Paris Malady (#1 in The Billionaire Series)

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Lisa shivered as she walked down the dark road, dressed in a gown so exquisite and expensive a thief could easily strip her and run off with the gown, but it required more work getting it on, and probably more getting it off.

The shops around her were closed for the night, probably an hour ago at eleven o’clock. She cast a glance around her one last time, hoping what she was going to do was worth it all.

Her body was starting to cool from that possessive kiss. It had been what she’d wanted, what she’d been asking for a long time. She wanted to belong.

So why had she slapped Daniel?

She knew why, he’d asked for it, possessing her like some piece of wood. She did not feel like a piece of wood. On the contrary, she felt like Mount Kilimajaro’s magma chamber, ready to combust anytime soon.

She did not want a claiming. She wanted an understanding. She wanted Daniel.

She sighed, ducking into the alley way she’d suggested. She saw the first goon as he saw her. His eyes widened as he did a double take on her. Lisa shivered, disgusted at his leer.

“Where is he?” she squared her shoulders and met his gaze head on. The man jerked his head indicating inside the alley.

Lisa held back her sigh and turned to glance inside, just to find a Mercedes headlights flash on brightly. She groaned against the sudden light intrusion, pulling up an arm to cover it off. What was he trying to do, blind her?

Through hazy eyes, she saw the silhouette of a man step out of the car. Trimly built of frame but slightly buffer, she immediately recognized Jack.

Blonde haired and blue eyed, he was not like the blondes she’d met. He walked forward, grinning as he approached her with open arms. “Darling, it’s so nice to–”

Lisa refused to give into the temptation to take a step back, tilting her head up as she shouted, “Stay where you are.” Her voice was strong, which surprised her, and she didn’t miss the warning at the end of it.

Neither did Jack. He stopped walking, and dropped his arms. There was a short silence, a silence in which she felt him studying her. She felt uncomfortable, but reminded herself the sooner she can finish with this the sooner she can sleep.

Finally, he made a move. He made a two finger motion to the car. Just as suddenly as she’d been flooded with light, it was gone. Lisa blinked away the throbbing in her eye muscles, glad he’d thought of turning off the damn thing.

“A waste of energy, don’t you think?” she said casually, eyes finally zoning onto the man before her. He was the same height as her, broader at shoulders and physically built but in a lean kind of way. She’d felt his arms before, and had thought them buff, but Daniel’s suddenly had more of an appeal to her.

He smirked, blue eyes remaining cold and sharply on her. “Only poor people worry about energy, Lisa,” he said arrogantly. “Us who have the cash to spend, spend it thinking of the now, not tomorrow.”

Lisa shook her head, surprised she was still disappointed. “I’m disappointed, Jack,” he sighed. “Here I thought you were the perfect man. It’s very disappointing to see the real you.”

He rolled his eyes. “This is the real me, babe,” he smiled that charming smile that she’d once thought sent her heart into a frenzy. “You just have to get back down to earth, and then we can be together again. We can go off on that trip you were nagging me about, the one you stupidly ran out of? Yeah, that one with the mountains and stuff. Wouldn’t you like to go there? Wouldn’t you like to see all those stars you say are clearer outside, away from the city?”