Wrecked: A Dark Billionaire Romance (The Billionaires Secret Club Book 1)
Wrecked: A Dark Billionaire Romance: Chapter 14

By midnight, I’d given up on sleep. I headed outside, wanting to feel the night air. I wanted to hear the ocean. I stared across the horizon at the way the water was black under the night sky. I could see a few stars, their light barely visible so close to the city. Waves rolled in, crashing against the sand.

I’d traveled the world, and I always came back to LA.

My father had always walked outside when he needed to think. I had adopted that habit from him.

Chrissy had asked about my father, and I’d been able to share memories with her. I hadn’t talked about my father outside of work since he’d passed away. At the office, it was common to mention him, or to have an employee share a story about how he’d handled a client or a project. But that was work. I hadn’t talked about him as a son speaks about his father, but it had felt good.

Whether I was ready or not, Chrissy was becoming a part of my life. And after we’d talked, Chrissy had given me her virginity. Willingly.

I’d thought I wanted a virgin, so that I could train her to want what I liked. But each time I was with her, I found myself wanting to do what was best for her.

The sight of her mustering her courage to unzip her dress, then standing in front of me, offering herself would stay with me forever. Her gift was momentous, and she had shared it with me. I was aware of the role that our arrangement played, but it hadn’t felt like a transaction. It had felt meaningful, because it had been her idea. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she’d initiated our time together. Despite the gravity of what we’d shared, I felt lighter. We’d connected in a way I hadn’t expected.

I wasn’t prepared for that feeling to end. I’d never had it before. I found I’d do nearly anything to keep it.

I wondered if this was how my father felt about my mother. Was he able to forgive her because he liked the way she made him feel? If so, I understood his tolerance a whole lot better now, thanks to my own feelings toward Chrissy.

I vowed right then that I would treat her like a queen as often as I possibly could.

The next morning, I woke earlier than usual. My new situation of having a woman in my life to spoil would take some planning.

I always ate plain oatmeal for breakfast with a power bar. It didn’t taste good, but it was the fuel I needed before I ran on the beach or lifted weights. But today, I wanted to have a breakfast ready for Chrissy, and after the night we shared, I wanted it to be exactly right.

The sky was overcast so eating on the patio was ideal. As soon as it was light outside, I asked the chef to prepare a large breakfast. She brought a large spread that included coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, Eggs Benedict, waffles, blueberries, strawberries, and crepes. I loaded it all onto a cart and took it to the patio. Then I paced.

Around 7:00 a.m. I heard Chrissy on the staircase. I was pleased that she wasn’t a late sleeper. She was wearing one of the outfits I’d picked for her. It was a simple turquoise sundress with a yellow wide brimmed hat and white sandals.

Seeing her in something I’d chosen gave me a rush. It wasn’t as good as holding her close to me, but it was close.

“Good morning,” I said in greeting. “I have breakfast ready for us if you’re hungry.”

Her bright smile lit up her face. “I am.”

I motioned the patio. “Let’s eat out here. With the clouds overhead, we won’t have to squint.” I pulled her to me and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you’re up early.”

She leaned into my side, tilting her pretty face up so I could kiss her again. “This feels late to me. I usually get up at five a.m. to make sure everything’s laid out for the day.”

I was pleased. Our schedules might be more compatible than I’d assumed. My mother had often lounged in bed until midday, while a nanny helped get me ready for school. “What did you need to have laid out?”

“My work uniform for the Sweet Lime Café, my backpack for college, my lunch, Bella’s backpack and lunch, Bella’s archery uniform, my uniform for the Blackstreet Diner, which I don’t need anymore, and my polo shirt that I wear when I work in the campus library.

Hearing that made my head ache. I worked hard, and dealt with multi-million dollar investments and an often cranky board of directors, but I didn’t have to put much thought into the smaller details of my life — I was lucky to have competent staff to do it for me. “That sounds like it takes a lot of forethought.”

“It does. But I’m used to it. We make a lot of lists. If we forget something, we can’t go back for it, so we both make sure we have what we need.”

“Why can’t you go back for it?”

“The bus takes too long. When Bella got into Evergreen Charter, we moved to an apartment close by. I applied to Cal State Los Angeles because it’s close to her school. I applied for jobs that are close as well. If we had to travel farther, then we’d lose a lot of our day waiting at bus stops.”

I didn’t like to think I was unaware of how other people lived, but the logistics of her day were eye-opening. I had never struggled financially, nor had I been raised around anyone who had. At her age, I assumed that I was entitled to the car that my parents gave me.

Chrissy had never had that luxury.

It was mind-boggling that she juggled all of that at her age, while working and studying and raising a child. It made me want to get to know her even more.

“That sounds very efficient of you.” Again, I wondered if I’d have been better off hiring Chrissy to be a project manager. But then I wouldn’t have her with me like this.

I wasn’t willing to give that up.

I wondered how many people her age could manage their lives and their siblings life as well as she had. If Bella hadn’t gotten sick, she would have kept going at this rapid, unyielding pace until she finished her degrees.

I picked up a plate. “What would you like to eat?”

“Everything looks good.” She peered into the house. “Are you expecting someone else?”

“No. This is all for you.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much breakfast food in one place, not even at the café.” She laughed. “There’s so much. I’ll try all of it.”

Her laugh was a delightful sound, and I wanted to hear it as much as possible. “I wanted to do something nice for you.”

“Wow. That’s very generous, and I can’t wait to try each dish.”

I began to scoop food onto her plate, a little bit of each dish, just like she wanted. “Chrissy, I know we just met, and we have an unusual relationship. But if there is anything you want, all you have to do is ask. I will do everything in my power to make it happen.”

She looked down at the ground briefly, then raised her eyes up to meet mine. “I don’t know what to say.”

I was prone to intensity, that was a fact. I’d given her all that I could, now I had to back off. “Just think about it.”

“Do you have to go into the office today?”

I handed her the plate, hoping she liked everything. “I’m taking the day off. I want to spend more time with you. I want us to get to know each other more, and understand each other a little more.”

“I think that sounds like a great idea.”

To complete the breakfast, I poured her a glass of orange juice into a crystal goblet and placed it by her plate. I was glad she wanted to spend time with me. The intensity of my attraction to her was strange. It was more than just sexual. I wanted to spend my free time with her. This had never happened to me before.

I wondered if I had a crush for the first time in my life, at age thirty-two. If a crush was like this, then what would love be like?

I wasn’t sure I was prepared to replace out.