Billionaire Bad Boys of Romance 1(205)
“I really do appreciate what you did,” she went on. Of course she did. Never in a million years could she have gotten into Andrea Paxton’s apartment, found her old sketchbook, and smuggled it out. But somehow, Lenny had.
And then, of course, he’d presented it to Kaiser as “proof” of Andrea’s deception.
“You better,” he mumbled. “You wouldn’t believe what I had to go through. That Andrea is a wildcat in bed. She had me—”
“Lenny!” Heidi admonished. “Please! I really don’t need the details.”
He laughed. “All right, all right.”
“Listen, I’m here, I gotta go.” She clicked “end” on her cell phone and pocketed it as the elevator doors opened. She noted the time with a sinking feeling in her belly—nine-oh-five. She was five minutes late.
She barely had time to stash her purse under her desk before he called her.
“Heidi, come into my office.”
Standing beside his desk, she waited as he finished writing something and turned toward her.
“Get on your knees.”
Heidi sank down, head bowed, her heart hammering. What sort of punishment would this be? She felt his hand in her hair, stroking gently, and she looked up at him in wonder. He hadn’t touched her since Paris—even to punish her. What was this, then?
“We have a great deal of work to do.” His eyes were soft as he studied her face. “And I’m afraid the way we do it is going to have to change.”
She blinked at him, giving him a puzzled look, but not speaking.
“This is where you belong, Heidi.” His hand bowed her head, easily. “We both know it.”
A lump grew in her throat, and she did, she did know. She would be on her knees for him, in front of him, worshipping him, forever if he let her. It’s all she’d ever wanted, and she wanted it even now.
When Kaiser sank to his knees beside her, Heidi gasped, her eyes growing wide. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something delicate and beautiful—a silver choker.
“I want you to wear this.”
She bowed her head, letting him put it around her neck and fasten the clasp. Her heart swelled when she realized his hands were trembling.
“To remind you, and me, whenever we have to stand shoulder to shoulder and work side by side. Do you understand?”
Tears filled her eyes and she nodded, touching the collar at her throat.
“I think it’s the most important thing,” he murmured, reaching into his pocket again. “Even more important than this.”
The velvet box contained an antique platinum ring and Heidi’s tears began to fall then, making fat, wet spots on her Marc Jacob skirt.
“Kaiser?” she asked, looking at him through her tears, questioning.
“I want you to become my wife.”
It wasn’t a question. Of course it wasn’t. Kaiser didn’t ask her questions. Kaiser gave her directives. And Heidi, the girl they said would do anything, did, as always, exactly what he told her to do.
The End
PROLOGUE
Fifteen years earlier…
Darkness shrouds us. We prowl like two cats, my eyes darting left and right, my ears attuned to even the slightest sound.
I nervously tap my partner in crime’s shoulder. Like me, he’s clad in black sweats and a hoodie, along with black gloves and athletic shoes. Identical black ski masks cover our faces. We blend into the thick opaque air, only the whites of our eyes visible.
“Kev, I’m scared. Maybe we should back out,” I whisper. My heart’s thudding in my ears, and I can feel sweat beads clustering on my flesh.
He squeezes my hand. It’s cold and clammy beneath my gloves. “Glorious, we’ve come this far. There’s no turning back.”
Something scuttles across my shoes. I jump. Kevin beams the flashlight he’s holding onto the floor. Phew! It’s only a mouse.
The seconds feel like hours. The safe, Kevin assures me, is only steps away. It feels like miles. Kevin swings the flashlight until it lands on the huge vault in front of us. All slick, polished steel, it’s bigger than I imagined—a massive, towering fortress.
“Hold this.” Kevin hands me the flashlight. I try hard to calm my trembling hands as I watch Kevin rotate the fist-size combination lock.
Right. Click. Right again. Click. Left. Click. Right. Click.
“Bingo!”
My thundering heart practically leaps out of my chest when the heavy door springs open. My eyes grow round, filling the apertures of the ski mask. Bundles of one hundred dollar bills are stashed inside, stuffing the safe to the hilt.
Kevin instantly starts shoveling them into his large satchel. I’m paralyzed with shock and fear.