fired for having a drink with the boss.”

That triggered a memory and suddenly she had my attention. “Where did you hear that?”

She put her fingers on my chest, in between two buttons that were undone near my neck and said, “Just a little recording that Cassie let me listen to.” Damn it! I stepped sideways and when she reached out for me again, I caught her wrist in my hand.

“Don’t touch me.”

She raised an eyebrow and smiled. “It’s okay, Cassie picked up the tapes last time she was here… she didn’t leave a blank one. Nobody has to know.”

“What are you doing, Tracy? What is this about?”

“I want you, Alex. I’d be willing to walk into a court of law and tell the judge that Cassandra paid me… a lot, to get inside this house… and close to that baby.”

I was suddenly nauseated. I’d hired someone who was interested in bringing my family harm. Vicki had a feeling about her and I’d just blown it off and hired her anyways. “Why does she want you close to my baby?”

She reached up with her free hand and let her fingernails lightly scrape down the side of my face. “Huh uh, lover. First you and me try out that bed over there, then I’ll tell you everything I know. By that time I don’t know how interested you’ll be. You’ll want seconds, I promise.”

“You’re insane. You need to get out of my house before I call security and have you removed.” I let go of her wrist.

She smiled even broader and shrugged, “If that’s the way you want this to play out, but it’s definitely your loss.” Before I could say anything else she literally jumped on me. She threw her arms around my neck and pulled herself up and pressed her lips to mine. Just before I saw Vicki’s face in the doorway behind us I thought,
this is what I get for bragging about how good life was going
. Damn it!

Vicki turned around and left. I unhooked Tracy’s arms from around my neck and pushed her back a little too hard. Her back hit the wall on the other side of the room. “You’re fired,” I said. “You have exactly two minutes to get off my property before I call security and the police.” I followed Vicki then. She was fast. By the time I got up the basement stairs she was gone. I ran into Karen on the ground floor and said, “Did you see Vicki?”

“Yeah, I was holding Michael and she took him from me and went out the front door.”

Damn! I took off through the front door after them just in time to see Vicki climbing in the driver’s seat of the SUV I’d bought for her. “Vicki stop!” She ignored me and closed the door. As she turned the ignition I made it to the window, I could see Michael in the back in his car seat, sleeping peacefully. “Turn the car off.”

“No Alex, get out of my way.”

“Vicki! Turn it off!”

“No!”

I reached in through the window and turned it off and took the keys. She looked scared and like she was about to cry. It wasn’t my intention to scare her but she needed to hear me out before she took off half-cocked with our baby. “Listen to me, okay?”

“What is there to say, Alex? I’m so stupid. This is why you pushed to hire her… Oh God! That’s where you take them all, isn’t it? There was nothing special about me, just another eager staff girl that you can take down to the basement and…”

“Don’t say it! That never happened with Tracy and it was never going to. She threw herself on me.” She rolled her eyes. “Vicki, listen to me! Have I given you any reason not to trust me up to this point?” I could see the wheels turning in her head. “I promise you, baby. I love you. You are the only woman that I want to be with. I didn’t plan anything that happened between us but I wouldn’t change it either. I didn’t invite that girl to the basement… you were right about her and I should have listened but nothing happened!”

“I just… when I saw her kissing you…”

“Vicki, think about it again, okay? Picture it in your head… was I touching her? Were my arms around her? Was I even really facing her? The answer is no! She trapped me against the pool table and I took a step to get away from her… that’s why I was standing sideways when you walked in.”

She started crying harder then and suddenly said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions! Now I feel like an idiot!”

I opened the door and pulled her out into my arms. Petting her pretty blonde hair I said, “Shh! Don’t ever feel like an idiot, baby. You're so far from that. You were right; she was bad news. I’m the idiot for not listening to you. She’s working for Cassandra, she says Cassie has a tape of us that day in the basement.”

She pulled her head up and looked at me. The poor thing… her eyes were all swollen and red. “A video?”

“No, at least I don’t think so. She just said “tape” and she quoted something I said, so I think it’s true.”

“What’s she going to do with it? I mean, Michael is already proof that we were together.”

“I don’t know. Tracy said something about Cassie wanting her to be here… to be close to Michael.”

“Michael! What does she want with Michael?”

“Shh baby, it’s okay. She’s gone and Michael is safe.”

“For now! Obviously she has plans for him. Would she kidnap him, Alex? Oh my God! I never even thought about the ramifications of having a baby that’s worth billions. I feel sick.”

“No baby, please don’t make yourself sick. Cassandra’s a nasty human being, but she’s not a kidnapper. She’s not poor or broke, even without my money. There would be no way that she would be that desperate.”

“You don’t know that for sure though. Did you suspect her of taping your basement? Even a chance that she would consider it would be too much. Do you want to know what I think about that? She put a recorder… video or otherwise in your basement. That wasn’t about you and me at all, that was about you being down there every day having parties and being with different women…” She suddenly realized what she was saying and said, “I’m not trying to say anything to hurt you, baby. I’m sorry. I know you were hurting and going through a rough time.”

I smiled at her. “It’s okay. The fact is that I lost it for a while. I did a lot of things during that time that I’m ashamed of. You’re probably right; Cassie probably plans on using the tapes to blackmail me and some of the others on the tape. But baby, please don’t worry about her trying to take Michael. He’s never out of our sight or Mrs. Yost’s. I’ll have security around the house increased even more.”

She looked into the car at Michael. I could see on her face that she was trying to believe me. Changing the subject a bit she said, “How would she know who the voices belong to, are you sure she doesn’t have video footage?”

“I don’t know, she might. I’m sorry baby, I’m not sure of anything at this point.”