Billionaire At Sea

11

Damian

Mia stiffened up.

“I’m not trying to come on to you. I’m just stating a fact.”

I knew that what I’d said sounded like a line but it was the truth. She was unforgettable. The first time I’d stepped into John’s office, I’d noticed the young, beautiful woman in the photo right away. It just hadn’t clicked until tonight.

“You’ve got to be the most beautiful woman in this club,” I whispered, knowing that I shouldn’t be flirting with her but unable to help myself. Mia was intriguing and seeing her dance with another man had irritated the hell out of me.

“What am I supposed to say to that?” she said, a smile in her voice.

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Something caught my eye. I looked over and noticed John, dancing with his bimbo secretary. They moved closer to us.

“Looks like someone else was trying to move in on your date,” said John, smirking.

“I can hardly blame him. She’s the most beautiful woman in the club,” I replied.

John looked at Mia and I knew he agreed.

She looked up at me and smiled. “He didn’t have a chance, though. Not when I’m already with the best looking guy in Florida.”

I knew she was saying it for John’s benefit, but the game was fun. Knowing that a comment like that deserved a kiss, especially if we really were a couple, I played my part. Pulling her to me, I began kissing her.

Mia

I don’t know what surprised me more… the fact that he was kissing me or the fact that he was so damn good at it that I didn’t want it to end. Just when I started really getting into it, however, Damian pulled away and began dancing me toward the other side of the stage, away from John.

“Sorry about that.” He gave me a little smile. “Thanks for not smacking me, by the way.”

“No problem,” I said, my head still spinning from the kiss.

“I probably took things a little too far,” Damian looked over my head, “but I really wanted to piss him off.”

“Did we?”

His eyes met mine again. “I imagine so. I was too busy to notice.”

Feeling a little awkward after what had just happened, I looked around the dance floor.

“Do you know where Ridley is?” I asked him.

“I think she went upstairs again.”

“Okay. I should probably check on her.”

“Let’s go,” he said, grabbing my hand. He led me through the dance floor and back to the VIP section, where Ridley was seated. She had her phone out and was texting someone.

“Hey, guys,” she said, a funny smile on her face. “Have fun dancing?”

“We had more fun pissing off John,” I said quickly.

“I’m sure you did,” she replied.

“Can I get you a drink?” asked Damian, looking at me. “I think I could use one.”

“Can you get me a water?” I asked.

“Sure,” he replied. “Ridley?”

“I’m good.”

“Okay,” he said and then walked away.

I sat down next to her. “Let me guess, you saw us kissing?”

“Saw you? I’m pretty sure the entire club noticed you two making out on the dance floor,” she answered, looking amused.

“It was an act,” I said. “Obviously.”

“Right.”

“It was.”

“Then you should get into acting because you’re very good. So is he.”

I glanced over toward the bar. Damian was already ordering. “I admit it. He’s better than good.”

Ridley laughed. “Are you going to go home with him tonight?”

My head whipped around. “What? No. Of course not.”

“Why not? You both want each other. It’s obvious.”

I knew I couldn’t lie to Ridley. She knew me better than anyone. I was definitely attracted to the man. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not about to jeopardize our working relationship.”

“Something tells me that if you sleep with him, you’re going to secure it. Not jeopardize it.”

“I’m not taking any chances,” I murmured as Damian approached us.

“I hate to cut the evening short, but it looks like I need to leave,” said Ridley, reading another text.

I stared at her in shock. “What? You’re the one who said we were both staying until close.”

“I know. Adam is being a buzzkill, though. He wants me home,” she replied.

“Is he playing the jealous boyfriend again?” I asked her. I knew Adam had gotten mad once about her attending a bachelorette party. They’d had a big argument about it. She’d ended up going, but he’d given her the silent treatment for a few days afterward.

“Yeah,” said Ridley. “Which is stupid, especially since he’s a big fan of yours, Damian. I think he’s just angry that I didn’t invite him before he planned his poker party.”

“You certainly could have,” said Damian. “Hell, if he wants to join us now, I could send my driver to pick him up.”

“Thank you for offering. Like I said, he had his poker buddies over, though. I didn’t think he’d want to cut the game short. I guess I was wrong to assume anything about Adam,” said Ridley dryly.

“Do you want me to talk to him?” asked Damian.

“No. That’s okay,” replied Ridley. “He’s been drinking and will probably be passed out by the time I get home. I’m sure he’ll feel differently tomorrow. Probably even foolish for getting jealous. Anyway, I should probably get going.”

“I’ll send a message to my driver,” said Damian, typing on his phone. “I’m sure he’s back from dropping off Michael.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ve had a lovely night. Thanks so much for inviting us.”

“You’re more than welcome. I was hoping you could stay and meet Kendall,” he said.

“I know. I would have loved to. She has an amazing voice,” said Ridley.

“She does,” I agreed. “You must be very proud of your cousin.”

“I am. You’ll stick around and meet her, won’t you?” he asked me.

It was almost midnight. “Actually, I should probably leave, too,” I replied.

“No. Stay,” said Ridley quickly. “You’re having fun.”

“I know but… I’m really tired,” I answered, truthfully. The dinner. The cocktails. Running into John. And of course the steamy encounter on the dance floor. I was both physically and emotionally drained.

“Are you sure?” asked Damian. “I bet Kendall would like to meet the woman I was making out with on the dance floor. You should have seen the look she gave me from the stage.”

Blushing, I laughed. “I could only imagine.”

“Speaking of expressions, you should have seen John’s face when you two were kissing. It was priceless,” said Ridley.

Damian smiled. “I’m sure he regrets what he’s lost. You’re too good for the likes of him anyway.”

I smiled.

“I’ve been telling her that for months,” said Ridley, as her cell phone began to vibrate again. Looking at it, she sighed. “It’s Adam again.”

“Tell him you’ll be on your way very soon,” said Damian, looking down at his phone. “My driver has informed me that he’s just around the corner.”

“Okay,” she said, texting Adam.

Damian turned to me. “Are you sure you can’t stay for just a little bit longer? I’ll introduce you to Kendall and then we can leave together.”

Leave together?

That sounded like trouble.

“I hate to be rude, but I really can’t. I’m just plain exhausted,” I told him.

“You’re not being rude and I totally understand,” he said, still looking disappointed.

“Thank you for everything. It’s certainly been an interesting night,” I told him.

“Yes, it has,” he replied with a little smile.

Still looking at her phone, Ridley stood up. “Are you ready, Mia?”

“Yes.”

Damian got up. “I’ll walk you both out.”

“Thanks,” she answered.

We made our way out of the VIP room and headed downstairs.

“Are you okay?” I asked Ridley in a low voice, hating how her boyfriend had put such a damper on the night.

She nodded and smiled. “I’m fine. Adam is just being… Adam.”

“Why is he so jealous? You’ve never given him cause to worry,” I said.

“I know. It’s frustrating. I can’t seem to go anywhere lately without him questioning it,” she replied.

I had always liked her boyfriend, but this side of him was troubling.

As we stepped out of the building, Damian’s limo pulled up to the front door. The driver got out and started walking around toward us.

“It’s okay,” said Damian, motioning for him to get back inside. “I’ve got this.”

The driver nodded and returned to the car.

Ridley gave Damian a quick hug goodbye and then crawled into the vehicle. “I’ll call you when we have some ideas about the menu,” she called out.

“Sounds good,” he answered and then looked at me.

“Thanks for everything,” I said, feeling suddenly anxious. “Especially that thing with John.”

Damian smiled. “Now that was my pleasure.”

I chuckled. “Well, goodnight.” I held out my hand.

“A handshake? Sorry, but I don’t think that’s going to fly,” he said, looking past me. “Especially with your ex in close proximity again. He must have followed us out.”

“Oh,” I replied, lowering my hand quickly.

“Act two. Are you ready?”

Before his words sunk in, I was back in Damian’s arms and he was kissing me with an intensity that made me almost reconsider the rest of my night.

“Oh my,” I said breathlessly after he released me. “That act was even better than the first.”

Damian gave me a funny smile. “I have a confession.”

“What is that?”

“John wasn’t there.”

I stared at him in surprise.

“Mia?” called Ridley, from inside of the limo. “Are you going to keep making out with Damian or are you going to get a move on?”

“Goodnight, Mia,” Damian said, still smiling.

“Goodnight, Damian,” I said and then crawled into the limo.

He leaned down, wished us both goodnight again, and then shut the door.

“So, what was that all about?” she asked me as I settled in.

“I really don’t know.”

Ridley smiled. “Something tells me that next week is going to be very interesting. Especially for you.”

“I doubt it. Tonight was… not business. Next week is.”

“Deny it all you want, but that man wants you. If Damian Stryker gets you alone on that big ship of his, you’re getting laid.”

I opened up my mouth to protest but then I imagined us actually having s*x and it gave me a secret thrill.

Ridley smiled. “You know it’s true.”

I looked away. “It wouldn’t be right,” I said, staring out the window as the limo pulled away from the curb. As much as I wanted the man, I knew it was still a bad idea.

“Right or wrong… who cares? You’re both single and obviously attracted to each other. Then there’s the fact that he’s handsome and filthy rich.”

“I don’t care about that,” I replied truthfully.

John hadn’t been rich, at least not compared to Damian, but he’d been well off and certainly handsome. He’d showered me with gifts and admittedly, it had been nice at the time. But, as far as I was concerned, a good-looking man with boatloads of money was trouble. As attracted to Damian as I was, I wouldn’t allow things to be taken further.

“Then at least care about the size of his hands,” she said. “And his feet because if it’s any indication of what he’s packing…”

“Would you stop already?” I said, laughing. “Damn, you have a one-track mind.”

“Someone has to keep reminding you of what you’re missing.”

“I know what I’m missing,” I answered, my smile fading. “Believe me.”

It wasn’t just the s*x either. It was the companionship. The laughter. The flirting. The dates. More than anything, however, it was the nights we’d spent cuddling on the sofa and watching movies together. John’s cheating had felt more like a death to me. I’d lost all of him and part of me and I didn’t know if I’d ever be the same. One thing I did know was that having s*x with Damian Stryker wasn’t the answer. Even Michael had stated that he was now a womanizer. If anything, I’d just be another conquest to Damian, and once he had me, he’d move on.

“You know I only want what’s best for you,” said Ridley, her eyes softening. She moved next to me. “I want to see you happy.”

“I am happy and I don’t need a man for that, especially when I have a friend like you.”

“I love you, girl.” Smiling, she held out her little finger. “Let’s make a pinkie promise.”

I laughed. We hadn’t made one since college and back then, we’d made plenty. I held mine out. “Okay.”

She wrapped hers around mine. “We’ll always be there for each other. Through thick and thin.”

“Always.”

“And if we need each other, no matter the time or the place, we’ll drop whatever we’re doing so we can be the shoulder to cry on. Or, at the very least, the person to talk to on the other end of the phone.”

We’d already made that promise a long time ago, but it was a good reminder. “Agreed.”

Ridley smiled and we squeezed or pinkies tightly together. “To us. Screw that asshole John for what he did. Hell, screw Adam for being a jealous jerk. You will always come first. Friends before mens.”

I laughed. “Friends before mens.”

We let go and hugged each other.

“Excuse me,” said the limo driver, who’d rolled down the tinted glass separating us. “I hate to interrupt, but where am I going?”

Ridley laughed. “Sorry,” she said and then gave him her address.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come home with me instead?” I asked, thinking about Adam and what she might have to deal with at home.

The limo driver, who had been about to roll up the divider, gave us a wide-eyed look through the rear-view mirror.

Ridley was about to answer when she noticed him watching us. “Your place?” She grinned wickedly. “Honey, you’d love to have me in your bed, making you scream my name, like last night, wouldn’t you?”

My cheeks turned red. She’d done this before and got a kick out of making guys think we were lesbians.

Ridley got on her knees in front of me. “What if I just did it here?” she said, making sure the limo driver was paying close attention. “I’ll do you and then you can do me. I’m so horny that it wouldn’t take long for me to come.”

I turned my head away, so the limo driver wouldn’t see me holding back laughter.

With a straight face, Ridley nodded toward the front of the limo. “I bet he wouldn’t mind if we undressed and started pleasuring each other. Excuse me… would you mind if we had a quickie in your backseat?”

The driver cleared his throat. “Uh, no. Not at all.”

“I didn’t think so,” she said, pretending that she was going to remove her dress.

The limo driver’s eyes lit up.

“We’ll need privacy, of course,” she said.

With a disappointed look on his face, he rolled the darkened, glass divider back up.

Smiling, Ridley sat back down in her seat.

“Do you think that was wise?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“He might get into an accident thinking about what might be going on back here.”

She giggled. “Or even worse, he might report back to Damian.”

I groaned.

Ridley’s cell phone began to vibrate. She looked down at it and her smile faded.

“Adam?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“The offer still stands. You can crash at my place.”

“As much as I’d like to right now, it would only make him angrier.”

“I didn’t realize that he had this bad of a temper,” I said, worried again.

“He’s all bark and no bite,” she replied, reading the text he’d sent. “Believe me, I don’t have anything to fear from Adam. Just a headache.”

“You’re sure?”

She nodded and looked up at me from her phone. “I know him and he’d never hurt me.”

I remembered saying that about John once. I was about to tell her that, but then changed my mind. John and Adam were nothing alike.