The Billionaire Undoing

Three

Julian POV

One more meeting with my father and brothers this week, talking about my choice of not getting married, and I might just fake my own death. How can that be all they talk about as if, if I don’t get married the world might end.

My jaw clenching at the thought, I nodded to the chauffeur and gestured to my bodyguards in the lobby that it was time to leave my father’s golf clubhouse. I moved with sleek grace as I walked the steps down to the car. I ignored all the glances of recognition I attracted from the people who probably spend too much time reading magazines and newspapers like Forbes, The Gent and New York Times, because I’ve been on their front pages too much this month.

The most eligible bachelor at the moment in New York, at least, that was what those blogs, newspapers and magazines were calling me. I strode across the marble expanse, confident that my determined demeanor would ensure that people kept their distance.

I wasn’t a celebrity or anything of sort, but I just happen to make a couple of millions selling a company I started in my freshman year in MIT, then I started a tech company after that, and made some pretty good investments, making me one of the billionaires in New York City, okay, maybe in the whole country but I wasn’t counting.

Right now, I was pretty much irritated, so I wouldn’t mind being left alone. As I walked out to the car that was already parked out front by the valet, I got in the back seat of the car, while my bodyguard got into the accompanying car behind. If things were left for me, I don’t need them, but my mother was a fussy person, and just to put her mind at ease I wouldn’t be in any danger, I got them.

I’m sure I was going to forget about my talk with my father and two younger brothers soon. I was meeting my sister soon and we were going clubbing. She had been begging me for months to go out with her though, so that she could show me off to her friends, whatever that meant.

Sighing, I texted my best friend, Brent to know where he was now as we were meeting at the club together. I knew he liked my sister and she does like him too, so I have to pretend I don’t know why she asked me to come with him when she called me to make plans.

I had nothing against them being together if that was what they wanted but they have to figure it out without me interfering. Brent was the nicest guy I know, and I would approve his relationship with my sister if he would just get his head out of the clouds and asked. I know he’s trying to hold himself off, well let’s see if he succeeded.

He texted me back a minute later to let me know he was already close by and we should meet at the front of the club. I started to removed my suit, then I rolled the sleeves of my shirt up, and unbuttoned the two top button of my shirt.

My father’s words came back to hunt me at that moment though. “You’re not getting any younger. Either you find a woman, or I have your mother do it for you.” That wasn’t a threat, and I knew that. The only problem was, I was probably not going to like my mother’s choice of women.

The last thing I wanted was some rich brat being introduced to me today and tomorrow she’s already introducing herself as my fiancé or something like that, then I try waning her off and she becomes a stalker. That was the story of my life two years ago in a wrap. It took her family shipping her off to some island for rehab.

“We’re here sir.” My chauffeur said and I looked up to see he was right. He was now parked in front of the Smooth Red building, a very expensive club, but overrated when it came to the prices. I don’t know why my sister loved this club anyway.

I looked around for Brent’s car and when I saw it, I texted him and he walked out just as I did as well. “Hey, my man.” He greeted as we did our handshake.

I was a cold billionaire to the world but with my best friend and family, I was as cool as I can get. “We should go in now. Your sister will be here soon.” He said, and I nodded my head. “That’s all right. I could use the drink and distraction.” I said, and true to my word, fifteen minutes later, with two glasses of scotch down my throat, I had already taken things off my mind.

Soon, my sister walked into the VIP section with three women, and I let my eyes graze over them one after the other, so uninterested at either of the first two, then I looked at the third one, and my breath caught in my throat.

The loud music tuned out and everyone else blurred as I looked at her. She had a very nice body, it was the first thing I noticed as I looked at her, and then I looked at her face and I knew there was trouble. She had one of those innocent look on her face like she had never had to use that pretty mouth of hers for anything other than talking.

Oh damn, my thought was moving to a very dangerous place.

Outside, I was as cool as a cucumber, pretending I wasn’t even interested in the fact that they had arrived. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Brent pulling my sister into a hug and I wanted to roll my eyes. When they separated, she finally looked at me and said. “Hey brother.”

“No hug for me?” I asked her. “You’re my favorite sister and you act to me like this.”

She shook her head as she gave me a hug even though I was still seated. “Oh please, I’m your only sister.” She said, pulling back.

“Meet my friends, Emily and Ally.” She said, pointing at the first two people o didn’t care about. “And this is Jade, she’s my best friend.” She said, her smile widening automatically.

Best friend huh! Jade, that name suit her well.

Jade nodded at him and said. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Middleton.”

“I’m Julian, my father is Mr. Middleton.” I said, not offering a handshake because I didn’t offer the other two, but I wanted nothing but to touch her, feel her skin against mine.

**

The opportunity to touch her came when Megan begged me to take us all to my penthouse and when we got there an hour later, we began to play a game I wasn’t interested in.

Twenty questions they called it, where they spun the bottle and whoever it was pointed at was asked a question. I didn’t want anyone asking about my private life, neither did I want to answer some questions these college kids were dying to know about me. I was a private person and I was only doing this to make my sister happy.

But it was my sister that was staring at me now, asking me the silly question. The rule was, if I couldn’t answer her question, I get to do a dare she chooses and I would rather do that than just answer her question.

“When will you get a girlfriend and stop fooling around?” That was her question. I stared at her, angry she was doing this in front of her friends, especially Jade, then she gave me a dare and I instantly wanted to kiss her thank you.

“Fine then, don’t answer. I dare you to kiss Jade.”

The words came so easily out of her mouth and I just couldn’t wait to do as ask. I wasn’t to jump on it, but I played cool outside. In fact, one would think I was reluctant to do as asked. I was seated on the couch with Jade on the floor beside Megan.

I heard the other two friends grumbled under their breath and why it had to be Jade, and Jade was looking sorry on behalf of my sister, her eyes apologetic as she looked at me.

“I’m sorry, Megan is just messing around. You don’t have to do that.” She said.

You don’t have to, which meant that I could if I wanted to. I stood up with my hands in my pockets, with Brent’s eyes on me, probably wondering what I was about to do. I heard him called Megan to order when she said her dare because he knew how much I hated any contact with random women. I walked slowly to her and I said. “I don’t mind. It’s just a dare.”

I removed my hands from my pocket and pulled her up. The moment my hands touched hers, I felt it, the electrifying sensation of the connection between us, the sizzling chemistry, and I know she felt it too with the small gasp I heard feel from her lips.

She licked her lips in anticipation and I almost came undone right there and then. Maintaining my composure, I wrapped one hand around her waist and the other to her face, then I pulled her to me.

Holy s**t. This was it! I should marry this woman and just end my father’s nagging about it already. I was going to have to talk through things with Megan. Her lips were soft, and tender and sweet, and she smelled like freshly harvested strawberries.

Damn me, I thought. If I was alone with this woman, I would already be on my way to my bedroom with her in my arms, but I couldn’t. I had a lot of people here.

“Hello, darling!” I heard and I jerked back from Jade to see a woman standing in front of the door with a smile on her face. She had her bag in one hand with a bottle of wine in the other.

I swallowed hard as I heard my sister and Brent said, “what the f**k,” at the same time I saw Jade and the other two friends staring at the woman.

Remember the woman from a couple of years ago that had to be shipped off to some island for rehab, she was back, here, standing in the doorway of my penthouse.

Back then, Mom had wanted us together so much she had told her most things about me, including the passcode to the door of this place. Now, how she knew I was here was a different ballgame. I hadn’t changed the passcode because I didn’t think she was coming back, or coming here.

Any way, Zara was back!