DESTINY
"I have something for you," James smirked, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously as he held his hands behind his back. The scent of his cologne, a subtle blend of musk and sandalwood, filled the air around us.
"What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as I leaned in closer, my heart fluttering in anticipation.
"The traditional gift for a one-year anniversary is paper, isn't it?" he replied, a playful glint in his eyes.
“I didn’t figure you for a traditional type of bloke, Mr. Barrington,” I teased affectionately.
Victor watched us from his cot, his bright blue eyes sparkling with interest. He chewed happily on his tiny fist and gurgled contentedly.
I hadn't gotten him a card, as was the tradition. Instead, Cassidy had helped me choose a digital photo book, its sleek design fitting perfectly in my hands. Our precious memories filled the pages - from our engagement and wedding photos to Victor's first photo shoot. The glossy photographs captured our love and happiness, a tangible reminder of the beautiful moments we shared.
He chuckled, the dimples deepening in his clean-shaved cheeks. He’d cut his hair short, something that disappointed me at first, but I’d gotten used to it. The shorter hairstyle brought out his sharp features, and he was more handsome than ever.
“You’re right about that, Sugar. I am far from traditional, but I think the opportunity calls for it. You’ll understand as soon as you open it.”
“The suspense is killing me. Can I have it now, please?” I took out my wrapped gift from behind my pillow. “I have something for you as well.”
As I handed him the photo book, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Love swelled within me, overpowering any doubts or fears. But deep down, there was a nagging thought, a whisper in the back of my mind that told me it was all too good to be true.
I loved him so, so much, but the fear of losing everything lingered. The thought of losing James, and even worse, losing my baby, sent shivers down my spine. James had assured me from the beginning that he would never keep our child away from me, but the unpredictability of life kept me on edge.
Nothing in life was certain, except death and taxes, as my father used to say. And as much as I wanted to believe in our forever, a part of me couldn't help but wonder if it was all just a fleeting dream.
Smiling, he took my gift and handed me a manilla envelope. I recognized it immediately, the familiar texture of the paper sending a shiver down my spine. My heart plummeted to the floor, heavy with anticipation. This was it. I knew the contract was in that envelope. My hands trembled as I took it from him, feeling the weight of its significance. The envelope felt like it weighed a thousand tons, pressing down on my palms.
He tore at the gift paper; the sound echoing in the room while I sat there with the envelope in my hands. It felt like time stood still as I watched him, my attention fixated on the delicate tearing sound. Oh, how my heart raced, my breath caught in my throat.
“Oh, Sugar… This is beautiful," he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine appreciation. The sound of his voice reached my ears, but it felt distant, muffled by my racing thoughts. "Thank you so much, my darling." His words barely registered as the weight of the envelope consumed my mind.
He looked up at me and frowned, his gaze piercing through my thoughts. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to look at your gift?” His voice snapped me back to reality, and I swallowed hard, not trusting my voice to respond.
“James, I…” My words trailed off, lost in the air between us.
He put the digital photo down gently on our bed and reached over, gently grasping both my wrists. The touch sent a jolt through my body, grounding me in that moment. Blue eyes bored into mine, their intensity captivating. “I want you to do something for me, Sugar,” he whispered, his voice a soft melody in my ears.
“What?” My voice quivered, matching the tremble in my hands.
He got off the bed, pulling me with him towards the bathroom. The movement was swift, but my grip on the envelope remained firm. My senses heightened as I felt the cool air of the bathroom against my skin, the sound of our footsteps echoing in the tiled space.
“What are you doing, James?” I asked, my voice filled with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
He opened the envelope and took out the contract, the sound of the paper rustling like a whisper. Then he gave me a lighter, its metallic weight settling in my palm. “I want you to burn this gift," he said, his voice steady and firm. "Right here, in the washbasin."
“You’re… Why?” My words wavered, a mix of confusion and curiosity.
“But this one,” he said, taking out another piece of paper, the sound of it unfolding like a secret being revealed. “This I want you to sign. I had another contract drawn up. One that binds us together for as long as we both shall live. Equal partners."
As his words hung in the air, a wave of emotion washed over me. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision, as I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. The taste of salt mingled with the warmth of his lips, the sensation overwhelming. “You’re such a weirdo, James Barrington,” I managed to say, my voice choked with emotion as I came up for breath. “But you’re mine. Forever.”
James wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as if he never wanted to let go. The warmth of his embrace enveloped me, melting away any lingering doubts or fears. In that moment, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, we would face them together, hand in hand, forever entwined in each other's lives.
With a gentle smile and a twinkle in his eyes, James whispered, "Forever and always, my love." And in that moment, I knew I had found my home, my sanctuary, in the arms of this wonderfully strange and beautiful man named James Barrington, my wild billionaire.
The End.
“Destiny, you have to go. Take Suzy.” My father pressed the car keys into my hand. “Leave this place and don’t look back.”“But Daddy…” I was crying. “Where will you find me?” My father was my world, and now he was forcing me to leave him.“Here, take my phone. Don’t change numbers. I will find you, my girl.” He parted the curtain with one hand, peering outside. “The cab will be here soon. You know I have no other choice.” Daddy was leaving to work on the oil rigs.“I can’t say no to this opportunity, Des. You’re a grown woman now, you need to find your own way in the world.”My mother left us when I turned sixteen, got herself a rich man. She said she couldn’t take it anymore to live like this, worrying about every penny, scrounging to make ends meet. She was pretty, I guess, and men liked her.I left school to look after Daddy. He was a mess – started drinking, not working. I had to find odd jobs to put food on the table. But we got by, and Daddy slowly got better.Now after my eigh
JAMESOld man James the first was livid. His bulbous nose turned firehose red, reminding me of Rudolf the red nose reindeer. He slapped his hand on the living room table, so the coffee cups rattled dangerously.We were in our private dining room in the Barrington mansion, Westwood. Grandfather summoned me to appear. Not that I wanted to be there.“I’ve had it with you, James. Had it.” He shook the paper he had in his other fist. “What were you thinking? A bar fight! Again.”I shrugged. So what? The guy deserved the black eye he received. He was moving in on my territory. And my, was she fine…“The tabloids are having a field day with your escapades.” My father, James the second had to throw his five cents in. He read the headlines aloud. “Billionaire playboy picked up by local police for drunk and disorderly.” He scowled at me while reading, gritting his teeth. “Will Billionaire James Barrington the third ever grow up.” He showed me the photos.I smirked. That was one hell of a party.
DESTINYI was so late. So late. I hyperventilated. Everything was wrong today. My boss was going to fire me. My alarm didn’t go off, I forgot to charge my phone. Now I couldn’t get my damn car started.“C’mon Susy, don’t let me down!” The starter whined again and after the third try my old beat-up 76’ Beetle gave a cough and revved into life. “Yes!”Slowly I pressed down on the accelerator. Susy didn’t take kindly to being rushed. Praying fervently for my luck to change – please don’t let Ken fire me today – I steered Suzy down the gravel road. I needed this job otherwise I was going to be out on the streets. The trailer park was all I could afford with what little money I had.I’ve worked for Ken at the convenience store for six months now. He was a real piece of work, and I hated the way he looked at my boobs when he thought I didn’t notice. At least he hasn’t tried anything. Yet.Shit! I never even brushed my hair this morning, I realized when I looked in my rearview. My pink hair
JAMESHer name was Destiny. I couldn’t stop laughing. Be careful what you wished for, James old boy, you just might get it.“What’s so funny? What’s your name anyway? Maybe I’ll find that something to laugh at.” She said, pouting.I guess she wasn’t all that bad looking, pink hair and all. She had a nose ring which surprised me somewhat. I supposed she could clean up nicely.“James.” I didn’t add Barrington the third, not that I thought it would matter to her anyway. I got up and gave her my hand to shake. “Pleased to meet you, Destiny.”“Well, nothing weird about your name. So, you’re not in a band?” she asked, and I might have imagined it, but she looked a bit disappointed.I turned around to look at the wreck of my Hayabusa. The old rust bucket of a Beetle didn’t have that much damage. Fucking hard piece of metal! I sighed. My leg started to smart. Probably getting infected.Grabbing the handlebars, I tried prying the bike off the monstrous car.“Damn it!” It wouldn’t budge.“Let m
DESTINY This man! “Why would you want to fake marry me?” Gosh, maybe he was touched in the head. Or he could have escaped from some asylum, and I brought him to my home. Good going, Destiny. I always attract the weirdos. “Like I said, Destiny… You owed me, have you any idea how much damage your rust bucket caused? That motorbike cost more than this entire property.” “Well, now you’re exaggerating.” I shook my head at him, does he think I’m stupid or something. “Okay, but still. My father and grandfather have threatened to disown me if I don’t get married and settle down. And I really like my lifestyle.” He explained, sitting down beside me on the sofa. I shifted up, not trusting to be so near to him. “Are you rich or something?” I frowned at him; I was not going to be some rich boy’s plaything. “No, nothing like the sort. I work for my father. I’m the only child.” He smirked at me. “Would you want to be married to a rich man?” “I’m no gold digger!” I have always managed well e
DESTINYWhen I entered the house, I stood still in the middle of the entrance hall. I’ve never been in a house this big before. There I was with my two shopping bags of all my worldly possessions standing in this impressive place that smacked of wealth. Gosh, and he said he wasn’t rich! The carpeting on the floor was worth more than my Susy. Not that I know that much about carpets. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. Who has chandeliers, even?“Hey! What are you standing there for?” James peered down from the banister on the second-floor landing. “Come on up. I’ll show you to your room.”“Okay.” I started up the stairs to where he waited. “Jeez, don’t look so scared.” He said, frowning at me.“I’m not. Do you live here alone?” I couldn’t believe he had all this space to himself.“Of course.” He pulled me behind him down the corridor. There were four rooms on opposite sides of the passage. He opened one door and pulled me inside. “This is your room.” “Wow!” I couldn’t help but stare
JAMES“Well, that’s done.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Arthur left after two hours of trying to convince him I knew what I was doing. We gave him our notes on our expectations, and he promised to have a draft ready by Monday latest.Destiny had a pensive look on her face, she chewed on her lower lip, staring into space. She’d better not be having second thoughts about this.“Penny for your thoughts, Ms. Johnson?” It scared me how much I sounded like my father just now.“Your lawyer friend doesn’t like me much.” She looked up at me with those big olive-green eyes. Actually pretty, I thought.“Does it matter? We need to do some serious shopping. I can’t have my future wife looking like a homeless person, now, can I?” Her sense of style sucked seriously.“Excuse me?” she huffed, “What’s wrong with me?” she sounded miffed.“Where do I start…?” I pulled her up from the couch and twirled her around. I liked the tight jeans. She had a nice ass, and I could tell her boobs were just the size
DESTINYThe way James and Giovanni stared at me made me feel self-conscious. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. I don’t think I’ve ever looked this good. I used to hate the color of my hair until today. Giovanni really knew his stuff.“Thank you, Giovanni, James.” I blushed like a teenager.“My pleasure, Bella!” Giovanni kissed me on both cheeks like he greeted James. It felt strange to me, I wasn’t used to affection from strange people.James held out his hand for me to take. He looked pleased with himself, a smug grin on his face, like he’d won the Lotto or something.“Let’s go, gorgeous.” he said.Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. I took his hand, and we strolled out of the salon.“Mr. Barrington! Mr. Barrington!” Someone called out and James stopped in his tracks, swearing under his breath.Barrington? Was that his surname? Why did it sound so familiar?James looked over at me, “Can you run, Destiny?” He grasped my hand firmly. “Come!” We ran to the car. He opened the door and