Page 43 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Isla

"Liam?" I brace myself for his questions. I’m sure he woke up and found me gone. I know I only left a few hours ago, so technically, I could be out getting coffee or for a run, but Liam’s too sharp.

I’m sure he noticed my ring on the bedside table, and that my clothes and handbag are gone.

Also, after last night, and the way he manipulated my body and commandeered my orgasms, and made me come so hard and so often in such a short period of time…

The relationship between us isn’t the same.

Things have shifted, changed, and become even more complicated.

I promised myself one night; I hadn’t thought so much would change in so little time. I entered that room confident I’d be able to leave him. Confident I’d be able to stick to the agreement he’d laid out. That once I got pregnant and had a baby, we could separate and co-parent.

But when I woke up this morning to find him curled about me, with his arm under my neck, his chest plastered to my back, and his legs twined with mine—his warmth around me and his scent cocooning me…

I knew then, I want to wake up like this every morning.

With him next to me and our children down the corridor.

Then we’d have breakfast, and one of us would drop the kids off at school, and we’d go to work and return to a family dinner every night.

It’s a dream, so normal in its scope, so simple in its ordinariness, and yet, it’s everything I want.

Yes, I do want my wedding planning company to be world-renowned, and I want to organize spectacular weddings and be known for my original ideas and for pulling off the most dazzling spectacles. But I also want to own this dream.

Until I saw those images, I didn’t realize how much I want it.

Maybe from the moment I saw Liam, I’ve been building toward this.

Maybe that’s why I told Lila to leave him.

Maybe my subconscious had known right away he was the guy for me, which is why I also hated him on sight…

Or, at least, I thought I did. Perhaps I’ve simply been fighting the inevitable.

The future’s closing in on me and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.

He’s my future, and I still haven’t told him my biggest secret. How can I even think of sharing his life without showing him my true self?

I needed time to think. I needed distance to figure out my next steps. It’s why I left and came to Zara’s place. I didn’t dare go to my apartment, knowing that’d be the first place he’d look. Not that he couldn’t track me down at Zara’s, but at least, I thought it’d buy me some time.

That’s before I told Zara the entire story, and she convinced me to call him.

Now, I swallow and wait for him to say something. The silence stretches. He’s so quiet, I can’t even hear his breathing. But I know he’s there. I can sense his presence. I can picture his features hardening, the pulse at his jaw ticking as he glares into the distance waiting for me to speak.

"Liam," —I clear my throat— "I know you must be pissed at me, but I have my reasons."

He doesn’t reply.

"Just let me work things out, and I’ll return, I promise. I can’t think straight when I’m near you. And staying under your roof, everything reminds me of you. It’s messing me up. It’s warping my decision-making process. I need to figure this out so we can both move forward, Liam."

He’s still silent.

I glance up at Zara, who’s frowning at me from across the length of the living room. She raises her eyebrows, and I shake my head.

"Talk to him," she mouths before she leaves to give me some privacy.

I nod, turn to glance out the window and lower my voice.

"I have feelings for you, Liam. I know I’ve never told you that, but you must have sensed it.

And after last night, I can’t keep them hidden from you.

What you did to me, how you made me come with so much mastery, how you treated my body like it was yours…

It was mind-blowing. Now I know what people mean when they say ‘the world shifted.’ That’s what last night was, Liam.

It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

I didn’t even think it was possible to be aroused so much, to come so hard that I swear, I saw stars.

It felt like some kind of a religious rite of passage.

And I’m sorry I left without waking you up.

But I knew you’d talk me out of it. I knew you’d say or do something that would distract me.

It’s why I left. Because I need a little time. "

"How long?"

I blink. I hadn’t expected him to ask that. To be honest, I was sure he’d disconnect on me, or rage at me, or maybe, sic his lawyers on me. After all, we had a deal and I’m rescinding it.

"I… hadn’t thought about that."

"How long, Isla?" I sense the impatience in his voice.

"It’s difficult for me to put a timeline to this."

"So, you’re going to stay away for an indeterminate amount of time, and I just have to deal with it?"

"Y-yes?"

Silence again.

"This is our future, Liam. Our child’s future, if I’m pregnant."

I sense him shift his position.

"I wasn’t rough with you last night, was I? I got carried away in the heat of the moment. You make me lose my mind, and say and do things that are out of character. And if I hurt you, I’ll never forgive myself."

I swallow. "You didn’t hurt me. You were… dominant, demanding—"

"I hurt you."

"No, you didn’t. If anything, you showed me how much I like to be told what to do in bed."

"I know."

I hear the smirk in his voice a-n-d, there he is. The alphahole I know. It’s a relief to hear him speak in that smug tone. It’s so very Liam. It means he gets what I’m saying. I hope. Some of the tension drains from my shoulders.

"I’m here at Zara’s place."

"I know."

"What?" I frown.

He blows out a breath. "I know. I put a tracker on your phone."

"You what?" I swivel around to find Zara frowning at me. "What did you say?" I ask again.

"I put a tracker on your phone, Isla. It’s one of my quirks. I was kidnapped. I lived to tell the tale. I swore it would never happen to me or to anyone I love. I take precautions. I protect my own. Deal with it."

That arrogant jerkface.

"And what if I don’t want to?"

He chuckles; his dark voice shivers down the phone and all my pores seem to pop. My stupid pussy instantly clenches. My thighs quiver.

"Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to." He disconnects.

"What the—" I move the phone away from my ear, and glare at the screen.

"What happened?" Zara comes toward me.

"He hung up."

"He hung up?" She blinks.

"After he told me that he’s tracking me through my phone." I stare at the device.

“I see,” Zara says softly.

"You don’t sound surprised." I scowl at her.

"He’s a gazillionaire. He gets what he wants. And he wants you. So no, I’m not surprised."

"But—"

She raises her hand. "I’m not condoning what he did. I think it’s wrong, and if I were in your place I’d be pissed with him. All I’m saying is, he’s a powerful man. You knew that when you married him—"

"Fake married."

"You knew he wasn’t above bending the rules."

"I didn’t know that."

"How do you think he got to where he is? Hard work?"

My cheeks flush.

"Oh, my, you really did think it was his work ethic that made him what he is."

I shuffle my feet. "I’m not innocent. I knew he’d have shades of gray to his character. He’s probably done things that were not one-hundred percent on the right side of the law. I knew that. But there’s a difference between knowing and being faced with evidence that confirms it."

"Hmm." She pulls up her phone and her fingers race across the screen.

"What are you doing?"

"Cancelling my appointments for today."

"Aren’t you like the Queen of Spin or something?" I refer to the title the press has bestowed on her.

"I have been called that, yes. But I am sure my team can manage without me for a few hours."

She continues to type furiously on her screen.

"You’ve been on your phone all morning. What are you up to?"

"Me? Nothing," she says casually. Too casually.

"Don’t even try to look innocent. It’s a look that doesn’t suit you."

She chuckles. "The helpless little female was never my thing. It’s probably why I find it so difficult to hold down a relationship. Most men seem to prefer women who are dependent on them emotionally."

"Maybe you just haven’t found the right man."

"I don’t think there’s anyone out there who’d even attempt to tame me."

"Hunter seems like he wouldn’t hesitate to take you up on that."

She snorts. "Hunter-twatface-Whittington can go fly a kite."

“Hmm." I survey her features. “I think you protest too much. Maybe the two of you can’t stand each other because you’re secretly attracted to each other."

"Please. Even if we did get together physically," —she holds up a finger— "and that’s a big if, the fact that we come from such different backgrounds means there’s no future together."

"You only need to fuck him, not marry him."

"I’d rather fuck someone more malleable, thank you very much." She flicks her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh wow, so you really are attracted to him. It’s why you’d rather not consider a purely physical relationship with him."

"There’s also this little issue of what a scandal it would be if the two of us were caught together.

Can you imagine? The press would have a field day.

And I’m sure it won’t hurt him as much as it would me.

" She purses her lips. "Unfortunately, even I have to admit that my being a woman is a disadvantage in this situation. "

"You’ve given this some thought, huh?"

She flushes, then tips her nose in the air. "Of course not."

I laugh. "You sure have, missy. You’ve had secret erotic dreams about Mr. Tight-Arse Whittington. Admit it."

"I have not, I—"

The doorbell rings. The relief on her face is unmistakable. She spins around, goes to the door, and throws it open.

"Hey babe!" Amelie walks in first. She walks toward me and hugs me, then steps back.

Summer walks in followed by Karma. Both women make a beeline toward me, and hug and kiss me.

Summer tries to hug Zara, who pats her on her shoulder. I stifle a laugh. Zara’s going to have to get over being uncomfortable with gestures of affection if she wants to hang out with us.

A man in a butler’s uniform carrying paper bags with the logo of a well-known restaurant follows in their footsteps.

“You brought your own lunch?” I laugh.

Summer pushes her hair back from her face. "It’s only noon, but since we’re eating for four between Karma and me, and since we don’t trust Zara’s cooking, no offense—"

"None taken," Zara chirps.

"—we came prepared with food," Karma completes the statement.

The three women walk over to the sofa and park themselves there.

"Where would you like this, ma’am?" the liveried man asks.

"In the kitchen is good." Summer waves a hand in the air.

"Very good, ma’am." He walks into the kitchen, places the bags there, and returns in a few seconds. "Will that be all, ma’am?"

"Thank you, Jeeves." Summer throws him a flying kiss.

The man’s ears reddens. "Of course, ma’am." He turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him.

"Is his name really Jeeves?" Zara asks.

"No, but he doesn’t mind if I call him that. He takes it as a compliment." Summer drums her fingers on her stomach.

"Are you hungry?" Karma pushes up to her feet. "I am. I’m going to get the food." She heads for the kitchen.

“I’ll help you,” Amelie follows.

"Wait, hold on, what are you all doing here?" I scowl at the women.

"We came to offer moral support, of course," Summer says sweetly.

"So that’s why you were on the phone?" I scowl at Zara, who has the grace to look ashamed.

"I figured we needed all the support we could get."

"I came here because I needed space to think," I admonish her.

"And you’ll think much better when you have your girlfriends to bounce ideas off."

Zara’s phone buzzes. She looks at it, then begins to type again. "Solene’s on a flight back to LA, so she can’t make it, but she’s rooting for you."

"Is there anyone you haven’t called? How about the guy at the corner shop? Or maybe the bartender at your local pub?" I huff.

Zara pretends to think. "That’s not a bad idea, actually. He’s a good-looking dude with this man bun, and he always has good advice for the lovelorn—"

The bell rings again.

"In fact, I think that’s him."

"What?" I gape. "You’re kidding right?"

"Nope," she says with a straight face.

The bell rings again.

"Tell me you’re kidding. Zara, if you’ve actually called him, I’ll—"

"Relax, of course I’m kidding. I actually don’t know who it could be." She walks to the door and opens it. A woman I haven’t met before steps through.

"Karina?" Summer blinks. "What are you doing here?"