My Billionaire Stranger (21 page)

It’s then that I realize that Lana's advice isn’t exactly what I need right now, she’s all about money and sex. I need to
work,
I have take care of someone in a fulfilling way, so that I feel like I’m making a difference. It’s what pulled me through the hardest time of my life I need to help others heal.

“You’re right Lana.” There’s no other way to get her to leave it alone, I have to agree with her if I want her to shut up.

“Damn right I’m right, so when ya gonna make up that girls night out? You bailed after one drink, we need to get out there and shake some ass!”

“Let me figure this thing out with Marcus and I’ll let you know when I’m available.”

“Shit, that’ll be the twelfth of never girl. He’s got it bad for you, I bet he won’t let you outta his sight for one second.” For some reason that gets my blood pumping, maybe because it’s true. Still, nobody tells me what to do.

“We like each other Lana, but he doesn’t control me. I’m still my own independent self.” “Yea whatever, you bolted from girls night, ignored calls from your family and friends, quit your job, moved in with him and you haven’t left his side since, sounds really
independent.”
She’s right, he
is
controlling me, it’s hard to see when you’re in the eye of the storm but when your best friend puts it out there like that, it becomes crystal clear.

“You have a point.”

“Of course I do. I’m not saying it’s wrong or anything, he’s sweeping ya off your feet, and that’s cool. Just don’t let him swallow you whole.”

“Thanks Lana.” Maybe I did need her advice after all.

“You’re welcome, now I gotta get back to work before I get fired, some of us still have a
real
job!” She erupts into laughter, but her comment cements my decision. I’m going back to work, to
my
real
job. We say our goodbyes and I promise to call more often. I lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes for a second but I get the weird sensation that someone’s watching me. When I open my eyes I look left and there three or four cars down, a women with crazy bugged out eyes and whacked out hair sits in a car staring at me through several cars worth of windows. She knows I see her but she doesn’t look away, she’s looking at me
hard
and it’s freaking me out! I look behind me to make sure she isn’t glaring at someone else. Nope…it’s defiantly me. My imagination starts to work overtime and I visualize her jumping out of the car, thumping across the hoods of the cars that separate us, smashing the glass of my window and choking me out. Fuck, my hyper active imagination! I break the freaky eye contact, and search for a way to lock my doors- this damned car is so complicated! Trembling I start to feel faint, tunnel vision blurs my head and my hearing starts to fade; damn it, I can’t pass out until I find the locks! Fumbling with my phone I try to call Marcus but my fingers won’t do what I tell them to. I risk another glance at the crazy woman to check that she’s still there and find the car is gone. My breathing comes a little easier and my head clears. I’m still not getting out of this car alone though, no fucking way! That woman was looking at
me
with those crazy eyes.

Hands shaking, I find Marcus’s number on my phone and press it successfully. He answers after half a ring. “What’s wrong Imani?” he says with urgency, like he knows some crazy bitch is out here stalking me.

“Um...can you send someone out to the parking lot to walk me back inside?” “What…why?”

“I just had a super creepy stare-down with a woman in a car a few down from yours, she’s gone, but I’m a little worked up.” I downplay the situation, he has the potential to go postal on people when he’s upset.

“Lock the doors, button on the right, I’ll send someone out. Do not move, stay in the car, do you understand?” Before he even finishes speaking, a muscle-bound man with a goatee comes barreling out the back door toward the car.

“Ah…a big man with a goatee is coming toward the car.”

“That’s Nick, I sent him, let him bring you inside.”

“Ok.” I unlock the doors that I just taken five minutes to figure out how to lock and cut the engine. Nick opens the door for me without a word. He scans the parking lot around us seemingly knowing what he’s doing. I wonder how many guys like Nick are on Marcus’s bankroll? For such a mammoth man he tucks me under his arm to lead me back into Dominus. Marcos has made his way to the door by now and is waiting just inside for me. He snatches me as soon as I’m within his reach.

“Are you all right?”

“Yea, just freaked out is all.”

“You are shaking come on.” He leads me back to his office with Nick in tow, who magically produces a blanket and a soda. Marcus motions for me to sit on the couch. Nick places the drink on the table by the couch and hands me the blanket. I take it gratefully and wrap it around me while Marcus slides the drink over to sit on the coffee table facing me between my knees.  “What happened?”

“I was just sitting there talking to Lana, we hung up and I felt like somebody was watching me. When I looked over, this crazy-looking woman was sitting in a car three or four down, glaring at me, and she wouldn’t look away. I couldn’t find the locks, I thought I was gonna pass out, I couldn’t dial your number…I…. I…”

“Calm down Imani, breathe- you are fine, she is gone and  I am here, nobody is going to hurt you baby.” he speaks quietly, in a soothing tone while I take deep breaths in through my nose and  blow them out through my mouth until I’m calmer. “What did she look like, can you describe her to me?”

“Um, yea brown skin, kinda whacked out black hair all over the place and creepy eyes, she was thin, like her face was sunken in at the cheeks kinda like a meth head.” Man I can’t believe I was able to recall that much about her.

“I’m sorry to have to ask you, but you will remember more right now than if I wait until later. Everything is clearer when it’s all fresh in your mind.”

“It’s ok, I think I’m ok now. It’s just… having someone stare me down in a parking lot…. behind a restaurant…it’s just too much like that night in the alley.”

“Come here.” He pulls me into his arms. Cradling my face, he kisses me softly on the mouth. “You are all right now, she was probably picking somebody up and saw my gorgeous lady in my fabulous car, got jealous and gave you a dirty look.”

“Can we go home?”

“Yes. We can go home, drink.” he says handing me the soda.

“I would like to take you somewhere first though, just one stop?”

“Shopping?”

“Yes. Shopping. We should go.” Nick is hovering outside the office door and he follows us outside. I watch as he climbs into some sort of SUV. It sags under the heavy weight of the muscle bound man. “Nick going home?” 

“No, Nick is following us for a while, just as a precaution.”

“Really it’s not necessary, it was probably nothing, I just let my imagination get away with me.”

“No Imani, Nick is going to be our shadow for a while so get used to it, period,” he says, with his own particular kind of finality. 

“Ok, but just know I feel guilty having you pay a bodyguard because I freaked out.” “Nick gets paid anyway, he is just getting to drive around while getting paid now- think of it as a promotion, he isn’t cooped up in the club at Dominus.”

“Promotion huh? Ok, I’ll accept that.” Our little caravan pulls out of the parking lot and we are on our way to go
shopping
great…. I can only imagine what Marcus Castillo wants to shop for.

Chapter 27

Marcus’s has an eclectic taste in music; a classical eerie piece plays as we drive through the misty streets of Seattle. I find it interesting that he knows the words to Rihanna’s current pop song ‘Stay’ but that he also listens to odd classical pieces. Marcus eyes me while directing me through traffic, I wonder if he’s evaluating my mood or reading my mind maybe. I’m feeling stupid for getting all worked up over nothing earlier. It was just a nutty lady looking me in a parking lot… I hope.

“I wanted to drive you here my self and put a blindfold over your eyes. Fucking cast.” 

“Blindfolded?”

“Mmmhmm, we can still do that later if you like.” No I do not like…I don’t think so anyway. It’s obvious he’s talking about blindfolding me in the bedroom. Shit, it looks like I may have to reveal more about my attack. Sex with Marcus has been phenomenal, and I trust him but a blindfold… every limit I’ve ever had has been tested with this man. The thought of being blindfolded during sex though…that makes my entire body break out into a sweat. “Turn here.” I make the turn into the Pacific Mall parking lot.

“We’re really going shopping, like at the mall?”

“Yes, ‘like at the mall’,” he answers sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“You know you should have a handicap hanger on your rear view mirror, we could park right up front.” He hates the idea of being disabled, if only temporarily. I risk taking my eyes off the wheel for a split second to see his reaction and I’m damn glad I did, his expression is hilarious!  I fall into a fit of giggles when I see his deep frown and tight set jaw. The sound of my laughter releases some of that irritation on his face though because when I peek out of the corner of my eye again he is gazing lovingly at me.

“Imani, you confound me, no one I have ever known has smarted off like that with me. If I weren’t in this cast I would put you over my lap and spank you.”

I pull the car into a spot, turn it off and face him in my seat, he may complain about my smart mouth but his eyes are smiling. “You
love
it, you know you do.”

“I will not dignify that with an answer Ms. Jefferson, now get out of the car,” he orders.

“Where are we going?”

“I have not told you for a reason, just help me out of the damn car.” He is so bossy, but that’s just Marcus. I help him out of the car and we start toward the main entrance to the mall, I can sense Nick following us, just far enough behind to give us privacy but close enough to be of assistance if necessary. I wonder why I’m not allowed to know where we’re going, I have a hunch it’s because he knows there’s a good chance I won’t accept whatever he’s planning on giving to me. After a little maneuvering through the mall I spot it, Tiffany’s; fuck no! If that’s where we are going he was smart to keep it secret, there’s no way I’m taking jewelry from Marcus. I know him well enough to know it won’t be anything I would consider affordable, everything he does is big, gaudy and overboard.

“Uh… I’m not going in there if that’s what you’re planning,” I say nodding my head toward the only store in this mall he’d be caught dead in. When I stop dead in my tracks he lifts his eyes briefly toward the ceiling.

“Yes you are, you will not deny me the satisfaction of spoiling you.”

“Wrong, I will most certainly deny you the satisfaction Marcus, I’m a nurse, I don’t wear jewelry or fancy things that come from a place like that. It’s just not me, I can’t accept any more gifts from you.” And the face-off begins; he leans on his crutches, staring at me for what seems like forever, willing to wait however long it takes. Finally he breaks the silence. “I am going to stand here until you say you will go into that store and you will accept my gift and you will love it.”

“You’re gonna get mighty tired standing there all night on crutches Mr. Castillo.”

“Maybe so, but you have not had the pleasure of experiencing my stamina, I’m not fucking around Imani, I’ll stand here forever.” Oh. My. God. He’s serious. He always gets what he wants and he’s always right, how could I forget? I’m stubborn though I’m standing my ground. I glance around and see Nick in the distance, settled on a leather couch scanning the area. I wonder if he knows what’s going on? I’ll bet he took a seat anticipating this would be a long wait. We face each other while people walk around us, a few stare, others whisper but most just pretend to we aren’t there, those are the smart shoppers. Marcus’s eyes are trained on me but I avoid them, if I look at him I’ll cave. He knows it and I’m sure that’s why he continues the stand off. Shit I think we’ve been standing here for a good thirty minutes, not long really, but I’m in heels and he’s on crutches. I’m sick of this game.

“I want to go home.”

“I want to give you a gift,” he responds, matter-of-factly.

“Marcus.” I stomp my foot, shit I didn’t mean to do that.

“Imani,” He’s getting fed up with this, I can hear it in his tone, just a little longer…

“Come on, I really want to go home,” I whine.

“No, but you can stomp your tiny little foot again, It’s adorable, and hot.” Ahh, he’s pissing me off which inadvertently makes me more stubborn. We stand for another fifteen minutes I’m steaming mad, alternating my weight from foot to foot in  my fucking heels. Marcus smiles occasionally, rocking around casually on his crutches. Finally I humph and turn toward Tiffany’s submitting to the most pig headed man on earth. He knows better than to say anything though as he click clacks just behind me. When we are near the entrance of the store I see his reflection in the glass, he has a huge smile spread across his smug face. The second we pass through the doors, a woman dressed impeccably in a white pantsuit approaches.

“Angela,” he addresses her blandly by her first name.

“Mr. Castillo, so good to see you, I have your package all ready for you.”

“This is Imani Jefferson,” he introduces me and I politely extend my hand. I’ll play nice I guess, poor woman doesn’t know we just had a forty-five minute showdown in the middle of the mall.

“So nice to meet you Imani.”

“You too, Angela is it?”

“Yes, Marcus has spoken highly of you Ms. Jefferson, you must be very special.” Angela gushes embarrassingly, and Marcus doesn’t like it. I wonder what he’s been saying to Ms. Angela about me?

“We need to sit Angela.”  Marcus is irritated; Angela is overstepping her boundaries with him, uh oh. “Oh of course, I’m so sorry, this way.” She steers us to an area in the rear of the store where we take a seat. Angela looks a little unnerved; I wonder how long she’s known Marcus.  She responds to him like everyone else I’ve met who knew him before his accident, apprehensive and scared.

“I’ll just get the box.” She nervously, smooth’s the front of her jacket at the waist. “Good idea, we would like to get home.” He’s so rude sometimes, again I feel sorry for her, yet at the same time I appreciate his directness, I want to go home too. Nick stands just inside the door and I notice no sales person is approaching him.

“Do they know Nick is with us?” I ask.

“Yes they do, I have been here before.”

I bristle, I’ve never been jealous of anyone about anything in my life until right now and I shoot off my mouth before I think. “Really? So this is your hot spot where you buy all of your girlfriends gifts?” Why the hell did I just say that? A deep wrinkle forms between his brows and his lips press into a straight line. He’s trying to control his annoyance but just barely.

“This is
not
my
hot spot,
Imani. They sell a variety of items here; I do wear cuff links and a watch. And for your information I have never bought a woman anything here or anywhere, you are the first.”

“Oh…” God I'm so embarrassed, what the fuck is wrong with me?  I shut my mouth and wait patiently next to him on the plush, soft Tiffany blue colored couch. I can feel the heat of his thigh against mine, even when we drive each other nuts that magnetism hums between us. Angela is taking forever, I survey  the store while we wait and notice we’re the only people in the store. That’s weird, or maybe not, what do I know, I’ve never shopped in a place like this, maybe it’s by appointment only? Angela returns with a signature blue Tiffany’s box, she presents it to Marcus and hustles away. When Marcus turned to me on the couch I had a moment of apprehension, that box isn’t small enough to be…no, it couldn’t be…  he looks at the box in his hands for a moment.

When his trademark shocking green eyes meet mine he opens his mouth to speak but closes it once before starting again, “Imani, before the accident I thought my life was over. I met every goal I ever set for myself, everything I wanted was mine, there was nothing left to desire. I thought I had it all. And then there was you, whispering to me in the dark, asking me to live. I had no idea how much I was missing, and if it took a car accident, near drowning and a coma for me to find you, it was worth it. For the first time in my life I have calm in my heart. Remember when I told you that you were my savior?”

I nod silently not wanting to break the spell his words are casting over me. “I meant it. I want you to have this, not many things make me happy but spoiling you does so let me, please.”

My stubbornness evaporates and my body melts into the cushions Tiffany blue couch. He places the box in my hand as hot tears flood my eyes. Inside is a wide-cuff bracelet, encrusted with diamonds and sapphires in a tiny, delicate scallop pattern. It’s exquisite; I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s too much, I knew it would be but nothing could have prepared me for this. Shit, my head starts to swim for the umpteenth time this month and Marcus’s voice warps when he speaks to me.

“Imani, breathe baby, you’re going to pass out. Damn it you have the strangest reaction to excitement!” The sound of blood rushing in my ears is a clear warning that I need to take deep breaths, after a few my head begins to right itself and I can finally respond.

“Oh my… it’s… it’s amazing. I love it, so, so much, thank you Marcus.” Placing it on my wrist he gathers my hands in his. “I want you to leave it on… always.”  When I look up at him he’s beaming and I launch myself into his lap. Forgetting about the employees who are watching, the cast on his leg and Nick guarding the door I launch myself into his lap. As much as I don’t want to accept such an extravagant gift from him, that speech neutralized any opposition I may have had. If this is what makes him happy then I acquiesces. His spoiling ways are going to take some getting used to, this man doesn’t do anything small or subtle. It’s the same in all aspects of his personality including the way he has captured my heart. I belong to him; every molecule of me is his.