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THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 161
While Sebastian worked, we ate. Johnny demanded it – and I was actually starved. I hadn’t had anything since my lunch out, and the emotional toll of the day had drained me. I was looking for some comfort food. So we got room service to deliver steaks, amazing vegetables, and an assortment of desserts. Connor, Johnny, and I ate, while Sebastian picked off his plate as he paced and barked into his phones.After an exhausting hour – exhausting for us just to watch; Sebastian, however, looked flushed and energized – the Master of the Hard Sell put down his phones for a minute to brief Connor.“Alright, we’re screwed as far as New York goes. If we got on the Gulfstream in an hour, we’d still have a five-hour flight back home, plus we’d lose three hours due to time zones, so it’s going to have to be LA. I figure we head back to New York tomorrow night and do clean-up with Letterman and the View on Thursday. I have you on Good Morning America first thing – they’re going to patch you in by sa
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 162
Mr. Templeton demanded that everyone sit down and get it over with.“I have better things to do with my time than this,” he grumbled.“What, better than blackmail and destroying people’s lives? Come on, Dad, this is the perfect Tuesday night for you,” Connor joked as he pulled back my chair and pushed it in for me. Then he sat down beside me with Johnny on his left. Javier was on my right, his hands folded in his lap, looking suitably grim behind his sunglasses.Apparently it was working, because occasionally Vincent would give him a nervous glance.Vincent sat opposite Javier, Miranda sat across from me (Oh joy), Mr. Templeton was across from Connor, and Mrs. Templeton sat beside him, across from Johnny. The four bodyguards stood in the background, menacing shapes against the glass window and the Las Vegas skyline.“We wouldn’t have to resort to unpleasant measures if you weren’t such a beastly son,” Mrs. Templeton said haughtily.“I learned from the best, Mother.”“Enough,” Mr. Templ
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 163
We went down to the lobby and out to the valet circle where the Bentley was waiting for us. The valet handed off the keys to Johnny, but before we could get in, Connor turned to Javier.“You’re welcome to come with us,” he said to Javier, then added to Sebastian, “If you want him there for moral support – ”The smaller man smiled. “Thank you, but I must be getting back. I have a shoot in two days, and I know Sebastian will be very busy, so – ”“I’ll make it up to you when this is all over,” Sebastian promised.“You do what you need to do and don’t worry about me.”Connor smiled. “Thanks for the help up there.”“It was very… interesting.”“That’s putting it mildly,” Connor laughed darkly, then turned to Sebastian. “Did you book a flight for him?”“Of course – first class back to LAX, leaves in an hour and a half,” Sebastian said, like he was insulted Connor would dare suggest he didn’t have things in order. “We’d drop you off if we could – ” Connor started, but Javier waved his hand.
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 164
Beneath the website’s scarlet red header and a series of smaller pictures of celebrities was the headline, “Billionaire Bangs Back-Alley Babe For 50K.”And then right beneath that, the top of a photograph. Only my face and the top of Connor’s head were visible until I scrolled down.I shouldn’t have done that, either.It was one of the shots where Connor’s face was in full profile. My mouth was open and I was making an outlandish ‘O’ face. My dress was down near my waist, and my breasts had two tiny red blocks placed strategically over the nipples.My hands started shaking as I scrolled down further.“The rich really ARE different – as in freaky … Connor Templeton, of the world-famous billionaire Templeton family, can be seen here getting nasty with a young woman he allegedly paid $50,000. For what? You be the judge.“TMZ broke the story from an anonymous source … seems Connor, who usually avoids the spotlight, decided he wanted to get it ALL out in the open … on a Las Vegas condo pro
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 165
Connor nudged me awake. “We’re here, Lily.”I lifted my head groggily from Connor’s shoulder. We were still in the airplane, but Johnny and Sebastian were on their feet and milling around.The hum of the engines was gone, as was the vibration of the airplane in flight.We must have landed.Connor helped me to my feet and down the stairs to the tarmac where a stretch limo was waiting. He held the rear car door open for me and then followed me inside. The smell of scotch on his breath was pretty powerful.“How long was I out for?” I asked, rubbing my cheek and hoping I didn’t have any drool on me. Nope. Thank God.“Thirty minutes.”“Wow, that was fast…” I mumbled.Sebastian piled into the limo with Johnny, who shut the door behind them. Since it was a stretch, the limo had two sets of seats facing each other, and Sebastian and Johnny sat directly opposite us.I felt like we were in a gangster movie. Or going to prom.Sebastian looked like a very unhappy gangster/prom date.Then a voice
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 166
“You’re a fucking asshole, you know that? Sebastian’s just trying to help you, and you’re getting drunk – how dare you talk to him that way – how dare you talk to me that way – ”Connor didn’t turn around when he asked, “You mean back in the limo?”“Yes, back in the limo,” I snapped. “You may think just because you’re a billionaire you can be a douchebag to people, but – ”“I’m sorry,” he said as he stared out into the night.I stopped short.Hadn’t been expecting that.I was still furious with him, though, and the way he’d said it wasn’t making me any less angry. “You should look at people when you fake apologize.”He turned around to face me – no annoyance in his expression, no anger, no nothing. He just looked tired. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. And it wasn’t a fake apology. I am sorry.”I clenched my fists. I wasn’t quite sure what to do.“You need to tell Sebastian you’re sorry, too,” I finally managed.He gave a sharp laugh, looked away from me, then clo
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 167
I told you that what I’d felt when I saw the photographs was indescribable.This instant was like that, but times ten.And in the completely opposite direction.Joy.My heart breaking – in a good way.I wanted to cry – in a very good way.I felt as though happiness was swelling inside me so fast I might burst.And terror. I was terrified – of how fast it was happening, of what it meant.But mostly I was astonished that he’d said it, that he’d actually said it.Overwhelmed.Dizzy.Desire. I wanted him, I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to make love to him – Caution. He was drunk, he had to be drunk, that’s why he was saying it, would he be saying it if he hadn’t had half a bottle of scotch in the last two hours?I stared at him, my mouth open, trying to swim through the raging torrent of emotions threatening to drown me.His smile faded slightly, and his face grew worried. “Lily…?”I burst into a gigantic smile as tears filled my eyes.“I love you, too,” I whispered.As soon as I said it
THE BILLIONAIRE'S AFFAIR 168
After we made love, Connor lay on his back and I nestled against his side, my head on his chest.“So you knew you loved me when you couldn’t pay me off,” I said.He chuckled. “I guess so.”“That’s sooo romantic,” I said sarcastically as I poked him in the side.He laughed, then tickled me in retribution until I shrieked. After I had quieted down, he said, “At least I realized it.”“True,” I admitted.“When did you know?”“Earlier than that.”“When?”I blushed, glad that he couldn’t see it. “…on top of the ferris wheel.”He stroked my hair. “That was an amazing day, wasn’t it?”I nodded with my eyes closed and smiled. “The best.”“Actually, I was probably in love with you then, too, I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.”My eyes flew open. I lifted my head up to look at him. “What do you mean?”He shrugged. “Just what I said: I probably knew earlier, I just didn’t want to call it that.”“Why not?”He looked intensely uncomfortable. “I don’t know.”I kept staring at him until he ga
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