Claire: The Forced Virgin Of The Billionaire
Chapter 48

After I got everything away I got ready for dinner at Azriel’s uncle’s house. I wasn’t looking forward to this. Not at all. I didn’t know if I’d act the wrong way or say the wrong thing. I didn’t know how to pull off the ruse of acting like I was a blushing bride-to-be.

Rosita was to be out the rest of the day so I was alone in the house with some security guard inside that I’d seen before and another outside that I hadn’t seen before.

It wasn’t the same guy as this morning. From what I could tell they worked in 12 hour shifts staying on the property.

But sometimes things overlapped with one guy or another. At one point I looked out the window and the one guy had been in the driveway talking to three other guys, one of which had been the Lou Ferrigno looking burly guy from that first day.

I looked back out the window later and it was another guy, one I didn’t recognize.

I was ready at 4:20 and impatiently paced around the front door area until 4:48 when I heard the house phone ring.

The security dude wasn’t around and I was alone so I picked it up, preparing to just take a message.

“Hello?”

“Oh… Claire?” it was a female.

“Yes…” Who would be calling me here?

“Hi! This is Tessa; Azriel’s sister. Azriel’s running late so I’m gonna swing by and get you. I’m pulling up to the gate in like 2 seconds. Can you meet me outside?”

“I, uh, okay.”

“Cool. See you in two.”

Weird. And uncomfortable. I’d have to be alone with this girl and would I get a total inquisition? I stepped outside and the guard looked up at me and smiled.

This was the first of the Clarke security guys, besides Earl, to smile at me. Then the gate opened and a red SUV pulled in. The guard talked to her. They conversed for a few minutes so I started to walk down the steps toward them.

A pretty blonde unlocked the door and I got into the passenger seat.

There were two boys strapped in the back seat in car seats, one a toddler, the other a baby. The bigger of the two was playing on a little toddler game system and the smaller was asleep.

They were cute. She was very attractive, too, a petite blonde with a few chunky dark highlights. She had a pretty face. Lots of jewelry. Expensive-looking clothes and purse.

I couldn’t believe they were sleeping through the racket that was the dance music on her car sound system.

“Hey!” She shook my hand and started talking a mile a minute as she pulled out, talking over the loud music, “I’m glad to meet you. Azriel said you guys were running late and that he hadn’t picked you up yet so I decided to pick you up on the way and save him the trouble. This way, too, he can’t cancel because we’ve got you already. Back there are Lucas and Antonio.”

“Uh, nice to meet you. Thanks.” I waved at the older of the two boys in the backseat.

“Everyone can’t wait to meet the girl that has finally stolen my brother’s heart. You’re 18? You look older than that! How did you meet? Oh my God!” She grabbed my hand again and started checking out my ring, “It’s beautiful! My brother has always had great taste.”

I felt the car swerve and got a freaked out look on my face. Then someone honked at us. She laughed and grabbed the steering wheel, “Sorry. Saw something shiny! Hahaha”

She was funny, I liked her.

“I just gotta stop at the bakery to grab dessert. My uncle’s wife Lisa is useless in the kitchen and Sundays his housekeeper is off so Luc is bringing dinner and I’m bringing dessert. We do dinner almost every Sunday and we rotate who does what. Do you cook?” she turned down the radio a bit.

I nodded, “I do. I—“

Her phone cut me off. It was a really loud dubstep ring and it startled me. She answered it, “Azriel, what? Driving!” She listened for a second, frowned, and then said, “Yeah. What’s the prob?” She glanced over at me. Then she really scrunched up her face, “Yeah, I’ll be there in like five. Whatever. Here.” She passed me the phone and turned her music down some more. I almost fumbled, getting the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Claire, what the f**k!” he growled.

My scalp prickled, “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s your f*****g phone?”

“In my purse.”

“I’ve been calling you!”

“I must not have heard it. The music was loud.”

Tessa pulled into a parking space in a strip plaza and got out and dashed into a bakery.

“My sister picking you up was not authorized, Claire. The guy on duty was a f*****g bonehead for letting her drive out of there with you. It’s not safe.”

My heart was pumping directly in my ears, it seemed.

Time stood still for a beat.

Oh my God. OH MY GOD!

I have a chance to get away. There was no one else in the parking lot. There were no bodyguards with us! I looked around me. I was in a suburban strip mall and there were no goons with guns watching me.

“Hello?” he called out impatiently.