The Billion Dollar Baby_A Billionaire Romance Read online

  3

  Sydney

  I soon arrive at Danceazi and feel my soul settle—just a little. This place calms my spirit and makes everything re-focus. It’s not fancy, but it’s the only thing I have ever had in my life. I built it up from nothing and is the thing I’m most proud of. When you’ve never had anything it’s a big deal. If I fail to keep it I have failed myself. It’s not just me though, it’s also the babies who come here every day to escape reality. The hope in their eyes as they get to experience what the more fortunate take for granted makes it all worthwhile.

  I can’t let them down. Who will give them a warm place to hang out of an evening while their parents scrape by in life? I provide free childcare to an often-single parent who can ill afford to work. For two hours every night, I give them a break. The women who deliver their charges here with gratitude can take some time out. The children get to lose themselves in dance like I always did when I had nothing else.

  As I open the door, I sigh inside. I can’t let this go. It’s not just me it affects. Maybe I’m too proud and moralistic. Surely dancing with nothing on is worth keeping those kid’s dreams alive. I don’t have to visit the rooms out the back, that’s my decision to make and one I will never sink so low to take. I am the only person standing in the way of success and I should wash with a hot bowl of reality and take up the offer. There is too much at stake.

  I set the music up and do what I love. The only thing that soothes my soul and makes sense of my life. I dance.

  Tyler

  I’m such a fucking idiot. I’ve scared her off and who knows where she’s run to? I think hard and then approach the counter again. This time the girl that looks back at me does so with the usual look I’ve come to expect. This girl throws me the look of the interested and I push down the irritability and smile at her sexily. She licks her lips and thrusts her chest toward me as she blinks and looks at me suggestively from under her lashes. “What can I get you, honey?”

  The meaning is clear. Whatever I want is on this particular menu and so I smile and flash her the look of a man who likes what he sees.

  She inches closer and drawls, “You know, I get off soon. How about hooking up with me? I don’t live far.”

  Leaning down, I whisper softly, “You know, I’d like that—a lot. The trouble is, I have to do something first. I need to find that woman who works here. She told me to meet up with her after I pushed an opportunity her way but then left without me giving her the details. Do you know where she lives?”

  The girl’s eyes narrow and she looks at me suspiciously. “You think I’m gonna tell you where she lives? Uh no, buddy. You could be some sort of murderer or something.”

  I lean in further and hold her eyes with mine. She shifts on the spot as I say huskily. “The sooner I deliver my proposal the sooner I come back for you, honey. It’s just a business proposition, nothing else. I heard she needs money and a friend, who wants to remain anonymous, sent me here to make all her dreams come true. She won’t thank you for standing in the way of a bright future.”

  Reaching out, I tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear and smile. “What do you say, honey, you wanna hook up after my business?”

  She licks her lips and leans closer. I smell the desire on her breath and see the lust behind her eyes. She purrs, “You’ll find her at Danceazi on the other side of town. She runs the studio after her hours here. Just make sure you head straight back here, honey because I’ll have something hot and steamy waiting for you and it won’t be coffee.”

  My heart leaps with the information and I smile gratefully. “Thanks, honey. I knew you were a good girl.”

  She says breathily, “I can be a bad girl too. Just hold that in your thoughts until you come back. Whatever you want, honey, it’s yours. Remember that, you’re in for quite an evening.”

  Winking, I pull back and shoot her a promised filled look. “Thanks, darlin’. Now, as they say, business before pleasure.”

  As I exit the place, I hear her voice follow me out. “Don’t take too long, ya hear. I’ll be waiting.”

  Laughing to myself I head for my car. I won’t be back and neither will Sydney. When she hears what I have planned this town will be but a hard memory. She doesn’t know it yet but Sydney Lawrence will leave this hard place as my wife.

  4

  Sydney

  I just have time to clean up and grab a sandwich before the first class of the day. Around 5.30 the mothers bring their girls to my door. The place is filled with large expensive cars and the air taken up with the smell of expensive perfume and tales of trips away and the latest dalliance. These women are formidable. They rush through life grasping what they can along the way.

  First comes the rich husband who sets them up in the life they become accustomed to. Then the endless trips to the hair salon and beauty parlor cement their status. The children follow and with them the disillusionment. I hear many a story of an illicit affair with a man to keep meaning in their lives. They whisper about the parties they attend and the deprivation carried out behind closed doors. These women are as desperate as me because they are trapped in wealth. They can’t see a way out of a life cushioned in gold and chained with the ropes of greed. These women are as unhappy as the rest of us because they are trapped and tied to men who pursue their excitement elsewhere. The Scarlett Room for one.

  As I watch them fill my tiny studio I look at their children. The eyes that look are me are very different from the ones who will stand before me later. Their dancewear is pristine and hardly worn. Their hair is tied with satin ribbons and they flush with good health and privilege. Even at a young age, these kids look around them with an air of confidence that only money can bring. They have everything they ever want and know nothing of the hardships that befall the kids that walk in their footsteps.

  Then I catch the eye of Cara Santobello and my heart races a little faster. She is looking around her with an air of boredom and flicks me the blank look of a woman who wants to be anywhere but here. I smile sweetly and she nods before looking away again. I can only wonder what a hard life she must live chained to the man who I fear the most. I see the desperation in her eyes and the hard edges of a woman trapped in a situation she has no control of.

  I wonder about her life. Surely it isn’t worth being unhappy in exchange for riches. I know she’s unhappy, it’s written all over her face. I will share that look if I allow her husband to bully me into something I have no stomach for. But he knows there is no alternative. He owns everything around here and even if I moved away and started somewhere new, the kids would lose the only thing good in their lives.

  The clock turns to 5.30 pm and I clap my hands.

  “Positions please dancers. Mom’s it’s time to leave so we can start.”

  The mom’s head out the door like their heels are on fire. Many of them hit the local bar along the street and some race to the nearby Mall. One hour of freedom is nothing to these women though. Most of their day is spent without their kids while the nannies take charge. In fact, there are several nannies here who are grateful for the time they have to catch up with their friends and share a tale or two about living in a gilded cage.

  Looking around, I see the excited faces of the children staring at me in awe and smile. Suddenly, everything makes sense. This is what I love and what I do best - spending time with these little girls and hopefully giving them something good in their life.

  Looking around, I smile and clap my hands. “Ok, girls, line up and let’s get you warmed up.”

  Tyler

  It didn’t take long to find Danceazi. A quick check on the Internet and I had everything I need. Considering this woman is so important to me I know little about her. All I know is that she’s the only one who can help me get my revenge and that makes her the most important person in my world right now. I know she has no family and has led a very poor life so far. As hard as it sounds that’s perfect for me because it will make things easier in the long run.


  I grab my car and take the drive across town. It puzzles me why she bolted like that. Surely, she’s curious. I saw the yearning in her eyes as she gazed into mine. I saw the way her breath hitched when she saw me standing there and recognized the interest in me. Then why did she bolt like a startled fawn as soon as my back was turned?

  Something isn’t adding up here, and it’s up to me to find out what’s bothering her. Just for a second her face fills my thoughts. I may be a hard-cold bastard but I’m not immune to the charms of a beautiful woman. Sydney is that woman. She is natural and flawless and despite her hard start in life I could see she was soft and innocent. Just the way her cheeks blushed when she caught me staring. The way her pupils dilated as she stared into my eyes. Her chest heaved as she tried to get her desire under control and if I was a gambling man, I would say she is quite the inexperienced woman.

  I feel my cock hardening at the thought of teaching her a thing or two. The thought of her under me is not an unpleasant one and for the first time I relish the journey we are about to take. Maybe things will be a little more interesting if I open up and let her in. She will become my wife, she has no choice really. Before I met her, it was strictly business—now I’m not so sure. Just the thought of taking that sweet, innocent girl sends the blood rushing through my body like a river bursting its banks. I’m not used to innocence. I’m used to the hard reality of desperate women who will do anything to claw a better life for themselves. Is she one of them? I know she is.

  I find the dance studio and park across the street, out of sight of prying eyes and providing the shield I need to formulate my next move. I can’t lose her now, she’s everything to me and I’ve come too far to fail now. But she is shaky, and that makes people do reckless things. I need to gain her trust first which is what I am struggling to work out how.

  I watch as the moms arrive and deposit their little darlings to the school. Sydney started this business; I found out everything I needed to know on the Internet while I wait. The place is registered to her, but she rents it from the Santobello group. I wonder about her business. It seems busy enough, but she obviously needs a second job to bring in the money.

  I watch as the women leave in their smart cars and recognize their type. They drive their expensive cars in their designer clothes and probably don’t have a care in the world. Their children will want for nothing and I just hope Sydney is charging them a hefty fee for her services. For some reason I feel protective of her. She has no one to turn to in her life - until now.

  I keep on Cyber stalking Sydney and find little more than what I already know. She has the usual social media accounts but they are strictly business tied to her dance studio. I look at her profile picture and something stirs within me. She is beautiful and so open it will be like kicking a wounded puppy. Once again, I feel the hatred for my father bubbling up inside. Him and Marshall Emmerson. Two men who had it all worked out. They made a pact many years ago to seal a lucrative deal. Two men who wanted the same woman and one who paid the price for his success. My mother was that woman, and she paid with her life. Now they will pay with theirs. The life they have carved out for themselves using the souls of the innocent. My revenge will leave them with nothing and I will relish every minute of it.

  I must sit brooding on the past for a whole hour because when I next look up the moms are back. They swoop in and gather their kids and I feel my heart quicken in anticipation. Now it’s time to head inside and start this thing.

  5

  Sydney

  The last child leaves and I breathe a sigh of relief. I love what I do but they are hard work. I can’t afford any help and rely on Lucy to step in when things get busy so I can carry on. I’m so happy I met her. When I answered that ad for a roomie I never imagined what a great friend she would turn out to be. She works as a personal assistant to a businessman in town. She doesn’t say anything but I know they share more than just a working relationship. The trouble is, he’s married like so many of them are. In fact, his daughter is one of my students. I rarely see his wife as the nanny always brings Constance to her lesson. I wonder again about the life these women lead. On the surface they have it all but underneath they are no better off than me. At least I have my standards. It’s just me and nobody else to think about. I just wonder how much longer I can keep my standards so high before real life interferes and sets me on the road to self-destruction.

  I only have an hour before the next class of the day and so head into my office to do some paperwork.

  It must only be five minutes later that I hear the door open and wonder who it could be. Maybe it’s someone come to enquire about classes. It’s unusual so I plaster a smile on my face and head outside to greet them.

  Then I see him and my heart starts racing. He found me. He is standing looking at me with those sexy eyes and doing things to me inside that he should be arrested for. Taking a deep gulp of air, I say shakily, “What do you want?”

  He nods coolly. “I want you to hear me out. I’ve not come to hurt you, quite the contrary. I’m here to make you the offer of a lifetime.”

  My heart sinks as I look at him. Of course, Michael has sent him. He is the only one offering me anything these days but I know I’m not going to like what I hear.

  Sighing with resignation, I turn to face him and say wearily. “You’ve got five minutes before I call the cops.”

  He just nods and says briskly, “I promise you I’m not here to hurt you. Just hear me out and then I’ll leave you alone to make your decision.”

  I nod and say briskly, “You can say it here and then go.”

  I think I hold my breath as he looks at me with those dark eyes and smiles softly. My traitorous body responds to him like it has no business doing. He is different to any man I have ever met and despite the mystery there is something about him that tells me I’m safe with him. He almost looks a little lost for words until I see the resolve creep into his eyes and he faces me with a wry smile. “This is more difficult than I ever thought it would be.”

  He appears to falter and then looks at me with a gentle expression. “This will come as quite a shock to you and I apologize for that. However, we don’t have long so I need to lay it on the line and let you come to terms with it before we leave.”

  I look at him in surprise. “Leave?”

  He nods. “Like I said, this will come as quite a shock. The fact is, Sydney. I have come to take you home where you belong. I know who your father was and the family that should have been yours. I have traced you for a reason that will hit you hard. You need to return to Texas with me to claim what’s rightfully yours. The only way you can do that successfully is as my wife.”

  My sight blurs and I feel myself shaking inside. I feel the blood drain from my face as I absorb his devastating words. He moves toward me and takes my elbow, pushing me into a nearby chair.

  He says kindly, “Put your head between your knees and take deep breaths.”

  I do as he says and try to make sense of what I’ve just heard. My family? I don’t have one. I’ve always been told my parents died in a car crash when I was born. There were no other relatives, so I was placed in the care of the state. He must be mistaken.

  I feel his arm around my shoulder, heavy and comforting and wonder about the man who just wrecked my world.

  He crouches down before me and I look into his concerned eyes.

  “Hey, you’re ok, honey. Just take your time and ask me any questions you like.”

  I feel my voice shaking as I stutter, “I think you had better start at the beginning.”

  He smiles wryly. “Come, let’s hit that bar across the street and you can listen with a stiff drink in your hand. You’re going to need it after what I’m about to tell you.”

  I allow him to pull me up and we head outside. I barely remember to lock up before we walk across the street to the bar.

  He orders me a beer and one for himself and settles down beside me in a booth. We are as private as two people
can be in public and he edges closer as we sit side by side, his leg against mine offering a comforting pressure as he begins his story.

  He starts speaking in a low, controlled voice. “Your father was a very successful man. So successful he built an oil company up from nothing and made it the billion-dollar company it is today. As you can imagine, it takes someone ruthless to do that and I wish I could say he was an honorable man but he wasn’t. He was married to the same woman all his life, but he had many affairs. He was always careful but then one day he met your mother.”

  I grasp the bottle of beer so hard I think it may shatter. I feel my world crashing to earth as I wait to hear the story of my beginning.

  He says softly, “She was a very beautiful model. A socialite and desired by many. Your father wanted her like he wanted the finest things in life. She was swayed by his power and charisma not to mention his billions. They had an affair for two years and then she fell pregnant with you. Like I said, he was a ruthless man and when your mother demanded he leave his wife for her, he cut her off. He destroyed her career and left her with nothing but an unborn child.”

  I put my face in my hands and try to shut out his words. This is soul destroying. I thought my parents loved each other. I believed they created me out of love and lived a happy and fulfilling life together. Not this. Not this disgusting, immoral coupling that ended in so much acrimony. I wasn’t the only child of a loving couple - I was a mistake.

  Tyler places his arm around my shoulders and I allow him to pull me closer to his side. He strokes my hair gently and says with concern, “I’m sorry, Sydney. Do you want me to stop?”