The Billionaire's Curvy Conquest - Complete (8 page)

Despite my size, David Reed made me feel sexy, beautiful and desired. When I was with him, or even just thinking about him, every cell in my body felt alive and energized. And even though I had fallen head over heels in love with the man, I wasn’t so naïve to think that my love was reciprocated. I knew that, for him, this was a business arrangement, pure and simple.

“Did you notice the time?” I said, steering the conversation back to small talk. “You’re the one who’s late tonight.”

He shrugged. “Being late is my prerogative.”

I looked at him with mock-surprise. “Oh, really? Just like that. You can be late, but I can’t? ”

His lips curled up just slightly. “Are you questioning my authority, Miss James?”

My heart thumped wildly. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

“You do know that your insubordination is cause for punishment.” It wasn’t a question.

“I suppose that’s to be expected, sir. But...”

“But what?” he demanded.

“I’m all dressed up and you promised me dinner. Can my punishment wait?”

His smile turned wolfish. “I’m sure it can, Miss James.” His lips brushed across mine and he leaned in close, pressing his hardness, long and thick, against my belly. “I’m just not sure that
I
can.” 

F
ive days earlier...

~~~

I
watched Mr. Reed’s town car drive away before hurrying back to my office to find the confidential memo he had placed in my top desk drawer. I picked up the sealed envelope and held it in my hands, which were shaking with anticipation.

Using a letter opener, I sliced across the top of the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. When I did that, an electronic keycard dropped onto my desk. It was non-descript, but I figured that the memo would tell me what it was for.

I unfolded the letter, savoring the anticipation. After a simple greeting, I received an answer about the keycard.

~~~

O
n the night of my return, my town car will pick you up promptly at 8PM and drive you to my apartment in the city. The doorman will be expecting you; please do not be late, Miss James.

Use the keycard provided to access my penthouse from the elevator.

~~~

M
r. Reed had a penthouse apartment in the city? I had no idea! But I have to say I was excited to see it.

~~~

W
ear your long, blonde hair up. I want your soft, blonde curls piled high upon your lovely head and secured with a single clip.

Apply glamorous makeup, sultry and sexy. I’ve made special dinner arrangements and I expect to see something dramatic.

Wear the black coat; it will help the doorman identify you as my guest for the evening.

A dress will be waiting for you at my apartment. When you arrive, put it on. Wearing a bra and panties will ruin the garment’s lines; discard them before sliding the soft fabric over your curves.

~~~

H
mmm. That was odd. Mr. Reed usually preferred my hair down and my makeup minimal. Was the special dinner a formal occasion?

My curiosity was killing me. How was I going to wait five full days to find out what he had planned?

I kept reading.

~~~

O
n second thought, discard your bra and panties before leaving your apartment. I wish to imagine you smooth and bare as you arrive at my home, already aroused, your nipples stiff, your pussy wet and throbbing.

~~~

I
swallowed. Hard.

~~~

F
or this evening, you’ll need stockings. Black, sheer, lace-topped, thigh-high. I can’t wait to run my hand slowly up the inside of your leg, pausing at the lacey band clasped around your soft flesh before sliding my fingers into your warm depths.

Wear the Louboutins. I enjoy the way they raise you up to meet my lips.

~~~

O
h, my. I wonder if he knew that just reading his words would make my nipples stiff and my pussy wet? Of course he did. This
was
Mr. Reed, after all. A man who knew exactly how to get my motor running...using his words, his lips, his tongue, his touch.

So I would have to say, yes, he was well aware of what his words would do to me.

What they had already done to me.

~~~

W
hen you’re fully dressed and ready for the evening’s adventure, help yourself to the champagne chilling at the wet bar.

I should arrive home by 9PM. Greet me like a returning lover...with a smile and small talk.

One more thing, Miss James: pack a bag with essentials for an overnight stay. By the time we’re both completely sated, it will be far too late for you to go home.

~~~

M
y stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of spending the entire night next to Mr. Reed.

Clutching the memo to my chest, I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like to sleep beside him in his bed; wake up to the dark scruff that would undoubtedly cover his strong jaw; feel that scruff rough up the insides of my thighs as Mr. Reed buried his face between my legs...

My phone buzzed and I literally jumped out of my chair, wondering for just an instant where I was. Taking a deep, calming breath, and fanning my hot face with the memo, I sat back down and picked up my phone.

“Cassie James,” I answered.

“Hello Cassie, it’s Alice. I was wondering if you’d like to have lunch with me today.”

“Sure, Alice. That would be great.”

Why was Mr. Reed’s executive assistant inviting me to lunch?

“Perfect,” Alice said. “Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes.”

Alice was waiting for me when I exited the elevator in the lobby of the Reed Technologies building. She waved to catch my attention and motioned for me to come toward her.

“Your face is flushed, Cassie. Are you feeling ill?” she asked.

Feeling aroused was more like it!

I shook my head. “I’m fine. My office is just a little warm today.”

“Oh good. Henry’s waiting for us.” Alice looped her arm through mine and pulled me out the door and toward Mr. Reed’s town car.

The driver opened the door to the back seat and we both slid in.

“We’re having lunch at The Garden Room. Have you ever been there?” Alice asked.

“No, I haven’t.” I had never even
heard
of it.

“It’s a lovely little rooftop café surrounded by a lush garden,” Alice explained. “The setting is very quiet and serene. It’s one of my favorite places for lunch in the city. That is, when the pesky weather cooperates. Thankfully, today is lovely.”

Henry pulled into the circular drive of a non-labeled high-rise and opened the door so Alice and I could get out of the town car. I followed her through the door and toward the elevator.

“Nice to see you again, Alice,” the elevator attendant said in greeting. “Are you and your friend joining us for lunch today?

“We certainly are,” Alice responded with a pleasant smile.

“Enjoy, ladies.”

When the elevator doors opened to the hostess desk of The Garden Room, Alice was greeted by name again and a young, pretty brunette led us outside.

Alice hadn’t exaggerated the beauty of the rooftop café. Being surrounded by lush greenery and flowers of every color in the rainbow, it truly did feel serene.

“I hope your parents weren’t too upset about seeing your picture in the Post,” Alice said once we were seated at our table and had placed our order for drinks.

“I doubt they saw it. They live in the suburbs and aren’t the kind of people who pay attention to celebrity gossip. Now that Mr. Reed put the issue to rest, the story should die out fast.”

“I hope so,” Alice replied. “But a young woman caught sneaking out of her billionaire boss’ home in the middle of the night wearing next to nothing is the kind of scandal that reaches far and wide. If something like that happened to Mr. Reed’s daughter, well, I shudder to think about what he might do.”

My jaw dropped. “Mr. Reed has a daughter?”

Alice waved her hands as if she were erasing her previous words. “Oh no, of course not! I didn’t mean to mislead you. What I meant was,
if
he had a daughter, this kind of scandal would enrage him.”

She lowered her voice. “You may not realize this, Cassie, but Mr. Reed is very protective of the people he cares about.”

What people?

“Alice, Mr. Reed is an orphan with no family that I’m aware of. He has lots of business associates, but I’m not even sure if he has any friends. Who would he care that much about?”

“If I have to spell it out for you, Cassie, you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”

Was she saying that Mr. Reed cared about me?

Alice picked up her menu and studied it, which I took to mean that she wanted to change the subject. “The salmon is delightful,” she said, “but if you’re in the mood for something more decadent, the ravioli with truffle cream sauce is richly satisfying.”

We ordered lunch and discussed mundane topics like the weather, world news and celebrity gossip that did
not
involve a chunky blonde in skimpy lingerie sneaking out of her boss’ house at 2AM. When our food arrived, I took control of the conversation.

“Was there a specific reason why you asked me to lunch?” I asked.

“Actually, Mr. Reed requested it,” Alice admitted. “But the idea had already crossed my mind. After the scandal broke this morning, we weren’t sure how you’d react. We both felt it would do you good to get out of the office for a little while.”

“Since you seem to know almost everything about Mr. Reed and his business, can you tell me what his intentions are...regarding me?”

Alice choked on a sip of water, although I suspected that she was faking it while she thought of an appropriate response.

“You’re right, Cassie. I know more about David Reed than I know about my own son. Where you’re concerned, however, I’m mostly in the dark. He asked me to assign you to his special project, promote you to his Special Projects team and invite you to lunch. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.”

I didn’t quite believe her. “But you must know
something
, Alice. What about his dating habits over the years? Wouldn’t they offer a hint about what his plans are? What he might be thinking?”

What he might be feeling?

Alice took a dainty bite of her salmon and responded to my question without really answering it. “Mr. Reed is a lone wolf and always has been. I think he felt alone even before he was orphaned, and clawed his way to the top of the tech industry with no help from anyone but himself. That kind of determination takes a certain amount of internal reserve.”

I thought about his juvenile delinquent record and how, at 15, he decided to turn his life around.  What had he said? Oh yes.

It can be lonely at the top...

“Maybe he’s tired of being alone.”

“Perhaps,” Alice said thoughtfully. “As we both know, Mr. Reed is a passionate man with rather intense sexual appetites.”

I blushed as red as the roses blooming behind me, but didn’t say anything, which prompted Alice to continue talking. “But he’s also extremely private and tends to keep his feelings locked away in some sort of internal vault hidden deep within his soul.”

She wasn’t telling me anything I wasn’t already aware of. “What are you trying to say, Alice?” I asked.

“I’m trying to say that, while our boss
is
caring and passionate, to think that he might suddenly open himself up to
love
would be a recipe for heartache.”

My lunch churned in my stomach. “I don’t expect him to fall in love with me,” I said, poking the last few bites of my food with my fork. “I just don’t want to be blindsided when he decides that it’s time to move on to another diversion.”

I felt Alice’s hand on mine and looked up, blinking back tears. “I wish I could tell you that that won’t happen, but I can’t. I will say that his public display in the lobby this morning was out of character for him, which makes me think that there’s something going on inside his head that neither one of us understands.”

L
unch with Alice was unsettling, to say the least. I almost felt like she was warning me not to get too close to our billionaire boss, not to fall too hard for him.

It was a bit late for that.

I suddenly felt very, very tired. It was only 2PM, but the morning’s excitement and my high-carb lunch had zapped my energy.

(Yes, I had ordered the ravioli.)

I decided to take the rest of the afternoon off and sent my supervisor, Greta, an email saying that I wasn’t feeling well and was going home.

Since Mr. Reed would be gone for several days, and wouldn’t be requesting my presence, I decided to spend my time doing a bit of digging into his past. It was only fair, considering he knew so much about me. While I didn’t have his kind of money or connections, I did have a solid lead: Gladys Casey, my foster mother.

When I got to the office tomorrow, I would begin my research.

~~~

I
t took me almost two days to track down Gladys Casey. She didn’t have any birth children and her husband had died five years earlier. Their house was sold soon after, and when I finally discovered where she had gone to live after that, my heart sank.

Gladys was currently a permanent resident of the Bounty Lake Memory Care Center, a private lakeside retreat near Portland, Oregon, for wealthy seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

How could Gladys Casey, a foster parent who lived quite modestly, afford to live out her remaining years at a place like Bounty Lake?

I had no idea how her memory had been affected by the aging process, but there was only one way to find out: drive to Oregon and pay Gladys a visit.

So I took the next day off and did exactly that.

~~~

T
he Bounty Lake Memory Care Center was situated on a prime piece of private lakeside real estate with a gated entrance and stunning, 360-degree views of the water, trees and gardens.

The main lodge, which is where Gladys lived, looked like a five-star retreat, but was actually a very upscale nursing home. Surrounding the main lodge were smaller complexes of assisted living apartments.