Richard's Reign (Book 6): Enthrall Novella #3 (Enthrall Sessions) (20 page)

Andrea’s eyes watered and she gave a nod.

Mubarak stepped back and turned to the crew. “Can we get New York back up please?”

“Lights up,” a crew member called out.

“Rolling,” shouted another.

Andrea threw a smile my way.

I stepped back into the shadows.

“Andrea,” said Mubarak, lowering his eyes at her. “Give me shark girl.”

She gave a confident salute.

The filming resumed, the scene playing out again.

Stillness descended and the tension was no longer on what had unfolded but the seconds and minutes that followed, the heartfelt monologue that Blaze brought to the scene, the way his lips trembled in reaction to Andrea’s outburst, the profoundness of love, and how one decision could bring a relationship to its knees.

Filming cycled through re-setting, makeup re-touches, and the playful banter between Andrea and Mubarak.

Andrea’s giggled when her co-star shared a joke.

“This is where I leave,” said Ethan, flashing a knowing glance my way. “It’s the collaring scene.”

My focus snapped back to the set. Andrea was leaning over Blaze’s knee as they rehearsed what looked like a spanking. The young actor slid Andrea’s hem up, hitching it above her thighs and his hand came down hard on her butt. Blaze looked over at the director’s chair for Mubarak’s approval.

A nod gave it and Blaze delivered several hard spanks; Andrea’s moans echoed.

My feet were riveted to the ground as jealousy surged through me.
My
submissive was being touched by another man and his technique was not nearly as refined. Yet I’d allowed Cameron to train Mia.

She’d needed saving, needed gentle handling.

It was the uniqueness of a master and submissive relationship; I knew her body, predicted her needs, anticipated her desires. It was an intimacy unlike any other.

“Again please,” Mubarak called over. “Let’s film this one.”

Megan nudged up against me. “Now would be a good time to leave, Mr. Sheppard.”

“I go by Booth now.”

“I don’t really care what you call yourself. It’s time to leave.”

“I’d like to let Andrea know—”

“No, no, that won’t be necessary.”

I gazed at the TV monitor before us with Andrea’s smiling face looking into the frame, a flash of happiness, her confidence shining.

Mission accomplished, I mused darkly.

“We’ll release a statement,” Megan whispered. “A spin on how Andrea’s number one stalker had to be removed by security.”

Bitch
rested on my tongue but I resisted letting the word loose.

I chose my footing carefully, avoiding tripping on a wire or cable and further humiliating myself.

With a shove the heavy door gave way and I stepped through the outer door in a daze and burst into sunlight, shielding my eyes from the glare until I could get my sunglasses back on.

Emma threw me a wave.

Within minutes I was sitting in the back of the town car, gulping Perrier water and trying to forget the grungy way Megan made me feel. “Santa Monica airport, please, Emma.”

She glanced in the rearview. “Are you going out of town, sir?”

“No, it’s the pick-up for a skydive.”

She held my stare. “Can I get you anything?”

“A way to change history,” I muttered, and pulled out my phone, replaying that underwater footage and smiling at the madness of it.

Had the crew seen the shark attack the buoys, which happened minutes later, they’d have questioned my sanity.

That glass cage was a metaphor for my life.

The only way to free myself from those hounds of hell wanting their money back from my family was to give it to them. All I needed to do was reach inside my bank account and transfer the money back to them.

All fifty million.

I was destined to hide for the rest of my life.

Emma navigated us off the lot and we passed a crowd on the left, some of them holding up banners with Andrea’s face on it and all of them seemingly hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite star.

I’d been a class-A idiot to think there’d be any likelihood of us extending our friendship beyond what had been initially agreed upon. I was no different than all those fans on the sidewalk.

Fucking embarrassing.

Even with her hinting this was something she wanted to explore, I could never risk that kind of exposure. My father’s legacy was front and center.

My past a death sentence to happiness.

I’d wanted to storm across that set and rescue Andrea, carry her back to her trailer and save her from all that superficiality, those false friends that weren’t going to be there if her career went south.

Her strength inspired me to find mine.

I let out a long sigh of gratitude that I’d had this brief time with her. I cherished the feelings it bought.

“Sir?” said Emma. “May I put him through?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“The call, sir. It’s Dr. Cole on the line.”

“Sure.” I lifted my phone to my ear. “Cameron? Are you there?”

The line was quiet and I cursed, thinking I’d missed him. “Cam?”

“Where are you?” he said.

“Driving. Needed to clear my head.”

“Skydiving?”

“On my way to the pick-up now.”

“Be careful.”

“Always. You need to join me. Though it sounds like you’ve got your own adrenaline junkie moves going on.”

“That trick you pulled on my shares.”

“When I tripled them?”

“I need you to do it again.”

Seriously, Cameron was starting to sound like me. The man was on tilt and taking risks.

He whispered, “Quadruple it.”

Silence wedged between us and something told me he was second guessing himself. I gave him the time to think this through and change his mind. Return to the kind of rationality he knew so well.

“Cameron?” I could swear I could hear him thinking, those brilliant cogs turning.

“Richard,” he said. “Do your thing.”

I shifted in my seat. “Maybe you need a more experienced broker?”

“You’re the best there is.”

“I don’t know, Cam.”

“No regrets.”

“Promise.”

“Of course.”

We drove by a homeless man there on the sidewalk and I wondered what kind of regrets he carried, what things in life he’d choose to do differently if given the chance.

Turn back time.

Get her back.

Start over.

“Richard, are you there?”

“As soon as I get home I’ll get on it.”

He didn’t need to know I had a driver.

“Pull over and buy from your phone,” he insisted.

“I’m not sure. I don’t like the sound of this, Cole. You seem a little…”

“Make this happen.”

“You’re really putting this kind of pressure on me?”

“I’m carrying this, Richard.”

“Don’t blame me if this goes tits up.”

“If you pull this off—”

“It’s impossible. You do realize that?”

“What one man can do another can do.”

I think I might have told him that once. Or did he tell me? “What do I get out of it?” I said with a smirk.

“Other than the generous commission?”

“Yeah?”

“Name it. Anything.”

“For reals, player?”

“You have my word,” he said brightly.

His faith in me and what I could pull off was always a boon to my rattled self-esteem.

“Mia,” I said. “I want her back. If I pull this off, she’s mine.”

I waited for him to tell me where to go. A Cameron comeback to shut me down.

Silence served as his reply.

I gave a shrug. “There’s this shiny new stock coming out of Silicon Valley. An Asian company called Destiny-Horizon. It’s skyrocketing. Want me to go for it?” I grinned at my mischief. “So we have a deal, Cameron?”

Staring at my phone, I realized the call had dropped.

Or maybe he’d hung up.

I didn’t want Mia back, not really. Her fragility, her sweetness, felt like holding fine glass in my hands. Shards that threatened to slice into me and leave me bleeding.

Andrea Buckingham, however, was like holding a wild cat in my arms, one that taming could never destroy. The kind of woman no man could break. No matter how hard he pushed her. Or fucked her, for that matter.

A submissive of the highest order.

The appeal of how my life could have gone. The tease of happiness.

This life-changing daydream had ended.

CHAPTER 24

I’D PULLED OFF the impossible.

Staring at Cameron’s computer screen I scanned the numbers. His stock had reached a net worth of twelve billion.

At my hands no less.

I rose out of this trance and blinked to better take in the data.

I’d placed him squarely in the running to be able to purchase over 90% of Cole Tea shares.

But we’d have to act fast.

Those shares were chum in the water for greedy bastards on the prowl for flailing stock. If we bought them all now I’d make Cole the owner and CEO of the company.

I knew well enough not to assume this was the plan.

This change of fate would mean a drastic difference to Cameron’s life, but the business he was trying so hard to save would finally have a chance. His family legacy was hanging in the balance.

I refreshed my screen.

I’d spent the day working on his finances, munching on cookies that Pilar brought in, though so focused I’d only been half aware she was in the room when she delivered them, my coffee mug always topped off and piping hot.

This coffee haze raced through my veins like wildfire.

I pushed myself back from the desk and let out a crazed laugh.

Winston was busy exploring Cameron’s office and now and again he glanced up at me as though asking, “Where the hell am I?”

“Feel the same way, buddy,” I said. “Cole’s trying to save an empire and we’re in the trenches with him doing our bit.”

Cameron had been gone for well over a week and I couldn’t remember the last time we’d spent such time apart.

I went back to check on the current state of Cole Tea and Tempest Coffee shares and winced. The numbers were bombing. His dad would be devastated.

I had to talk with Cameron.

Dialing his number again I yelled when it went to voicemail. I texted Mia with a warning they needed to call me right away.

I called Tempest Tower, asking to be put through to the main office, and was put on hold. The unending music proved this call wasn’t going to happen - a seeming stranger speaking with the CEO without prior notice was against policy, no doubt.

I’d been so caught up with carrying out Cameron’s orders I’d not thought to check on my own shares. My commission for dealing with Cameron’s portfolio was generous. More than I’d ever made before and I’d handled some big accounts over the years.

The realization hit me—

I dropped the phone and flew out of Cameron’s office, running down the hall at breakneck speed and almost knocking over Pilar. I caught her and swept her back up to her feet, cupping her face in my hands and planting a big kiss on her lips.

She squealed with delight, blushing wildly.

Her laughter trailed behind me.

I sprinted through the foyer and burst through the large oak doorway, taking two steps at a time until I reached the most private sanctuary of Chrysalis - the stables. Dominic’s voice carried down the hallway.

A wayward pony trotted by and I sent him in to fetch Dominic. I was in no mood to lower my energy to suit the stables, a calm and nurturing environment.

I was on fire and couldn’t stand still.

I paced, waiting, walking up and down the corridor outside.

Dominic was berating a pony. Though from the moans coming from the stables he was using pleasure to get through to the petulant brute.

I resisted storming in and shouting at the man who’d badmouthed Dominic right back, but from the sound of it, Dominic had it handled.

Within a few minutes I was walking beside him in the garden. We rounded the pool and headed off away from the house.

“May I suggest less caffeine?” He smirked.

“Just hear me out. I’ve had this wild idea and I need your help to set it up.”

“I’m at your command,” he said in that elegant yet annoyed way of his.

“What if I opened up a recovery fund? I’ve recently come into some money. A lot actually, and I want to put it all into an account and help the families who lost their money in my father’s Ponzi scheme.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Can I do it?”

“It’s feasible.”

“You have to help me, Dom.”

“Where’s the money coming from?”

“I have a very wealthy client—”

“You made commission?”

“Yes.”

“This dabbling in the stock market paid off, I take it?”

“You could say that.”

His smile thinned. “I imagine you’d still be on Wall Street if it wasn’t for your father.”

“I’m not sure. I love it here. I love my home, my life…” I waved that off. “Do you think it’s something we can do?”

“A gesture like that is always looked on with gratitude. There’ll be some legal fine- tuning. Remember though, no good deed goes unpunished, so there’ll be fallout and press—”

“I can come out of hiding?”

“Yes, I suppose you could.”

I threw my head back and stared up at the sky, my heart surging with the realization that freedom was a real possibility.

“I’ll put a financial proposal together and we can talk through it,” he said.

I leaped forward and hugged him.

He patted my back, “Okay, cowboy, let’s get you some mineral water. Your blood is ninety percent caffeine.”

“I’m going to be free!”

“I’m going to give you one of Pilar’s cannabis cookies.”

“Pilar cooks with pot?”

“That naughty sub Arianna got her into it. The kitchen’s the most popular place after a session these days.”

“Drugs are banned.”

“Well, there you have it. Arianna knows we love Pilar and won’t fire her.”

“And Arianna is Shay’s sub—”

“So she’s not going anywhere.”

“I’ll talk with them both.” I scratched my head. “Better still I’ll have Cameron deal with it when he comes back.”

Dominic arched a brow. “
If
he comes back.”