Twelve Nights with the Ruthless Billionaire: His Christmas Captive

Eight

Lisa POV

Two hours ago

"Are you saying he killed his wife?" Jasmine gasped through the phone speaker.

"I'm not saying it's that extreme," I said, pacing across my bedroom. "But what are the odds? The news reports say nothing, he snapped the second I brought her up, and the housekeeper shut down completely."

"It's billionaires, Lisa," Jasmine said, her tone turning dramatic over the line. "The more zeros they've got in their bank accounts, the more skeletons they've got tucked away in their closets. You need to be careful around him."

I sighed and stepped over to the window. "It was jarring seeing him turn like that. It makes me want to figure out what happened, even if digging into it costs me this job."

"Then don't f*****g dig," Jasmine said. "Mind your business and get out as soon as your twelve days are up. As long as you're safe, there's no reason to poke around. Zara likes you, so just focus on her."

A horn honked in the background.

"Anyway, I'm on my way to the hospital to check on your mom," Jasmine added, her voice muffled as she adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. "Oh, and Tyler called me."

I held the phone closer to my ear. "What did he want?"

"You blocked his number, so he tried going through me," Jasmine said. "He said Paul's still interested in helping with Benny's case. He mentioned how those crime lords Benny allegedly stole from have enough money to bribe the cops and keep him in a cell without trial or bail."

"We don't need his help," I snapped.

"I told him that exact thing," Jasmine said. "I told him we'd already paid a lawyer and to leave you alone. Then he had the nerve to tell me you're overreacting and that you two still need to talk."

I listened to the hum of her car engine through the speaker.

After spending two years with Tyler, I thought ending things would tear me apart. Instead, I felt relieved. Between Mom's medical bills and Benny's defense, I didn't have the energy to waste grieving a relationship with a man who didn't deserve it.

"So I guess my dream of you marrying a rich widower is officially dead," Jasmine said, her tone shifting back to a playful tease. "A hot billionaire is one thing, but a billionaire with dark secrets is a true crime episode waiting to happen."

I rolled my eyes at the empty room. "I'm so glad my life is your personal entertainment."

"I'm serious," Jasmine said with a laugh. "Just promise me you won't fall in love with him."

______

Present

I hated how easily my mind went foggy whenever Omarion looked at me. Maybe he stared at everyone that way. Some men had a heavy gaze, but didn't he realize he was so attractive that looking at me for over a second sent the wrong signal to my brain?

It was easy to dismiss it as a foolish desire to get back at Tyler for cheating, but I couldn't afford to be stupid. Omarion was my temporary boss, paying me fifty thousand dollars for twelve days, and the contract strictly forbade crossing any boundaries. Besides, his explosive reaction to his wife's death proved he was dangerous territory.

I turned my attention back to Zara, tucking the duvet around her shoulders. She picked a book from her collection of dinosaur stories off the nightstand, and I sat on the edge of the mattress to read it.

I put on booming voices for the big carnivores and squeaky ones for the smaller dinosaurs, bringing a smile to her face. It didn't take long before her eyes grew heavy and her breathing slowed into sleep.

I kissed her forehead and slipped out of the room.

Patricia hadn't shown up to cause trouble all evening. Omarion's warning must have worked, and I hoped it stayed that way.

My body ached from keeping up with Zara all afternoon. We'd spent hours building blanket forts in her sitting room, drawing dinosaur habitats with markers, and running through the corridors to burn off her extra energy. I went into my room, shut the door, and lay down on the bed.

Simply lying on the mattress felt like an invitation for s*x, making me imagine a man walking through the door, stripping away my clothes, and taking me. I covered my face with my hands, frustrated by my own thoughts.

I'd worked hard to build a decent life away from my family's habits. A high s*x drive ran in our family, but my mother and twin sister used theirs for business and financial gain. I used mine for love, and my mother used to laugh at me for it.

Feeling this way about a man I barely knew was wrong.

Thankfully, the physical exhaustion from the day won out over my restless thoughts. My muscles relaxed into the sheets, my eyes closed, and I fell asleep.

In the dream, I stood in front of a dresser and pulled open a drawer to find red lingerie folded inside. A note rested on top with a message written across it:

Wear this for me.

A single letter, O, was signed at the bottom.

I put the lingerie on, watching the lace cling to my skin in the mirror. My breasts filled the cups, my waist dipped before flaring into wide hips, and my hands slid down my sides, tracing my curves in the glass.

Omarion stepped up behind me, his chest warm against my back. He lowered his head and licked up my neck before kissing the same spot.

"I can never get enough of you," he whispered against my skin.

I kept my eyes on our reflection, reaching back to wrap my hand around his neck. His hands moved over my waist, tracing the lace before sliding up over my ribs.

"This was made for you," he murmured, his hands moving lower. "But you'd look even better with it off."

He teased his fingers along the trim before leaning over my shoulder to kiss me. His hand slid down between my thighs, his fingers brushing against me as he spoke against my mouth.

"You're already wet. Filthy wet."

He pushed a finger inside me before pulling it out with a wet sound. I pressed back against his hand.

"More."

He made a sound of approval, keeping his finger moving.

"I can't get enough of how you feel, the way your body opens up for me like it's starving." His voice stayed against my ear. "You react like you were built for this."

The words hit differently from everything Tyler had ever said to me. Tyler had looked at that desire in me and called it exhausting, making me feel dirty for having a s*x drive. But Omarion wanted it. He praised it.

I turned my face toward him. "Another finger. Please."

He slid a second finger inside me, the stretch making my body tighten.

"Anything you want," he said against my neck. "You only have to ask."

My eyes snapped open.

What the hell?

I sat up on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Why was I having dreams about Omarion Montgomery?

My thighs were damp against the sheets. The dream had felt real enough that, when I squeezed my legs together, the feeling lingered.

"What is wrong with you, Lisa?" I muttered.

Shame tried to settle in. If I hadn't caught Tyler in our bed with Paul, I might have kept believing his lies and believing my body was broken.

Grumbling under my breath, I pushed the covers back and went into the bathroom to clean myself up.