The Mogul (Necessary Lies Book 2) (12 page)

O
f course Piper Kipton
had to be fucking beautiful.

As soon as she strutted into Old Ebbitt, I knew this was bad news. Even in a simple pair of chinos and a cotton shirt, she couldn’t hide her curves. Every eye in the place was on her as soon as she started moving towards our table. Her brown hair fell in soft waves past her shoulders and there was fear in her large blue eyes.

Fear I wanted to take away.

I shook my head.
No
. There was no getting close to her. I was doing this to help my father. For whatever reason he only trusted me to take care of this, and it was something I took very seriously. As a son of Titan, my loyalty would always be to my father and my brothers. So in this case, it couldn’t be about Piper. I couldn’t even think about it.

But that
body
. Jesus.

While she ate and talked to my father, I tried my best not to stare at her. But I was also assessing the situation. I suspected bruises under her clothes. She’d looked like she was in pain when Dad hugged her. She was also incredibly skittish. A waitress dropped a tray and Piper had practically jumped out of her skin. I recognized it immediately. I’d seen it in too many of my buddies.

Piper had PTSD.

What monster had done this to her? That was my first order of business. I needed to know what I was up against, who Piper was up against. With my money and connections I could get out of most any bind. But I knew all too well the kind of binds you can’t buy your way out of.

I guess my dad knew that too. It’s why he’d asked this of me.

“So I guess we should go,” I interrupted. “I have some stuff I need to get done since I won’t be going back to San Francisco for a while.”

Dad nodded, “Yes. Of course. Wrap up whatever you need to wrap up. I’ll go back with Piper and make sure everything is taken care of at the hotel.”

I slapped my American Express on the table, “Sure thing. Be there in about an hour.”

My father stood up to let Piper out of the booth. He looked at me and placed his hand on my shoulder, “Thanks, son. Glad I can always depend on you.”

I shrugged. I was always uncomfortable with endearments.

“Atlas,” Piper said my name and my eyes couldn’t help but meet hers. “Thank you for doing this. I’ll do my best to stay out of your way. I know you have a whole other life you’re putting on hold. So… I don’t really know what to say. Except that I’m grateful.”

Her eyes were the kind that make men lose track of their thoughts. I just gave her a nod and looked down at my phone, pretending that I had something more important to do other than stare at her perfect face all day.

* * *

A
fter they left
, I had my driver take me back to my townhouse in Dupont Circle. I’d bought it when I turned 18 and had access to my trust for the first time. It had served me well since my days at Georgetown.

Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to it. I was rarely in DC these days, sometimes I only flew in just to see Dad, so it was kind of pointless to hold onto it. It had been on the market for about a month and my realtor had a few feelers at the moment. A bidding war was fine with me but it wasn’t sold yet. For now, it was still mine.

I went upstairs to my bedroom where my laptop, chargers, and suitcase were. I quickly packed up my things and glanced down at my watch. Still had about thirty minutes before I needed to head over to The Four Seasons.

I looked into the mirror over the fireplace in my room. I looked good today. I’m over six-foot-five-inches tall so most of the time I have to get my clothes tailored for me to look just right. My hair is cut fairly short. An old habit from my Navy days.

I tried to see myself through Piper’s eyes. She’d looked as surprised to see me as I was to see how hot she’d grown up to be.

Why do I care how Piper sees me?
I thought to myself. Since when had I cared what any woman thought of me? I never had to consider it. I was an ex-Navy SEAL who also happened to be the heir of a billion dollar fortune. Wondering about whether women wanted me or not was not something I ever had to ponder.

Spoiler alert: All women wanted me.

That probably makes me sound like an arrogant jerk. But it wasn’t arrogance, it was just a fact. And while that may give most guys a chip on their shoulder, I didn’t really care much about it. Because being wanted didn’t change the fact that I’d never been able to find a woman I wanted back.

I sighed. What was I getting myself into with Piper Kipton?

E
merson had
my things moved to the Royal suite at The Four Seasons before we’d even arrived back in the Tesla. My anxiety had waned a small bit but I couldn’t help but feel nervous as we took the elevator up to the room.

“So, Atlas doesn’t mind staying with me?” I asked Emerson. We were flanked by two large bodyguards but neither of them could hold a candle to Atlas in height or muscle.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him, not since we’d left Old Ebbitt.

“Of course not,” Emerson assured me. “I’m sure he thinks of you like a sister.”

I cringed inwardly. That’s not how I wanted him to think of me. I certainly didn’t have any sort of brotherly feelings towards him. I never had. We’d barely been step-siblings in the short time our parents were married. He’d been in college and I was just a kid.

But really, should I have had any thoughts about Atlas? I was in a deep enough mess with one man. I didn’t need to involve anyone else in my melodramatic life. Besides, I doubted I was Atlas’s type. I couldn’t imagine what woman was, but it certainly wasn’t me. Atlas was special.

And I was just broken.

We entered the suite and I gasped. It was like something out of a movie; a sprawling living room with a large flat screen over a fireplace and a grand piano in the corner of the room next to floor to ceiling windows.

“Wow,” I said. “This is beautiful.”

Emerson smiled, “More importantly, it’s safe. The windows are bullet resistant. World leaders and dignitaries usually stay here.”

I nodded, slowly turning around to see the room from every angle.

“There are two bedrooms,” Emerson explained. “And lady’s choice of which one you’d prefer, my dear.”

I shook my head, “I’ll let Atlas choose. I’m sure both are gorgeous.”

Emerson looked at his watch, “Well, I hate to leave you but I have to fly to Sydney tonight. Hell of a flight. My men will stay here and Atlas should be here in the next half hour. Will you be okay?”

I honestly hated the thought of him leaving. No one made me more comfortable than Emerson Titan. It was a depressing thought but this man probably cared about me more than my own mother did.

“Of course,” I answered, waving my hand. “I mean, bullet proof glass? It couldn’t get much safer than that. This is all so much more than you had to do.”

Emerson pulled me into his embrace, “Nonsense, my child. I’m happy to do it. Now, try to get some rest. Feel free to order whatever you’d like from room service or the spa. They give a great in-room massage. I know from experience." He winked at me and I laughed.

“Maybe I’ll do that,” I said. “Bye, Emerson. Text me when you’ve landed in Sydney.”

“Oh, I will, sweetheart. You’re in good hands with Atlas.”

As Emerson closed the door behind him, I let out a breath.
Atlas
.

Just the thought of seeing him again made my body rigid with anticipation.

What was wrong with me? I was in hiding from a crazed mad man, my life in shambles, and all I could think about was Atlas Titan. My ex-stepbrother.

I decided I needed to get my mind off of him and everything else I was going through.

Both of the bedrooms in the Royal Suite were sensational. I was happy with either, but one came with a larger bathroom so I gave that one to Atlas. I didn’t want to seem selfish and somehow it seemed like he should get the bigger space for what he was doing for me.

I decided I needed a long bath. I could soak the aches and pains away and take my mind to another place altogether. Far from the hell I’d fallen into.

M
y driver dropped
me off at The Four Seasons a little after three o’clock. I’d changed into something more casual; a pair of loose fitting khakis and an untucked t-shirt. The arms of the shirt were tight around my biceps, an occupational hazard I’d had to deal with since high school. I was too tall to sit comfortably in confined spaces and too muscular to fit into your average t-shirt.

As I took the elevator up to the suite, my mind drifted off to the list of things I still needed to get wrapped up with my office in San Francisco. I was head of operations for a start-up that my brothers and I were trying to get off the ground and although I didn’t have to necessarily be physically present for most things, it was still inconvenient for me to be gone for an indeterminate amount of time.

As I opened the door to our suite I’d expected to see Piper sitting on the couch watching television but there was no one in the living room.

“She’s in here?” I asked the guard at the door.

“Yes, sir,” he said. “Your father just left about fifteen minutes ago for Sydney.”

I nodded and shut the door behind me. As I slowly walked into the room I could hear music faintly playing. Curious, I peeked into the open door of one of the bedrooms. I was greeted by a perfectly made king sized bed. The music wasn’t coming from this one. I walked past the grand piano and the large sectional of the living room and across to the other room.

The music was louder now. It seemed to be coming from the bathroom. Piper’s suitcase was spilled out on the bed. I noticed the bathroom door was slightly open and before I could think better of it, I was looking in.

I sucked in a breath at the sight.

Piper was laid out in an enormous bathtub filled with suds. Her head was against the back of the tub, her long hair spilling over the side as she ran a wash cloth up and down her naked body. Her incredible body. Her large breasts dipped in and out of the water, her nipples hard and dark as she ran her hands down herself, down to her mysterious parts still hidden under the bubbles. One tan leg hung over the side, the water from it dripping onto the marble floors. Her eyes were closed as she touched herself, slow music playing from speakers above the vanity mirror in the bathroom.

I was hard as a rock as I watched her, my cock straining against my belt. I’d never seen something so erotic, beautiful, and innocent all at the same time.

As she sat up to wash her back, I saw the bruises and my arousal turned to rage. I’d never understood a man’s need to demonstrate his power on the helpless, but to think of Piper being at the hands of that kind of evil made something in my chest move.

I slowly walked away, realizing how terribly awkward it would be if she caught me spying on her. I wasn’t usually a creeper, but Piper Kipton was one of those women who it was impossible to look away from.

* * *

B
ack in what
I assumed was my own bedroom, I unpacked my stuff. Not that there was much. I would call concierge in a little bit to have them pick up the clothes I was having flown over on the Gulfstream with my assistant. It wasn’t easy for me to just go into any department store and buy new clothes, everything had to be tailored and customized, so it was just quicker to have my stuff flown over from San Fran. Hopefully it would be here by evening.

Meanwhile, I waited a good hour before going out into the living room. Dad had Piper and I exchange numbers before leaving the restaurant, and I texted Piper that I was here so she wouldn’t be frightened if she heard someone roaming around the suite. She’d texted back a thank you and that she was taking a bath but that she would be out shortly.

Fuck, how badly I wanted to be watching her again, her hands drifting to the places I longed to explore. I shook my head. I had to stop thinking about her like that. Otherwise, it would make this entire ordeal even more difficult than it already was.