Page 141 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10

Dr. Clark had asked me once if Isabella was on medicine.

I’d been thinking a lot about that. How she always took something every night.

Maybe she was off her meds. If she was…that was bad.

Because I couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t taken them.

Maybe back in high school, before her father sent her to that facility.

If she was reverting back to her younger self, I had to fight fire with fire.

I cleared my throat. “Actually, does Max still have the same number?”

“Why?”

“I need his help with something.”

“I thought you said you needed my help with something? What are you planning?”

“I need someone to follow Isabella. And you can’t tail her. She’ll recognize you.”

“Follow her?” Ian sighed. “Now I know why you asked for Max. You’re planning to blackmail Isabella back? I don’t think that’s a good idea, man.”

“What else am I supposed to do? I need her to sign the papers.”

Ian sighed. “Fine. Yeah, Max has the same number. But just for the record…I hate this plan. At least you’re not making me do it though.”

“Can you also let Ellen know she doesn’t need to come in for the next few days?”

“Penny will eventually need to get used to the fact that you have a staff.”

“I know. But it’s a lot, right? I want to ease her into all this.”

“Did you just call me a lot?”

I laughed. “You know what I meant.”

“So this means she’s staying, right? For good this time?”

“I hope so.”

“Me too,” Ian said. “I’ll let Ellen know to lay low. And I’ll do the same. Wait, does this mean I have to watch the game alone tomorrow night?”

“I’ll let you know. We might be able to still catch Odin Beckman dominate Sam Bradfury.”

“What the fuck did you just say to me?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in later.”

He laughed. “You got it, boss. Have a good night.” He hung up.

I pulled out one of my desk drawers and rifled through the papers until I found Max’s number. I called him as I sent off the rest of my emails canceling classes.

Max answered after just a few rings. “Long time no see, James. How’s Delaware treating you?”

I wasn’t surprised he knew where I’d moved. That was kind of his job to know things. “Great. I have a job for you.”

“What kind of job?”

“I need some incriminating photos of my ex with other men. It won’t be hard. I’m sure she’s seeing someone. Just get it done quickly and quietly.”

“You’re talking about Isabella?”

“Yes.”

“The usual fee?” he asked.

"Of course. Just send the photos when you have them."

“You got it. And just so we’re clear, we’re not just talking about a dinner date, right? A picture of her on a date is easy, but it will take me a little more time to figure out who she’s currently fucking and when and where they’re doing it. There’s an art to these things.”

"That's fine. I just need it done."

“What’s the exact time frame?”

"By the end of the week at the latest."

“No problem at all. I’ll email you the pictures when I have them.”

"No, I'll need it hand delivered. I don't want a cyber footprint on this.”

“Will do.”

“Thanks, Max."

There was a knock on my office door. Shit. I hung up the phone.

"Professor Hunter?" Penny said.

I pushed the papers with phone numbers and details about people that I probably shouldn’t have back into the drawer and slammed it shut.

Penny didn’t need to know how I was finally going to finalize the divorce.

She’d just care that it was done. I opened the door for her but didn’t invite her inside.

"So I'm a pressing personal matter?" She smiled up at me.

I’m glad she knew the cancellation email was about her. Everything I did was always for her. "Yes."

She glanced over her shoulder down the hallway. "Your apartment is a lot bigger than I realized."

"Do you want me to give you a tour?" I stepped out of my office and closed the door behind me. I grabbed her hand to lead her down the hall, but she didn’t budge.

"Well, what's in there?" She nodded her head towards my office door.

"It's my office. Nothing fancy."

"I'd like to see that."

"It's kind of messy." I’d been sleeping in there recently. It was the one room in my apartment where her cherry scented perfume hadn’t reached. Not that it really kept my mind from wandering to her. Especially because I watched her through the security feed in there.

"Good, because the rest of your apartment is unnervingly clean." She stood up on her tiptoes and clasped her hands behind my neck. "Please?"

How was I supposed to say no to her when she was staring up at me like that? "It's really not much to see." But maybe that wasn’t true. It was the only room that had any decorations at all. Dr. Clark would want me to show it to her.

"So it doesn't matter if I see it then."

I smiled down at her. I was trying to be more open with her. And that meant inviting her inside my office. Willingly. "Whatever you want." I opened the door back up. She let go of me and wandered into the room.

I folded my arms across my chest as I tried to see it from her point of view.

Mathematical formulas covered my whiteboard.

My floor to ceiling bookshelves were packed with books.

There were papers scattered about my desk.

And some crumbled up papers on the ground that I’d missed when I shot them into the little basketball hoop above the trash can.

I wasn’t sure what any of that said about me, besides that I was a bad shot.

"You're kind of a hoarder," she said as she walked farther into the room.

"I'm not a hoarder," I said with a laugh. “I actually use all this stuff."

"What on earth do you need this many computers for?"

I looked around at the dozen computers that were spread through the room. I shrugged. They each had their purpose.

"And you do have T.V.s." She stared at the few mounted next to the whiteboard.

"Oh. Well, yes, but I just use them as monitors. They're hooked up to my computers." The only T.V. I ever watched on them was games with Ian.

She glanced at the leather sofa in the corner. Where I still had a pillow and blanket.

She turned back to me. "So the rest of your apartment is immaculate because you spend all your time in here?"

"I spend most of my free time in here, yes."

"Well, you seemed very judgy of my wonderfully comfortable dorm room bed. Yet, you usually sleep on a leather sofa?"

"I've been finding it hard to fall asleep in my bed when you're not in it with me." I pressed my lips together. It was odd being so blatantly honest. Odd but…refreshing.

"Oh." Her cheeks flushed.

I’d forgotten how much I loved when she got flustered. Her rosy cheeks reminded me of the matching color her ass turned when I spanked her.

She walked over to my desk. "So this is where all your personal stuff is?" She lifted up a picture frame off my desk. "Are these your siblings?"

I walked over to her and stared at the picture.

“Yeah.” I was younger in it. A much better age for Penny.

But I’d been a fucking mess back then. I was happy in that picture, but the feeling had been fleeting.

I barely even recognized myself with a smile on my face.

If I was worried about ruining her now…I definitely would have ruined her then. Breathe.

"What are their names?"

"Jennifer and Rob."

"When was this taken?" she asked.

"At the launch party of my company."

"Is that a thing? That's rather extravagant."

"It was a P.R. nightmare."

"How old were you?"

"22." It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Hmm."

"What?" I smiled down at her.

"You look so happy in this picture. Do you miss it?"

Miss what exactly? Living under my parents’ thumb? Being high every night? Slowly killing myself? I had a feeling her question wasn’t so heavy. I cleared my throat. "Running a company?"

"Yeah."

"You'd think that being a C.E.O. would mean I didn't have to answer to anyone." I sat down on the edge of my desk. "But most of my time was spent doing things I didn't love. I do miss certain parts though."

"Is that why you're thinking about starting a new company?"

"Well, as you have so eloquently pointed out, I've had a lot of free time. I needed something to occupy myself." But that wasn’t the only reason. In the back of my head, I was worried my time at this university would be cut short. That Penny and I would be found out. And if I didn’t have something else lined up, I was worried what that free time would do to me. I wasn’t good at being idle. I needed a routine. I needed structure.

She laughed and moved between my legs. She put her hands down on my thighs. "I had a question about my present."

"And what is that?"

"The tickets to the Thanksgiving Day parade. Is that an invitation to meet your family?"

I smiled down at her. "If you want it to be."

"Do you think they'll like me?"

"Jennifer and Rob will love you."

"What about your parents?"

I tried to not let my smile falter. I wanted her to meet Jen and Rob.

But…I wasn’t on speaking terms with my parents.

Her meeting them wasn’t on the agenda for Thanksgiving.

If she really wanted to meet them though?

I’d let her. I didn’t want to hide anything from her anymore.

"If you could just laugh off everything they say like they're crazy people, that would be best."

"You don't think they'll like me? Why?"

I pulled her closer, making her hands slide farther up my thighs. "I don't like to try to think like them."

"Maybe they'll love me."

No. I don’t think so. They don’t even love me. "Isn't my love enough?"

"Yes." She moved one of her hands to the waistline of my jeans. “Speaking of which, it's a shame that I'm supposed to be taking things easy. That probably means no sex."

Rough sex maybe. But I knew how to be gentle with my girl. "I don't think that's what that means."

"I'm pretty sure." She slipped her hand slightly beneath my waistband, running her fingers through my happy trail.

Was she teasing me? I usually liked being in control. But I kind of wanted to see where she was going with this. "I don't consider you to be one to shy away from breaking rules, Penny."

"Me?" She unbuttoned my jeans and slowly unzipped them.

I’d jerked off to images of her while I was alone in this room. Countless times. Never once had I pictured this.

"I'm a stickler for the rules, Professor Hunter."

"So you'd be mad if, for example, I did this?" I leaned forward and pushed her jacket off her shoulders.

She shook it the rest of the way off. "Furious."

"What about this?" I slid my hands up her waist, peeling off her tank top. She didn’t say a word as the fabric fell to the floor and I unhinged her bra.

"I'm so upset with you right now." She tried to hide her smile.

"Hmm." I slid off the edge of my desk. "What if I did this?" I pushed her yoga pants over her ass and slowly pulled them down her thighs. Her skin pebbled beneath my touch. When her pants reached her knees, I released the fabric and they fell to the floor.

She gulped. "I can barely look at you I'm so angry."

"I figured. I'll respect your wishes then." I zipped my pants back up. "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Professor Hunter..."

"Don't worry, I'm taking you with me." I lifted her over my shoulder and carried her out of my office.