Claimed by the Billionaire: Lust #2 Page 4

  Bradley seemed unsure how to reply and settled on a “I’m busier than I look.”

  “Listen, I just had lunch with Winter.”

  His eyes bulged and for a second I feared that they were going to pop out of his head, “You did what?”

  “She invited me out to lunch.”

  “She did what?”

  I sat down in one of the plush chairs across from his desk, “Can we talk or are you going to keep repeating yourself?”

  He stiffened for a second and sat down across from me on his desk, which I hated, “Mind telling me why you and Winter met up?”

  “I told you. She emailed me, asking me out to lunch.”

  “Why?”

  “Apparently, she wanted to renew the agreement she had with Janine but with me instead.”

  His brow furrowed, “What agreement?”

  “Janine would keep tabs on you and then tell her. Any time you got close to another woman or mentioned the divorce, she’d let Winter know and Winter would pay her for useful information.”

  There was a long lapse of silence. I thought maybe when I told him he would be angry and lash out but instead he sat there in stony silence. He wasn’t looking at me. Bradley was looking through me. The silence was so long that I was debating leaving when he finally spoke.

  “And you said?”

  “Honestly, I couldn’t get a word in. She talked a lot,” He nodded as though he agreed which gave me some courage to go on, “She told me to think about it and get back to her. She also stuck me with the bill.” I added, still slightly annoyed over that aspect, however minute.

  His mouth quirked upwards a little at that and then he spoke, “She said Janine did this?”

  “Yeah, that’s what she claimed.” I shrugged.

  “What else did she say?”

  “She said that you still want to be with her. The only reason you’re divorcing is that you just don’t realize you’re ready for kids.”

  Another long pause and then, “Do you believe that?”

  I shrugged, “Does it matter?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” I shot back.

  “I told you, Serena. She was kissing me.”

  I sighed, “Why don’t you tell me your side of things?”

  Bradley looked hurt as though he couldn’t believe I just didn’t believe instantly what he was saying. But I wasn’t born yesterday. I had just caught him kissing her and a couple hours later, she was bribing me to spy on Bradley.

  He let out a long sigh and leaned forward in his chair. I suddenly felt irritated.

  “We’re not talking about business, Bradley,” I snapped, “Can’t you sit next to me?”

  He looked taken aback but stood up, “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

  We walked over to his small living room area where I had had my interview before. We both sat down and he ran his fingers through his hair. I tried not to get distracted. I wanted to talk to him about this and not think about how dreamy he looked.

  “We were high school sweethearts. But once we got to college, the distance didn’t work in our favor so we ended it. We met up years later and she was married. We kept running into each other at business meetings — her husband at the time was involved in tech and ran in the same circles as me,” Bradley leaned back on the couch, lost in the memories, “It shames me to say we started an affair, but we did. Eventually, we got caught and Bruce divorced her. Does this follow with what she told you?”

  I nodded, “So far.”

  “Winter is very entrancing. She is gorgeous,” I tried not to let that hurt my feelings, “But she is very manipulative. I actually starting bleeding money when I was with her, for lack of a better term. She wanted everything. I mean everything. Over time, that took away the feelings I had for her. It eroded them over three years. Then she started talking about children,” He shook his head, “No, I couldn’t, Serena.”

  “Why does she think you’re going to come back to her?”

  Bradley sighed, “She’s doing everything she can to drag out this divorce and make it as painful as possible. Winter refuses to except that it is over. She thinks I will come back to her and we will have kids.”

  “Haven’t you made it clear to her that isn’t the case?”

  “Yes. She doesn’t believe me. Or doesn’t want to. I don’t know. Winter wants everything if she can. All the money she can get. Everything.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  He closed his eyes briefly, “I don’t know.”

  We fell into a silence that was more thoughtful than depressing. Bradley seemed to be thinking something over and I kept thinking about his divorce and what Winter said.

  “Hey,” I said slowly, “What if we lied?”

  “What?”

  I grabbed his arm, “What if I agree to spy but we record her? You could use that in court, right?”

  Bradley looked at me and blinked a couple of times, “That’s a really good idea, Serena.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, really,” He looked at me deeply and I felt that electric charge go through me, “It really is.”

  Chapter 8

  Bradley then leaned forward and kissed me. It took me by surprise but what surprised me more was how easily I fell into it. I didn’t even want to think about if I should be doing it or not and that I still didn’t know what was going to happen with us in the future. I had missed his touch. Our lips met and he kissed me with passion, making my body break out into goose bumps. His hands traveled through my hair and slid down my arms. My self-control melted.

  I kissed him passionately, my hands moving over his back and then back to the front, undoing his buttons as quickly as I could. My own button up shirt was quickly unbuttoned and he slipped it off, tossing it to the ground. Bradley groaned at the sight of my breasts in their bra.

  “Bend over the couch.” He commanded.

  The tone thrilled me and I did as he told, bending over the couch. He lifted my skirt around my ankles and yanked down my panties. Bradley was forceful, different than he had been before. I heard his pants unzip and I closed my eyes.

  His hands traveled along my thighs and soon a finger was in my wetness. I moaned, thrilled at the fact that we were doing this in his office. I knew anyone could come in at any time and it excited me even more. He moved his finger in me and I moaned, moving my hips back against it. I wanted more. I rocked my hips back as much as I could and Bradley slid another finger in me.

  It felt amazing. His other hand slid up to my clit and started rubbing it while he moved his fingers in me. My eyes squeezed shut tightly as I panted with lust, rocking my hips like a mad woman as he brought me closer and closer to climax. I couldn’t imagine how I look — bent over the couch in my boss’s office, getting fingered by him. It felt so wonderful that I couldn’t think of anything else but the growing feeling…growing…

  Suddenly he pulled his fingers out and moved his hands. My eyes snapped opened and I whined. Bradley leaned forward and I felt his hardness against my thigh, his words thick and lusty in my ear.

  “You want more, Serena?”

  “Yes,” I begged, “Please, don’t stop.”

  He pulled on my hair and I moaned louder. I could feel him sliding in me, filling me up. Bradley was so large that all I could do was wiggle against him, trying to get every inch in me. Soon he was thrusting in me, one hand pulling my hair, the other smacking my ass. I went wild, trying to thrust back, trying to ram every inch of him in me. I was moaning loudly — probably too loudly. He was grunting as he thrust in me. I loved how he pulled my hair. I loved how big he was and how he felt in me.

  He kept fucking me at a steady pace until he started moaning my name in a whispered hush. My whole body was shuddering. The orgasm that had been built up early was starting again and it was all I could do not to collapse under it. I was panting, moaning loudly, writhing, my body sweating, my breasts having fallen out of my bra and hanging out now. Finally, I shuddered and
yelled his name as he brought me to a climax. At the same time, Bradley finished. I could feel him filling me up and could hear him moaning my name as well. He pumped in me as he came. Bradley came for a full minute before he stopped rocking in me and I collapsed on the couch, managing to roll over to stare at the ceiling.

  Bradley slumped on the floor against the couch, panting. My chest was heaving, my breasts hanging out. My skirt was bunched around my waist. I was sure I had a big red mark on my ass from where he had been slapping me. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt that good.

  That night after I got home from work, I looked at my phone. I was supposed to call Winter, to tell her that I wanted to meet for lunch tomorrow. By that time, Bradley and I would have everything set up to record the conversation I had with her and we could go from there.

  I decided I’d text her so I would have that on file. I sent her a quick text asking her to meet me for lunch tomorrow. Not even a minute later, she replied back and agreed. I flopped into bed. Greg had fallen asleep about thirty minutes ago, leaving the apartment quiet. My TV made a quiet hum, barely muted, and the light glowed on the walls. My body was sore but I relished it. It was a soreness for the right reasons. I thought of how he had taken me in his office. Bradley had felt so good. Sex with him was so dynamic and made me feel so complete. Sex with him was unlike anyone else I had been with. I had always liked sleeping with my husband but he always had gone towards the more vanilla than anything interesting. After over ten years together, we had barely slept together except once or twice a year.

  Bradley took me in a way that made me feel sexy and like a woman. Every time I thought I had gotten out or had plans to get out, I was pulled back in and ended up back with him. Once again, in the quietness of my room, I tried to tell myself that I was making too many mistakes with this. I needed to slow down and think it over. But any time he touched me, it was as though my brain melted and could no longer think far ahead. I fell asleep, second guessing everything.

  ***

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Bradley asked me the next morning.

  I waved my hand, “I’m fine.” I lied.

  We were in his office and he had made extra coffee. He claimed it was for me but he seemed to be guzzling it. Bradley was clearly nervous. The last thing I wanted to do was make him worry by admitting that I was nervous too. The last thing I wanted was for Winter to know I was recording her. I hoped that I could play it smoothly enough so she wouldn’t know. I felt slightly ridiculous, worrying about this as though we were in a low budget spy movie. But if Bradley got evidence of her saying she hired people to spy on him…it’d be enough to end the divorce for good.

  “Listen, just…try to act casual.” Bradley said, running his hands through his hair.

  “Will you calm down?” I said, my nerves getting the best of me, “It’ll be okay.”

  His phone went off and he glanced down at it, “I have to take this,” He looked back up at me, “It’ll be okay.” He sounded as though he was reassuring himself more than me.

  Bradley walked by me and stopped and kissed me. It was soft, not like the passionate kisses we had before we would have sex, but the gentleness of it sent shivers through me. He walked into his separate room in his office and I could hear him talking business. I went back to my desk.

  At around noon, I went off to the café. Bradley gave me a nervous hug. It was more affection that I had gotten from him so freely than ever. I wondered if it was just nerves or something else. But I decided that now was not the time to worry about that. As I stepped into the café, I saw Winter in the same spot she had been last time. Her hair was up in a bun this time and she was wearing all black and white. Between her hair and the white, it seemed to make her skin look pale and somewhat pasty. I realized that she was trying to hide bags under her eyes from not sleeping well but the makeup wasn’t working. Her hands were also stroking a cigarette, as though she wanted one very badly.

  As I walked over, I made sure to have my phone in my hand, the recording device on in it. I slid into the seat across from her. I wanted to act like I had yesterday, hopefully not making her be suspicious of anything. The waiter came over and Winter ordered coffee again. This time I ordered a coffee as well, deciding I’d just eat at my desk after and it’d keep the tab low if she stuck me with it again.

  “So,” Winter said, without any preamble, “Have you decided?”

  “On?” I replied, playing dumb.

  Winter rolled her eyes, “On if you’re going to help me with Bradley.”

  I had to get her on tape saying it or she could mean anything, “I still don’t know if I feel comfortable with spying on Mr. Gable.”

  “Then is that your answer? You don’t want to spy on him for me? Listen,” Winter leaned forward, “I told you. Anything you get that helps me, I’ll give you five grand. I know you aren’t getting that sort of money from him.”

  “What gets me the five grand?”

  Her perfume slid over me in a slow haze, clogging my nostrils and I tried not to cough as she replied, “If he’s seeing someone. Where he’ll be so I can run into him. What he says about me.”

  I pretended to consider it, “Okay.”

  Winter leaned back, a smile on her face, “That’s perfect. Listen, I gotta go,” She stood up now and the waiter coming over looked alarmed, “I’ll text you later, okay?”

  Winter walked out with her high heels clacking loudly on the floor. I waved the waiter away and asked for the check.

  Back in the office, Bradley was pacing by my desk, not even in his own office.

  “How did it go?” He said, rushing up to me as soon as the elevator doors opened.

  “Nice to see you too.” I replied wryly.

  “Sorry. How did it go?”

  I sighed and pulled out my phone from my purse, hitting play. Winter’s voice rang out, repeating what I had heard earlier. Bradley’s face lit up.

  “We have her!” He exclaimed.

  “Let me send the sound file to you.” I said as Bradley was already running off to his computer in his office to take care of things for good.

  Chapter 9

  I was helping Greg with homework the next night when my phone started going off rapidly. I glanced over at it. All I saw were five new texts from Winter. I could only imagine what they were about. I unlocked my phone and read them quickly. Just a lot of terrible name calling. She couldn’t do anything about it. I took a screen cap and sent them to Bradley, just to be safe. He texted me back almost instantly.

  Sorry about that. You should block her number. She won’t stop. Trust me.

  Great, I thought dryly, as I blocked her number. I turned my attention back to Greg, trying to help him with his homework. At the same time, I thought about Winter, Bradley and I. I’m sure she was frothing at the mouth right now. Bradley told me this morning that their lawyers were meeting up and he was going to turn over the recording. She must have just gotten a call from them.

  What happens now? I texted him back.

  She either grants the divorce nice and easy or I take her to court for trying to hire someone to spy on me.

  For some reason, I wondered if it was going to be that easy.

  I got my answer the next morning when I stepped into the office and Winter was there. Her hair was messy and her clothes were baggy — not the fashion forward look I was so used to seeing. She was even wearing flats. Bradley was gripping his phone in one hand, his other hand up as if warding her off.

  “You need to leave.” He was saying.

  Winter turned to look at me as I walked in and I wished I could be anywhere else at that moment, “You!” She shouted.

  “Serena, get in my office.” Bradley said.

  Winter turned back around to him, “Are you trying to protect her?” She looked back at me, “Stay right there so I can pummel your head in!”

  “No, I’m okay.” I said, trying to walk past her with as much distance as possible
.

  Winter reached out and grabbed my hand, yanking on it, pulling me inches from her face, “You bitch,” She said, “I will end you, do you know that? Whatever he paid you — it isn’t what you could have gotten from me. You made an enemy out of me —“

  “Winter,” Bradley said, grabbing her arm and tugging her away from me, “You need to go. Now. Or I’ll call the police.”

  “Fuck you!” She yelled at him, yanking her arm away.

  I glanced down at my own arm, which had deep indentations from her fake nails and stung a bit. Winter was looking at me again and before I could walk away, she spat in my face.

  I gasped. I heard her marching off but I was so disgusted that I couldn’t move. Bradley was there instantly, wiping my face off with his handkerchief.

  “Oh my god, Serena, I am so sorry.” He said and kept repeating his apology as he wiped her spit off my face.

  “It’s not your fault.” I mumbled.

  “It is. I should have never gotten you involved. It was foolish of me.”

  “Listen,” I said, throwing caution to the wind, maybe because I was covered in Winter’s spit, “What is going on with us?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We’ve been ‘supposed to discuss’ this for what feels like decades now. Your ex-wife just spit on me. I deserve to know. Not later, not at dinner, not in a week. I want to talk now.”

  The phone rang on my desk but I didn’t move to answer it. I kept my gaze on Bradley’s.

  “You’re right.” He replied.

  “I need to know how you feel about me. You said in Vegas that you didn’t feel as though you knew me. That we may have just had a physical attraction to one another.”

  “Yes, I did say that.” He said slowly.

  “Is it the same now?”

  Bradley paused and shook his head, “No.”

  I pressed on, “So what is it then?”

  “I really like you, Serena. The two of us…we had something since we first met. I know you felt it too. It was nothing I had felt before from anyone. It was…it was amazing. And being with you physically is amazing,” He grasped my hand and squeezed it, “You’re right. We should try us being together.”